Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies

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Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies

Our crowd-pleasing Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies feature a rich brownie base topped with a layer of cheesecake and then mini chocolate chips and graham cracker crumbs. They take brownies to a whole new level!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cheesecake brownies

Servings: brownies

Calories: 329kcal

Author: Polly Conner

Ingredients

Cheesecake Layer:

10 ounces cream cheese softened
7 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg room temperature
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Brownie Layer:

3 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 batch Homemade Brownie Mix sub: 18-ounce box of brownie mix

Toppings:

1 tablespoon crushed graham crackers or graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Cheesecake Mixture: In a medium bowl using a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat softened cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Scrape bowl, then add egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low speed until smooth. Cover mixture and store in fridge until needed.
Prep: Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease an 8x8 pan generously with butter/cooking spray, or line with parchment.
Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla. In a microwave-safe bowl or glass measuring cup, melt the butter and chocolate chips together in short 10-20 second bursts until smooth, stirring frequently. Be careful not to let the mixture get too hot.
Combine: Stream the butter and chocolate mixture into the eggs and vanilla while whisking. Once smooth, add brownie mix and mix on medium-low speed with a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until no flour is visible (but be careful not to overmix). The batter will be thick.
Layering: Spread the brownie batter into the prepared pan so that it is evenly distributed. Remove the cheesecake mixture from the fridge and spread over the brownie batter in an even layer, tapping on the counter a couple times to even out the batter and pop any air bubbles. Sprinkle with the mini chocolate chips and graham cracker pieces/crumbs. Cover the top of the pan tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake: Bake for 30 minutes, rotate, then bake for an additional 35-40 minutes, checking with a toothpick to ensure doneness (once the brownies are close to being done the foil can be removed). The brownies are done when there is no wet batter remaining on the toothpick and cheesecake is just barely starting to brown around the edges, but is mostly set (you want to see very little jiggle). Let cool most of the way before slicing. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

COOKING NOTES:

If baking in a glass or ceramic pan, add 5-10 minutes to the bake time.
The cheesecake layer may interfere with the accuracy of the toothpick test when checking the doneness of the brownies, so don’t rely solely on those results when determining if the brownies are done. The color and setness (no wet batter visible) of the cheesecake will also aid in determining when these are done. The cheesecake should be about 90% set before they are removed from the oven. The cheesecake portion should be mostly white but just starting to turn golden brown on the edges.
Brownies can be enjoyed warm. However, they will taste best after they’ve chilled in the fridge for a couple hours after they are cooled so that the cheesecake can fully set up.

INGREDIENT NOTES:

*If not using a box mix, be sure to combine the brownie mix ingredients in a separate bowl first.
Cream cheese can be softened by sitting at room temperature for 1-2 hours or by microwaving in short bursts.
Using a room-temperature egg for the cheesecake topping will ensure that it combines with the cream cheese and doesn’t separate.
Any size or flavor of chocolate chip can be sprinkled on top!
Other Topping Variations: caramel drizzle, freeze-dried strawberries, Reeses’ peanut butter cups, Nilla wafers instead of graham crackers, sprinkles, etc.

Nutrition