Cheesecake Brownies

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Half chocolate brownie, half creamy cheesecake, and completely delicious, these Cheesecake Brownies are among the most decadent dessert recipes I’ve ever developed. It will be our secret that the recipe starts with a boxed brownie mix!

Cheesecake brownies on a white plate.


 

Recipe ingredients

Labeled ingredients for cheesecake brownies.

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Brownie mix: Take note of the package instructions and round up all of the ingredients (such as oil, eggs, or water) you’ll need to prepare them according to the manufacturer’s recipe. You can also make brownies from scratch if you prefer.
  • Sour cream: This adds the signature cheesecake tang to the top layer.
  • Chocolate chips: Choose semi-sweet, milk, or dark based on what you have handy or prefer.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make a foil sling for a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan. The first sheet should be 13 inches wide and the second sheets should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other with extra foil hanging over the edges of the pan. Push foil into corners and up the sides of the pan, smooth foil flush to pan. Coat the foil with nonstick spray.
A cake pan lined with a foil sling.
  1. Prepare the brownie mix according to the package directions and pour into the prepared pan. Bake until top of brownie is shiny and center is almost set, about 15 minutes. 
A cake pan with brownies.
  1. Meanwhile, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla on medium speed until combined. Beat in sour cream. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed until blended. Pour the mixture over the partially baked brownie, filling the mixture to almost the top of the pan. Bake until center is almost set, about 40 minutes.
A layer of cheesecake over a cake pan of brownies.
  1. Remove from oven and run a knife or metal spatula around the rim of the baking dish to loosen the brownies. Cool, then refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Allow the Cheesecake Brownies to stand 30 minutes at room temperature prior to serving. Remove from the pan using the foil as a handle. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second increments at 50% power until melted. Drizzle over the bars and let stand until chocolate is firm.
Cheesecake brownies on a white plate.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This recipe makes 24 bars (you can cut them bigger, but they are rich). Slice the 9-inch by 13-inch pan into 6 rows one direction and 4 rows the other direction.
  • Storage: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Make ahead: Bake and chill the Cheesecake Brownies up to 1 day in advance.
  • Topping: Skip the chocolate drizzle if you don’t want to (or don’t have time for) that quick extra step.
  • Marble swirl topping: Add small dollops of fruit jam to the cheesecake topping prior to baking for the second round, then use a knife or skewer to gently draw alternating lines through the cream to create a marbled look.

More chocolate treats

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Cheesecake brownies on a white plate.

Cheesecake Brownies

Delicious chocolate brownies topped with creamy cheesecake filling! Quite possibly the perfect dessert. You’ll love how easy these Cheesecake Brownies are!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours 25 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 40 minutes
Servings 24 bars
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Calories 273
5 from 11 votes

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make a foil sling for a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan. The first sheet should be 13 inches wide and the second sheets should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other with extra foil hanging over the edges of the pan. Push foil into corners and up the sides of the pan, smooth foil flush to pan. Coat foil with nonstick spray.
  • Prepare the brownie mix according to the package directions and pour into the prepared pan. Bake until top of brownie is shiny and center is almost set, about 15 minutes. 
  • Meanwhile, in a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla on medium speed until combined. Beat in sour cream. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed until blended. Pour the mixture over the partially baked brownie, filling the mixture to almost the top of the pan. 
  • Bake until center is almost set, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and run a knife or metal spatula around the rim of the baking dish to loosen cake. Cool and then refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Allow to stand 30 minutes at room temperature prior to serving. Remove from the pan using the foil as a handle. 
  • Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second increments at 50% power until melted. Drizzle over the bars and let stand until chocolate is firm.

Notes

  1. Brownie mix: Take note of the package instructions and round up all of the ingredients (such as oil, eggs, or water) you’ll need to prepare them according to the manufacturer’s recipe. You can also make brownies from scratch if you prefer.
  2. Sour cream: This adds the signature cheesecake tang to the top layer.
  3. Chocolate chips: Choose semi-sweet, milk, or dark based on what you have handy or prefer.
  4. Yield: This recipe makes 24 bars (you can cut them bigger, but they are rich). Slice the 9-inch by 13-inch pan into 6 rows one direction and 4 rows the other direction.
  5. Storage: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  6. Make ahead: Bake and chill the Cheesecake Brownies up to 1 day in advance.
  7. Topping: Skip the chocolate drizzle if you don’t want to (or don’t have time for) that quick extra step.
  8. Marble swirl topping: Add small dollops of fruit jam to the cheesecake topping prior to baking for the second round, then use a knife or skewer to gently draw alternating lines through the cream to create a marbled look.

Nutrition

Serving: 1barCalories: 273kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 4gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 195mgPotassium: 67mgSugar: 20gVitamin A: 567IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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Comments

    1. Hi April, the foil sling is two pieces of foil laid across each other in a pan to help get baked goods out of the baking pan without sticking to the sides, like brownies and bars. In the middle of the post under step 1 is a photo of what it should look like. Please let me know if you have any more questions, happy to help! Take care! – Meggan

  1. Can I use a 8×8 pan? How long would the brownies need to cook for before I add the cheesecake topping?5 stars

    1. Hi Krissy, you may need to divide the recipe by 1/2 to make it in an 8×8 pan, or split the full recipe between two 8×8-inch pans. I haven’t tested this myself, but a 9×13 inch pan has a volume of 14 cups, and an 8×8-inch pan has a volume of about 8 cups, so I’m thinking it will overflow. The brownie layer takes about 15 minutes to become shiny and set in the 9×13-inch pan, it may vary if you use the smaller pan. Thanks for the questions, I hope this helps! – Meggan

    1. I used 4 packages. Per the author’s description: “I feel like I should warn you: the cheesecake filling has 4 boxes of cream cheese in it.” Of course, anyone can alter any recipe to their individual preference/requirements. I prefer a lot of cheesecake with my brownie, as does everyone who tried this recipe.5 stars

  2. Just brought these for a Valentines Day office gathering this morning. They got rave reviews, and I was asked to bring them again for the next pot luck. I will DEFINITELY make these again! I love that they have a good amount of cheesecake filling on top. So many other recipes I’ve tried, the cheesecake doesn’t come through, because there’s not enough of it, but not so with this excellent recipe. I used a glass pan and they ended up a bit overbaked in the corners. I would try my Air Bake pan next time and stick to the recommended time (my oven tends to run a smidge cooler, so I usually increase time on most recipes, but shouldn’t have on this one. Instead of the Chocolate drizzle on top, I dolloped some semi-melted strawberry fruit spread in regular intervals on top, then dragged a butter knive lightly through the red dollops to try and emulate a heart shape. The design wasn’t perfect, but still gave it that Valentine’s Day flair I was after.5 stars