Fudgy Cream Cheese Brownies
Cream cheese brownies are fudgy, decadent, and pair well with a layer of tangy cream cheese spread. The contrast between cream cheese and bittersweet chocolate is delicious!
Servings 16
Equipment
- 9-inch square baking pan metal preferred
- Mixing Bowls
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment or handheld mixer
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120g)
- ¾ cup dutch-process cocoa powder (75g)
- 1 tsp espresso powder optional
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted (226g)
- 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped (i use Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate baking bar) (113g)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300g)
- ½ cup light or dark brown sugar (100g)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp warm water
Cream Cheese Spread
- 1 ½ bricks full fat cream cheese, softened (6 oz)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (30g)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Make the cream cheese spread first. In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or a handheld mixer, whip the cream cheese on high for 1 minute until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and whip until combined. Add the egg and vanilla and whip until everything is combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder. Add the salt and whisk until combined. Set aside.
- In a heavy bottom saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the granulated and brown sugars until no crystals remain. Then, whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until smooth. (it may look oily - thats ok)
- Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry. Fold everything together with a rubber spatula until smooth. Save 1/3 cup brownie batter and set aside.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared 9x9 baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes in the oven to set, before adding the cream cheese. Stir 2-3 tbsp of water into the reserved ⅓ cup brownie batter.
- Remove the brownies from the oven and use an offset spatula or rubber spatula to spread the cream cheese layer over the brownie batter (work quickly and be careful, the pan is hot).
- Take the runny brownie batter and drop dollops over the cream cheese. Use a skewer, knife, or chopstick to run it back and forth through the batter to create a pattern.
- Bake on the center rack of the oven for 50-60 minutes. Turn the pan halfway at 30 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center. There will be a few fudgy crumbs. Also check that the cream cheese layer has puffed up, has a very light golden color, and the edges just begin to crack.
- Transfer the cream cheese brownies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Store the brownies in the refrigerator and note that this makes them even denser! You can let them come to room temperature before serving or eat cold, delicious either way!
Notes
- Metal Pan vs. Glass: Metal pans conduct heat faster and evenly, which means evenly baked brownies and shorter baking times.
- 8x8 Baking Pan: You can try this in a 8x8 pan but the cream cheese brownies will be SUPER THICK, and will need to bake for a lot longer. This can result in the cream cheese browning and splitting. If you use an 8x8 pan, I recommend baking the brownie batter for 20 minutes before adding the cream cheese topping (see step#6) and covering the top with tinfoil if it starts getting too dark. A 9x9 square metal pan works the best for this recipe
- Cocoa Powder: This recipe uses Dutch-processed cocoa powder which is darker in color, less acidic and makes brownies fudgy!
- Storing: Refrigerated for 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months in a freezer safe container. Refrigerating them makes them even denser. Let them come to room temperature before serving or enjoy cold.