Easy Fudgy Cream Cheese Brownies Recipe

Our Cream Cheese Brownie recipe makes rich fudgy chocolate brownies swirled with a velvety layer of cream cheese. Chocolate lovers indulge in the sweet creamy goodness of these gorgeous and decadent treats that will satisfy the most discerning sweet tooth.

Pull out your apron and a few simple ingredients for one of the most decadent delicious fudgy brownies with an elegant ribbon of rich cream cheese filling. You don’t have to tell anyone how quick and easy they are to make. Just sit back and soak up the oohs and aahs.

Why You’ll Love Our Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies Recipe

How could anyone not swoon at the site of that luscious cream cheese layer sandwiched between two layers of fudgy chocolate? It’s so fudgy. John would eat the batter. He doesn’t know why I don’t leave more in the bowl for him to lick either!

And, they’re so easy to make. Just because they look like they take forever but they’re pretty simple and just as quick to make as a box mix, only tastier.

Go turn on the oven, you probably already have everything you need to make these brownies in your kitchen pantry. No special ingredients are required.

Ingredients you’ll need for this recipe

Cream Cheese Brownie Batter

• Butter.
• White Granulated Sugar.
• Brown Sugar. Light or dark will work.
• Eggs. We use large eggs in all our baking for consistency.
• All-Purpose Flour. Bleached or unbleached will work. If needed, you can also use your favorite gluten-free one-for-one all-purpose flour for this recipe.
• Cocoa Powder. The higher the cocoa percentage, the more intense and darker the chocolate. We use 60% for lighter cocoa recipes that taste more like milk chocolate and 70% for dark chocolate flavor. Use what you have or prefer in your homemade brownies.
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. You could also use milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips.

Filling Ingredients

• Cream Cheese. Full-fat brand-name cream cheese works best.
• Sour Cream. Full-fat varieties will preserve the moisture in the brownies. Generic sour cream often has thickeners and fillers, whereas brand-name sour cream is just the dairy content. Read labels if you aren’t sure because the thickeners will change the texture of this cream cheese filling.
• White Granulated Sugar.
• Vanilla Extract. This is optional for flavor.

How To Make Cream Cheese Brownies

Please note, that the printable recipe card has ingredient quantities, complete instructions, and nutritional information. The following is a quick overview of the recipe.

Step One. Get everything ready for your cream cheese brownies recipe.

Pull out your ingredients and make sure you have everything you need. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter or spray your pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line it with parchment paper and spray it again.

Step Two. Heat the butter and sugars.

Over medium heat, melt the butter and add the white sugar and brown sugar. Stir until the butter is no longer pooling over the sugar. Cool.

Step Three. Mix the dry ingredients.

While the sugar and butter mixture is cooling off, in a large mixing bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder together and add the chocolate chips. Set aside.

Step Four. Add eggs to the cooked mixture.

Whisk the eggs, one at a time into the cooled butter and sugar mixture. Mix well in between each addition.

Step Five. Combine wet and dry.

Once all the eggs have been added, pour the mixture over the dry ingredients and mix until all of the flour mixture is incorporated. Set aside the reserved brownie batter.

Pour ¾ of the mixture into the prepared pan. Set aside.

Step Six. Make the cream cheese filling.

Mix all ingredients for the cream cheese filling.

Step Seven. Get your brownies with cream cheese ready to bake.

Gently put the cream cheese mixture over the brownie filling in the pan. You can spoon shallow dollops of the cream cheese mixture over the brownie layer and then spread them out. An offset spatula works well or you can use a spatula or knife.

Top the cream cheese with the remaining brownie batter. Use a knife to gently swirl the cream cheese filling into the chocolate brownie batter.

Note: The brownie batter gets thick as it sits so it’s best to assemble it as quickly as you can.

Step Eight. Bake your cream cheese brownies.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30-33 minutes. Cool the brownies completely.

Frequently Asked Questions.

How can I make my brownies more moist?

Fat content in brownies helps a brownie stay moist. Do not use low-fat butter or low-fat cream cheese.

Don’t overbake any brownie recipe. See our tips for pulling brownies out of the oven at precisely the right time.

Keep your brownies covered in an airtight container. They will dry out quickly if exposed to air, even briefly.

Don’t pre-cut your brownies. Extra edges exposed to air will make them dry out faster, even in a container.

Do cream cheese brownies need to be refrigerated?

We keep them stored in the refrigerator. We think it’s a good idea with dairy and eggs in the recipe.

Tips for the Perfect Cream Cheese Brownie Recipe

1. I have found that letting the cream cheese soften at room temperature leads to a better filling, more soft and creamy.
2. Sifting the flour and cocoa powder together will allow you to blend the ingredients together without overmixing. I use a spatula, or wooden spoon, or a Dutch whisk (pictured) to stir and only until the dry ingredients are wet.
3. When you line the pan with parchment paper, use a large enough piece so it will hang over the top edges. That makes it easier to pull them out and slice them into pieces. You can also easily put them back into the pan for storage.
4. You can use an 11×7-sized pan instead of a 9-inch pan. The larger the pan the thinner the brownie will be.
5. To slice fudgy cream cheese brownies, you can refrigerate them for 15 minutes and/or run a sharp knife through hot water and dry it before cutting the brownies. Rinse and dry the knife as needed.

How long to bake brownies?

To properly bake brownies, don’t use a toothpick to test them for doneness like a cake. Instead, as soon as they just start to pull away from the sides, take them out or take them out at the minimum baking time, let them cool in the pan which will allow them to set, and make a note on your recipe as to how long they took to bake. That’s what I do. All ovens are different.

How To Reheat & Store Cream Cheese Brownies

Best way to store Brownies with Cream Cheese

These brownies should be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator due to the cream cheese content. They will keep for up to five days.

Can I freeze Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies?

Yes. Freeze individually or as a whole using an airtight container. The brownies will keep for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature or microwave a single brownie for 20-30 seconds to thaw it quickly. A single brownie can also thaw in your lunch box and be eaten partially thawed.

How to reheat Cream Cheese Brownies

These brownies thaw fast at room temperature. However, you can place an individual, refrigerated brownie in the microwave for 10-20 seconds to thaw it. From frozen it may take 30 seconds or longer, but add time in short increments of 5 seconds because you don’t want to melt it.

More Brownies Please!

You either like cakey brownies or a chewy brownie. We don’t discriminate. We love all brownies and hope you find your favorite brownie recipe! 

Fudgy Brownies from Scratch is what started our quest to make the BEST brownie recipe. After so many attempts, we finally got the perfect chocolate fudgy brownie that sticks to the roof of your mouth and makes your eyes roll to the back of your head.

We still make that brownie recipe the most but it’s morphed into Peanut Butter Brownies, Oreo Brownies, Turtle Brownies, and now this Cream Cheese Brownie recipe.

For a cakey brownie, this Chocolate Buttermilk Brownie is an old-fashioned favorite and yep we even have Brownie Cookies. Who knew?

I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.

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