February 10th is National Cream Cheese Brownies Day so, of course, I needed to develop a recipe. These White Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies are just what you need to celebrate the day. And, it’s awfully close to Valentines Day so why not celebrate that too?
White Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies are perfect for the mid February holidays. Decadent and full of chocolate, what’s not to love? Make up a batch for National Cream Cheese Brownies Day, and these will keep in the refrigerator (if you can resist) for a few days until Valentine’s Day.
These bars start with a base of fudgy brownie. Gently pour white chocolate cheesecake batter over the top. Finally, swirl in some more brownie batter to create a truly lovely pattern that catches the eye. It’s a delicious treat with show stopping wow factor. Decadent and impressive!
Here’s what you will need:
As with most of my recipes, these White Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies come together with simple ingredients. You will need two blocks of cream cheese. The recipe also calls for 6 eggs, and in February 2023 this is a big ask. Trust me, it’s worth the expensive eggs! You should find most ingredients in your pantry without needing to make a special trip to the store with the possible exception of white chocolate. I used one bar of Ghirardelli white baking chocolate.
Sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, butter, eggs for the brownie base. Cream cheese, sugar, eggs, white chocolate, whipping cream, vanilla for the cheesecake layer.
Pro Tips:
As always, use full fat Philadelphia cream cheese. This is not the time to restrict fat content, and Philadelphia holds up better than store brand cream cheeses I have tried. Also, get the Ghirardelli baking bar. It’s just the amount you need, and it blends so much better than white chocolate chips.
Glass pans do not conduct the heat as well. These brownies need to bake evenly and set up enough to support the cheesecake layer. Equipment matters. Trying to use a glass pan will result in over baked edges and underbaked center.
The key to a smooth cheesecake layer is room temperature cream cheese and eggs. Cold ingredients cause lumps!
A few tips for the swirl. You will reserve some brownie batter to add to the cheesecake. The brownie batter, however, gets a bit stiff as it rests, and that just won’t do. The recipe calls for adding a bit of cream, but I find it also helps to warm the batter in the microwave for about 15 seconds and stir before spooning it into the cheesecake. Warm, thinned brownie batter will swirl nicely. Use a table knife or wooden skewer to create the swirl pattern, but be careful not to press down too hard; skim along the top to avoid tearing up the base layer.
I always bake my cheesecakes “low and slow” for a custard-like creaminess. I’m splitting the difference with this recipe and baking at 325. This may mean the brownie layer takes a bit longer to bake than what you are accustomed to.
Storage and Serving:
The million dollar question when it comes to cream cheese desserts: will these keep at room temperature? Yes, and no. Yes, there is a lot of sugar in cheesecake which acts as a preservative. Honestly, cheesecake served close to room temperature has the best flavor. But, no, I would not leave these out indefinitely because this is cream cheese we are talking about. A few hours is fine, a few days is not. The brownies keep really well in the refrigerator for 4 or 5 days, and I kind of like these brownies served cold anyhow!
White Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies
A decadent, fudgy brownie with white chocolate cheesecake, and a show stopping swirl.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes plus cooling
- Yield: 12–24 1x
- Category: brownies and bars
- Cuisine: dessert
Ingredients
For the Brownie:
2 cups sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 eggs
1 cup melted butter
For the Cheesecake:
16 oz (2 packages) cream cheese*
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream (divided)
4 oz white baking chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325
Line a 9×13 metal baking pan with parchment
For the Brownies: In a medium/large bowl with a hand mixer, or using a wooden spoon, mix sugar, flour, cocoa powder, and salt to combine. Stir in eggs and melted butter and mix until incorporated.
Reserve 3/4 cup of brownie batter and set aside.
Spread remaining brownie batter into prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes until the brownie layer begins to set. It may not be completely set in the center, but should have a slight jiggle instead of sloshing when moved.
For the Cheesecake: While the brownie layer bakes, prepare the cheesecake batter. Blend cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add the eggs and mix until just combined. In a separate microwave safe bowl, heat 1/4 cup heavy cream for 30-40 seconds until hot. Add chopped white chocolate and let sit for a minute to melt. Stir the chocolate and cream into a smooth ganache and stir it into the cream cheese mixture.
To the reserved brownie batter, add 2 Tablespoons of heavy cream and stir to thin.
When the brownie layer has just set, remove from oven and gently pour the cheesecake batter over the top. Drop spoonfuls of the reserved brownie batter in dollop spaced over the cheesecake. Create a marble pattern or swirl by dragging a table knife or wooden skewer through the dollops of brownie batter. Stay close to the surface to avoid tearing up the brownie base layer.
Return the baking pan to the oven and bake for an additional 15minutes until the cheesecake is set. Once again, a slight jiggle is desirable, but not sloshing.
Allow the bars to cool completely before slicing. The White Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies will keep well stored in the refrigerator for about 4 days.
Notes
Use full fat cream cheese.
Keywords: white chocolate, cheesecake, brownies, bars, cream cheese
More:
If you are a fan of cheesecake you can’t go wrong with my Classic Cheesecake which is one of my most popular recipes. For the ease of a brownie or bar you might like my Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies or my Chocolate Covered Cherry Brownies make for a pretty Valentine’s Day treat as well!
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