Cosmic Brownie Cheesecake
Cosmic Brownie Cheesecake is a rich, decadent dessert that combines the sweet, tangy flavor of cheesecake with all the delicious flavors that we love in our favorite childhood treat, the cosmic brownie. It’s a sweet combo that will satisfy anyone’s craving for a delicious dessert.
Who here remembers eating Cosmic Brownies as kids? If you answered “yes”, then you’re among the majority of people reading this who remember eating those tasty little treats. Cosmic Brownies have been part and parcel of childhood for as long as any of us can remember.
We remember eating them when I was a kid, and so do all our friends. There was something about those little chocolate treats that made everything better. If you were at the park, Cosmic Brownies made the park AH-mazing. An afternoon snack? Pass the brownies. Birthday parties? Oh yeah, get those brownies.
Of course, many of us never left our love of these packaged brownies behind, and that includes both of us here at Maria’s Mixing Bowl. We still eat them, and we’re not one bit embarrassed about it.
That love of Cosmic Brownies is what led us to create this Cosmic Brownie cheesecake recipe. It has everything we love about both cheesecake and Cosmic Brownies combined into one dessert that brings back all the memories and flavors of childhood and is still appropriate for almost any occasion.
This cheesecake is so delicious, and so easy to make. If you love brownies, and you love cheesecake, this is a double treat! You can make this ahead, leave it in the refrigerator and it’s ready when you need to serve it. This recipe bakes up beautifully, and will be a real hit when served. It’s as colorful as it is delicious. Make sure to save this one in your favorites!
Cosmic Brownie Cheesecake
This Cosmic Brownie cheesecake is… out of this world. I had to… Seriously, though, it’s amazing. It all starts with a brownie crust to get things off on the right brownie-licious foot. After that, a thick layer of cheesecake loaded with bite-sized pieces of Cosmic Brownies comes next. Finally, the entire thing is finished off with a garnish of vanilla frosting and more Cosmic Brownie pieces around the edge of the cheesecake. It’s pure Heaven in every single bite!
Taking a bite of this delicious cheesecake is like taking a bite of childhood. That chocolaty brownie crust pairs perfectly with rich cheesecake and Cosmic Brownie bits, and the vanilla frosting and Cosmic Brownie pieces on top really take it to the next level. It’s a magical combination of childhood flavor and an adult dessert that can’t be beaten.
Ingredients
It takes a few ingredients to make this Cosmic Brownie cheesecake, but don’t let that fool you, this is an easy recipe. You’ll find everything you need conveniently located in the baking aisle of your grocery store and in your kitchen. You’ll find most of it in your kitchen, actually. That’s how simple the ingredients are. Here’s what you’ll need.
For the Brownie Crust
- Brownie mix
- Water
- Vegetable oil
For the Cheesecake
- Cream cheese, softened
- Heavy cream
- Greek yogurt
- Sugar
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla
- Eggs
- Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies
- Candy coated mini chocolate chips
- Vanilla frosting
Making Cosmic Brownie Cheesecake
It takes a few steps to make this delicious cheesecake recipe, but they’re not difficult at all. When you break this recipe down into steps, you can immediately see that it’s a relatively easy one to make. You’ll find the complete recipe with amounts and times in the recipe card at the end of this post, but take a look at the recipe overview below, and you’ll see how easy this cheesecake recipe is to make.
- Line a sprinform pan with parchment paper.
- Combine the brownie mix, water, oil, and egg.
- Spread the batter in the bottom of the pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Blend softened cream cheese on low speed.
- Add the heavy cream and Greek yogurt and blend until smooth.
- Add the sugar and blend.
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and eggs, blending on low until mixed.
- Blend on medium speed and then on high, mixing until the batter is smooth and creamy.
- Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the brownie crust.
- Cut Cosmic Brownies into small pieces and drop into the batter, pushing them under the batter so the cheesecake can rise.
- Add candy coated mini chocolate chips and gently mix them into the batter.
- Bake.
- When ready to serve, use a piping bag to pipe dollops of vanilla frosting around the edge of the cheesecake and add more Cosmic Brownie pieces.
- Enjoy!
Those are a lot of steps, to be sure, but if you look at them, you’ll see that they’re basic baking methods that don’t take long at all. This recipe is actually far easier than all of those bullet points might lead you to believe!
Tips
The steps for this recipe are easy, but as anyone who’s made cheesecake knows, it can be finicky. Luckily, these tips will help you make the best Cosmic Brownie cheesecake possible without incident! They’re easy tips that make a huge difference in your recipe, so be sure to read them over.
Use a Water Pan When Baking
Cheesecake can crack while baking. To make sure that doesn’t happen, place a small dish of water on the bottom rack of the oven. The moisture from the water as it heats will help keep the cheesecake from cracking.
Follow the Baking and Cooling Instructions Exactly
To ensure that your Cosmic Brownie cheesecake comes out perfectly, it’s vital that you follow the baking temperatures and times exactly. In addition, don’t try to rush the recipe by taking the cheesecake out immediately. Allow it to cool in the oven exactly as directed in the recipe, and everything should come out perfectly.
Thoroughly Soften Your Cream Cheese
It’s important that you thoroughly soften your cream cheese when making this recipe. If cream cheese isn’t softened fully, it will lead to a lumpy batter with chunks of cream cheese.
Room Temperature Eggs
Room temperature eggs combine more easily in mixtures, and they allow cake and cheesecake batter to rise as they should. Your cheesecake won’t be ruined if you use cold eggs, but it will be so much better if you let them come to room temperature.
If you don’t have time to wait or if you forgot to take them out ahead of time, you can put your eggs in hot water for about five minutes to get them to room temperature.
Cosmic Brownie Cheesecake Variations
This is such a specific cheesecake recipe, I don’t recommend making any variations. If you change the recipe at all, you might as well just be making another recipe. That’s how much all the flavors depend on one another. That being said, there is one thing you can do when making the cheesecake – changing the size of your brownie pieces.
You can make a cheesecake with chewier bites by making your Cosmic Brownie pieces larger. You can also cut them up into smaller pieces to make more of a candy-filled feel to the recipe.
Serving Cosmic Brownie Cheesecake
This Cosmic Brownie cheesecake is absolutely perfect just as it is. With a garnish of vanilla frosting and Cosmic Brownie pieces along the edge, there’s no reason to top the cheesecake with any other ingredients like whipped cream and the like. Just serve up a piece of this cheesecake with a glass of milk or cup of coffee, and you’re good.
This cheesecake is perfect for a special weekend dessert or birthday party. It’s also a welcome addition to potlucks, barbecues, and even holiday gatherings for an extra sweet treat!
Storing Cosmic Brownie Cheesecake
This cheesecake will keep well in the refrigerator for about five days in an air-tight container. For longer storage, you can freeze this cheesecake for up to two months. To freeze the cheesecake, place it on a cardboard round and then wrap it in cling wrap and foil. Be aware that freezing cheesecake leads to a slight change in texture.
Cosmic Brownie Cheesecake is Out of This World
This Cosmic Brownie cheesecake is an adulted-up version of all the childhood flavors and memories we love about Cosmic Brownies, and it is legit. Every bite has the delicious flavors of cheesecake and Cosmic Brownies, and everyone always comes back for more. Give this recipe a try, and we know you’ll be in love with it from the first bite.
PIN IT!!
OTHER DESSERT RECIPES YOU WILL LOVE:
Chocolate Vanilla Bundt Cake
Rocky Road Cheesecake
Blueberry Muffin Cheesecake Pie
Lemon Bar Cheesecake
Berry Chantilly Cake
Cosmic Brownie Cheesecake
Ingredients
FOR THE BROWNIE CRUST:
- 1/2 box of Brownie Mix
- 1/8 cup of Water
- 1/4 cup of Vegetable Oil
- 1 egg
FOR THE CHEESECAKE:
- 4 packages of cream cheese – 8 ounces each – softened
- 1/2 cup of heavy cream
- 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt
- 1 cup of Sugar
- 1/2 cup of Powdered Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla Extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1 Package of Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies
- Candy Coated Mini Chocolate Chips (Amazon or craft stores such as Michael's will have these)
- 1 can of Vanilla Frosting
Instructions
- Place the Brownie mix in a bowl, and add the water, oil, and egg. Stir together until well blended. Set aside.
- Place Parchment paper in the bottom of 9 inch Spring-form pan, and Place the Brownie batter on the Parchment paper, and spread the batter out in the pan; the batter will be thick.
- Make sure to spread the batter to the edges of the pan. Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the pan to a wire rack and let cool.
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer , or with a hand mixer place the softened cream cheese, and blend on low. Add the heavy cream, and Greek Yogurt, and blend until smooth.
- Add the Powdered Sugar, Vanilla, and eggs, and blend on low until mixed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again, and blend on medium speed until well blended.
- Blend on high for about 30 seconds, or until eggs are mixed well. Continue to mix until Cheesecake batter is smooth and creamy.
- Pour cheesecake batter into Spring-form pan, on top of Brownie crust.
- Remove the wrappers from 4 of the Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies, and cut them in small bite size pieces, and drop them into the cheesecake batter. Push them under the batter, so the cheesecake will rise as it should.
- Add about 1 Tablespoon of the Candy Coated Mini chocolate chips, and gently swirl them into the batter.
- Place the Spring-form pan in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Place a small dish of water on the oven rack underneath the cheesecake.
- After 30 minutes, turn the temperature down to 300, and continue to bake for 45 minutes. Turn off the oven, and crack the oven door, leaving the cheesecake in the oven to cool slightly.
- After about 30 minutes, remove the cheesecake to a wire rack to cool completely. When the cheesecake is cooled, cover with Parchment paper, and then with foil, and refrigerate overnight.
- When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator, and remove the Spring form from the pan.
- Place the Vanilla frosting in a pastry bag with a large fluted tip, and pipe dollops of frosting around the edge of the Cheesecake.
- Remove the wrappers from 2 or 3 more of the Cosmic Brownies, and cut into small pieces.
- Place the pieces in the Frosting, and sprinkle Candy Coated Mini Chocolate Chips on the Frosting, and the Cheesecake. Cut into 2 inch pieces, and serve. Enjoy!
Looks fab. Thanks for sharing. X
Your welcome! Enjoy ๐
What size springform pan?
your standard 9 inch works fine
Can I substitute sour cream for the Greek yogurt
Yes you can. both are easily interchangeable