Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies
These Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies combine rich, fudgy chocolate with smooth, tangy cream cheese in a mesmerizing pattern that’s as beautiful as it is delicious.
While these showstopping brownies are fantastic year-round, they’re especially popular during holiday gatherings and special occasions. They are also great when you need something to satisfy your sweet tooth without spending all day in the kitchen.
Table of contents
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Creates stunning swirl patterns that make each pan unique.
- It uses simple pantry ingredients you likely already have.
- Combines two beloved desserts in one incredible treat.
🛒Ingredients
We’ve made this list to help you save time on your next trip to the grocery store. You can find the full amounts needed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- butter
- dark chocolate
- sugar
- eggs
- hot water
- vanilla
- flour
- baking soda
- salt
- mini chocolate chips
- cream cheese softened
See the recipe card below for quantities.
🔪 How to Make Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies
This is a quick overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. You can find the full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- In a medium sized saucepan, place the butter and the chocolate and melt over low heat. Once completely smooth, remove from heat and add the eggs. Stir them in.
- Add the sugar, hot water, and vanilla and mix.
- Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Make sure to scrape the bottom and mix well.
- Pour about half of the chocolate batter into the bottom of an 8” square pan that’s been greased or is non-stick. Let cool for a minute while making the cream cheese mixture.
- In a large bowl, place the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips over the bottom chocolate layer. Spoon about half of the cream cheese mixture in dollops over the bottom layers.
- Repeat with the chocolate and, finally, the remaining cream cheese mixture.
- Take a knife and swirl it into patterns. Place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer comes out cleanly. Allow to cool before slicing.
🥄 Equipment
This is a list of the equipment you will need to make this cream cheese swirl brownie recipe.
- medium saucepan
- 8×8 baking pan
- large mixing bowl
- Hand mixer
- butter knife or skewer
🥫 Storage
Storage – Store the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Freezing – You can also freeze the leftover brownies to enjoy them later. Wrap each brownie individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container. To thaw, leave them at room temperature for about an hour or warm them up in the microwave for a few seconds.
Serve With
These brownies go well with any of your favorite meals. We like to serve them with this Easy Chicken Marsala or this Potato and Sausage Chowder. No matter what you decide to serve it with, you will love it.
💭 Tips
When it comes to making brownies, there are a few tips that you should keep in mind.
- Let your cream cheese and eggs come to room temperature before starting – this ensures everything blends smoothly without any pesky lumps.
- Use a butter knife or skewer to create those beautiful swirls, but don’t go overboard! Just four or five swirls would be enough.
- When testing for doneness, look for a slight jiggle in the center when you gently shake the pan – that’s your sweet spot for fudgy perfection
⁉️ FAQ
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
The ratio of fat to flour determines your brownie’s texture. More flour creates a cakey brownie, while more fat (butter and chocolate) results in a fudgier texture.
This usually happens when your oven temperature is too high, or your pan is too close to the heating element. Use the center rack for baking brownies.
🍽 More Brownie Recipes
Do you enjoy brownies? If so, try these delicious recipes:
🧾Recipe Card
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies
Equipment
- medium saucepan
- 8×8 baking pan
- large mixing bowl
- Hand mixer
- butter knife or skewer
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- 8 ounces dark chocolate
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Cream Cheese Swirl
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium sized saucepan, place the butter and the chocolate and melt over low heat.
- Once completely smooth, remove from heat and add the eggs. Stir them in.
- Add the sugar, hot water and vanilla and mix.
- Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt. Make sure to scrape the bottom and mix well.
- Pour about half of the chocolate batter into the bottom of an 8” square pan that’s been greased or is non-stick.
- Let cool for a minute while making the cream cheese mixture.
- In a large bowl, place the cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla.
- Beat with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips over the bottom chocolate layer.
- Spoon about half of the cream cheese mixture in dollops over the bottom layers.
- Repeat with the chocolate and finally the remaining cream cheese mixture.
- Take a knife and swirl it into patterns. Place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer comes out cleanly. Allow to cool before slicing.
Disclaimer
Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.
