Calling all brownie and cheesecake lovers! These chocolate chip cheesecake brownies are the perfect fusion of two beloved desserts.
These chocolate chip cheesecake brownies are tall, thick, oh-so rich, and utterly delicious. The bottom layer features a rich, dark-chocolate brownie that’s wonderfully dense and fudgy. On top, a creamy cheesecake layer sprinkled with chocolate chips adds a delightful contrast, making every bite a decadent treat. Whether you’re looking for a casual snack or a show-stopping dessert to end a fancy meal, these brownies will exceed your expectations. They’re sure to impress at any gathering and satisfy any sweet tooth!
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies Recipe
- Rich and fudgy. The brownie base is dense and chocolatey, offering a rich and indulgent flavor. These are among the richest brownies I’ve ever had!
- Creamy cheesecake layer. The smooth, creamy cheesecake topping adds a delightful contrast to the dense brownie.
- Crowd-pleaser. Whether it’s a party, gathering, or just a treat at home, these brownies are sure to impress.
What You’ll Need
The complete recipe, including ingredient quantities and full instructions, can be found below.
- Unsweetened chocolate – Use a good quality chocolate for the best flavor and texture.
- Unsalted butter
- All-purpose flour – Measure by weight or use the spoon and sweep method. Learn more: How to Measure Flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Eggs – You’ll need a full dozen eggs for these brownies. These are some seriously rich, decadent brownies! Be sure to use large eggs. (You’ll have a couple of egg whites left over, which is just the right amount to make a batch of coconut macaroons.)
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract – I like to use my homemade vanilla extract, but a good quality store-bought version works well, too.
- Cream cheese – Let this come to room temperature before mixing. Use full-fat cream cheese that comes in bricks, not the whipped kind in a tub.
- Chocolate chips – I like semisweet chocolate chips here. Again, use a good quality brand.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies
Make the Brownies
- Prepare for baking. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9″ x 13″ x 2″ baking pan.
- Melt the chocolate and butter. Use the microwave or a double boiler to do this, and then let the mixture cool slightly.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Finish mixing. Mix the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla, and then add the chocolate mixture followed by the flour mixture.
- Transfer to the pan. Spread the batter in the pan, and set aside.
Make the Cheesecake Layer
- Mix. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and salt. Then mix in the eggs two at a time, mixing just until combined. Stir in the vanilla.
- Assemble. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the brownie mixture. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
- Bake. Carefully place the pan in the oven, and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Cool. Place the pan on a wire rack, and allow to cool completely.
Tips for Success
- Check your pan. These brownies bake up quite tall, so make sure your 9×13 pan is at least 2 inches deep. Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet if you’re worried about spills.
- Temperature matters. When melting the chocolate and butter, make sure to let it cool slightly before adding it to the egg mixture to prevent cooking the eggs. Ensure the cream cheese is at room temperature before mixing. This helps it blend smoothly and prevents over-mixing.
- Don’t over-mix. Avoid over-mixing the cheesecake batter to prevent it from becoming too thin. (If it’s too thin, the chocolate chips will sink.) Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
- Be gentle. For even distribution, sprinkle the chocolate chips gently and evenly over the cheesecake layer.
- Don’t over-bake. Keep an eye on the baking time. The brownies should be lightly golden on top and set. Ovens can vary, so start checking a few minutes before the suggested time.
- Cool completely. Let the brownies cool completely on a wire rack before cutting. This helps them set properly.
Variations and Serving Suggestions
- Mocha. Add a tablespoon of instant espresso powder to the brownie batter for a mocha twist.
- Mint. Add a teaspoon of peppermint extract to the brownie batter and use mint chocolate chips instead of semisweet.
- Ice cream. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an over-the-top dessert experience. I would definitely cut them small if you go this route.
- More chocolate. If you think there’s no such thing as too much chocolate, drizzle the brownies with chocolate sauce before serving.
How to Store
Store the brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 to 7 days. They can be served cold or brought to room temperature before serving.
Can These Brownies Be Frozen?
If you’d like to keep the brownies longer, you can also freeze them for up to 2-3 months. Just wrap each brownie individually in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
More Decadent Brownie Recipes
Black Bottom Brownies
Black Bottom Brownies combine two favorite desserts in one: brownies and cheesecake! Dark-chocolate brownies are topped off with a dense cheesecake layer, sprinkled with chocolate chips!
Ingredients
For the brownies:
- 6 ounces (170g) unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter
- 1 & 2/3 cups (200g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the filling:
- 16 ounces (454g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 & 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 large eggs
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (340g) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
To make the brownies:
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9″x 13″ baking pan.* Line with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or in the microwave. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla. Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, whisking to combine. Add the flour mixture and stir just until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Spread evenly.
To make the filling:
- Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add the eggs, 2 at a time, mixing just until combined after each addition.** Stir in the vanilla.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture over the brownie layer. Sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips.
- Bake for 1 hour & 15 minutes, or until lightly golden.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into bars. Store the brownies in the refrigerator. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Notes
*Make sure your pan is deep enough, as these brownies will bake up quite tall.
**Over-mixing will lead to your chocolate chips sinking as the brownies bake. Mix just until the eggs are incorporated.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 to 7 days.
Recipe slightly adapted from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book.
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37 Comments on “Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies”
They are cooling now. My house smells wonderful. Don’t think I’ll wait until they get cool to eat one!
I need these….like, now.
If we can have cupcakes, we can have brownies – and what beautiful brownies they make 😀
Delicious! Look forward to baking these. I was in the group, Sweet Melissa Sundays for a short time. Never got around to trying these…but, will soon.
~Carmen
wow these look gorgeous!http://the-zen-baker.blogspot.com/
These brownies look like complete heaven. I can’t imagine having to cut down on my cookbook collection so completely feel your pain 🙁
These look great. Its funny that they’re called black bottom brownies when the bottom just is the brownie. I love bakery cookbooks too, so beautiful and an insight into delicious treats.
These look fantastic! I was *just* looking for brownies I could make without having cocoa powder in the house.
Cheesecake brownies…one of my very favorite things in the world. Love this!
Hi there – I wanted to love this recipe, but made them today and it came out very cakey. The brownie layer was dry and the cheesecake layer was super fluffy. Any suggestions? Thanks from a fellow baker! p.s. glad to see you posting more often 🙂
I just baked these yesterday, and I agree. I know how NOT to overbake brownies, so they weren’t overbaked. I guess I just prefer chewy, fudgy brownies. These were definitely more cake-like. I’m guessing a dozen eggs may have something to do with that. LOL!
Hi, Sarah! There are a lot of eggs in those brownies, so they are cakey. You can see in my pictures that the brownie layer is very dense, making it more of a crust. As for the cheesecake layer, it’s a very thick, fluffy thing. How fluffy is too fluffy? If you want, shoot me an email at bakeorbreak at gmail dot com, and we can talk more about it.
Wow! All I can say is Yum! They look amazing. Of course I love cheesecake and chocolate, so yeah. How do you get it so your reply to the comments show up in pink, I like that.
Tina, it’s a WordPress plugin called Author Highlight.
Hi Jennifer!
After refrigerating the brownies, they tasted much better 🙂 I think the key is definitely serving them cold! My chocolate chips still sank thru the cheesecake layer, but they are delicious! Thanks!
I made them today. The outside brownies are delicious. But, the center brownies were undercooked. Is there a temp I could test them at to be sure they are done before removing them?
Melody, you should be able to use a toothpick or a cake tester to check for doneness.
Thanks! Yeah, I should have thought of that. 😉
Hi Jennifer, what did you do so the chocolate chips didn’t sink to the bottom?
Mariella, I didn’t do anything to prevent that. I think if your filling is thick enough and not overmixed, it shouldn’t be a problem. Some people like to toss chocolate chips in a little bit of flour to prevent sinking. But, I think that, aesthetically, I might not recommend that for this recipe.
I used mini semi sweet chips, and they’re all still on top after baking. 🙂
Can i cut the recipe to half? How long should i cook it then? Thanks
Renee, you can half the recipe and use an 8-inch square pan. I’ve never done that, so I can’t give you a definite answer on baking time. I would start checking it around 55-60 minutes.
I just subscribed to your email list!
Has anyone ever tried to freeze these? I accidentally made them for a party that isn’t for a week! Ooops! I know I could eat the whole pan right now, but that would not be a good idea!
Annika, I think these will freeze just fine as long as they’re tightly wrapped and sealed.
hi,my brownies rised a little too much in the oven and it all mixed.do you know what happend? thankyou
Hi, Aicha. Did you do anything differently? Were all your ingredients fresh?
My fav
Butter the pan then put parchment paper down? Sounds kinda strange.
The butter helps keep the parchment paper in place. It makes spreading the brownie batter much simpler.
These did not turn out as expected. I baked at the temp and time suggested, the cream cheese mixture got crunchy on the top, the chocolate chips sunk underneath the cream cheese and the brownie part was overcooked. Lots of ingredients waisted!
I’m sorry you had troubles, Sue! If you didn’t change anything at all about the recipe, then my usual suggestions are to check your oven’s temperature accuracy and make sure your ingredients are fresh and measured accurately.
Hi, 6 ounces are 180 gr? How many ml is a cup?-200ml?Thank you!
Hi, Nicole. 6 ounces by weight is 180g, and 1 cup by volume is 237ml. Changing measurements from volume to weight is more complicated. To avoid confusion, I’ve added metric weight equivalents to this recipe. I hope that helps!
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I am a big fan of black bottom cupcakes, and this looked perfect. I have to say I’m a little disappointed that the brownie layer is more like cake than a chewy brownie, but everyone has their own taste in brownies. A dozen eggs is a LOT, so I’m sure that had something to do with it. My husband is gluten-free, so my daughter and I will be sharing with our neighbors and friends. Thanks again!
Hi, Stephani. Generally, the more eggs in a brownie, the more cake-like they’ll be.