Cherry Cheesecake Brownies

Cherry Cheesecake Brownies – who can resist a rich and chewy brownie with a creamy layer of cherry cheesecake on the top?

Guys, these brownies are epic. I mean come on . . . three layers of decadence all packed into one treat. You just can’t go wrong. Every single bite is scrumptious!

I love the combination of brownies and cheesecake. My Oreo Cheesecake Brownies are a favorite. But I’d never tried a cherry version. I bookmarked this recipe months ago, and I waited way too long to actually make them. They are definitely a new favorite!

They are simple to make, and they turn out so pretty with the cherry swirl on top. They are sure to be a crowd pleaser. I know I had a hard time resisting them.

HOW TO MAKE CHERRY CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

(To skip my tips and just see the full recipe card, scroll to the bottom of the post.)

Ingredients needed:

• butter (I use regular salted butter for all of my recipes.)
• granulated sugar (regular table sugar)
• unsweetened cocoa powder (I use regular Hershey’s cocoa powder.)
• vanilla extract
• eggs (I use large eggs in all of my baking recipes.)
• all purpose flour (I use unbleached, but that is a matter of preference.)
• salt
• cream cheese (I used full fat cream cheese, light cream cheese doesn’t set up as well. It works, but the brownies don’t slice as easily.)
• cherry pie filling

PREP WORK: Let cream cheese come to room temperature by letting it sit on the counter for an hour or two. Spray a 9×13″ pan with non stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

BROWNIE BATTER: Whisk together melted butter, sugar, and cocoa powder till smooth. Whisk in vanilla and eggs. Stir in the dry ingredients. Spread batter into prepared pan.

CHEESECAKE FILLING: Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer till smooth and creamy. Add sugar and beat till well blended, scraping sides of bowl with a rubber spatula occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla just till mixture is smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture over the brownie batter.

CHERRY SWIRL: Drop cherry pie filling by spoonfuls over the cream cheese layer. Swirl with a butter knife.

BAKE: Bake at 350° for about 45 minutes, or until the middle is barely set. 

COOL: Place pan on a cooling rack, let brownies cool completely before slicing.

HOW TO STORE CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

Because of the cream cheese layer, it is best to store any leftover brownies in the refrigerator. I think they last a little better if you store them in the pan uncut. After they are cut, they dry out faster. They will last in the fridge for about a week.

VARIATIONS:

-You can use a boxed brownie mix for the base if you prefer. I think homemade is better for this recipe, but I know that sometimes you need things done fast. 

-For extra decadent brownies, you can add about a cup of chocolate chips to the brownie batter.

-If you want a little crunch in your brownies, feel free to stir in a half cup of chopped nuts into the batter.

FANTASTIC CHERRY DESSERTS

Today is National Cherry Dessert Day, so I’m back with my fellow food bloggers to share even more incredible cherry recipes. As usual, they have me drooling. Hope you’ll try a few of them!

Pictured:
Vegan No-Bake Cherry Fruit Crisp from Namely Marly
Cherry Almond Vanilla Cupcakes from Baking with Blondie
Three Ingredient Slow Cooker Cherry Dump Cake from 365 Days of Slow Cooking
Rum Soaked Preserved Cherries and Boozy Cherry Molasses from Foodie with Family
Almond Cherry Ice Cream from Ashlee Marie
Cherry Cheesecake Brownies (right here)
Black Forest Cupcakes from Life Made Simple
Cherry Berry Dutch Oven Cobbler from Hey Grill Hey
Chocolate Cherry Brownie Pizza from Gather for Bread
Frozen Cherry Limeade Pie from Real Mom Kitchen
Cherry Turnovers from The Baker Upstairs

A few more of my favorite cherry recipes:

Cherry Almond Mousse Pie
Easy Cherry Turnovers
Cherry Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Cherry Chocolate Chip Dip

CHERRY CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

Yield: 16 servings

Cherry Cheesecake Swirled Brownies

Print

Rich and fudgy brownies topped with cream cheese and cherry pie filling.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

Brownie Base:

• 1 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt

Cheesecake layer:

• 2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 21 oz can cherry pie filling

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk together melted butter, sugar, and cocoa in a large bowl till smooth. Whisk in vanilla and eggs. Stir in flour and salt till well combined. Pour into a well greased 9x13" pan.
3. Beat cream cheese and sugar till smooth. Add egg and vanilla, beat till smooth. Pour over brownie layer.
4. Drop cherry pie filling by spoonfuls over the cream cheese layer. Swirl with a butter knife.
5. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until middle is barely set. Cool completely before serving.

Recommended Products

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• 
  Norpro Stainless Steel Spatula 
• 
  Cuisinart Hand Mixer
• 
   Set of 3 Stainless Steel Whisks with Silicone Handles 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 447Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 117mgSodium: 282mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 1gSugar: 32gProtein: 6g