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)
- 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 Swirled Brownies
Equipment
Ingredients
Brownie Base:
- 1 cup butter melted
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cup cocoa
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 4 eggs
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ½ tsp salt
Cheesecake layer:
- 16 oz cream cheese softened to room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1 21 oz can cherry pie filling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- 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 9×13" pan.
- Beat cream cheese and sugar till smooth. Add egg and vanilla, beat till smooth. Pour over brownie layer.
- Drop cherry pie filling by spoonfuls over the cream cheese layer. Swirl with a butter knife.
- Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until middle is barely set. Cool completely before serving.
Nutrition
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Nice recipe 😋 I wish I could improve my cooking skills.
All it takes is practice, you’ve got this!
It’s interesting to me that several of the reviews say basically the same thing: “pretty to look at & my friends ate them all so I have to make more for my family.” Seems a little fishy. That said, once I finish off the pan of another cherry Cheesecake brownie recipe I saw on Pinterest, I’ll try yours. 😉
Can you half this recipe?
You can, but it’s a little tricky to use half an egg in the filling. You need to beat it, measure it, then discard half of it. (Usually a large egg equals 3 tablespoons.) And of course the baking time may change depending on the size of pan you use, so watch them closely.
These Cherry Cheesecake Brownies are so yummy and pretty to look at too. They were easy to make. My friends took all of the leftovers home. So I’ll have to make some more for my family. Great dessert.
Here I want to let you know that I have a website https://waridworld.com. Where I share my recipe ..
It would make my day if you share it on your social media network..
Cheers.
These Cherry Cheesecake Brownies are so yummy and pretty to look at too. They were easy to make. My friends took all of the leftovers home. So I’ll have to make some more for my family. Great dessert.
Here I want to let you know that I have a website waridworld.com. Where I share my recipe ..
It would make my day if you share it on your social media network..
Cheers.
Husband loves cherries, my mom also, were abig hit! Had to hide a few back for myself! Lol Also, recipe is super easy to make. Thanks!
These are the best and so easy to make! Husband loves cherries so had to hide a few back for myself. Thanks for the awesome recipe.
Has anyone tried cooking the brownie layer most of the way before adding the cheesecake/cherry layer to finish baking? I made a half batch (smaller pan, so same thickness as a full batch in a 9×13). At 45 mins, the edges of my brownie were fully cooked but the middle was still liquid. Do you think cooking the brownie on its own for maybe 25 mins, then adding the cherry/cheesecake, then 25 more minutes would work?
How do you store them?
I just store them at room temperature in an airtight container (if we have any leftovers). If you prefer you can store them in the refrigerator.
Look so yummy????
In grams version please????
So sorry. I’ve never measured with grams, so if I tried to convert the recipe it would probably not go well. 😉
Can these be frozen?
I haven’t tried it, but my guess is that the cherry pie filling would turn the cheesecake soggy when it thawed. You could always try freezing one to see if it works.
These Cherry Cheesecake Brownies are so yummy and pretty to look at too. They were easy to make. My friends took all of the leftovers home. So I’ll have to make some more for my family. Great dessert.
Glad to hear they were a hit! You will have to make some for your family. I know mine loves them! 🙂
Cherry cheesecake brownies!? How have I never heard of this before? That’s the most delicious combination of words I’ve ever heard x.x
I wish I would have heard of them sooner. They are seriously amazing!
I’m dying to have one!