These indulgent cream cheese swirl brownies are made completely from scratch resulting in the fudgiest, most chocolatey homemade brownies ever. Swirling pockets of sweet and tangy cream cheese throughout takes them over the top into total decadence.
Making brownies from scratch yields the best texture and flavor. Melting butter along with cocoa powder and sugar creates an ulta-rich brownie base. Beating in eggs and vanilla enhances the fudginess even further. The added effort of preparing the brownie batter instead of a boxed mix pays off in every bite of these treats.
After mixing up the simple brownie batter, a cream cheese filling is dolloped over and swirled throughout. The cream cheese adds delightful pockets of tangy creaminess contrasting with the chocolatey brownie base. As the brownies bake, the filling swirls melt, creating irresistible ripples of cream cheese.
To make the from-scratch brownie base, start by melting butter and whisking it together with sugar for full incorporation. Next, add eggs and vanilla, beating well. In a separate bowl, mix cocoa powder, flour, and salt before folding the dry ingredients into the wet.
For even more decadence, you can mix chocolate chips or nuts into the batter as well. Transfer half the batter into a prepared baking pan.
The cream cheese filling comes together by simply mixing cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Dollop heaps of the filling over the brownie batter, then swirl it in using a knife. Top with the remaining brownie batter and swirl again for a marbleized effect.
Bake until fudgy and gooey for the ultimate cream cheese swirl brownies. The homemade brownie base makes them extra indulgent and the addition of tangy cream cheese puts them over the top.
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From-Scratch Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies – The Ultimate Fudgy Treat
Indulge in fudgy, chocolatey brownies swirled with tangy cream cheese for the ultimate treat.
- Total Time: 45-50 minutes
- Yield: 9–12 brownies 1x
Ingredients
For the Brownies:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the Cream Cheese Swirl:
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8 inch baking pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugar until combined.
- Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
- In another bowl, mix the cocoa powder, flour and salt.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Make the cream cheese filling just as instructed in the original recipe.
- Pour half the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Dollop cream cheese filling over it. Swirl with a knife.
- Top with remaining brownie batter and swirl again.
- Bake for 28-32 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool completely before cutting into squares.
Notes
The yield when baking in an 8×8 inch pan is the same as the original recipe at 9-12 brownies.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 28-32 minutes
