Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies

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These Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies might look fancy but they come together in under 30 minutes! They’re rich, fudgy and SO decadent!

Maybe I’m biased but you really can’t go wrong with cream cheese and chocolate. For this recipe I used my Ultra Fudgy Brownies as a base then added an incredibly silky smooth cream cheese swirl on top and they do not disappoint. They’re easy to make, perfectly fudgy and a total showstopper!

What Makes A Brownie Fudgy?

• Use melted butter instead of softened butter – creaming softened butter incorporates too much air into the batter which makes brownies cakey.
• Brown sugar – brown sugar adds extra moisture.
• No leavening agents – the lack of baking powder/soda prevents them from rising and keeps them dense.
• Small amount of flour – using too much flour results in brownies with a cakey texture.
• Shorter baking time – brownies should still be a little gooey when you take them out of the oven.

Ingredient Breakdown

Butter – provides flavor and texture. I always recommend using unsalted butter but salted butter works if that’s all you have on hand, just be sure to omit the 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Granulated sugar and brown sugar – both sugars are necessary for sweetness and texture.

Cocoa powder – gives the brownies their chocolate flavor! I always use natural unsweetened cocoa powder.

Eggs – binds the ingredients and provides structure.

Vanilla extract and salt – enhances flavor. Always use pure vanilla extract instead of imitation for best flavor.

All-purpose flour – just a bit of flour gives the brownies structure while still keeping them fudgy.

How To Make Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies

1. Make the brownie batter: melt butter in a small pot over low heat. While still on heat, add both sugars. Once they’re dissolved, whisk in cocoa powder. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl whisk the eggs, vanilla extract and salt. Whisk the sugar mixture into the egg mixture until very smooth.

3. Fold in flour until almost combined leaving a few streaks of flour. Fold in chocolate chips until just combined and pour batter into the prepared pan. Set aside.

4. Make the cream cheese batter: using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat softened cream cheese and granulated sugar. Add egg and vanilla then mix until just combined.

5. Pour cream cheese batter on top of the brownie batter then use a knife or toothpick to swirl. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature or chill before slicing for cleanest cuts. Store Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies in an airtight container for up to a week in the fridge.

Pro Tips For Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies

• Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate; baking is a science after all!
• Don’t over mix the batter after adding the flour. There should still be streaks of flour when you add the chocolate chips.
• Don’t be tempted to over bake these. They will still be a little gooey when you remove them from the oven but they’ll continue to bake as they cool.
• Use a metal pan! Glass pans retain heat for longer resulting in unevenly baked brownies.
• Make sure your parchment paper hangs over the sides of the pan for easy removal after baking!
• Make sure the cream cheese is softened and NOT cold otherwise the cream cheese batter will be lumpy.

If you try this recipe then please leave a rating/comment below to let me know how you liked it and feel free to ask any recipe questions you may have! 🙂