I can’t believe it took me so long to update this recipe for Thick Cream Cheese Brownies. The first time I made them was when Fuzz was having a Snow Day in Texas. Now she lives in Chicago, where Snow Days mean trudging through slush and riding two forms of transportation to get to school, work or wherever. She loves it. It makes those days when you can stay home and make brownies even more hygge. Whatever the occasion may be, this brownie recipe is one for true cream cheese lovers.
Thick Cream Cheese Brownies
This recipe is adapted from the Tate’s Bake Shop cookbook. The brownies are made in a 9-inch square pan and call for a full pound of cream cheese. Also, the cream cheese filling only has 1 egg and ¼ cup of sugar. It’s not super sweet, but it’s sweet enough.With less sugar, you get the full tartness of the cream cheese and the small amount of egg keeps the cream cheese mixture from browning too much or tasting eggy.
Loaf Pan Version
I hope you like these as much as I do. If you’re curious as to how they taste but don’t want a full batch, you can also halve the recipe and make it in a 9-inch loaf pan. I have moved the full batch version to a recipe card and have typed a 9×5 inch loaf pan version below. The loaf pan times are less well-tested, so the times may vary.
Thick Cream Cheese Brownies in a Loaf Pan
¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 stick (4 oz total) salted butter** (room temperature)
¾ cups granulated sugar (150 grams)
1 large egg plus 2 tablespoons egg, room temperature (save other 2 T. for filling)
1 teaspoons vanilla
½ cup all-purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon salt
Filling
8 oz cream cheese, softened
Only 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, but you can use more if you like
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons egg, room temperature (other half of the egg from the brownie batter)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the inside of a 9×5 inch loaf pan with foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray. Parchment is fine too.
Melt the chocolate in a saucepan over low heat or in microwave. Set aside to cool. While chocolate cools, make the cream cheese filling (directions at bottom).
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Lower mixer speed and add egg and 2 tablespoons, reserving the remaining 2 tablespoons for the filling. Add vanilla, and melted chocolate. By hand or using the lowest speed of mixer, beat in the flour and salt.
Scrape all but about ½ cup of the chocolate batter into the pan and smooth it out. Spread the cream cheese filling over the chocolate mixture. Spoon the remaining chocolate batter over the cream cheese mixture. Pull a table knife through the layers of batter with a light lifting motivation to create a marble look.
Bake on center rack for 50 minutes (check a little earler). Set the brownies on a wire rack to cool. Let cool completely, then chill for a few hours or if you have the time, overnight.
Lift foil from pan, place on a cutting board, peel back foil and cut.
Cream Cheese Filling: To make the filling, beat the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Add the egg. Lower speed of mixer and beat the egg just until it’s mixed in.
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Recipe
Thick Cream Cheese Brownies
Anna
Pin Recipe
Equipment
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9-inch square pan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips 9 oz
- 2 sticks salted butter (230 grams)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300 grams)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (130 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (increase to a generous half teaspoon if using unsalted butter)
- Extra chocolate chips (optional)
Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 pound cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg room temperature
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch square metal pan with foil or parchment paper. If using foil, grease the foil. You can also use a stoneware pan. If using stoneware, just put a square of parchment on the bottom and grease it.
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Melt the chocolate in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave. Set aside to cool. While chocolate cools, make the cream cheese filling (directions at bottom).
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In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Lower mixer speed and add eggs, one by one, followed by two teaspoons of vanilla, and melted chocolate. By hand or using the lowest speed of mixer, beat in the flour and salt.
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Scrape all but about 1 cup of the chocolate batter into the pan and smooth it out. Spread the cream cheese filling over the chocolate mixture. Spoon the remaining chocolate batter over the cream cheese mixture. Pull a table knife through the layers of batter with a light lifting motivation to create a marble look.
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Bake on center rack for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkles some chocolate chips on top if desired. Set the brownies on a wire rack to cool. Let cool completely, then chill for a few hours or if you have the time, overnight. These are even better on Day 2.
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Lift foil from pan, place on a cutting board, peel back foil and cut with a Chef’s knife.
Cream Cheese Filling
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Cream Cheese Filling: To make the filling, beat the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Add the egg. Lower speed of mixer and beat the egg just until it’s mixed in.