Strawberry Cheesecake Brownies

Why choose a strawberry dessert, cheesecake or brownie when you can have all three in one? These fruity, tangy, chocolaty brownies satisfy alllll the cravings in every bite. Just leave enough time to let them cool and chill so they don’t fall apart before hitting the plate.

These strawberry cheesecake brownies stand out among our best brownies because they don’t use a leavener, such as baking soda or baking powder, to make them cakey. Instead, the chocolate base had a chewy, fudge-like texture to support the light cheesecake layer above it. The combination, especially with a swirl of strawberry jam, makes it look as if these brownies came from a bakery and were made by a pro.

Strawberry Cheesecake Brownie Ingredients

• Melted butter: Butter melts more quickly and evenly when you cut it into cubes rather than putting whole sticks in the microwave. Loosely cover the microwave-safe bowl to limit splattering (use the butter wrapper!), and heat the butter until just melted rather than bubbling hot.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the brownies and balances the bitterness of the unsweetened cocoa. You’ll need quite a bit for these brownies, but it melts rapidly when stirred into the melted butter.
• Baking cocoa: Cocoa powder comes in two main forms: Dutch-processed cocoa and natural cocoa. Either powder works in this recipe, so use Dutch cocoa for a darker, smoother base or natural cocoa for a stronger chocolate taste.
• Vanilla extract: We don’t like to skimp on vanilla extract. Use pure vanilla extract to get the best flavor and avoid the number one vanilla mistake: buying imitation.
• Eggs: Always bake with room-temperature eggs so that the ingredients mix more easily. And make sure the melted butter has cooled to room temperature so the eggs don’t curdle when you add them.
• Flour: All-purpose is the most versatile type of flour. Mix the flour and the salt into the batter until just combined to keep the base layer tender.
• Cheesecake layer: A blend of cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and egg creates a creamy topping.
• Strawberry jam: Instead of beating the jam into the cream cheese, make a swirl cheesecake like a pro.

Directions

Step 1: Make the chocolate base

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Stir in the sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking to blend after each addition.

Step 2: Add the flour

Add the flour and salt, stirring just until combined. Spread the batter into a greased 13×9-inch baking pan.

Editor’s Tip: This strawberry cheesecake brownie recipe will cook less evenly in a glass baking dish than in a light-colored metal pan—one mistake everyone makes when baking brownies. If your metal baking pan is dark, lower the oven temperature to 325°.

Step 3: Mix the cheesecake layer

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat on low speed just until blended.

Step 4: Swirl the topping

Spread the cheesecake mixture over the brownie batter, and drop the strawberry jam by tablespoonfuls on top of the cheesecake mixture. Cut through the jam and cheesecake mixture with a knife to swirl.

Step 5: Bake, cool and cut

Bake the brownies with cheesecake and strawberry until the filling is almost set in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for one hour in the pan on a wire rack. Refrigerate for at least two hours. Then, cut into bars.

Editor’s Tip: As when making cheesecake, these brownies need some time to set. Don’t skip this step.

ELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

Strawberry Cheesecake Brownie Variations

• Double-down on the chocolate: For intensely chocolate cheesecake brownies, melt 2 ounces chopped semisweet or dark chocolate, stir it into the melted butter until completely smooth and add the other ingredients. Here are five easy ways to melt chocolate.
• Change the fruit flavor: All sorts of jams pair well with chocolate and cream cheese. Try raspberry or cherry jam or jelly, or swirl in orange marmalade. Better yet, make strawberry jam in a jiffy and keep a stash in your freezer for recipes like this strawberry brownie cheesecake recipe.
• Add a garnish: Go beyond the cream cheese topping and add other garnishes, like chocolate curls or finely chopped nuts.

How to Store Strawberry Cheesecake Brownies

This strawberry cheesecake brownie recipe and other moist homemade bars must be refrigerated once they’ve cooled to room temperature. Keeping them on the counter longer could let dangerous bacteria move in. Although you initially refrigerate the brownies in their pan to chill them for cutting, the cut bars stay fresher when tightly wrapped or sealed in an airtight container. The fruity cream cheese topping should stay firm in the refrigerator, but if you stack the bars, put a sheet of parchment between each layer to keep the pretty swirls from smearing.

How long do strawberry cheesecake brownies last?

When wrapped airtight, strawberry cheesecake brownies last for up to a week in the refrigerator. The texture could change slightly the longer they sit. Keep the bars well-wrapped or covered to prevent them from absorbing unwanted odors.

Can you freeze strawberry cheesecake brownies?

This strawberry cheesecake brownie recipe freezes well. The bars will taste best and have the smoothest texture if you eat them within two to three months. To keep them at peak quality, double-wrap the bars in storage wrap and then aluminum foil, or seal them in an airtight container. For safety, let frozen bars thaw overnight in the fridge rather than on the counter.

Strawberry Cheesecake Brownie Tips

ELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

How do you get a clean slice of strawberry cheesecake brownies?

Start by lining your baking pan with parchment rather than using nonstick spray. After baking, let the brownies cool completely at room temperature, and then chill them in the refrigerator so the cream cheese layer becomes firm. Once chilled, lift out the pan’s entire batch by the parchment and set it on a cutting board for slicing. Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to cut the brownies. Dip your cutting tool in hot water, dry it off and then slice. Keep dipping and drying as needed, so the metal stays warm and cuts neatly.

Why do you need to chill strawberry cheesecake brownies before serving?

All brownies slice more neatly when cold, and hot ones might collapse if you lift them from the pan immediately. Take that a step further and treat this strawberry brownie cheesecake recipe like a full-blown cheesecake: Chill it thoroughly before serving. It shouldn’t take as long as other cheesecake recipes, but plan to have at least three hours to cool the pan to room temperature and set it in the refrigerator before slicing the bars.

What can you serve with strawberry cheesecake brownies?

This brownie with cheesecake and strawberry has three flavors layered into one dessert, so the treat stands on its own. All you need is a hot or cold beverage to sip between decadent bites. Upgrade from a basic hot cuppa to lemon basil tea, or learn how to make a latte without an espresso machine. On the cool side, mix up an iced coffee latte. For adults, pour glasses of Prosecco or use sparkling wine to make vanilla bean fizz.