Cream cheese and chocolate.
Chocolate and cream cheese.
No matter how you say it, these brownies were irresistible.
While going through the fridge a few weekends ago, I found some cream cheese that I had forgotten about. I’m not even sure why I bought it in the first place so I decided to put it to good use instead of wasting it.
I’d had cream cheese brownies before, but they were always the kind from the box. I figured they couldn’t be too tough to make from scratch and I wanted something to take to small group anyway, so I grabbed my go-to brownie recipe and got started.
One of the best gifts I’ve ever received came from one of my best friends’ Sara’s mom. Before I left Arkansas to get married and transfer schools (yep, I got married before I finished college), she gave me a binder with some of her favorite recipes.
Her 5-minute brownie recipe was the inspiration for this pan of rich and gooey brownies.
Cream Cheese Brownies, adapted from Linda VanWinkle’s 5-Minute Brownie recipe
- 3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
- 2/3 cup canola oil
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 6 oz. softened cream cheese
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg, beaten
- Preheat oven to 350.
- In large bowl, mix together cocoa powder and baking soda.
- Blend in 1/3 cup of oil.
- Add boiling water to cocoa mixture and stir until mixture thickens.
- Stir in sugar, 2 eggs, and remaining 1/3 cup of oil. Stir until smooth.
- Add flour, 1 tsp vanilla, and salt and stir until combined.
- Pour into 9×13 baking dish.
- For cream cheese swirl, mix together cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and 1 egg.
- Drop by spoonful on brownie batter and swirl into batter.
- Bake 35-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Swirling the cream cheese and brownie batter together is the most fun part of this recipe. It feels like art class but better – because I get to eat the final outcome.
I love that some of the brownies have a ton of the cream cheese mixture and some are just deep, dark chocolate.
This is the easiest way to have a little bit of cheesecake without dragging out my springform pan, making a water bath, and needing pounds of cream cheese in my fridge.
I love cocoa.
I love cheesecake.
I love them together.
But what I love most is the fact that this recipe was born out of an old family recipe, passed on to me when I was starting my own family.
Recipes with memories already attached don’t come along very often, so keep them when you can.
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I love old family recipes. They have heart, plus you know they’re bound to be amazing! These brownies look ridiculously good. I’ll have to make them next time I’m home- otherwise I’d have the whole pan to myself..and that’d be dangerous. ;)
Drool………………..what a way to start my morning!!! Now I’m going to be craving chocolate all day…… :)
I love cream cheese brownies. Those just look incredible!
Mmm those look so good!! They remind me of the black bottom cupcakes my mom used to make :)
You are an artist in the kitchen!
Those look definitely too good to be true!!
Honestly I’d love to have a piece for a snack RIGHT NOW! :)
These look amazing…and your pictures are gorgeous! There’s nothing I don’t like about chocolate and cheesecake…YUM!
Just…wow. These look beautiful AND delicious! :)
Those looks fantastic :) I love all the spirals!!
Family recipes are ALWAYS the best! I just made one myself. Those brownies look awesome. I’m going to have to try them out soon :)
I love special family recipes–they are so meaningful! And 9 out of 10 times, they are better than any other recipes–this one looks like it fits the bill for sure!!
Oh my goodness! These look insanely good!
I have never made cream cheese brownies but loved them growing up when I had them at parties! I will have to make a vegan version…because that swirling looks so fun and beautiful brandi!
I love this! These look amazing! Love me some cream cheese in baked goods. And they look so pretty! Win.
Those look fabulous! I want your baking skillz!
(And they look even better because I am starving right now. Off to find lunch…)
Girl, those look like heaven.
I love cream cheese swirls in my brownies- whenever I’m at a picnic or a potluck, I search them out first! Not sure why I just haven’t decided to be the one to bring them myself… that would make it much easier, wouldn’t it?
Where in Arkansas are you from?
I’m actually from Virginia! but I did most of my undergrad in Arkansas (at Harding in Searcy).
i love the part where you get to swirl it!
they look great.
GOOOOORGEOUS!
these look amazing! bookmarked to make hopefully this weekend =)
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I made these yesterday. They were delicious. They turned out a bit more cake like than brownie like. Also, the recipe instructions call for salt but that is not listed in the ingredients. I tried 1/4 tsp. Coule you let me know how much the original recipe calls for? Thanks!
You add the salt with the flour and vanilla. :)
The best brownies I’ve ever had. Soooo delicious!! =]