Cheesecake Marbled Brownies (cream cheese swirl brownies recipe)

If you’ve been following me for a bit, then you know I love a good brownie, and I love coming up with delicious new brownie recipe variations based on my fan-favorite Classic Foolproof Brownies recipe. Today, I’m sharing one of my favorites: cream cheese brownies with a delicious cheesecake marble swirl baked on top. I first made these marble brownies for Grayson’s Bendy and the Ink Machine themed birthday party (the color of the cream cheese marbled brownies worked perfectly with the theme, and we named them “Boris Brownies” for the party). These cheesecake swirl brownies are very similar to my Mint Swirl Shamrock Brownies recipe, but without the minty flavor or green color. I now call them simply Cheesecake Marbled Brownies, and they are oh-so-delicious! If you want to try making cheesecake marble brownies yourself, this recipe is foolproof (be sure to read through the post for my tips), and much easier to make than you might think. Then when you’re ready to give them a go, the detailed marbled cheesecake brownies recipe is at the end of this post.

More brownie recipe variations like these marbled brownies

What you need to make cream cheese brownies

Here’s what you will need to gather (in addition to measuring cups, spoons, etc.) to make these cheesecake marble brownies:

• 9″x13″ baking pan
• Parchment paper (not required, but helpful)
• Nonstick cooking spray
• Mixing bowls
• Hand or stand mixer
• Cooling rack
• 1 3/4 cups white sugar, divided
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup butter, melted (Important tip: In order to make these brownies foolproof, it’s important to use real butter, not margarine, for this recipe)
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 oz. cream cheese softened
• 1 egg yolk
• Optional: Cookie cutters

How to make marbled cheesecake brownies

Cream cheese marbled brownies are delicious and surprisingly easy to make! To make them, first preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 9″x13″ baking pan with parchment paper, and spray the parchment paper with non-stick spray. Note: If you don’t have parchment paper, this recipe will still work without it. I just prefer parchment paper for making the brownies easier to remove and slice. If you don’t have parchment paper, just spray the baking pan with non-stick spray and cook the brownies directly in the pan.

Mix 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Mix the butter,* the 3 whole eggs, and vanilla extract together in a separate bowl.

*Important tip: In order to make these marble brownies with cream cheese foolproof, it’s important to use real butter, not margarine, for this recipe. I’ve tried it with margarine and it never turns out the right consistency.

Add the butter mixture to the bowl with the flour mixture and stir the batter until well mixed.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and set aside.

Now it’s time to make the cream cheese topping for these cheesecake swirl brownies! Using a stand or hand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese, the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and egg yolk at medium speed until everything is well mixed.

Place dollops of the cream cheese topping on top of the brownie batter in the pan. Using a butter knife held upright, dip through the dollops and into the batter, then drag the knife to one side of the cake pan to create a swirled marbling effect with the white and brown. Repeat in rows, then do the same going up and down until you’ve got a nice swirl pattern. You can see a good example of what this part of the process looks like step-by-step in my Mint Swirl Shamrock Brownies recipe and my Fluffernutter Brownies recipe.

Bake the cream cheese marbled brownies in the preheated oven until the edges are brown and the center is set, about 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the marbled cheesecake brownies cool completely (also about 30 minutes). Remove the marble brownies from the pan by lifting the parchment paper (with brownies) out of the pan.

Cut the cream cheese brownies with a knife (or a cookie cutter if you’d like to make them into fun shapes). You can serve the marble brownies immediately, or store them in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

Now that you’ve got all the tips for making these marbled brownies, here is the recipe! I can’t wait to hear what you think about our cheesecake marble brownies, so please leave us a review on the recipe and share your experience in the comments! Enjoy!