Cherry Cheesecake Brownies

Homemade brownies are topped with a sweet cheesecake layer that’s swirled with cherry pie filling to create a decadent dessert.

When someone calls a dessert “irresistible”, what comes to your mind? For me, it’s these cherry cheesecake brownies. They combine two of the greatest desserts known to man and the result is something more than the sum of its parts. Creamy and dense cheesecake, juicy cherries and rich chocolate all in one delicious bite – what’s not to love? The cheesecake layer perfectly balances out the decadent chocolate brownie. And the cherry pie filling adds both sweetness and a hint of tartness, which compliments both layers. It’s great to bring to potlucks, but it also makes a wonderful dessert for a romantic dinner at home. I recommend serving Instant Pot crab legs or shrimp and broccoli as your entree to keep it simple.

Ingredients

• Butter – I used unsalted butter.
• Vegetable Oil – You can substitute canola oil, if you’d prefer.
• Sugar – Brown and white.
• Eggs – You’ll want to use large eggs to make this recipe.
• Vanilla – You can use vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste if you’re fancy.
• Flour – All-purpose flour is used.
• Cocoa Powder – Use any brand of cocoa powder you’d prefer. I often have Hershey’s and Godiva on hand.
• Cream Cheese – Use full fat cream cheese for the best flavor.
• Heavy Cream – I don’t recommend substituting this.
• Cherry Pie Filling – I use canned pie filling, but you can substitute homemade – just make sure it’s really thick.

How To Make

1. To make the brownie layer, beat the melted butter, vegetable oil, and sugars together. Add the eggs and vanilla and quickly beat together until just combined. Add the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Mix together on a low speed. Then pour into a greased 9×13 pan.
2. To make the cheesecake layer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, and egg all together in a large bowl.
3. Place dollops of the cheesecake batter over the top of the brownie batter.
4. Add spoonfuls of the cherry pie filling around the cheesecake batter and use the tip of a spatula or a knife to gently swirl the pie filling and cheesecake batter together.
5. Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes.
6. Let cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate 2 hours before slicing.

Tips

1. Have box brownie mix on hand? You can use that instead of making the homemade brownie base.
2. You can always add other mix-ins to the brownie layer, including chocolate chips and chopped nuts.
3. These brownies are delicious eaten at room temperature, but be sure to try them chilled. The cheesecake layer becomes denser and the brownie layer transitions to a more fudge-like consistency.
4. Don’t try to cut these warm, you’ll end up with a goopy mess. I put them in the fridge for a few hours to firm up before slicing into squares.
5. For best results, use a metal pan instead of glass. Glass tends to cook the brownies unevenly, leaving the middle a bit underdone.

Storage

These brownies need to be stored in the fridge because of their cheesecake layer. Place them in an airtight container and keep them in there up to 4 days. Alternatively, you can store them in an airtight container in the freezer up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.