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VG Vegetarian

The Best Fudgy Swirled Cream Cheese Brownies

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Rate Recipe
Posted:7/10/17
Updated:11/21/19

Deliciously fudgy swirled CREAM CHEESE BROWNIES. These are a *little* bit lightened up compared to your traditional brownie recipe, but the fudge factor is on point!  

Deliciously fudgy cream cheese brownies. These are slightly lightened up compared to your traditional recipe. A little less butter and sugar, and whole grain flour. You'd never know though because these are still really rich!

Are you ready for some seriously fudgy CREAM CHEESE BROWNIES. Yeah, me too.

Sometimes I feel a little funny, for lack of a better word, sharing such an indulgent treat with you all. Because I’ve labeled myself as a “healthy” food blogger, I end up shying away from sharing certain recipes here on the blog. Back when I first started my blog I was in the “clean-eating” mindset where I told myself I wouldn’t share anything on the blog that wasn’t considered “clean”. But then I was seriously confusing myself because what I share on the blog is a reflection of what I also eat so I wasn’t feeling very true to myself. Every blogger does it differently, but what I like to share recipes from my heart and my kitchen <3

As my mindset around food has shifted over the past couple of years, so have some of the recipes I’ve shared on the blog. I’m giving myself a little more wiggle room because… well, to be frank, it is my blog and I make the rules 😀 Of course I always strive to bring you a balance of baked goods and wholesome meals, because I truly want everyone to find that happy balance too.

Despite the fact these cream cheese brownies are made with whole grain flour, I am not trying to pass them off as healthy. The thing is, healthy people like treats too! And treats don’t ALWAYS have to be turned around upside down and modified so you can say it is healthy. Do I like doing that sometimes with recipes? Sure! But when fudgy cream cheese brownies are involved, you don’t want to make so many changes that they no longer taste the way they were meant to taste. Read: a deliciously fudgy cream cheese concoction. 

Fudgy Swirled CREAM CHEESE Brownies! Get ready because these are going to knock your socks off. They're even made with whole grain flour!

I’ll tell you what I did do: I cut back on the sugar and butter a little bit. Not enough where you can tell a difference. But when I was referencing a several traditional brownie recipes and seeing that most recipes called for more than a cup of granulated sugar and almost 3/4 cup of butter, I figured we didn’t necessarily need ALL of it. Well, turns out we don’t. 🙂 These brownies still turned out quite delectable, if I do say so myself. Getting through the photo shoot and only eating one square could be considered a miracle.

what you need

quality dark chocolate 

butter

vanilla extract

granulated sugar (or coconut sugar)

eggs

whole wheat pastry flour*

unsweetened cacao or cocoa powder

salt

cream cheese

Creating swirls is easier than it looks! These fudgy cream cheese brownies are incredible.

How to make the cream cheese swirl

Once you’ve lined your pan with parchment paper you’ll pour in about 2/3 of the brownie batter into the bottom of the baking pan – reserve 1/3 cup of the brownie batter.

Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture onto the brownie batter, leaving space between. Then cover with the remaining brownie batter.

Gently swirl a butter knife through the batter back and forth, in a zigzag motion. That’s it!

Thick cream cheese brownies with swirls. So fudgy!

I like to leave large clumps of cream cheese sitting on top because those are my favorite 🙂 Be careful not to over-mix thought or you’ll those delicious creamy bites!

Be sure to let me know if you make this recipe! I always love seeing your creations <3

Deliciously fudgy cream cheese brownies. These are slightly lightened up compared to your traditional recipe. A little less butter and sugar, and whole grain flour. You'd never know though because these are still really rich!
Fudgy CREAM CHEESE Brownies! Get ready because these are going to knock your socks off. They're even made with whole grain flour!

★★★★

4 from 1 reviews

How to Make…

Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 16 1x
  • Scale:
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Ingredients

for the brownies:

  • 6oz quality dark chocolate
  • 6 TBS unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar (dry sweetener of choice)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 TBS milk or creamer (room temperature)
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour*
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

for the cream cheese swirl:

  • 6oz cream cheese, softened (low fat or regular)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar (I used beet, but any granulated sugar should work)
  • 1 large egg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9×9 or 8×8 baking pan (or line with parchment for easy removal), set aside.
2. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat melt together butter and chocolate. Stir frequently until fully melted and combined. Remove from heat to cool for 10-15 minutes (you can transfer to fridge for 5 minutes to speed up process).
3. Once the chocolate butter mixture has cooled, add in the 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, stirring until dissolved. Add in eggs, whisking in one at a time until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract and milk or creamer.
4. Sift in flour, cocoa and salt to avoid lumps in batter. Use spatula to gently combine until batter is smooth. Set sauce pan aside while you make your cream cheese layer.
5. Make the cream cheese layer: In a medium bowl using electric mixer or paddle attachment of stand mixer, beat together softened cream cheese until fluffy. Add in egg yolk and sugar beating again until fully combined. Set aside.
6. Transfer brownie batter to prepared baking pan, reserving 1/3 cup of batter.
7. Next drop in spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture on top of the brownie batter. See picture in post. Cover with the remaining brownie batter, then use butter knife to gently create swirls, moving the knife in a zigzag motion.
8. Bake brownies for 25-35 minutes, until inserted toothpick into center of pan comes out with little to no crumbs. If brownies start to crack after 22 minutes but middle is not done, cover pan with foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes. Make sure your brownies aren’t over-baked! Once brownies have finished baking, allow to cool in pan at room temperature for one hour, before transferring to fridge to cool for an additional 2-4 hours.
9. Gently remove brownies from pan once chilled, placing on cutting mat. Use large sharp knife to cut the brownies into 16 squares. Brownies will be deliciously fudgy since they’ve chilled. Store leftovers in container in fridge, up to 1 week. Enjoy!

Recipes Notes:

*Whole wheat white flour may be subbed. You can also do half all-purpose flour, half whole wheat flour (6 TBS each). I have not tested this with a gluten-free all-purpose 1:1 flour, but let me know if you do 🙂

Time does not include additional chill time. Brownies can be made a day in advance, chilling the brownies overnight if you wish.

Nutrition Information:

  • Serving Size: 1 bar
  • Calories: 201
  • Sugar: 17g
  • Sodium: 139mg
  • Fat: 28g
  • Saturated Fat: 7g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 3g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 24g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 3g
  • Cholesterol: 57mg

let’s see your creations!

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can see what you’ve made!

#FITMITTENKITCHEN

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Reader Interactions

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  1. Emily Weir says

    7/10/2017 at 9:03 am

    These look so delicious! We all need a little treat every now and then, so as a reader I appreciate you not pretending to only eat healthy desserts and never indulging in others. Life’s too short to not add real sugar to your dessert every once in a while! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Emily says

    7/10/2017 at 1:05 pm

    I would call you one of the most balanced healthy food bloggers I know. I’m grateful for all the recipes you post, because they strike that balance so well.

    Reply
  3. Aimee says

    7/12/2017 at 4:25 am

    Cream cheese makes everything better!! Can’t wait to make these!

    Reply
  4. Dina says

    7/15/2017 at 6:31 pm

    Hi Ashley
    In your method you write to add in milk or creamer
    But I don’t see that in the ingredients

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      7/16/2017 at 7:06 am

      Hi Dina
      Thanks so much for letting me know! I missed adding the milk in the ingredients list – its just 2 TBS. I’ve updated the recipe! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Dina says

        7/16/2017 at 11:47 am

        Really appreciate it!
        Thank you

        Reply
  5. Tannia says

    8/1/2017 at 1:55 am

    Can v make cream cheese layer without egg?? Would it change the texture a lot.. thanks

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      8/1/2017 at 11:01 am

      While I haven’t tested this myself I *assume* it would turn out okay. Let me know if you try!

      Reply
  6. Martyna says

    9/6/2017 at 5:11 am

    Could I possibly use coconut oil instead of butter?

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      9/6/2017 at 7:24 am

      Hi Martyna, I haven’t tested that myself but it may work! If you do use coconut oil make sure the rest of the ingredients, like the eggs, are at room temperature (or run under warm water for a couple of minutes) before adding into that melted chocolate mixture to make sure the coconut oil doesn’t seize up. Let me know if you end up trying! I would love to hear your results 🙂

      Reply
      • Martyna says

        9/6/2017 at 12:28 pm

        I took a chance and made it! I set my heart on making a brownie, as my boyfriend, a fellow crazy brownie lover, whom I haven’t seen in a month is finally coming. So I think it’s only fair if I wait for him! It hasn’t chilled yet anyway. The batter seemed perfectly fine.
        I’ll let you know when I get a taste, but it seems to me it’s going to be another one of your recipes that I recreate with success!

        Reply
  7. Heather says

    12/12/2017 at 12:17 pm

    After going through the cooling step in the fridge, could these later be served room temp or warm, or only served chilled?

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      12/12/2017 at 12:26 pm

      Hi Heather! You can serve them at room temp – I would just store them in the fridge and then bring them out about 20-30 minutes before serving. Chilling just helps hold them together (and keeps them fudgy) before cutting into. Hope that helps!

      Reply

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