Description
Enjoy the best of cheesecake and a batch of brownies combined—and with less work! These mint chocolate chip cheesecake brownies come together with 2 simple batters. Be sure to cool the brownies completely before slicing and serving.
Ingredients
Brownie Batter
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter
- 8 ounces (226g/two 4-ounce bars) semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped*
- 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (94g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Mint Cheesecake Batter
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract*
- 2 drops liquid or gel green food coloring
- 2/3 cup (115g) mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower-third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line the bottom and sides of an 11×7-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to easily lift the bars out of the pan. Set aside.
- Make the brownie batter first: Melt butter and semi-sweet chocolate together in a medium saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. You can place the melted chocolate/butter mixture into the refrigerator for a few minutes to speed this up, if desired. Don’t refrigerate too long, as the butter will start to re-solidify.
- Whisk sugar into cooled chocolate/butter mixture. Add in the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition until combined. Whisk in the vanilla, and then gently fold in the flour and salt. Pour batter into prepared pan, reserving about 1/4 cup of batter (doesn’t have to be exact).
- Make the cheesecake batter: Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed in a large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in the sugar, egg yolk, peppermint extract, and 2 drops of food coloring until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Feel free to add more green food coloring, if desired. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
- Dollop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture on top of the prepared brownie batter. Spoon remaining 1/4 cup of brownie batter on top. Glide a knife through the layers, creating a swirl pattern. Add more mini chocolate chips on top, if desired.
- Bake brownies for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs. I recommend tenting the brownies with aluminum foil after about 20 minutes to protect the top from over-browning. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack. Cool brownies completely.
- Lift the brownies out using the parchment paper overhang on the sides. Cut into squares.
- Cover leftover brownies and store at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze cut brownies in single layers between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 11×7-inch Baking Pan | Parchment Paper | Medium Saucepan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack
- Chocolate: For the best results, use two 4-ounce “baking chocolate” bars found in the baking aisle. I prefer Baker’s or Ghirardelli brands. You can use semi-sweet, bittersweet, or even milk chocolate. Do not use chocolate chips, as they contain stabilizers preventing them from melting into the proper consistency. You can, however, use chocolate chips as the add-in, as listed in the ingredients above. Just do not use them to replace the chocolate bars that you need to melt in step 2.
- Peppermint Extract: Taste the mint cheesecake mixture after you mix it—if it needs more peppermint flavor, add 1/4 teaspoon more peppermint extract.