These marble brownies are the perfect mix of cheesecake and brownie. You only need 8 ingredients to make these fudgy cheesecake brownies that everyone will love!
These marble brownies are one of my favorite brownie recipes!
Half brownie, half cheesecake, these cream cheese brownies have a cheesecake layer and a brownie layer swirled together into one.
They are perfectly creamy, a little tangy, and super fudgy. They are super similar to red velvet brownies which have all of the same flavors!
They are so easy to make and are ready to eat in less than 45 minutes!
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why these are the best marble brownies
- A quick and easy recipe
- Features a swirled mix of creamy cheesecake batter and rich chocolate brownie batter.
- You only need 8 ingredients and they are done in less than one hour!
ingredient notes
Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card below!
Cream cheese: Full-fat is preferred to low-fat cream cheese so it has the right amount of creaminess.
Chocolate chips: I used semi-sweet chocolate chips in this recipe, but you could substitute milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips for a less-sweet brownie as well.
Unsalted butter: If you only have salted butter, leave out ¼ teaspoon of the salt.
recipe instructions
Here's how to make these cheesecake marble brownies! Before you start, line a square 8x8 baking pan with parchment that hangs over all four sides, then preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C. You will need two mixing bowls for each batter.
STEP ONE: Make the cheesecake batter. In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and granulated sugar until smooth.
Add in the room temperature egg and vanilla extract and mix them in until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes on medium speed. Set the bowl aside.
STEP TWO: Make the brownie batter. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, vanilla extract, and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy.
Stream the melted butter and chocolate chips into the eggs and sugar, whisking constantly. Then fold in the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and salt until just combined.
STEP THREE: Alternate the batters in the pan. Scoop half of the brownie batter into the prepared pan, leaving some space in between the scoops of batter.
Then scoop half of the cream cheese batter in between the chocolate. Continue alternating adding scoops of both batters into the pan.
STEP FOUR: Swirl and bake! Use a toothpick to swirl the batters together until the top looks evenly filled and marbled.
Bake the brownies for 26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just the tip covered in melted chocolate. Let the pan cool completely on a wire rack, then cut into servings and enjoy!
expert baking tips
- Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a scale is much more accurate than cup measurements. To convert this recipe, click the "metric" button next to the ingredients title on the recipe card. If you do not have a scale, use a spoon to fluff the flour first, then spoon it into your measuring cup.
- Warm the cream cheese. If the cream cheese is cold, you will have large chunks of cream cheese in the batter.
- Don't over-marble. Swirling the batters too much will cause you to lose the marble look.
- Wait before cutting. These brownies must be completely cool before cutting otherwise they will fall apart!
storage & freezing
- Room temperature: Store any leftovers at room temperature for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- Freezer: Store the baked brownies in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to one month.
faqs
Definitely, I would double the recipe if made in a large 9x13 pan otherwise the brownies will be too thin!
Absolutely, the bake time may need to be adjusted and I would love to hear how they turn out if you do!
I have not tested this recipe but would love to hear how they turn out if you do!
more brownie recipes to try
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments below, I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you're there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Recipe 📖
Cheesecake Marble Brownies
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cheesecake Batter
- 6 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Brownie Batter
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- â…” cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Line a square 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper hanging over all sides and preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.
Make the Cheesecake Batter
- In a stand mixing bowl, cream the sugar and cream cheese together on medium until smooth and combined, then scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.6 ounces cream cheese, ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix until smooth and combined, about 1 ½ minutes on medium speed. Set the bowl aside.1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Make the Brownie Batter
- Melt the butter and chocolate chips together until smooth, then set aside.½ cup unsalted butter, ⅔ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and sugar until pale and fluffy.¾ cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Whisking constantly, stream the butter and chocolate into the bowl until combined.
- Fold in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt with a rubber spatula until just combined.½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Scoop about half of the brownie batter into the baking dish using a ¼ cup or cookie scoop, leaving some space in between each scoop.
- Scoop half of the cheesecake batter into the alternate spaces in between the brownie batter. Continue adding the brownie and cheesecake batters in various spots around the pan, then stick a toothpick all the way into the batter and swirl it around to marble them together.
- Don't swirl the batters too much or you will lose the distinct marbled look!
- Bake the brownies in the preheated oven for 26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just the tip smeared in chocolate.
- Let the brownies cool completely on a wire rack, then cut with a very hot knife into 9 pieces and enjoy!
Notes
- Step-by-step process photos are provided above, in the body of this post.
- Use a kitchen scale: Baking with a scale is faster, easier, and overall much more accurate than cup measurements. To convert the recipe, click the US customary button and change it to Metric.
- Warm the cream cheese: In order for the cream cheese to combine properly with the egg and sugar, it must be softened. If it's cold, you will end up with large chunks of cream cheese in the final batter.
- Don't over-marble them: Swirling the batters too much will cause you to lose the marble look.
- Don't cut them too soon: These brownies must be completely cool before cutting otherwise they will fall apart!
The calorie information provided for the recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
Kris says
these bad boys are rich and delicious! i just added a little food coloring to give them an easter/spring vibe. Perfect!
Cambrea Gordon says
Woo! Love to hear that! 🙂
Max says
Made these marble brownies for a friends birthday. Came together really fast. Were the showstopper I had hoped for.
So if you want a round of praise from your friends these will get you just that!
Sara Welch says
Whipped up a batch of these for dessert and they did not disappoint! Quick, easy and delicious; exactly what I needed to cure my sweet tooth!
Cambrea Gordon says
Yay! Thanks for leaving a review Sara!
Biana says
These brownies look amazing! They will go great with some pumpkin coffee.
Kathryn says
LOVED these brownies! The cheesecake filling was the best swirled into the brownie batter. These are perfect for dessert any time so I'll be making these again I get a brownie request!
Claudia Lamascolo says
We are big brownies fans here and these were super moist tender and fabulous!
Nancy says
These marble cheesecake looks so professional and tastes amazing!
Cambrea Gordon says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them, thanks Nancy!
Veronica says
Hi, newbie here in need of some help! Mine came out super salty. Can someone tell me what I did wrong? I tripled check every ingredient/directions so I'm at a lost as to what I did wrong.
Cambrea Gordon says
I honestly can't say, if they're salty it's probably the type of salt you're using. A coarse salt won't dissolve properly (like kosher, sea salt, table salt, etc.) try using fine sea salt. Other than that, unless the salt wasn't measured right, there's no reason why it should be salty!
Victoria Trac says
This recipe was surprisingly easy to make, especially after reading the notes. I forgot to adjust for the altitude in Colorado, so my brownie portion wasn’t quite as fluffy as the photos but still were rich and deliciously chocolatey. I would definitely make these again. They’re visually stunning and would make an impression at a party or as a gift.
Cambrea Gordon says
I am so happy to hear that! thank you for the kind review victoria!
Aimee Mars says
These are gorgeous and I love that they can be made in under 45 minutes! What a win. These brownies are up next for baking in my house!
Tavo says
The brownies were so good! I had never made a cheesecake and brownies mix; it was fantastic!
Anjali says
I am a huge fan of cheesecake brownies but never knew how to make it at home - I can't wait to try your recipe - these look absolutely delicious!
Carrie Robinson says
Two of my favorite desserts in one! 🙂 I can't wait to bake up a batch of these soon.
Kelley says
These were so rich and decadent! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Cambrea Gordon says
Thanks for trying them Kelley, enjoy!
Mridula says
Hi, these were delicious but i faced 2 issues - my brownie batter was too thick and my cheesecake batter was too runny. All ingredients were at room temperature. So i couldn't really swirl or and achieve the marbled look. Could you please help me understand what i may have done wrong?
Cambrea Gordon says
Hi Mridula! The few things I can think of is that maybe the brownie dry ingredients were over-measured making the batter too thick. For the cheesecake batter, it may just have needed to mix longer to thicken up. I hope these help!
Gillian says
These cheesecake brownies were so easy to make and even more delicious! It was the most perfect combination!!
Cambrea Gordon says
Thanks so much Gillian! I loved seeing you make them on Instagram 🙂
EllenSimor says
I think this recipe is a great combination of brownie and cheesecake. They look good and make a wonderful dessert.
Cambrea Gordon says
Thank you Ellen! I hope you give them a try! 🙂
Nancy says
Can you use brownie mix
Cambrea Gordon says
Hi Nancy! You can definitely use brownie mix!! Let me know how they turn out! 🙂
Stephanie says
AMAZING!! These were REALLY good. I'm not a huge fan of cheesecake but these changed my mind. They were perfectly balanced from the brownie and not too sweet. They were also so easy to make which is always a bonus in my house!