I used to not be a cheesecake fan and would much rather chow down on a piece of chocolate cake instead (as long as it had a ton of frosting on it). But one day I ate a piece of carrot cake cheesecake from the cheesecake factory and it was pure cheesecake love. I think it was the idea of cream cheese frosting on top of cheesecake that really drew me in. If it was possible and I had the metabolism of a 12 year old, I would have gladly eaten every single cheesecake from the dessert case. Then one day I started my food blog and created my own cheesecake concotions and that’s when my cheesecake love grew even deeper. In my humble opinion, candy, cookies and cake belong in cheesecake and perhaps that’s why I love it so much now. So of course you know this isn’t just a recipe for cheesecake because then you’d either think I wasn’t feeling well or hit my head. It’s no bake cheesecake brownies. And yes that’s hot fudge drizzled on top.
First make the brownie portion of the cheesecake brownies. Sift 3/4 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt into a bowl. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter and 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract.
Then add in 2 large eggs (at room temperature), one at a time.
Slowly add in the sifted ingredients until almost combined.
Take a spatula and fold the ingredients together.
Now comes my favorite part of course. Chop up 6 peanut butter cups.
Throw them into the bowl and fold them in.
Spread the brownie batter into a lightly greased baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Cool compltely before spreading the cheesecake portion on top. If you don’t wait, you’ll end up with a giant mess.
Once the brownies have completely cooled, begin making the cheesecake. The cheesecake part on top of the brownies is no bake which makes things way less complicated. In a bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip 1 cup heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
Set aside the whipped cream.
In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add in 8 ounces of softed cream cheese and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Sift 1 cup of powdered sugar over the bowl.
Mix on medium speed to completely combined.
Throw in the whipped cream and very carefully fold it in. You want to make sure it’s completely combined but don’t mix it to death.
You’ll probably notice that the cheesecake is a lot lighter than regular cheesecake. I mean in texture not calories! :)
Spread the cheesecake mixture on top of the brownies. Chill for at least 5 hours in the refrigerator until the cheesecake portion has set. Cut into squares. Drizzle with hot fudge topping if desired. Enjoy!
Recipe: Cheesecake Brownies
2 eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup all purpose flour
6 peanut butter cups
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
hot fudge topping, at room temperature
Sift the cocoa powder, salt and flour into a bowl. Set aside.
Mix together the melted butter, both sugars, and 1 tbsp vanilla extract on medium speed with the mixer.
Add in the eggs and mix until combined.
Add in the sifted dry ingredients slowly and mix until well combined. Fold the ingredients together using a spatula.
Chop up the peanut butter cups and throw them in. Fold them in with a spatula.
Spread the batter into the greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for half an hour. Remove the browniesfrom the oven and cool them in the pan on a cooling rack.
Once the brownies have completely cooled spread the cheesecake portion on top.
Whip one cup of heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Put this cream in a separate bowl and set aside.
Add in the 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract and cream cheese in a mixer bowl. Sift the powdered sugar over the bowl. Until completely combined mix the ingredients on medium speed.
Add in the whipped cream this mixture and slowly fold it in. Be careful not to overmix it.
Spread the cheesecake on top of the brownies. Chill for at least 5 hours until the cheeecake has set. Then cut into squares. Drizzle with hot fudge topping if desired. Enjoy!