Cream Cheese Brownies with Heart Swirls

Brownies are a staple in almost every recipe box and bake sale.  Take them a step further with patterns of heart cream cheese swirls and you’ll surely delight everyone.  I made the brownies two ways: one batch with a cookie texture and shiny, slightly crackled surface, the other with a cake-like texture and matte surface.  Everyone has their own preference, so here are two options to choose from to make this all-time favorite cookie bar.

I’ll start off with the shiny brownies since I tend to favor their chewy texture.

I’ve included complete instructions and measurements in the printable recipe box at the bottom of this post.  This montage is just an outline to give a general idea of the steps.

1. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract until smooth.  I used my stand mixer for this step.  Set aside.  (This cream cheese mixture is more than enough for one batch, so just chill whatever is left over for another batch.)
2. Place the butter and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler or melt in microwave.  This is the top view of a heat proof glass bowl I placed on top of a small pot that had a small amount of simmering water.  I prefer to use a double boiler because I get to stir more frequently and it allows me to have a feel of the texture.
3. Heat the butter and unsweetened chocolate to melt.
4. Chocolate and butter mixture is completely smooth.
5. Turn off heat.  With the bowl still on the double boiler, heat turned off, add sugar and mix until well blended.
6. Remove the bowl from the double boiler so as not to scramble the eggs.  Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.  I mixed this part just by hand using a wire whisk.
7. Add flour and salt.
8. Beat until smooth and well blended.
9. Optional: add chopped nuts at this point.
10. Pour batter in a 9” x 13” baking pan that has been lined with foil and sprayed with non-stick spray.   Foil should hang about 2” in excess on the long sides.  Drop circles of the cream cheese mixture on top of the chocolate batter.
11. To make heart shapes, run the tip of a knife or toothpick down the center of each circle.  Or just swirl the cream cheese around if you prefer to make just general swirls.
12. Bake in oven preheated to 350 F for 30 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Surface is shiny…

…and slightly crackly…

…with a super chewy texture.  I really liked them a lot.  They were even better the following day, much like these super delicious date bars that had the same chewy texture.

Here are the general steps for the brownies with a matte surface and cake texture.  Complete measurements and instructions are located below the printable recipe box..

1. Beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract until well blended.  Set aside.  (This cream cheese mixture is more than enough for one batch, so just chill whatever is left over for another batch.)
2. Microwave butter to melt completely.  Whisk butter to cool.  Add sugar and beat by hand until smooth.
3. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
4. Add unsweetened cocoa, flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla extract.
5. Beat until smooth.  I didn’t add the optional chopped nuts to this batch, but this is the point they should be added if using nuts.
6. Pour batter in a 9” x 13” baking pan that has been lined with foil and sprayed with non-stick spray.   Foil should hang about 2” in excess on the long sides.
7. Drop circles of the cream cheese mixture on top of the chocolate batter.
8. To make heart shapes, run the tip of a knife or toothpick down the center of each circle.  Or just swirl the cream cheese around if you prefer to make just general swirls.
9. Bake in oven preheated to 350 F for 30 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Surface is matte…

…texture is cakey.  They were okay.

They were almost like little bars of cake.  But again, since I prefer chewy, cookie bar-like brownies, I prefer the other kind.

Back to the chewy, shiny brownies.

There’s no law that requires brownies to be sliced equally.  I cut out some heart shapes, square shapes, thin, rectangular shapes and even little bite-size pieces.  Because sometimes all you want is a small sliver to taste; but that’s not a guarantee you’ll stop at one small piece.  That would be an exercise in futility for I found myself having one small bite-size portion after another.  I should have just cut to the chase and had two regular size squares to begin with.

If you prefer just regular brownies without cream cheese, just eliminate the cream cheese portion.

It’s time to store the uneaten brownies.  At this point, we’ve already consumed several pieces and yet my cookie jar still runneth over. Right below is the printable recipe box for the shiny, chewy cream cheese brownies.  Following the printable recipe box, at the very end, is the recipe for the matte, cakey brownies.

Cream Cheese Brownies with Heart Swirls

 

Author:

SugaryWinzy

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 24

Prep time: 25 mins

Bake / Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 55 mins

Print

 

Delicious brownies with a shiny, crackled surface and cookie-like texture that will surely please everyone.

Ingredients

For the cream cheese:

• 1 (8 oz) package reduced fat cream cheese (226 g)
• ½ cup white granulated sugar (115 g)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 g)

For the brownie portion:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (227 g)
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (113 g)
• 2 cups white granulated sugar (448 g)
• 3 eggs
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour (184 g)
• ¾ teaspoon salt (4 g)
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract (10 g)
• Optional: 1¼ cups chopped nuts (150 g)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9” x 13” baking pan with foil with allowance for the foil to hang about 2” on the long sides of the pan. Spray surface with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Using a flat beater attachment, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add sugar.
3. Add egg and beat to combine. Add vanilla and beat until smooth and well blended. Set aside. (This cream cheese mixture is more than enough for one batch, so just chill whatever is left over for another batch.)
4. Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler (a heat-proof mixing bowl over a small sauce pot with a small amount of simmering water). Or melt in the microwave in 30 second increments, repeating until completely melted. Stir mixture until smooth and melted.
5. If using a double boiler, turn off heat. With the chocolate mixture is still on the double boiler, add the sugar and beat until well blended. If melted by microwave, just add sugar while the chocolate is still warm and beat until well blended.
6. If using a double boiler, remove bowl from the double boiler. Add eggs one at a time and beat until well blended after each addition.
7. Beat in flour and salt. Mix to combine. Then add vanilla and beat until smooth. Optional: add chopped nuts at this point and beat to combine.
8. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula. To make heart patterns, drop the cream cheese in small circles over the brownie batter using a teaspoon or small cookie scoop. Run a knife or toothpick down the center of each circle to form hearts. Or swirl the surface around with a knife to make just a regular swirl pattern.
9. Bake for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10. Place pan on cooling rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Lift the brownies out of the pan with the foil and allow to cool completely before slicing.

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Here’s the recipe for the matte cream cheese brownies.  With just a slight change in measurements and mixing methods, you get an entirely different kind of brownie.

Matte Cream Cheese Brownies

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9” x 13” rectangular pan with aluminum foil with about 1.5” overhang on the long sides.  Spray with non-stick cooking spray.

For the Cream Cheese:

• With a flat beater of a stand mixer, beat until smooth 1 (8 oz) package reduced fat cream cheese.
• Then add and beat thoroughly: ¾ cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Set aside.

For the Brownie Portion:

• Microwave until completely melted: 1 cup unsalted butter.
• Whisk to cool butter, then add: 1¾ cups sugar.
• Beat well until sugar is completely blended, then add one at a time beating well after each addition: 3 large eggs.
• Add and beat until smooth: ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa, 1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.  Optional: 1¼ cups chopped nuts.
• Beat until well blended, pour brownie batter in prepared pan and spread evenly.  Drop cream cheese on brownie batter using a spoon or cookie scoop.  Make heart shapes by drawing a line down the center of each cream cheese circle using the tip of a knife or toothpick.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Cream Cheese Brownies with Heart Swirls