Pink, fairly, and irresistibly wealthy—these ultra-fudgy raspberry cheesecake brownies are swirled with creamy, tangy cheesecake and actual raspberry taste. In the case of indulgent, festive Valentine’s Day dessert recipes, this luscious chocolate-and-berry combo checks each field.
I first printed this recipe in 2014, and through the years I’ve made just a few considerate upgrades. The brownie base, with its deep chocolate taste, stays the identical, however the raspberry cheesecake swirl is now even higher due to floor freeze-dried raspberries for pure shade and daring fruitiness.
We additionally added simply 1 Tablespoon of sizzling water to the brownie batter—this loosens it barely and makes swirling all the things collectively a lot simpler. Small tweak, huge payoff!
I like going again to earlier recipes and giving them sensible little upgrades, utilizing all of the expertise we’ve gained through the years.
Why You’ll Love Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies
- Daring Fruit + Chocolate Fusion: Wealthy chocolate goodness meets tangy raspberry cheesecake, now with concentrated raspberry taste.
- Lovely Pink Swirls: Freeze-dried raspberry powder provides these bars a naturally beautiful pink hue—no synthetic coloring wanted.
- Crowd-Pleaser Dessert: Attractive presentation and decadent style make these good for holidays, gatherings, bake gross sales, or any time you possibly can’t determine between a chocolate or fruit-flavored dessert!
- Make-Forward Pleasant: Brownies want to chill fully earlier than slicing, in order that they’re a fantastic recipe to make a day prematurely.
Substances You Want:
For as we speak’s raspberry cheesecake brownies, we’re utilizing the identical brownie base as these coconut cheesecake brownies. I’ve printed numerous brownie recipes, however I actually take pleasure in this one as a result of the brownies stay smooth, don’t dry out, and are intensely chocolatey.
- Butter & Oil: You can also make brownies with butter, oil, or a mixture of each, and as we speak we’re utilizing each—similar to we do for brownie pie.
- Sugar: Sugar does far more than sweeten brownies. It liquifies as they bake, making a softer middle, and migrates to the highest, creating that shiny, crackly floor attribute of a superb brownie. You additionally want some to sweeten the cheesecake batter.
- Eggs: You want 3 eggs—2 for the brownie batter and 1 for the cheesecake batter.
- Vanilla & Salt: Important taste for each batters!
- Cocoa Powder: Although pure cocoa powder can be utilized, I counsel a Dutch-process cocoa powder (I actually like this model) for a richer, smoother chocolate taste. This brownie recipe doesn’t depend on chemical leaveners; if a recipe does, that’s when it’s essential to recollect the distinction between Dutch-process vs. pure cocoa powder.
- Flour: The cocoa powder takes the place of some flour, so that you’ll solely want 1/2 cup in these brownies, plus a pair Tablespoons for the cheesecake batter.
- Scorching Water: Only a Tablespoon, to assist skinny out the batter and “bloom” the cocoa powder. We additionally use sizzling water within the brownie recipe I printed in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
- Chocolate Chips: For texture and additional chocolate taste—don’t depart these out!
You additionally want cream cheese, freeze-dried raspberries (elective—for shade and additional raspberry taste!) to make the cheesecake portion, and raspberry jam for topping.
Find out how to Make Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies
Make the cheesecake batter first: Identical to after we’re making traditional cheesecake or cheesecake pie, full-fat brick-style cream cheese works finest right here. Use room-temperature components so the combination blends easily with out lumps. You need to use a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
Non-compulsory however really useful: If you happen to’d like to provide your cheesecake filling a reasonably pink tint and additional raspberry taste (I all the time do!), choose up some freeze-dried raspberries. Grind a small quantity in a small meals processor, sift out the seeds, then combine a pair teaspoons into the cheesecake batter. Add extra for deeper shade and taste if desired.
Make the brownie batter subsequent: Put together this after the cheesecake batter—the brownie combination thickens because it cools, and thinner batter makes swirling a lot simpler.
Layer and swirl: That is the place the magic occurs! After the batters are ready, unfold among the brownie batter right into a lined 9-inch sq. baking pan. You need to use *simply sufficient* to cowl the underside with a skinny layer of brownie batter.
Drop spoonfuls of cheesecake batter on high, alternating with spoonfuls of the remaining brownie batter. Bang the pan on the counter just a few instances to assist the batters to settle.
Add small spoonfuls of raspberry jam, then use a knife to swirl all the things collectively. There’s no good technique—every batch will look a little bit totally different, and that’s a part of the attraction.
Bake for about 35 minutes, give or take. Insert a toothpick into the middle:
- Moist batter = wants extra time
- Moist crumbs = good!
Success Suggestions for Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies
- Use correct room-temperature components for the cheesecake batter, so it comes collectively simply, and with out lumps. And a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a whisk attachment each work higher than a paddle attachment for attaining a clean cheesecake batter with minimal lumps.
- Line the pan: Lining the pan with parchment paper makes it a lot simpler to take away the bars earlier than slicing and serving. I exploit the identical tip when making rice krispie treats and M&M cookie bars, too.
- Cool fully: Exhausting as it’s to attend, cooling totally ensures clear slices that actually showcase that lovely marbling.
If you happen to love this mixture of flavors, you’ll additionally love these white chocolate raspberry cheesecake bars and my darkish chocolate raspberry espresso cake. And this chocolate raspberry cake is a showstopper worthy of a celebration!
Description
These raspberry cheesecake brownies are ultra-fudgy, swirled with creamy cheesecake, and filled with actual raspberry taste. Naturally pink due to freeze-dried raspberries—and up to date for simpler swirling! Excellent for Valentine’s Day, events, or anytime chocolate meets berries. Wait at the very least 3 hours earlier than slicing into squares and serving.
Cheesecake Batter
Brownie Batter
Topping
- Regulate the oven rack to the lower-third place and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 9-inch sq. pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the perimeters to simply carry the cooled brownies out of the pan. Put aside.
- Make the cheesecake batter first: In a medium bowl utilizing a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter collectively on medium-high velocity till clean and creamy with no lumps remaining, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar, flour, vanilla, and raspberry powder (if utilizing) and beat till totally mixed. If you happen to’d like a deeper shade of pink and extra raspberry taste, beat in additional raspberry powder, a teaspoon at a time, till you attain your required shade. Lastly, beat within the egg simply till included. Put aside.
- Make the brownie batter: Soften the butter within the microwave in a big heatproof bowl, or in a small saucepan on the range. (Switch melted butter to a big bowl if utilizing the range.) Whisk the sugar and oil into the melted butter. Let it sit for 1 minute to barely cool. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk very nicely to dissolve the sugar, till the combination now not seems to be grainy. Add the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and sizzling water and whisk till mixed and clean. The batter is thick. Fold within the chocolate chips.
- Assemble: Unfold about 1/3 of the brownie batter within the lined pan. The batter may be very thick, so do your finest. Drop massive spoonfuls of about half of the cheesecake batter excessive, then alternate dropping massive spoonfuls of the remaining brownie batter and the remaining cheesecake batter. Bang the pan on the counter just a few instances to get the batters to settle. Drop small spoonfuls of jam all around the high. Use a knife to softly swirl the batters and jam. Bang the pan just a few extra instances to settle the layers.
- Bake for 33–40 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out with just a few moist crumbs (mine normally take 36 minutes). I like to recommend tenting the brownies with aluminum foil on the 25-minute mark to guard the highest from over-browning.
- Take away from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack. Cool brownies fully (at the very least 3 hours).
- Raise the brownies out utilizing the parchment paper overhang on the perimeters, switch to a slicing board, and slice into squares.
- Cowl leftover brownies and retailer them within the fridge for as much as 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Directions: Freeze minimize brownies in single layers between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container for as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): 9-inch Sq. Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Electrical Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Whisk | Wood Spoon or Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Freeze-Dried Raspberry Powder: In a small meals processor (like this one or this one), pulse 1/4 cup (about 5g) freeze-dried raspberries till finely floor. Over a small bowl, sift the bottom freeze-dried raspberries via a fine-mesh sieve. Discard the seeds left within the sieve. Add 2 teaspoons of raspberry powder to the cheesecake batter and beat till totally included. If you happen to’d like a darker shade of pink (and extra raspberry taste), add extra raspberry powder, a teaspoon at a time, till you attain your required shade.
- The place to Purchase Freeze-Dried Raspberries: I discover them in my common grocery retailer within the dried fruit aisle, and Dealer Joe’s and Goal normally have them, too. You can even buy them on-line, and here’s a model we’ve used earlier than. (They’re much cheaper in shops if yow will discover them!) Don’t use chewy/gummy dried fruit. You want freeze-dried raspberries, that are raspberries with the entire moisture eliminated—that means they’ll grind right into a powder. Have leftover freeze-dried raspberries? Use them to make these chocolate raspberry crinkle cookies, raspberry sugar cookies, or white chocolate raspberry slice-and-bake cookies.
- Cocoa Powder: You need to use both pure or Dutch-process cocoa powder on this recipe. I favor Dutch-process (reminiscent of this model) for a smoother chocolate taste.
- Recipe Replace in 2026: This recipe was up to date with a richer, creamier raspberry cheesecake swirl and an easier-to-work-with brownie batter. The cheesecake layer now contains butter, further sugar, vanilla, and an entire egg for a smoother texture and fuller taste, and we added 1 Tablespoon of sizzling water to the brownie batter to barely skinny it for simpler swirling. If you happen to’d prefer to make the unique model, use the cheesecake combination of 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese, 1/4 cup (50g) sugar, 2 Tablespoons (15g) flour, 1 egg yolk, and 1/4 cup (80g) raspberry jam or preserves.
