These raspberry cheesecake brownies are such an interesting twist on classic brownies. Dare I say that they’re even better 😮?
Brownies are such a classic American treat. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who doesn’t like a good fudgy brownie. Like most good things, people have tried to alter them in various ways, creating an almost entirely new thing. I’m a huge fan of any version of brownies (except the incorrectly-named European brownies that are just chocolate cake 😂). So, because of my mission to put cheese in everything, I came up with a recipe for raspberry cheesecake brownies.
These chocolate raspberry brownies are addictively good. You’ll find yourself indulging in fudgy chocolate brownies, crunchy, white chocolate chips, and the tanginess of the raspberry-jam-swirled cheesecake. It’s really a match made in heaven. You can’t beat these raspberry chocolate brownies.
This recipe also includes a simple homemade raspberry jam recipe. I promise it’s so simple that anyone could do it. It’s convenient because you can use either frozen or fresh raspberries. I actually tried it with both, and both types work great. Of course, I prefer using fresh raspberries because the flavor is a little brighter, but it’s not a problem to use frozen berries.
This post is all about how to make raspberry cheesecake brownies.
Ingredients for Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies
- Flour- This recipe uses 1¼ cup of flour.
- Butter- Butter is absolutely essential for a good brownie, and, yes, this recipe isn’t shy about it. I’m starting to use browned butter in pretty much everything, and it really adds a lot to this brownie recipe.
- Brown sugar- Not every brownie recipe has brown sugar, but I find that it helps make the brownies even fudgier.
- White Sugar- This helps to balance the brown sugar and makes the brownies chewier.
- Eggs- Eggs are used in both the brownie mixture and the cheesecake mixture. Room-temperature eggs are always better.
- Vanilla- Vanilla is also subtly in both the brownies and the cheesecake.
- Semi-sweet and white chocolate chips- The milk chocolate chips are melted to incorporate in the brownie batter, and the white chocolate chips are sprinkled on top of the brownie layer.
- Cocoa powder- I used both cocoa powder and melted chocolate because I think it deepens the chocolate flavor.
- Baking powder- This helps to give the brownie a little bit of lift.
- Cream cheese- This is used in the cheesecake layer.
- Sour Cream- This gives a little tang to the cheesecake.
- Raspberries- As I mentioned before, the raspberries in the homemade jam can be either frozen or fresh. I do recommend fresh if it’s at all possible though.
How to Make Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Start by making the brownie batter. Beat the sugars and browned butter just until it comes together. Beat vanilla and the eggs into the mixture, one at a time, just until combined. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips over a double boiler, and stir the melted chocolate into the sugar mixture.
Step 2
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Gradually pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until incorporated. Make sure not to overmix this. Pour the batter into a baking-paper-lined 9×13 casserole dish. (I like to completely cover the dish in baking paper. The clean-up is nothing afterward 🎉.)
Sprinkle the white chocolate chips on top of the brownie layer.
Step 3
To make your raspberry jam, add your raspberries and water into a saucepan over medium heat. When it starts to heat up, add the sugar. Stir occasionally, breaking up the berries. When the mixture has slightly thickened, turn off the heat. It will still have some liquid in it, but it will be a little more globby than runny. Cool the jam by popping it in the freezer for a few minutes while you make the cheesecake mixture.
Step 4
Beat the room-temperature cream cheese with the sugar. Once it’s become fluffy, add the sour cream and vanilla. Next, beat in the egg, just until combined. Layer the cheesecake mixture over the brownie layer, making sure it’s evenly spread across the whole thing. Place small spoonfuls of the raspberry jam over the surface of the cheesecake layer. Gently drag a fork or toothpick through the jam to swirl it in the cheesecake.
Step 5
Put the casserole dish into the oven and let it bake for 45-55 minutes, depending on your oven. You’ll know when it’s done when an inserted toothpick comes out mostly clean. Let the brownies cool completely before cutting. This is very important because the texture changes a lot after it cools. I think the perfect temperature is slightly below room temperature, so you can refrigerate them, and then let them warm up slightly before cutting.
Questions about Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies
Do I have to use raspberries in this brownie recipe?
While I love what raspberries bring to this recipe, I’m sure that other types of berries would work great too. You could try making the jam with strawberries, blackberries, or blueberries.
Do I have to use white chocolate chips in this recipe?
No! If for some reason you don’t like or have white chocolate chips, you could definitely use regular semi-sweet chips or even dark chocolate chips.
How do I swirl the raspberry jam?
You can do this several different ways. You can gently drag a fork through the jam, you could do it with a knife, or you could even try a toothpick.
If you’re looking for other dessert recipes, you could try these… ya know, if you want.
No Bake Oreo Balls with Peanut Butter
Cheesecake Cookie Bars with Peanut Butter
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1¼ cup Flour
- 12 tbsp. Butter (melted and browned)
- 1 cup Brown sugar
- 1 cup White sugar
- 4 Eggs (room temperature)
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 10 oz. Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup Cocoa powder (Dutch-processed)
- 1 tsp. Baking powder
- 1 cup White chocolate chips
Cheesecake
- 12 oz. Cream cheese (room temperature)
- ½ cup Sugar
- 2 tbsp. Sour cream
- ¾ tsp. Vanilla
- 1 Egg (room temperature)
Raspberry Jam
- ¾ cup Raspberries (frozen or fresh)
- ¼ cup Water
- 1 tbsp. Sugar
Instructions
Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 cup of white sugar, and 12 tbsp. of browned butter just until they come together. Beat the 1 tsp. of vanilla and the 4 eggs into the mixture, one at a time, just until combined. Melt the 10 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate chips over a double boiler, and stir the melted chocolate into the sugar mixture.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the 1¼ cup of flour, 1 tsp. of salt, ¼ cup of cocoa powder, and 1 tsp. of baking powder. Gradually pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until incorporated. Make sure not to overmix this. Pour the batter into a baking-paper-lined 9×13 casserole dish.Sprinkle the 1 cup of white chocolate chips on top of the brownie layer.
Raspberry Jam
- Add the raspberries and water into a saucepan over medium heat. When it starts to heat up, add the sugar. Stir occasionally, breaking up the berries. When the mixture has slightly thickened, turn off the heat. It will still have some liquid in it, but it will be a little more globby than runny. Cool the jam by popping it in the freezer for a few minutes while you make the cheesecake mixture.
Cheesecake
- Beat the 12 oz. of room-temperature cream cheese with the ½ of sugar. Once it's become fluffy, add the 2 tbsp. of sour cream and 1 tsp. of vanilla. Next, beat in the 1 egg, just until combined. Layer the cheesecake mixture over the brownie layer, making sure it's evenly spread across the whole thing. Place small spoonfuls of the raspberry jam over the surface of the cheesecake layer. Gently drag a fork or toothpick through the jam to swirl it in the cheesecake.
Baking
- Put the casserole dish into the oven and let it bake for 45-55 minutes, depending on your oven. You'll know when it's done when an inserted toothpick comes out mostly clean. Let the brownies cool completely before cutting. This is very important because the texture changes a lot after it cools. I think the perfect temperature is slightly below room temperature, so you can refrigerate them, and then let them warm up slightly before cutting into 24 small squares. Enjoy!
I hope you enjoy these raspberry cheesecake brownies!