Cranberry Sauce Cheesecake Brownies
A perfect way to use up that leftover cranberry sauce marbled through this rich cream cheese topping above a layer of fudgy, decadent brownies!
Happy Monday to you all! I just got back from a cross-country trip to Mixed where I learned how to decorate cookies courtesy of Marion, played with fondant for the very first time with Duff along with so many other helpful workshops. It was such a blast, but I am also incredibly thrilled to be back home.
Yes, I get homesick after a 4-day trip because in the end, nothing beats curling up on your own bed and staying in 70+ degree weather. Apparently the east coast warmed up a bit last weekend but it was still unbearably chilly for me.
Now let’s talk brownies. I’m actually not the biggest chocolate fan in the world but if you add in a layer of cheesecake (my ultimate weakness) on top of a brownie, I become a chocolate fanatic. These brownies had just the right amount of sweetness in them and that leftover cranberry sauce that got swirled in these babies gave them such a refreshing touch. I didn’t want to be tempted to eat the whole batch so I immediately devoured one and brought the rest over to Jason’s family.
Yeah, I don’t have much self-control.
Cranberry Sauce Cheesecake Brownies
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For the cheesecake filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup leftover cranberry sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8×8 baking dish with nonstick spray; then line baking dish with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt.
- Microwave butter and chocolate chips in a large bowl in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted and smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, whisking until well combined. Add flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated.
- Spread the brownie batter into prepared baking dish. Then spread the cheesecake mixture evenly over the bottom brownie layer. Top with cranberry sauce, swirling into the batter using figure eight motions.
- Place into oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until set.
- Let cool completely before cutting into bars.
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