Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies
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It’s raspberry season! If you need something to make with your bounty of raspberries, I’ve got something a little different for you today.
My raspberry bushes are BURSTING with raspberries. And while I have a 2 year old who can eat her weight in berries (IYKYK) we still can’t keep up. So, I decided to bake with them, obviously! I wasn’t feeling the usual options for berries like muffins, scones, etc. I wanted chocolate. So, these brownies were born.
We’ll start by making a super simple cheesecake filling & spreading it out on a baking sheet to freeze. Then we’ll make a deliciously fudgy brownie base, chop up our cheesecake into big chunks & fold it in along with some fresh raspberries.
The result is a squidgy brownie with big pockets of cheesecake & a sweet tang from the raspberries. They’re perfect.
Note that the cheesecake filling needs to set in the freezer for a couple hours, so plan accordingly!
What do I need to make them?
Here’s your grocery list:
-Fresh raspberries
-Salted butter
-Granulated Sugar
-Cocoa powder
-Espresso powder (optional but recommended)
-Eggs
-All Purpose Flour
-Salt
-Chocolate chips
-Cream cheese (the brick kind, not the kind in a tub)
You will also need a kitchen scale, an 8 x 8 pan, some bowls and whisks and spatulas, a baking sheet, and parchment paper.
Here’s how to make them:
First, make your cheesecake filling. Add softened cream cheese & sugar to a bowl (you can use a stand mixer or a hand mixer for this - I prefer a hand mixer, but a stand mixer works if you don’t have a hand mixer) and whip on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy. Add your egg and vanilla and mix again until completely incorporated. Pour the mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet, spread it out, and put it in your freezer until it is set (at least 2 hours)
Once your cream cheese mixture is solid, chop or break it up into large chunks & put it back in the freezer, then start your brownie batter. First, wash your raspberries and place them on a clean kitchen towel to dry.
Prepare your 8 x 8 pan by lining it with parchment paper. I like to cut a square of parchment a few inches bigger than my pan on each side, then make diagonal cuts on each corner so that it tucks nicely into my pan.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, add your eggs, cocoa powder, salt, espresso powder, and vanilla and whisk together. It will probably all clump up in your whisk and won’t be smooth, but that’s ok!
In a microwave safe bowl, add your butter and sugar. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each round, until all butter is melted and the mixture is hot to the touch.
Work quickly now because you want your batter to stay warm. This is how you get a pretty shiny top on your brownies.
Add your butter/sugar mixture to your chocolatey egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Use a spatula to get all the stuff out of your whisk if needed.
Add your flour and mix gently with a spatula until smooth. Last, add your chopped chocolate, raspberries and cream cheese filling chunks and VERY gently fold them in.
Pour your batter into your prepared 8 x 8 pan.
Bake your brownies at 350 for about 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick poked into the centre comes out just the tiniest bit gooey.
Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool completely. Slice into desired sizes -If you cut them 3 x 3 you get 9 big brownies.
Store these in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for several months. I like to eat them chilled, but you can bring them up to room temperature before eating if you prefer!
Here's the recipe!
Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies
Super squidgy brownies with big pockets of cheesecake & a sweet tang from the fresh raspberries
Ingredients
- 125g Cream Cheese, softened (brick style, not from a tub)
- 33g Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Large Egg
- 2 large eggs
- 53 g Cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp Sea salt
- 1/4 tsp Espresso powder
- 5g (1 tsp) Vanilla extract
- 112 g Salted butter
- 223 g Granulated sugar
- 90 g All purpose flour
- 150 g Dark or Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped
- 175g Fresh Raspberries
Instructions
- Line a small baking tray with parchment paper.
- Place your softened cream cheese into a medium sized bowl and add your sugar. Beat on medium-high speed with a hand mixer (you can also do this in a stand mixer) until smooth and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until fully combined.
- Pour the cheesecake out onto the parchment lined tray and spread it out with a spatula. You want it to be pretty thick, so don't spread it out too much. Put it in the freezer to set (at least 2 hours)
- Pre-heat oven to 350 F
- Line your 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper (see hack in blog post!)
- Rinse your raspberries and spread them out on a clean kitchen towel to dry while you make your batter.
- Take your cheesecake filling out of the freezer and chop it up into large chunks, then put it back in the freezer so it doesn't thaw.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together eggs, cocoa powder, salt, espresso powder, and vanilla. It will be clumpy, that's ok.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and sugar together in 30 second increments, stirring after each, until the butter is melted and mixture is hot to the touch.
- Pour the butter & sugar mixture into your cocoa/egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Use a spatula to get clumps out of your whisk if needed. You will need to whisk pretty vigorously.
- Add your flour to the batter and stir gently with a spatula until smooth.
- VERY gently fold in your raspberries, chopped chocolate, and cheesecake chunks. The cheesecake will melt a little when you do this, that's ok - it creates pretty swirls in the brownies.
- Pour your batter into your prepared pan.
- Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick stuck in the centre comes out just a tiny bit gooey.
- Place pan on a wire rack and allow to cool completely, then cut brownies into desired sizes (I cut mine 3 x 3 for 9 brownies)
- Store browniesin the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for several months. I prefer these brownies chilled, but you can also bring them up to room temperature before eating if you prefer!
