Peppermint Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

If you love brownies and cheesecake, why not combine the best of both worlds into one amazing holiday dessert!

These peppermint cheesecake brownies begin with a super rich and fudgy brownie base and then are swirled with a minty cheesecake batter before baking. You will love them for the holidays. 

I love the combination of super chocolaty brownies with the richness of cheesecake. I've already made a plain chocolate cheesecake brownie and a pumpkin cheesecake brownie. They both flew off the plate when I served them, so I couldn't wait to try a minty Christmas version. 

Everyone loved these too!

These peppermint cheesecake brownies are a fabulous make-ahead dessert. The brownies are unbelievably rich, pretty much like fudge. You'll love this combination of two desserts in one! 

They're such a rich and indulgent treat, and with the iconic holiday flavor combination of peppermint and chocolate, these are wonderful for a holiday dessert. 

With this recipe, you can make 12 large brownies or 24 smaller brownies for a crowd. 

Equipment You May Need:

I used a stand mixer to make the cheesecake mixture. You can also use a hand mixer, but make sure your cream cheese is totally at room temperature so that everything is blended. 

You will also need a nine inch by 13 inch cake pan. Use a light colored metal pan with squared edges if you have one. If the pan you have is dark, the brownies may bake faster. 

Recipe Variations:

I used an eighth teaspoon of red food coloring for the pink peppermint color. If you prefer, you could use a green color, or even swirl green, red, and white batters together. 

You can also skip the food coloring and sprinkle some crushed candy canes or holiday-themed sprinkles over the top to make these look festive. 

If you don't have black cocoa powder, you can substitute Dutch process cocoa or Hershey's Special Dark cocoa. 

Tips for Success:

_ Be sure to line the pan well with parchment so that you can lift the brownies out for cutting. That way, you don't have to sacrifice one... unless you want to so that you can eat one for "quality control!"

_ When cutting these brownies, for a clean cut, use a large chef's knife and dip it in hot water and wipe it clean between each cut. 

_ These brownies will keep at room temperature for a couple of days. If you store them in the refrigerator, bring them to a cool room temperature right before serving. 

More Brownie Recipes Worth Trying: 

S'Mores Brownies

Heart of Darkness Brownies

Zucchini Brownies

Orange Curd Brownies

Peppermint Patty Brownies

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Twix Candy Bar Brownies

More Christmas Sweets Recipes:

• Brazil Nut Bread from That Recipe
• Peppermint Cheesecake Swirl Brownies from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Pumpkin Liége Waffles from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures

Peppermint Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Yield: 24 small brownies

Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories

Prep time: 30 HourCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 31 Hour

If you love brownies and cheesecake, why not combine the best of both worlds into one amazing holiday dessert!

Ingredients

For the Cheesecake

• 2 - 8 ounce full fat cream cheese packages, at room temperature
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 2 large room temperature eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon red food coloring

For the Brownie Layer

• 396 grams chopped dark chocolate (60 to 70 percent)
• 1 cup (2 sticks/227 grams) unsalted butter, cut into cubes or slices
• 300 grams (1 1/2 cups) granulated sugar
• 220 grams (1 cup) packed light brown sugar
• 188 grams (1 1/2 cups) unbleached all purpose flour
• 64 grams (3/4 cup) black cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 5 large room temperature eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9 inch by 13 inch cake pan with parchment paper with an overhang so that you can lift the brownies out of the pan.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and flour and beat until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, until fully combined. Beat in the extracts.
3. Chill the mixture while you make the brownie layer.
4. In a double boiler, melt the dark chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth. Remove it from the heat and whisk in the granulated and brown sugar.
5. Whisk together the flour, black cocoa, and salt. Set aside.
6. Add the eggs, one at a time to the chocolate mixture and whisk each until combined. Whisk in the vanilla. Add the flour and cocoa mixture until just combined.
7. Spread 2/3 of the batter into the lined cake pan. Pour the cheesecake mixture over the brownie batter and spread it with an offset spatula. Drop the rest of the brownie mixture over the cheese cake mixture by the tablespoonful. Use the spatula to swirl everything over the top.
8. Bake for an hour, covering the pan at the 30 minute mark with foil. The edges should be set.
9. Let cool completely in the pan and then refrigerate for an hour or two. Cut into squares and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

340

Fat (grams)

17 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

10 g

Carbs (grams)

45 g

Fiber (grams)

3 g

Net carbs

42 g

Sugar (grams)

34 g

Protein (grams)

5 g

Cholesterol (grams)

75 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2023/11/peppermint-cheesecake-swirl-brownies.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

brownies, chocolate, peppermint

dessert

American

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Recipe adapted from Bake From Scratch Magazine. Nov/Dec 2023. If you love baking, this is a wonderful magazine. They also have a wonderful podcast.