Cherry Cheesecake Brownies

These made entirely from scratch Cherry Cheesecake Brownies feature a thick and fudgy brownie base, a creamy layer of cheesecake batter, and homemade cherry pie filling on top.  Grab a square a dig in!

Two weeks ago, I shared these Cherry Chocolate Chunk Muffins, with the promise of another cherry recipe to follow.  Well today, cherry loving friends, is your lucky day.

It’s rainy, we’ve hit the mid-week slump, and I have a little boy who just started preschool and is not happy about it. Let’s counteract all this negativity with some rich and delicious cherry cheesecake brownies!

But wait!  It’s already September!  What’s the point in sharing a recipe with fresh cherries this time of year, when nary a fresh cherry is in sight?

Fret not.  These cherry cheesecake brownies work equally well with frozen cherries.  Pick up a bag at the grocery store and you can even save yourself the hassle of pitting all those cherries yourself!

And for those of you who are looking for the really easy route, you can absolutely go ahead and make this with canned cherry pie filling.  I like my homemade version more (more cherries, less “goop”), but plenty of people like the canned stuff.

I’m not entirely sure what the volume conversion is, but I’d start with one of the 21 ounce cans and go from there based on personal preference.

I first made these brownies for friends who came to town, and the universal complaint was there wasn’t enough of the cheesecake layer.  Complaints heard and addressed in this version, friends!

A big part of food blogging is listening to your audience.  I hate cheesecake, so I thought the original version was just fine, please and thank you. But when everyone else asks for more — okay, I get it.  We can remedy this situation.

After all, if, like me, you hate cheesecake, you probably aren’t going out of your way to make cherry cheesecake brownies.

The base for these is my simple fudgy brownies recipe: quick and easy, but better than boxed mix!  We’ll top it with a generous layer of cheesecake batter, swirled into the brownie batter.  And on top, a big pile of homemade cherry pie filling.

Thick, dense brownies, creamy cheesecake, and soft, sweet cherries – it’s a winning combination.

Perfect with fresh or frozen cherries, it’s the perfect way to carry your favorite summer flavors over into fall.  And winter.  And spring. In a mere 10ish long (long) months, we’ll be back to fresh cherry season again.  I can’t wait!

Print Recipe

Yield: 24 brownies

Cherry Cheesecake Brownies

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

These made entirely from scratch Cherry Cheesecake Brownies feature a thick and fudgy brownie base, a creamy layer of cheesecake batter, and homemade cherry pie filling on top.

Ingredients:

For the cherry topping:

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups fresh or frozen cherries, pitted
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

For the brownies:

• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup butter
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour

For the cheesecake layer:

• 16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. To make the cherry topping, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large saucepan.  Add the cherries, water, and lemon juice.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until thickened.  If consistency is thicker than desired, add an additional 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water.  Set aside to cool.
2. To make the brownie base, follow the instructions for these simple fudgy brownies, omitting the chocolate chips (or add for an extra chocolatey crunch!).  Pour the batter in the greased 9×13-inch pan.
3. To make the cheesecake layer, beat together the cream cheese, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla with a mixer until smooth.  Drop in large dollops over the surface of the brownie batter.  Use a knife to swirl the cream cheese mixture with the brownie batter, covering the surface of the brownies.
4. Top the cheesecake layer with the cooled cherry topping, spreading to the corners of the pan.
5. Bake the brownies at 350 °F for 30 to 35 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center of the brownies comes out clean.  Cool completely before slicing.

A Bunsen Burner Bakery Original Protocol