Cheesecake Brownie Bites

Two-bite brownies that you can pop in your mouth with swirls of cheesecake batter are the best thing you can bring to a potluck. You can even make these Cheesecake Brownie Bites as a small present for a friend! Just grab your mini muffin pan and get baking!

This was one of the very first brownie recipes to ever appear here on Dessert for Two back in 2010! Back then, blogging was about unique, interest spins on recipes, not so much the classic recipes. So, I scaled down brownies by baking them in mini muffin pans and gave them a cheesecake swirl for interest.

The results are so delicious, that we just keep baking them! Since then, my small batch brownies have also been perfected. And, my eggless brownies have become staples, too. Today, I am sharing the same recipe with new photos, just so that you can have a visual guide of exactly how to make this recipe for cheesecake brownie bites.

How to Make Cheesecake Brownie Bites

Essentially, this recipe is brownie batter in muffin pans with a swirl of cheesecake batter, and the results are absolutely delicious! It's technically a small-batch recipe because it only makes 1 dozen mini brownie bites. If you factor that each brownie is a two-bite brownie, then it should probably serve 3-4 people.

Once the brownie batter has been divided into 12 holes in your mini muffin pan (not a regular muffin pan!), you swirl the cheesecake batter on top and bake until set.

Three cheesecake brownie bites stacked on top of each other.

The Ingredients

Small white bowls of chopped chocolate, butter, sugar, egg, and cocoa powder.

Butter. Typically, for baking, I use unsalted butter and then add a small amount of salt to the recipe.
Chocolate. The best brownies contain real, chopped chocolate. This is what I use in my Oreo Brownies for two, too! Grab a bar of semisweet chocolate, and chop up 2 ounces.
Granulated Sugar. Most of the sugar is for the brownie batter, but 2 tablespoons of it is for the cheesecake swirl mixture.
Vanilla.
Espresso Powder. Using instant espresso powder amplifies the taste of chocolate, so I always use it if I have it. If you don't have it, just omit it in this cheesecake brownie bites recipe.
Egg. One large egg.
Flour.
Cocoa Powder.
Baking Powder.
Cream Cheese. Be sure to soften the cream cheese to room temperature for about 30 minutes on the counter.
Heavy Cream. A small amount of heavy cream is for swirling into the cream cheese to make our cheesecake batter.

The Directions

Chopped semisweet chocolate and butter in a clear glass bowl.

Stirring sugar, espresso powder and vanilla into raw brownie batter in glass bowl.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the 3 tablespoons of butter and 2 ounces chopped semi-sweet chocolate. Microwave for 20 second increments, stopping to stir in between each pulse. Stop microwaving before all of the chocolate is melted, and let it rest to fully melt.

Next, stir in 5 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon of the vanilla, and ¾ teaspoon of instant espresso. You will use the remaining vanilla extract for the cheesecake layer.

Adding dry ingredients to wet brownie batter in mixing bowl.

Let the chocolate mixture cool on the counter for a few minutes, whisking it occasionally. Then, add the entire egg and whisk to combine.

To the bowl, add the 3 tablespoons of flour, 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder, and ¼ teaspoon baking powder. Stir this to combine with a spoon. Set this aside--this is your brownie batter layer of your cheesecake brownie bites.

Cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and heavy cream in a white bowl.

Cheesecake batter for swirling into cheesecake brownie bites.

Next, we'll make the cheesecake layer: combine 1.5 ounces of soft cream cheese, the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of heavy cream and the last ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Whisk this mixture together until very smooth and creamy. If your cream cheese is soften enough, this should be easy.

Two bite brownies going into mini muffin pans before baking.

Dolloping cheesecake batter on cheesecake brownie bites.

Divide the chocolate brownie batter between 12 mini muffin cups. To get the most rise on the brownies, use a 24-hole muffin pan and skip every other hole so that the most heat can circulate around the brownies in the oven.

Then, using a small spoon, dollop the cheesecake mixture on top of each brownie bite. This recipe makes 12 cheesecake brownie bites.

Swirled cheesecake brownie bites, before baking in a black mini muffin pan.

Two bite cheesecake brownies after being baked with swirly tops.

Use a toothpick or small knife, and swirl the cheesecake mixture into the chocolate batter. Slide the pan into your 350-degree Fahrenheit oven, and bake for 10 minutes.

After baking, let the cheesecake brownie bites cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then, use an offset spatula to go around the edges of each brownie to release it from the pan.

Overhead shot of mini cheesecake brownie bites on white table with blue napkin.

Storage: Cheesecake Brownie Bites

Can cheesecake brownies be left out?

Because these cheesecake brownie bites are baked, they can be left out at room temperature in an air-tight container for a day or two. The sugar also helps act as a preservative, much in the same way jam does. Beyond a few days, they should be wrapped individually and frozen.

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

Mini Muffin Pan - I'm using a 24-cup mini muffin pan so we can leave a space between each cheesecake brownie bite, but a 12-cup one will work, too. Please note that this is a mini muffin pan, not a standard size pan.
Mixing Bowls - We need a mixing bowl for the chocolate portion and for the cheesecake portion.
Off-Set Spatula - You can use this to swirl the batters together before baking, and for running around the edge to pop them out of the pan after baking.

Yield: 12