Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies

By Sarah On June 17, 2014 | Updated: September 1, 2023

These peanut butter cheesecake brownies combine the best of three worlds with rich chocolate, cheesecake, AND peanut butter. You won’t be able to have just one!

Let’s discuss your new brownie addiction! It involves chocolate, peanut butter, and cheesecake, so some would say we’re absolutely winning today.

Yes, we’re combining all that into one glorious pan of brownies that you will undoubtedly find yourself eating way too many of.

I mean…with those beautiful swirls how could you say no??

We’re using my tried-and-true brownie base recipe for these little gems today and then taking things up a level with a luscious peanut butter cheesecake swirl.

They’re also scary-easy to make, yet look like they came out of a fancy bakery.

These Brownies feature…

A rich and fudgy texture
Swirls of creamy peanut butter cheesecake
Minutes to make and the best of both brownie and cheesecake worlds

Making the Brownies

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

Unsalted butter
Bittersweet chocolate chips
Eggs
Granulated sugar
Vanilla extract
All-purpose flour
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Salt
Cream cheese
Peanut butter
2% or skim milk

Tips for Perfect Brownies

Melt butter and chocolate together – you can do this on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring occasionally.
Allow chocolate to cool before adding eggs – letting the chocolate mixture cool first will prevent the eggs from potentially scrambling.
Gently fold batter – overmixing will lead to dry and tough brownies so use a gentle hand when folding batter.
Layer brownie batter and cheesecake filling – this will help the cheesecake filling get evenly dispersed throughout the brownies.
Use a toothpick to swirl – we found a toothpick is the perfect size for getting small beautiful swirls.
Don’t overbake brownies – bake brownies until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs sticking to it.
Allow brownies to cool and chill before slicing – this will make for neat cuts.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on these brownies.

Skip the peanut butter – feel free to try other flavors in the cheesecake filling such as a fruit jam, maple syrup, or caramel sauce.
Add chocolate chips – for an extra chocolate-y kick, top brownies with 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips before baking.
Add nuts – fold in 1/2 cup toasted and chopped peanuts, pecans or walnuts for an extra nutty addition to brownies.

Storing and Freezing Brownies

Due to the fact that these brownies have a cream cheese swirl, we recommend storing in the refrigerator. Store brownies in an air-tight container in refrigerator up to 6 days.

These brownies also freeze very well up to 2 months. Thaw brownies completely in refrigerator, then slice and serve.

The fudgy brownie texture combined with the rich peanut butter cheesecake swirls is a thing of absolute insanity in these brownies! Suffice to say, you won’t just be having one.

Enjoy your new brownie addiction!

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

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