My two favorite desserts are cheesecake and chocolate and they come together here in a blast of texture and flavor that will have everyone you serve it to swooning.
Totally swooning.
Table of Contents
Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Rich, creamy cheesecake is easier to make than you think! People are always surprised.
- Serve it anytime you want a showstopper dessert - it's delicious!
- Be sure to use the water bath (bain marie) for best results.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- You can easily "fudge" this and make it easier by using a brownie mix or store-bought brownies if you like. 😉
- Add some chopped pecans to the brownie layer if you like.
- Use milk chocolate for the ganache instead of bittersweet chocolate.
- You can use a 10-inch springform pan or a high-sided 9-inch springform pan.
🤫 Cook's secrets -
Sometimes I make this brownie cheesecake with an Oreo crumb crust and just put a thicker layer of brownies in the center. Still yummy!
🍴 Equipment
- 10 inch springform pan
- stand mixer
- mixing bowls
- large pan for the water bath (I use a high sided roasting pan)
🥫 How to store leftovers
Keep cheesecake in the fridge for up to 5 days. Cover it with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container.
It also freezes well. I like to slice it up and put parchment paper or wax paper between the slices then flash freeze it. When it's frozen I place it on a cardboard cake round, cover the whole thing with plastic wrap then aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
Marye's Tip
Always mix on low speed using paddles so that you don't add air to the batter. It's important to never whip your ingredients. Air in the batter keeps the cheesecake from being that gloriously rich and dense dessert we all love.
💭 Things to know
- All of the ingredients should be at room temperature.
- Do not use low-fat or whipped products!
- Allow the cake to come to room temperature and then refrigerate overnight if possible. This will help keep the top from getting watery from condensation.
- Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes to an hour before serving.
👩🍳 FAQs
You could actually make thin brownies on a rimmed cookie sheet and cut them into rounds with a small, round cutter. Put cupcake liners in a muffin pan, add the brownie rounds, and then the filling as described in the recipe, and bake - cupcake-sized cheesecakes!
The water bath helps the cheesecake cook evenly and generally keeps it from cracking on the top as it cools. I don't recommend skipping it - it's not that hard to do.
📚 Related recipes
📞 The last word
I ended up making this brownie cheesecake recipe because as I was making a birthday cake there was a disaster.
It crumbled into tiny pieces as I was taking it out of the pans and to this day I have no idea why. No matter, it was one of those moments that look like failure but are actually a blessing - - I should recognize them by now since I've had so many of them in my life!
So I took one and a half of the crumbly 8-inch layers to make the cheesecake crust and then cut the other half into chunks. Some of the cake was set aside for topping.
I poured part of the batter in the crust, covered with the cake chunks, and then added the rest of the batter.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Brownie Cheesecake Recipe
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
Homemade Base and filling (you can skip if buying brownies)
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup dark cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ⅓ cups flour
- ⅔ cup milk
Prepared brownies (If you are making them from a box mix or buying)
- 32 brownies, (2 mixes baked or 2 8-inch pans)
Cheesecake
- 32 ounces cream cheese, (full fat)
- 16 ounces sour cream
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 6 eggs
Ganache
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature
Instructions
Brownies
- Preheat oven to 375℉.
- Grease and flour 2 8-inch pans.
- Beat sugar and butter until creamy.
- Add eggs one at a time.
- Add vanilla.
- Beat in cocoa.
- Add flour and milk alternately, in three parts. Begin and end with flour.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Cool.
- Crumble ⅔ of the brownies and cut the rest in chunks.
Cheesecake
- Beat cream cheese and sugar on low speed until well blended.
- Add vanilla.
- Keep mixer on low speed. Add eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition.
- Fold in the sour cream.
Ganache - Make this just before serving.
- Heat the cream and the butter until bubbles form around the edges.
- Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until melted and smooth.
Baking and Assembly
- Turn oven to 325F
- Press a thick layer of the brownie crumbs in the bottom of a 10- inch springform pan. Make sure the bottom is well covered with pressed crumbs. Reserve about ½ cup for the top.
- Pour in half the cheesecake mixture.
- Add chunks of brownie.
- Pour over the rest of the cheesecake batter.
- Cover the bottom of the outside of the springform with aluminum foil, bringing it up the sides.
- Place pan in larger pan of hot water (bain marie). Water should come halfway up the sides of the springform.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes.
- Turn oven off and leave door closed for 1 hour. Don’t PEEK!
- Remove from oven, take out of bain marie (water bath) carefully.
- Let come to room temperature.
- Place folded paper towels lightly over the top of the cheesecake.
- Cover with plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate overnight.
- About 30 minutes before serving remove plastic wrap and paper towels. Remove cake from the pan.
- Cover in the slightly warm ganache.
- Sprinkle reserved brownie crumbs on top.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published March 19, 2010. Last updated April 24, 2024 for better readability and editorial improvements.
Leah Sutton says
This is my very first attempt at a cheesecake and I am in the process of making it right now! I've got the masterpiece in the oven, 30 minutes left! Can't wait to try it tomorrow 😀
Leah Sutton says
Unfortunately my springform pan was too small ): I've never made cheesecake before so I literally had no idea what I was doing. I think I was using an 8" pan so it was WAAAAY too thick! The outside edges were beautiful, amazing texture, delicious, but the inside was complete goo lol! Here's a picture to what it looked like:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151285486883417&l=3d5052b111
Jenny says
Looks delicious - I'm going to make this in mini size (or try) for my son's communion this weekend!
marye says
it should work just fine! Depending on how small you are making it you could actually make thin brownies on a rimmed cookie sheet and cut them into rounds with a small, round cutter. Put cupcake liners in a muffin pan, add the brownie rounds, and then the filling and bake - cupcake sized cheesecakes!
Daniel Evans says
i'd love to munch those very big cheesecakes, they are really tasty and sweet"`;
megan says
This does look awesome! I can see why it's all a buzz. 🙂
Heather says
I have made this several times - in fact I keep the brownies frozen just for this cheesecake. Turns out great. Everyone loves it!!
DianaHayes says
Thanks for all of the tips. I've never ventured far into cheesecake territory, so these are great for me. Love your cake.
maryeaudet says
Diana - cheesecakes, like bikes, are easy once you know how. The key to a dense one is not to whip too much air into it, which is why cookie whips or paddles work better than normal beaters.