By Gabriella V., last updated on January 3, 2022
One of my go-to desserts, the good old faithful winner, is the chocolate brownie. It’s a safe bet every time.
After all, who doesn’t like a chocolate brownie? Whether they are served at a casual barbecue where you can use your fingers or at a fancy dinner served plated with a scoop of ice cream. There is no doubt that the chocolate brownie will always go down like a treat.
What’s more delicious than a decadent chocolate brownie? A cheesecake swirled rich chocolate brownie! Just reading these two words in the same sentence gets my tastebuds going.
Cheesecake brownies are also known as cream cheese brownies, and this style of chocolate brownies has become one of the most popular versions of brownies. I mean what’s not to like?
And do cheesecake brownies need to be refrigerated? We’ll get into that later, but first some history behind these sweet morsels.
The Classic Chocolate Brownie Was Created Way Back in 1893,
and since then, various versions of the classic have been created. They even got their national day on the American calendar. National cream cheese brownie day is celebrated on the 10th of February. With no certainties about how or why this day came about, the fact is that it is hugely celebrated throughout the US.
So when the 10th day of February roles around each year, the best you can do is be baking a tray of Cream cheese brownies and indulge in them. You can share them with your friends, or even just have them all to yourself!
There are two ways to prepare these brownies, either filled or swirled. The filled version is very similar to the swirled version, but in many online questionnaires, the swirled version hails superior.
To create the best cream cheese brownies- you need a batch of cheesecake filling and a batch of chocolate brownie batter.
Now that you have both the chocolate brownie and cream cheese batters ready. Prepare your chocolate brownie tin. Thicker brownies are always better, so make sure you choose a deep try.
Cream Cheese Stuffed Brownies
This is your classic chocolate brownie batter that has a layer of cheesecake filling running through the middle.
Pour half of your brownie mixture into the tin and top with a layer of cheesecake filling. Then top with the remaining chocolate brownie mixture. Bake, and voila- cream cheese stuffed brownie.
Not quite what its name suggests as the brownies aren’t quite stuffed, but they are bloody delicious, so who cares!
Cheesecake Swirled Brownies
You can also marble the cream cheese filling into the chocolate brownie mixture.
To make cheesecake swirled brownies, the cheesecake batter is poured on top of the chocolate brownie mixture. Then take a pointed knife, and using the tip, swirl the white cheesecake mixture through the brown decadent chocolate brown batter.
You can create the most pretty patterns, and it’s very therapeutic all at the same time. This is my best part of making these brownies, and then, of course, eating them!
Do Brownies Need To Be Refrigerated?
If you were making just an ordinary batch of brownies, these would not need to be stored in the refrigerator. Because all the ingredients are dry store goods, and the eggs have also been cooked. However, popping them into the fridge in an airtight container will definitely extend their shelf life.
I like to store my brownies in the freezer. When I need them or just to nibble on one for myself, I simply pop them into the microwave for a few seconds just to warm through. This way, my brownies never go off before I have gotten around to eating them.
Do Cheesecake Brownies Need To Be Refrigerated?
Cheesecake brownies are slightly different because they contain more dairy products.
Cream cheese has a high moisture content, and when left at room temperature, this is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and mold.
But because cheesecake brownies also contain large amounts of flour, this helps absorb a lot of the moisture from the cream cheese. In this case, leaving the cream cheese brownies out for a day or two would be fine. But be sure to store them in the fridge from after that.
Keeping the cream cheese brownies stored at a cool temperature in the refrigerator will prevent the cream cheese from going rancid and the brownies from spoiling.
Keep your brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator because this will help keep them moist and prevent them from drying out.
You and I would be very sad for your brownies to go off faster than you can eat them, so take my advice and keep the brownies in the fridge.
Freezing Cheesecake Brownies
Better yet, you can also store your cheesecake brownies in the freezer, and again be sure to keep them in an airtight container. To defrost the brownies, pop them in the fridge. And let them thaw overnight.
Take them out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature just before serving. This will make your batch of brownies last as long as it takes for you to eat them, but you just need to remember to take them out with enough time to defrost properly.
How To Defrost Your Cream Cheese Brownies In The Microwave
If you are desperate, you could use the defrost setting on your microwave. To defrost your cream cheese brownies- “zap” them in the microwave. Remember to microwave for short intervals to prevent the brownies from overheating and being ruined.
If You Haven’t Already Tried Them, You Can Just Imagine The Flavor Combination,
it’s a real winner. Just think of a cheesecake and brownie all rolled into one. The hybrid of all hybrids and the fact that they are both relatively easy to bake makes it a sure winner.
If you are a fan of the chocolate brownie, you’ve got to give the cheesecake version a try! Remember to store them in the fridge, though, so you don’t end up throwing them away before having the opportunity to eat them. Happy baking and eating!
