Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
चॉकलेट चिप्सچاکلیٹ چپس
chŏkleṭ chips
Ghirardelli or any semi-sweet chips.
Its job: Melty chocolate pockets.
Science-backed recipe
From the MedRise Food Science kitchenPublished
Cream Cheese Brownies with Ghirardelli Chips
Also called Cheesecake Swirl Brownies · Cream Cheese Chocolate Muffins · क्रीम चीज़ ब्राउनी · کریم چیز براؤنی
Fudgy chocolate brownies marbled with a tangy cheesecake swirl and studded with Ghirardelli chocolate chips. Bake them in a pan or as muffins.
From the MedRise Food Science kitchenPublished - Active
- 55 min
- Prep
- 20 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Serves
- 16 brownies
Why this recipe works
- ✓Fudgy, not cakeyMore butter and chocolate, less flour.
- ✓Cheesecake swirlTangy contrast to the chocolate.
- ✓Ghirardelli chipsMelty pockets in every bite.
- ✓Muffin optionSame batter, muffin tin.
What are cream cheese brownies?
Cream cheese brownies marble a simple cheesecake batter into fudgy chocolate brownies. This version adds Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, and the same batter bakes into cream cheese chocolate muffins.
Meet the ingredients
The main ingredients, with their English, Hindi and Urdu names.
Cream cheese
क्रीम चीज़کریم چیز
krīm chīz
Full-fat, softened.
Its job: The swirl.
Butter
मक्खनمکھن
makkhan
Unsalted, melted.
Its job: Fudginess.
The lab notes
The science behind every step
Restaurant cooks do these things by habit. Here’s what each step is actually doing to the food, so you can cook by understanding instead of guesswork.
Lab note01
Fudgy vs cakey
Use melted butter and only ½ cup flour.
More fat and less flour means less gluten and starch structure, so the brownies set dense and fudgy instead of rising like cake.
Lab note02
Whisk the eggs and sugar
Whisk the eggs and sugar for a full minute.
Dissolving the sugar into the eggs forms the thin, shiny, crackly top that good brownies have.
Lab note03
Pull them early
Bake until a toothpick shows moist crumbs.
Brownies keep cooking from their own heat as they cool; baking until perfectly clean dries them out.
How to make it, at a glance
- Heat the ovenHeat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment.
- Make the brownie batterWhisk the melted butter and sugar, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla for a full minute. Stir in the cocoa, flour, salt and baking powder, then ¾ cup of the chips.
- Make the swirlBeat the cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.
- SwirlSpread most of the brownie batter in the pan, dollop on the cream cheese, add spoonfuls of the remaining brownie batter, and drag a knife through to marble. Scatter the remaining chips on top.
- BakeBake 35–40 minutes, until the cream cheese is set and a toothpick shows moist crumbs.
- CoolCool completely, then chill 1 hour for clean slices.
Exact amounts and timings are in the recipe card below.
Questions, answered
Do cream cheese brownies need refrigeration?
Yes, store them in the fridge because of the cream cheese layer.
Can I use milk chocolate chips?
Yes; the brownies will be sweeter.
About MedRise Food Science
Desi restaurant favorites, recreated at home and explained with food science: every recipe is tested in a home kitchen and comes with the why behind each step.
Recipe card
Cream Cheese Brownies
Fudgy cream cheese brownies with a cheesecake swirl and Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus a muffin-tin version. With the food science of fudgy vs cakey brownies.
Prep20 minCook35 minTotal55 minServes16 brownies
Ingredients
Brownie batter
Cream cheese swirl
Instructions
- Heat the ovenHeat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment.
- Make the brownie batterWhisk the melted butter and sugar, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla for a full minute. Stir in the cocoa, flour, salt and baking powder, then ¾ cup of the chips.
- Make the swirlBeat the cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.
- SwirlSpread most of the brownie batter in the pan, dollop on the cream cheese, add spoonfuls of the remaining brownie batter, and drag a knife through to marble. Scatter the remaining chips on top.
- BakeBake 35–40 minutes, until the cream cheese is set and a toothpick shows moist crumbs.
- CoolCool completely, then chill 1 hour for clean slices.
Notes
- Cream cheese chocolate muffins
- Divide the batter and swirl among 12 lined muffin cups and bake 22–25 minutes.
- Storage
- Refrigerate up to 5 days, or freeze up to 3 months.
Equipment
- 9×9-inch pan or 12-cup muffin tin
- Parchment
- Mixer or whisk