Candy Bar Cheesecake Brownies
It has been nearly three months since I have shared a new brownie recipe, obviously far too long. This recipe is another mashup, this time inspired by my oldest child. Sometimes, I’m not really sure what I feel like making so I’ll fish for ideas, asking my family what kind of goodies they might like to have in the house. It isn’t unusual for some variety of brownies to top that list – this time my son specifically wanted cheesecake brownies. Simple enough, right? There are easily dozens, if not hundreds or more, of cheesecake brownie recipes out there. But, honestly, where’s the fun in that? These Candy Bar Cheesecake Brownies take the classic cheesecake brownie to a whole new level of decadence.
You might recognize the brownie base of this recipe, it is essentially my Fudgy Brownies recipe. You may also recognize the peanut butter caramel from my Snickers Brownies. Given the peanut butter and caramel flavors, it made sense to fold chopped up Snickers into the brownie base. In addition, I tossed in a few 3 Musketeer bars and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, but you can add any candy bars you like to the mix. To really drive home the whole candy bar experience, I decided to create a caramel cheesecake swirl by incorporating caramel sugar and blonde chocolate into the cheesecake batter (if you can’t find blonde chocolate, caramel baking chips would also work).
One thing to note, it is going to be tempting to bake these brownies longer than recommended. Between the melted caramel and the custardy cheesecake, these are going to have some major jiggle action when you pull them out. But do not, I repeat, DO NOT over bake these. I promise you, the caramel and cheesecake components will set up once the brownies are fully cooled. If you bake them longer you could end up with dry, crumbly, cakey brownies and the cheesecake could end up dry and dense instead of luscious and creamy. Please, just trust me on this and you won’t be disappointed.
These might be a bit over the top for cheesecake brownies, but if you are in the mood for an ooey, gooey, indulgent brownie dessert, these will definitely fit the bill.
Candy Bar Cheesecake Brownies
Equipment
- As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.kitchen scale or measuring cups and spoons
- mixing bowls 2 medium and 1 large
- electric mixer
- saucepan medium
- As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.candy thermometer
- baking pan 9"x13"
Ingredients
Caramel Cheesecake
- 284 g cream cheese room temperature
- 15 ml heavy cream
- 10 ml vanilla extract
- 134 g caramel sugar
- 8 g cornstarch
- 1 egg yolk
- 90 g blonde chocolate chips melted, slightly cooled
Peanut Butter Caramel
- 240 g granulated sugar
- 60 ml water
- 15 ml corn syrup
- 1 g salt
- 240 g heavy cream
- 10 ml vanilla bean paste
- 48 g peanut butter crunchy, not natural
- 15 ml heavy cream
Brownie
- 120 g all-purpose flour
- 24 g cocoa powder
- 5 g salt
- 224 g butter unsalted
- 360 g bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped
- 2 g espresso powder
- 5 eggs large, room temperature
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 110 g brown sugar packed
- 15 ml vanilla extract
- 170 g candy bars chopped (about 10 fun sized bars – Snickers work well)
- 90 g blonde chocolate chips
- 90 g chocolate chips semisweet
Instructions
Make the Cheesecake
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, heavy cream and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.284 g cream cheese, 15 ml heavy cream, 10 ml vanilla extract
- Add the caramel sugar and cornstarch and beat until fully combined and smooth.134 g caramel sugar, 8 g cornstarch
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, add the egg yolk and blend until well combined.1 egg yolk
- Add the melted blonde chocolate and mix until fully combined and homogenous in color. Set aside while making the caramel and brownie batter.90 g blonde chocolate chips
Make the Caramel
- In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium heat and cook until it turns a deep amber color.240 g granulated sugar, 60 ml water, 15 ml corn syrup, 1 g salt
- Immediately and carefully pour in the 240g of heavy cream and vanilla bean paste. The mixture will bubble furiously and foam up, stir until it is fully combined and has settled to a steady boil. Insert a candy thermometer (or make sure you are using a As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.Spatula Thermometer for stirring). Continue cooking to 240°F.240 g heavy cream, 10 ml vanilla bean paste
- While the caramel is coming up to temperature, place the peanut butter and 15 ml of heavy cream in a small to medium heat safe mixing bowl. As soon as the caramel is at 240°F, pour it over the peanut butter and cream and stir until fully combined. Set aside while making the brownie batter.48 g peanut butter, 15 ml heavy cream
Make the Brownie Batter
- Preheat oven to 350°F and Line a 9"x13" brownie pan with non-stick foil.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.120 g all-purpose flour, 24 g cocoa powder, 5 g salt
- In a heat safe/microwave safe bowl, melt together the butter and bittersweet chocolate. Stir in the espresso powder. Allow to cool slightly.224 g butter, 360 g bittersweet chocolate, 2 g espresso powder
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla on low speed (you do not want to incorporate too much air) until a smooth syrupy consistency.5 eggs, 200 g granulated sugar, 110 g brown sugar, 15 ml vanilla extract
- Stir the melted chocolate into the egg mixture until fully combined and homogenous in color.
- Mix in the dry ingredients just until no powdery/floury streaks remain. Reserve about 1/3 (396g) of the brownie batter in a separate bowl.
- Fold the chopped candy bars, blonde chocolate chips and semisweet chocolate chips into the remaining 2/3 of the batter.170 g candy bars, 90 g blonde chocolate chips, 90 g chocolate chips
Assemble and Bake the Brownies
- Spread the portion of the brownie batter with the candy and chocolate chips mixed into it evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Pipe or spread the caramel over the top of the brownie batter. Try to leave about 1 cm (1/2 inch) around all the edges of the pan so the caramel will be sealed between the brownie and cheesecake layers.
- Carefully spoon the cheesecake mixture over the top of the caramel. Gently spread it out in an even layer to the edges of the pan, trying to avoid disturbing the caramel layer underneath.
- Pipe or dollop the reserved brownie batter over the surface of the cheesecake layer, making sure that areas of cheese cake remain visible around the brownie batter.
- Use a butter knife and very carefully swirl the brownie batter and cheesecake batter together. Do not insert the butter knife too deeply into the batter, you want to skim the top of the caramel layer without disturbing it.
- Place the pan in the pre-heated oven and bake for about 35 minutes. The top will be set with the edges being slightly puffed. The visible cheesecake will take on just a hint of golden color. The center of the brownies will have a pronounced wobble due to the melted caramel and the custardy cheesecake – don't worry, the brownies will set up as they cool and you do not want to overbake them as you don't want to lose the fudgy texture in the brownies.
- Cool the brownies completely and chill for about an hour before cutting into 24 large or 40 small bars. I find that these keep well stored in an airtight container at room temperature. If you prefer you can store them in the refrigerator, but I would recommend allowing them to warm up at least a little before eating for the best brownie texture.
Nutrition
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