Lemon Cheesecake Brownies with bright lemon flavor, dense and fudgy texture, and a swirl of cheesecake are so delicious. Made with lemon and white chocolate, they are lemon equivalent of fudgy brownies. Lemon Cheesecake Brownies are super moist, dense, and not cakey at all.
Lemon Cheesecake Brownies
First, I am sure someone will think that these shouldn’t be called brownies. You can call them lemon blondies, lemonies, or lemon bars. But whatever you call them, they are sooo delicious. However, these are not lemon bars you are all familiar with.
Nonetheless, these Lemon Cheesecake Brownies are not brown, but as I said they are lemon equivalent of fudgy brownies. These are made with melted butter and white chocolate, therefore they turned out so dense, chewy and fudgy and not a bit cakey.
These are made just like brownies, have the same texture, so lemon brownies they are!!!
White chocolate is complemented with rich lemon flavor from a lot of freshly grated lemon zest and lemon extract. The key to the best lemon flavor is the lemon zest.
And don’t forget the cheesecake swirls. White chocolate, lemon, and cream cheese make the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors.
Lemon Cheesecake Brownies are true lemon cheesecake goodness. They’re seriously delicious, And if you love lemon, then these are definitely for you.
How to Make Lemon Cheesecake Brownies
Making these lemon brownies is super simple, just like regular chocolate brownies. Brownie part is completely mixed by hand in just one bowl. Whisking brownie batter by hand makes it extra dense and fudgy.
This recipe starts with melting butter and chocolate, white chocolate to be precise. Melted white chocolate in the batter makes them extra fudgy and dense instead of light and fluffy like a cake.
Then you whisk in sugar and eggs. Delicious lemon flavor comes from a great deal of lemon zest and a little lemon extract. Finally, you fold in the flour and pour the mixture in a prepared pan.
For the cheesecake part, you’ll need a mixer, but just for a couple of minutes. Mix cream cheese with sugar and vanilla just to combine, then mix in the egg and spread the mixture over the lemon layer.
Drop small spoonfuls of reserved brownie batter on top of the cheesecake layer. Using a toothpick or a thin knife, swirl the batter and they are ready to bake. After 30 minutes of baking time, comes the hardest part- waiting for brownies to chill in the fridge.
Chilling the brownies in the fridge allows them to fully set and ensures that the brownies cut beautifully with clean edges. Also, chilling in the fridge actually improves the flavor, too.
Lemon Cheesecake Brownies
Prep Time: 15 minutes- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
Category: desserts
Method: bake
Cuisine: American
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Pin RecipeDescription
Lemon Cheesecake Brownies with bright lemon flavor, dense and fudgy texture, and a swirl of cheesecake are so delicious. Made with lemon and white chocolate, they are lemon equivalent of fudgy brownies. Lemon Cheesecake Brownies are super moist, dense, and not cakey at all.
Ingredients
Lemon Brownie:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 4 oz. white chocolate finely chopped (or white chocolate chips)
- ¾ cup of sugar
- grated zest from 2 large lemons
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Cream Cheese Layer:
- 8 oz. cream cheese-room temperature
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line 8 x 8 inches pan with parchment paper leaving large overhand the sides, then and spray with cooking spray, set aside.
- In a large, microwave-safe bowl combine white chocolate and butter, microwave for 30-second increments, stirring between each until melted.
- Cool for 5 minutes, then whisk in sugar. Add eggs, lemon zest, salt, and lemon extract and whisk until evenly combined.
- Finally, fold in the flour. Reserve ½ cup of mixture for topping and spread the remaining mixture in prepared pan.
- Beat cream cheese with sugar and vanilla until smooth. Mix in egg just to combine. Spoon cream cheese mixture over lemon mixture and gently smooth the top.
- Drop small spoonfuls of reserved brownie batter on top of the cheesecake layer. Using a toothpick or a thin knife, swirl the batter.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes in the preheated oven or until the center looks set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few damp crumbs.
- Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Chilling the brownies in the fridge allows them to fully set and ensures that the brownies cut beautifully with clean edges. Also, chilling in the fridge actually improves the flavor, too.
- When ready to serve remove from the fridge and lift the brownies out of the pan using the overhang from parchment paper. Cut into squares using a sharp knife.
11 comments
For the cream cheese layer, is it icing sugar or castor sugar?
Hi Clair, it is crystal sugar.
Hi. Can I use fresh lemon juice instead? And if so, how much? Thanks!
Hi Daphne, if using fresh lemon juice add just 1 Tbsp. or the batter will be very thin. You can add more lemon zest for the flavor.
Do I have to use the lemon zest? I can’t stand the texture in my food!
It will be bland, but you can add more lemon extract.
I’m assuming we have to add food coloring to the brownie batter to achieve the same yellow color we see in the photos?
Would these freeze well?
How long will these keep for please?
You can keep them in a fridge for a week.
Hi.
Is there a video recorded also for making these brownies.
Thanks,
Erica