Fudge chocolate brownies meet creamy mint cheesecake in this deliciously decadent dessert. Like my coconut cheesecake brownies, these mint chocolate chip cheesecake brownies come together with 2 simple batters. Fans of mint + chocolate flavors will enjoy this special dessert combination for St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas, or truly any day of the year that calls for an indulgent treat!
I love making homemade brownies, and have several variations published on my website. Have you seen my Brownies and Bars category? Hello, chocolate!
Today I’m taking everything we love about layered mint chocolate brownies, but instead of mint frosting, let’s add a simple mint-kissed cheesecake batter. YUM. Channeling my chocolate cupcakes with mint chip frosting, we’ll also throw in a good handful of mini chocolate chips. Just like a good ol’ scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream!
These Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies Are:
- Made from 2 simple batters
- The best of cheesecake and a batch of brownies combined—and with less work!
- A smooth pairing of chocolate and mint—if you love the flavors in mint chocolate cake, you’ll surely enjoy them in these brownies
- A texture-lover’s dream, pairing chewy, fudgy brownies with creamy cheesecake
- A favorite St. Patrick’s Day recipe, but equally festive for the winter season
- Easy to slice, stack, and transport to any gathering
You have to prepare 2 separate batters for today’s brownies, but don’t let that deter you from trying the recipe—both are simple, and take just a few minutes to prep.
Make the Brownie Batter
The brownie batter starts with my frosted brownies recipe. Out of all of my brownie recipes, I found this one works wonderfully (with a few small tweaks) for swirling. It uses a little less butter and flour than my other homemade brownies recipe, giving you an ultra-dense and fudge-like brownie—but one that isn’t too thick to swirl.
For real, deep, dark chocolate flavor, use pure melted baking chocolate instead of cocoa powder. You can find baking chocolate in the baking aisle sold in 4-ounce bars. Baker’s or Ghirardelli are my top choices.
You also need butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, and a little salt. Combine everything together in your mixing bowl and set aside as you prepare the cheesecake batter.
Then Prepare the Cheesecake Batter
You need just a handful of basic ingredients for the cheesecake portion of this recipe. Many of the same staples as regular cheesecake like cream cheese, sugar, and an egg yolk, plus a few extras like peppermint extract, mini chocolate chips, and optional green food coloring. Grab an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer) for this portion.
Like when making cheesecake pie and no-bake cheesecake, use full-fat brick cream cheese in the cheesecake batter. The fat content helps the cheesecake swirl set; cream cheese spread that you buy in tubs simply won’t give the same results here.
Now let’s talk chocolate chips… a favorite topic of mine. 😉 While regular chocolate chips will work, I recommend using mini chocolate chips. I use them in my Amaretto cheesecake recipe and taste testers RAVE about the delightful texture contrast. Mini chips also make the swirling step easier. Plus, by using minis, you get more chocolate chips in every bite!
Success Tip: Peppermint Extract vs. Mint Extract
If you’ve made my mint chocolate cake, or really any of the mint chocolate recipes on my site, you’ll notice I use peppermint extract instead of mint extract. I find that mint extract can taste like toothpaste. Mint extract contains both peppermint and spearmint (toothpaste vibes!), while peppermint extract is just pure, strong peppermint.
How to Assemble Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies
- Line an 11×7-inch baking pan with parchment paper (helps the bars lift out easily for cutting).
- Pour brownie batter into the pan first, reserving about 1/4 cup of batter.
- Dollop cheesecake batter on top of the brownie batter.
- Spoon the remaining 1/4 cup of brownie batter on top.
- Using a knife, create a swirl throughout the pan. Simply glide it around, just like you would if making cinnamon swirl quick bread. (Or take a look at the video for my white chocolate raspberry cheesecake bars, noting that I use a toothpick there because that batter is much thinner.)
And then it’s time to bake! Be sure to cool the brownies completely before slicing and serving.
More Mint Chocolate Favorites
- Mint Chocolate Checkerboard Cookies
- Andes Mint Chocolate Cookies
- White Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
- Mint Chocolate Swirl Bark
- Andes Mint Chocolate Chip Fudge
Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies
5 from 2 reviews
- Author: Sally
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: 20 brownies
- Category: Brownies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Save Recipe
Description
Enjoy the best of cheesecake and a batch of brownies combined—and with less work! These mint chocolate chip cheesecake brownies come together with 2 simple batters. Be sure to cool the brownies completely before slicing and serving.
Ingredients
Brownie Batter
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter
- 8 ounces (226g/two 4-ounce bars) semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped*
- 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (94g) all-purpose flour ()
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Mint Cheesecake Batter
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract*
- 2 drops liquid or gel green food coloring
- 2/3 cup (115g) mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower-third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line the bottom and sides of an 11×7-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to easily lift the bars out of the pan. Set aside.
- Make the brownie batter first: Melt butter and semi-sweet chocolate together in a medium saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. You can place the melted chocolate/butter mixture into the refrigerator for a few minutes to speed this up, if desired. Don’t refrigerate too long, as the butter will start to re-solidify.
- Whisk sugar into cooled chocolate/butter mixture. Add in the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition until combined. Whisk in the vanilla, and then gently fold in the flour and salt. Pour batter into prepared pan, reserving about 1/4 cup of batter (doesn’t have to be exact).
- Make the cheesecake batter: Using a handheld mixer orstand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed in a large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in the sugar, egg yolk, peppermint extract, and 2 drops of food coloring until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Feel free to add more green food coloring, if desired. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
- Dollop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture on top of the prepared brownie batter. Spoon remaining 1/4 cup of brownie batter on top. Glide a knife through the layers, creating a swirl pattern. Add more mini chocolate chips on top, if desired.
- Bake brownies for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs. I recommend tenting the brownies with aluminum foil after about 20 minutes to protect the top from over-browning. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack. Cool brownies completely.
- Lift the brownies out using the parchment paper overhang on the sides. Cut into squares.
- Cover leftover brownies and store at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions:Freeze cut brownies in single layers between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links):11×7-inch Baking Pan | Parchment Paper |Medium Saucepan |Glass Mixing Bowls |Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack
- Chocolate: For the best results, use two 4-ounce “baking chocolate” bars found in the baking aisle. I prefer Baker’s or Ghirardelli brands. You can use semi-sweet, bittersweet, or even milk chocolate. Do not use chocolate chips, as they contain stabilizers preventing them from melting into the proper consistency. You can, however, use chocolate chips as the add-in, as listed in the ingredients above. Just do not use them to replace the chocolate bars that you need to melt in step 2.
- Peppermint Extract: Taste the mint cheesecake mixture after you mix it—if it needs more peppermint flavor, add 1/4 teaspoon more peppermint extract.
