Indulgently rich, extra fudgy Vegan Brownies made even better with a layer of creamy, slightly tart cheesecake & a smattering of chocolate chips. Gooey, chocolatey perfection!
I haven't published a chocolatey recipe since my Vegan Creme Eggs at Easter. For a chocoholic like me that has taken some serious will power. I think I deserve a medal. I'm coming back at you with a good one though. Cheesecake Topped Vegan Brownies.
Like wow!!!
They are seriously fuuddggyyy and chocolatey and cheesecakey and amazing. I haven't made them for a few weeks now and have been seriously tortured while editing the photos. I just want to eat them all over again!!
These Cheesecake Topped Vegan Brownies are every bit as decadent as they appear. You're talking a thick layer of super chocolatey, super fudgy brownie, topped with a rich, creamy, slightly tart cheesecake layer, all finished off with a smattering of chocolate chips, because this my friends, is chocolate overload.
You will thank me as you wipe the chocolate from your chin because brownies + cheesecake = the perfect marriage. Me + brownies is also the perfect marriage, except if I was married to a tray of Cheesecake Topped Vegan Brownies the marriage would not last long. Not long at all....
They work so perfectly together because the brownie part is incredibly rich and the cheesecake topping, although creamy, is slightly tart. It kind of balances out the sweetness and cuts through the richness. Um..it's just fudgy chocolate perfection.
They couldn't be easier to make either. Use your food processor to make the fudgy brownies batter then stir through the chocolate chips before pouring into a pan. When I say pour, I really mean dollop and spread, because that batter is pretty thick. That's what makes them ridiculously fudgy!
Then the cheesecake part is just blended up and poured on once the brownie base has had a head start in the oven. They take no time at all to whip up and they also wont take any time at all to disappear.
Love chocolate? ✔︎
Love brownies? ✔︎
Love cheesecake? ✔︎
Let's do this!
For more indulgent vegan dessert recipes, check out these great options:
- Vegan New York Cheesecake
- Vegan Lava Cakes
- No Bake Espresso Chocolate Fudge Cake
- Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
- No Knead Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread
- Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Mug
- Salted Maple Pecan Vegan Fudge
And if you love this recipe, please do check out my cookbook, and subscribe to my email list for a fabulous FREE eCookbook featuring my top 10 recipes. Being on the list means you will be first to see my new recipes and you’ll be kept in the loop on all things new and exciting too!
Recipe
Cheesecake Topped Fudgy Brownies
Author:Ingredients
For the brownies
- 115g | 1 cup cocoa powder
- 60g | ½ cup coconut sugar , or any brown sugar
- 135g | ½ heaping cup almond butter , or cashew butter (see recipe notes for advice on a nut free version).
- 6 tablespoons aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas) , or 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons of ground flax mixed with 6 tablespoons of hot water then left to sit for at least 15 mins)
- 80mls | ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder , or instant coffee (OPTIONAL but brings out the chocolate flavour more)
- 80mls | ⅓ cup plant-based milk
- 87g | ⅔ cup wholewheat flour , can be subbed for all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda , bicarbonate of soda in the UK
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 140g | ¾ cup chocolate chips
For the cheesecake layer
- 75g | ½ cup chopped cashew nuts , soaked in hot water for at least 15 minutes if you do not have a very high powered blender
- 200mls | 7oz | ½ can full fat coconut milk , it MUST be full fat
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder , or cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 pinch salt
For sprinkling
- 1 handful chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS
For the brownies
- Preheat oven to 320°F and line an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pan with parchment paper.
- Add all of the brownie ingredients EXCEPT the flour, baking powder, baking soda and chocolate chips, to a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking powder and baking soda and blend again until the flour and powders are incorporated well and you can't see them anymore. Do not over mix.
- Add the chocolate chips and pulse a couple of times so they are evenly distributed.
- Spoon the batter into the pan and level out the top as best you can.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Make the cheesecake layer by blending all of the ingredients until perfectly smooth.
- After the brownies have been baking for 25 minutes, remove them from the oven and pour over the cheesecake topping.
- Sprinkle with chocolate chips then return to the oven and bake for about another 10 - 15 minutes. The cheesecake top should be just set but not completely solid. It should feel soft if you poke it and leave a little finger dent.
- Remove from the oven and let cool. The cheesecake top will firm up a little more as it cools.
Deedee66 says
Hi! I love so many of your recipes (especially the banana pancakes😋)! Can't wait to try these! I have a question before I make them though. I am allergic to lemons, but would love to add the cheesecake layer. Would lime juice work, or even taste good?? Thank you so much for all the hard work and time you put into your recipes, and sharing them!
Melanie McDonald says
I think you could get away with using a little tiny bit of apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar. It's just to give a bit of tang like a cheesecake. Maybe 1 teaspoon? You could give it a quick taste and add a little more if you want it tangier. You could even leave it out if you aren't really bothered about it being tangy. Hope that helps and that you enjoy them!
Joan says
Insanely delicious!!! The texture of the brownie is just like a regular brownie, and I’m especially impressed, since I used gluten free flour- Bob’s 1:1 ratio!!!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you enjoyed them Joan!
Thepureplantkitchen says
Hi, will 2 tbsp of corn flour so as a sub for 2 tbsp of arrow root.
From VV fan in Hong Kong
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes it will. I usually add it as an option and must have forgotten. Just done it now. Enjoy!
Taylor says
I just made your cheesecake recipe and I died because it was so darn good! My question for this recipe is can you swirl the cheesecake into the brownies vs. just putting it directly on top? If so, should that be done after the brownies have been in the oven for 25 minutes?
A Virtual Vegan says
Yay! So glad you like the cheesecake! When I was creating this recipe, I originally wanted the cheesecake swirled through because it would look much prettier. But, when testing, I found that if added at the beginning of the cooking time, the cheesecake got a bit overcooked and dry. That's why it ended up on the top and added at a later stage. By the time the 25 minutes has passed it's too late to swirl it because the brownies have set on top. So, if you want to swirl it you will have to do it at the beginning. I might just be super picky about the dryness, so feel free to try it and see what you think. They will be more than edible even if it does get a little dry because the brownie underneath will still be fudgy and moist. Hope that helps!
Taylor says
Thanks so much! I will try it as posted and then experiment from there.