Healthy Fudgy Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Swirled Brownies
These rich brownies are a chocoholic cheesecake-lover’s dream come true! They’re really decadent, similar to the taste of 72% dark chocolate, and the creamy cheesecake takes them over the top. The brownies will keep for at least 5 days, if not longer, if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
FOR THE CHEESECAKE LAYER
- ¼ cup (56g) Greek yogurt cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ⅜ tsp liquid stevia
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
FOR THE BROWNIE LAYER
- ¾ cup (90g) white whole wheat flour or gluten free* flour (measured like this)
- ¾ cup (60g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (80g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F, and coat an 8”-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the cheesecake mixture, beat the Greek yogurt cream cheese and Greek yogurt in a small bowl until smooth. Mix in the stevia and vanilla until fully incorporated.
- To prepare the brownies, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, and vanilla. Stir in the Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Stir in the maple syrup. Mix in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated.
- Spread the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Dollop spoonfuls of the cheesecake mixture on top, and spread it out into a thin layer with a spatula. Then, using a butter knife, dip the tip through both layers, and gently lift while turning the knife over (a full 180°) to reveal some of the brownie batter from below. Let both mixtures fall off of the knife; then dip a teensy tiny bit of the tip back into the revealed brownie batter, and swirl it around to spread it out. (The messier, the better!)
- Bake at 300°F for 17-21 minutes (17 minutes yields the fudgiest brownies; 21 minutes yields slightly cakier brownies). Cool completely to room temperature in the pan. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top, ensuring that the plastic wrap fully touches the entire top, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before slicing and serving.
Notes
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Be very careful to measure the flour and cocoa powder correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much flour and cocoa powder in the brownie batter will make your brownies dry and crumbly, rather than chewy and fudgy. Too much cocoa powder can also make your brownies taste bitter, rather than rich and buttery.
IMPORTANT BAKING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: The brownies are ready to come out of the oven when the edges look firm but the center still looks glossy and underdone. The heat from the pan continues to cook the center while they cool. If the edges of the brownies pull away from the edges of your baking pan within 10 minutes of pulling them out of the oven, then you’ve baked them for long enough!
CREAM CHEESE NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: Neufchâtel (⅓-less fat) cream cheese is the best substitute for the Greek yogurt cream cheese. Regular cream cheese and fat-free cream cheese may also be substituted for the Greek yogurt cream cheese.
Regardless of which you choose, use brick-style cream cheese. Tub-style cream cheese often behaves differently in baking recipes.
LIQUID STEIVA NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: Powdered stevia (1 ⅛ teaspoon) may be substituted for the liquid stevia. Alternatively, 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar may be substituted. I do not recommend substituting another liquid sweetener (i.e. honey, maple syrup, etc.) because it will make the cheesecake mixture too runny.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the white whole wheat flour.
PURE MAPLE SYRUP ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted in place of the maple syrup. Alternatively, ½ cup (96g) coconut sugar or brown sugar plus ¼ cup (60mL) milk (any kind!) may be used instead.
GLUTEN FREE OPTION: For the gluten free flour, use as follows: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) brown rice flour, and ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) will also work, if measured like this.
{gluten free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.