Description
Delight in these festive Halloween Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies featuring rich, dark chocolate brownies intertwined with a creamy, tangy orange-tinged cream cheese swirl—perfect for holiday parties and spooky celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Brownie Layer
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose white flour
- ½ cup Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Layer
- 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- orange food coloring, as desired
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper or foil and spray it with non-stick spray to ensure easy removal of the brownies. Set aside.
- Combine Dry Brownie Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder until fully combined.
- Mix Wet Brownie Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, beat the eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract together using a fork until well combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently mix with a spatula just until incorporated. Avoid overmixing to keep brownies tender.
- Reserve Batter for Swirls: Set aside 1/4 cup of this brownie batter for the swirl topping, then pour the remaining batter into the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly.
- Prepare Cream Cheese Mixture: In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Add orange food coloring to the cream cheese mixture and stir until evenly tinted.
- Layer Cream Cheese Over Brownie Batter: Gently spread the colored cream cheese layer over the brownie batter in the pan, ensuring an even layer.
- Create Swirls: Drop small spoonfuls (tablespoons) of the reserved brownie batter over the cream cheese layer. Using a knife or skewer, gently swirl the batter and cream cheese together to create a marbled effect.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the brownies are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the brownies from the oven and allow them to cool completely in the pan before slicing into 9 squares and serving.
Notes
- Ensure the cream cheese is at room temperature for a smooth cream cheese layer.
- Do not overmix the brownie batter as it can make the brownies dense.
- Swirling creates the signature marbled look; use a gentle hand to avoid blending the layers completely.
- You can adjust the orange food coloring amount to get your desired shade.
- Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to a week.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
