GF Cheesecake Brownies

ID: Professional photo of Ghirardelli chocolate squares.

This brownie recipe is my go-to when in need of a special homemade treat, and the extra effort to use baking chocolate instead of coco powder makes all the difference. But I can't take all the credit for this recipe. The GF cheesecake part is courtesy of a sweet 14-year-old from my hometown church! She and others in her family are gluten-intolerant, so she uses her top-notch baking skills to share beautiful desserts like this.

With her permission and instructions, I combined my favorite brownie recipe with her GF cheesecake inspiration and presto! A recipe that is decadent and elevated, yet allergy-friendly! I hope y'all love this as much as I do!

If you're in a rush, you can substitute the brownie recipe with Ghirardelli brand GF box brownie mix and follow the instructions for that instead. And as always, feel free to substitute any ingredients as needed.

Brownie Batter

• 4 oz. Baking Chocolate

• 3/4 Cup Butter

• 1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar (white sugar OR turbinado OR pure cane)

• 1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

• 3 Eggs

• 1 Cup Gluten-free Flour (I like Bob's Red Mill brand)

• Splash of Vanilla Extract

• Generous pinch of Salt

• 1 packet of Instant Coffee Crystals (decaf or regular)

Cheesecake Batter

• 8 oz. Cream Cheese

• 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar (white sugar OR turbinado OR pure cane)

• 1 Egg Yolk

• 1 TBS Melted Butter

• Splash of Vanilla Extract

Additional:

• 1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips (I like Enjoy Life brand)

Optional:

• Dash of cinnamon

• Couple drops of peppermint extract

• Caramel sauce

• Flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. Read through all the instructions before starting.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C).

3. Line a 9 by 9 inch pan with oiled up parchment paper or foil. For easy removal later, leave some extra along the sides.

4. Chop baking chocolate into small chunks and put into large microwave-save bowl, along with the butter.

5. Microwave until melted and smooth; 30 seconds at a time and stirring between intervals.

6. Add sugars to chocolate mix and whisk thoroughly.

7. Whisk in eggs, one a time.

8. Add flour, vanilla, salt, instant coffee (and optional cinnamon and peppermint). Stir until just combined.

9. Pour brownie batter into pan.

10. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.

11. Mix together ingredients for the cheesecake in a medium bowl until smooth (the cream cheese, sugar, yolk, butter, and vanilla).

12. Dollop spoonfuls of the cheesecake batter on top of the brownie batter. Use a spoon or knife to gently swirl the cheesecake batter around the surface, creating a marbled appearance.

13. Bake for 40 minutes.

14. Allow to cool until the brownies are just warm. (Drizzle optional caramel sauce and sea salt on top.) Remove parchment/foil from the pan and slice brownies on a flat surface.

15. Enjoy!