This dessert recipe yields a 9-inch square pan of cheesecake brownies. Imagine biting into coconut cream pie, brownies, and cheesecake all at once—that’s what you’ll get here. Unapologetically rich and totally unforgettable!
Tell Me About These Coconut Cheesecake Brownies
Flavor: I’ve made a lot of from-scratch brownie recipes before, but I really enjoy this one because the brownies remain soft, don’t dry out, and are intensely chocolatey. (We can thank the cocoa powder and vegetable oil/butter combination for all that!) We’ll use sweetened shredded coconut in the cheesecake swirl. The chocolate flavor is intense and can overpower the coconut, so I recommend adding some coconut extract too. Let’s make sure we can taste both the chocolate AND coconut. Texture: If you crave texture, you’ll enjoy these coconut cheesecake brownies because each bite has a bit of everything—soft, dense, chewy, creamy, and a little crackle on those shiny brownie tops. Ease: This is an easy recipe that bakers of any skill level can accomplish. Obviously these aren’t plain brownies, so set aside some time to prepare the cheesecake batter. Swirling the two batters together is nothing more than spooning, spreading, and swirling each together. There’s truly nothing complicated, so don’t overthink it!
Making the Coconut Cheesecake Batter
Grab a large mixing bowl and electric mixer for this part of the recipe. The coconut cheesecake swirl isn’t only cream cheese, sugar, and coconut—I like adding a little softened butter to keep the cheesecake creamy. Butter obviously thins out the cheesecake batter, so let’s add a little flour and egg to thicken it back up. The printable recipe below gives us a creamy cheesecake batter that still maintains structure around the heavy brownies. That’s important! For the coconut extract, you can usually find this with the vanilla extract or other flavor extracts (like almond) in the baking aisle. I use and recommend coconut extract for coconut cake and coconut cream pie, too.
Making the Brownie Batter
Use another large mixing bowl and grab a whisk for this part of the recipe. I recommend making the cheesecake batter first because the brownie batter thickens as it sits. And the thicker it is, the more difficult it is to swirl with the cheesecake. I always love how vegetable oil keeps chocolate cake soft and moist, so I added some to this brownie batter and do the same thing in this brownie pie. In fact, I bet you could replace a couple Tablespoons of melted butter with the same amount of vegetable oil in these regular homemade brownies—you’d have even softer brownies. I also love that all of the chocolate flavor comes from cocoa powder, so you don’t need baking chocolate like my frosted brownies. Baking chocolate adds wonderful chocolate flavor to brownies, but you may not always have it on hand. Cocoa powder is usually a more common and convenient ingredient. (Side note: I do add chocolate chips, but you could easily leave those out. Did you know that adding chocolate chips to brownie batter helps achieve those shiny crackly tops? If you love that iconic shine, don’t skip the chocolate chips.) You will LOVE these brownies even without the cheesecake swirl. If you want to skip the cheesecake, see recipe note below. (Could also bake as a brownie pie!)
Assembling Coconut Cheesecake Brownies
Like I mention above, do not overthink this step! Here’s what I do: Spread about 1/3 of the brownie batter over the bottom of your lined pan. This makes a good base for the brownies. Drop spoonfuls of cheesecake batter randomly on top. Use your spoon or grab a knife to gently swirl together. Spoon about 1/3 more of the brownie batter on top. Do the same with more cheesecake batter. Gently swirl. Finish spooning remaining batters on top and gently swirl. Success Tip: Lining the pan with parchment paper makes it much easier to remove the bars before slicing and serving. I use the same tip when making rice krispie treats and M&M cookie bars, too. If you’re looking for Easter dessert ideas, these brownies are always a unique and well-loved addition to any spread!
More Favorite Brownie Recipes
Mocha Cheesecake Brownies Guinness Brownies Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie Bars Nutella Brownies & Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies Peanut Butter Cup Crunch Brownies
