These Mint Cheesecake Brownies are rich, fudgy, and swirled with a creamy mint cheesecake layer! The perfect mix of chocolate and cool mint, they're ideal for St. Patrick's Day, Christmas, or anytime you want a bakery-style dessert at home.
The fudgy brownie base + cool and creamy cheesecake layer is heaven PLUS the Oreos! These are a cousin to my cheesecake brownie squares and they're kid approved.
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I'm firmly in the camp of "chocolate and mint go together". They're delicious. And you can use lots of mint flavored things! Thin Mint girl scout cookies, Oreos, Peppermint patties, Andes mints, or even candy canes! Just maybe leave out the food coloring. If you'd rather have a plain brownies, I have a delicious sourdough discard brownie version!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Taste: I love these because none of the flavors dominate each other too much. The chocolate brownie is delicious, the mint is there but not overpowering, and the cheesecake filling is lovely.
- Ease: Making the chocolate brownie base, the filling, and then assembling. Intermediate level.
- Time: It takes about 15 minutes to make the brownie batter and cheesecake filling, then another 30-35 minutes to bake. Probably another 30 minutes to cool before slicing, unless you like them hot! An hour or 2 total, depending on cooling time.
📝 Ingredient Notes
- Cocoa powder - You can use regular or dark, it definitely makes more of a contrast if it's darker cocoa powder.
- Oreos - you can use regular, but I love the mint Oreos since they add a little more mint flavor.
- Sugar - white granulated sugar alone doesn't add much flavor, I have brown sugar for both moisture and flavor.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
✏️ Substitutions & Variations
- Cream cheese - you can use full fat, fat free, or even mascarpone cheese. You can also add in a few Tablespoons of sour cream to make a little more filling.
- Instead of Oreos, put on chopped Andes mints or peppermint patties!
- Chocolate chips or white chocolate chips are also amazing.
🧑🍳 Instructions
- Step 1. In a large bowl, combine softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Mix with an electric or stand mixer for about 3 minutes on medium/high speed until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and eggs one at a time and mix well in between, until the sugar starts to dissolve and the mixture is fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Step 2. In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.
- Step 3. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredient mixture in batches, mixing well in between. Mix for a good 1-2 mintues, so that the dough is mixed well. The texture will be similar to sticky chocolate cookie dough.
- Step 4. Save one cup of dough and set it aside. Press the remaining brownie dough evenly into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan.
- Step 5.Make the cheesecake filling by combining the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar, and mixing well on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Add in the egg and vanilla and continue mixing 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Step 6. Add in green food coloring and mix well until it's evenly distributed in the cheesecake mixture.
- Step 7. Pour the cheesecake filling on top of the raw brownie dough and spread evenly.
- Step 8. Flatten the remaining brownie dough into flat pieces and spread over top of cheesecake filling, along with 6-8 crushed oreos.
- Step 9. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is set. It can be a little jiggly in the middle, don't worry! It will set more as it cools. Cool completely before slicing and serving.
Top Tips
- Soften the cream cheese to room temperature or warm it up for 10-15 seconds in the microwave so that there are no lumps in the cheesecake filling when it's mixed up.
- Let the bars cool down all the way before slicing. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours after cooling for more neat-looking slices.
- After cooling, you can cut the bars into small 1-inch squares to make cheesecake brownie bites!
📌 Troubleshooting
- Runny center? Bake 5 more minutes or longer until middle is set but jiggly.
- Cracked cheesecake? Overbaked a little. They'll still taste good!
- Weak mint flavor - test the flavor of the cheesecake filling before baking. You can always mix up the filling minus the egg and taste it first, then mix in the egg.
❄️ Make Ahead, Store, and Freezing Tips
If making ahead, you can make it the day before, cool, and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or with a lid.
Refrigerate if leaving overnight, but make sure you bring to room temperature before serving or they'll be hard.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can just add natural dyes or just add the mint extract and use regular oreos, they just won't be green.
I like to compare them to the different mint flavors of Life Savers. Green and blue. Mind is usually a little more mild, and spearmint/peppermint like candy canes and is usually sharper and "cooler" tasting because of the higher amount of menthol.
Yes, but I would for sure bring them to room temperature before serving or they'll be hard as a rock.
🍪 More Fun Dessert Bar Recipes
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📝 Printable Recipe
Mint Cheesecake Brownies
Equipment
- 2 mixing bowls
Ingredients
For the brownie base:
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
For the cheesecake filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 8 mint Oreos crushed
Instructions
For the brownie base:
- In a large bowl, combine softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Mix with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes on medium/high speed until light and fluffy.1 cup salted butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup granulated white sugar
- Add in the vanilla and eggs one at a time and mix well in between, until the sugar starts to dissolve and the mixture is fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 large eggs
- In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.3 cups all purpose flour, ¾ cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredient mixture in batches, mixing well in between. Mix for a good 1-2 minutes, so that the dough is mixed well. The texture will be similar to sticky chocolate cookie dough.
- Save one cup of dough and set it aside. Press the remaining brownie dough evenly into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan.
For the cheesecake Filling:
- Make the cheesecake filling by combining the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, egg, and vanilla and mixing well on medium speed for 1-2 minutes.8 oz cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- Add in as much green food coloring as desired (start small, add more if you want) and mix well until it's evenly distributed in the cheesecake mixture.
- Pour the cheesecake filling on top of the raw brownie dough and spread evenly.
- Flatten the remaining brownie dough into flat pieces and spread over top of cheesecake filling, along with 6-8 crushed oreos.8 mint Oreos
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is set (see Note). It can be a little jiggly in the middle, don't worry! It will set more as it cools. Cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Sara!
Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.
Sara says
Made for a girls night and they were lovely. Also good with chocolate oreos!