Key Lime Cheesecake Brownies

By srumbel

I wanted a recipe to showcase the slightly sweet, slightly tart flavor of cream cheese but in a unique way. So I took the classic cheesecake-swirled brownie recipe and flavored my cheesecake to key lime which punched up that tart flavor, turned it a nice green shade, and complemented the fudgy brownie really well. I think you’ll enjoy!

from thedomesticrebel

Ingredients

• 1 box chocolate fudge brownie mix, plus ingredients on back of box
• 6 ounces PHILADELPHIA cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp key lime juice
• 1 tsp lime zest
• Wilton Key Lime Candy Melts, optional (for drizzling)

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally grease a 9×9 inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, prepare the brownie batter according to package instructions.

2. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, egg, sugar, vanilla, lime juice + zest with an electric mixer until blended + creamy. If you’d like, tint the cheesecake mixture with a couple of drops of green food coloring to brighten it up. Spoon the cheesecake mixture on top of the brownie batter in the pan. Top the cheesecake layer with the remaining couple spoonfuls of the brownie batter. Using a sharp knife, gently swirl the cheesecake + brownie batter together to form a marbled pattern.

3. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely. If you’d like, melt the candy melts according to package instructions and drizzle over the tops of the cooled cheesecake brownies. Store brownies airtight, in the fridge, for a couple days. Makes 9 fat brownie hunks.