Cherry Cheesecake Brownies | Vegan, Easy

These fudgy vegan cherry cheesecake swirl brownies are easy to make gluten-free and incredibly delicious! They combine amazing swirls of creamy, moist and rich cheesecake with a juicy fruit layer topping between a simple classic chocolate brownie batter, making these bars to your new favorite dessert, whether you’re vegan or not!

Unquestionably, I’m a girl that craves chocolate all the time and in all possible variations! So clearly working on chocolaty recipes is one of my favorite things to do and if they’re combined with an incredibly tasty and moist cheesecake layer it can’t get any better! You’ll love this recipe just like I do because it’s super simple and made fast with only a few simple ingredients.

Vegan Cherry Cheesecake Brownies

If you love brownies and cheesecake like I do, you’ve maybe already tried my Vegan Brownie Cheesecake. These vegan cherry cheesecake brownies are just as delicious and easy to make while being so good that you can’t even tell they are vegan! They are loaded with chocolate flavor and at the same time creamy, fudgy and gooey in texture so that you won’t get enough of them for sure! I topped mine with a very simple cherry compote, that can be made in no time! Sharing them with your family and friends, assuredly they’ll be loved by children and adults, vegans and non-vegans alike!

Easy Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake Brownie Bars

For this recipe, you’ll only need a few simple ingredients such as flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, dark chocolate and vanilla extract. If you’re a gluten-free eater, feel free to substitute a gluten-free 1 to 1 baking flour blend. The brownie batter is made vegan, meaning it contains no eggs, but uses two flaxseed eggs as a binder as written in the recipe box below. And you’ll love that the completely vegan cheesecake layer is just as silky as an original cheesecake, or even better! The batters come together in no time and don’t require any kneading or fancy ingredients. So as you see, these brownie bars are the perfect easy dessert for every day and definitely a vegan showstopper for any occasion!

Which fruits can I use?

I topped my vegan cheesecake brownies with the juicy and fruity cherry filling that I used in my classic Cherry Pie recipe. What I love about it is that whether using canned cherries or frozen or even fresh pitted cherries, you’ll end up with a healthy and delicious topping any way! Overall, I think cherries go especially well with any chocolate or cheesecake recipes. However, you can use basically any fruit you prefer or even a combination of multiple fruits. Simply use your favorite fresh, frozen or canned fruits/ berries and prepare them just like the cherry compote. Some of my favorite alternatives are:

• Blueberries
• Mandarins (Tangerines)
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Blackberries
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Apples
• or pears

Which baking pan can I use?

I recommend using an 11×7-inch or a 9×9-inch baking pan, to get perfectly sized brownies. But as you see in my Brownie Cheesecake recipe, the batter can be also turned into other pans, depending on the shape, thickness, and handiness you want to achieve. I’m sure you could even make cheesecake brownie muffins or cupcakes with them! But please consider that depending on the depth of your chosen pan, the baking time may vary.

How to make vegan cherry cheesecake brownies

Step 1: Preparing the baking pan

Start by preheating the oven to 347°F (175°C). Secondly, lightly grease your desired baking pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving extra hanging over the sides. I suggest cutting the parchment paper to fit into your pan like I did (see photo below). This step will help you to remove the finished brownies out of the pan easier.

Step 2: Prepare the flax-eggs and cherry pie filling

Next, prepare the flaxseed eggs by stirring 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds in 5 tablespoons of hot water. Set it aside for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken up. Optionally, you can substitute the flax-eggs with applesauce or mashed banana as mentioned in the recipe notes below. Lastly, prepare the cherry pie filling according to this recipe. Alternatively, substitute another kind of fruit to make the compote with.

Step 2: Mixing the cheesecake layer

To make the cheesecake batter, place the vegan cream cheese, silken tofu (or soya quark or coconut yogurt), sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Then mix everything with an electric hand mixer until smooth and creamy.

Step 3: Making the brownie batter

For the ultimate chocolate brownie batter, melt the vegan butter together with the chocolate and vanilla in a saucepan. After that, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and sugar in a bowl. Add the previously prepared flaxseed eggs and the melted chocolate mixture and stir to create a smooth batter.

Step 4: Layering the cheesecake cherry brownies

For the last step, start with pouring 2/3 of the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan. The bottom should be covered completely. Next, spread the cheesecake batter on top, followed by the freshly made cherry compote. Lastly, dollop the remaining 1/3 of the brownie batter with a tablespoon over the other layers. Carefully, shake the pan so the batter spreads evenly, then use a wooden skewer to create as many swirls and marble designs as you like – Get creative! Finish the brownies by sprinkling vegan chocolate chips over the top, if you like. Then, bake the brownies for about 50 to 60 minutes or until they look perfect!

A little note on the baking time:

Please take note, the longer you bake the vegan cherry cheesecake brownies, the drier and more crumblier they become. So, if you want moist, fudgy and gooey brownies, please do NOT leave them in the oven for too long. However, if you prefer a rather cake-like consistency feel free to increase the baking time.

Once done baking, allow the chocolate brownie cake to cool completely and refrigerate overnight.  Then, you can carefully lift the whole brownie out of the pan using the overhanging parchment paper.

Tipp: Before serving the brownie bars, it is best to reheat your individual bar in the microwave for a few seconds. This makes them softer, juicier, more fudgy, ultra chocolatey and just incredibly tasty! Enjoy, guys!

These Vegan Cherry Cheesecake Brownies are:

• Egg-less
• Dairy-free
• Juicy & Moist
• Creamy
• Soft
• Fudgy & Gooey
• Rich in Chocolate flavor
• The perfect dessert
• Easy to make
• Great for any occasion
• Can be made gluten-free
• So delicious!

If you love cheesecake, chocolate cake and brownies, make sure to check out the following vegan recipes:

• Best Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread
• Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Bread
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Snickers Cake
• Best Vegan Brownies
• Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake
• Best Vegan Chocolate Cake
• Chocolate Brownie Swirl Cheesecake
• Vegan New York Cheesecake
• Best Vegan Cheesecake with Strawberries
• Russian Chocolate Cake Cheesecake

If you try these vegan cherry cheesecake swirl brownies, please leave me a comment and rating how you liked this recipe! Your feedback is always very helpful for me and other readers. And if you take a photo of your delicious chocolate brownie bars, please make sure to tag me on Instagram @biancazapatka and  #biancazapatka because I love seeing your remakes! Happy baking!

Vegan Cherry Cheesecake Brownies

Author: Bianca Zapatka

These fudgy vegan cherry cheesecake swirl brownies are easy to make gluten-free and incredibly delicious! They combine amazing swirls of creamy, moist and rich cheesecake with a juicy fruit layer topping between a simple classic chocolate brownie batter, making these bars to your new favorite dessert, whether you’re vegan or not!

5 from 14 votes

Print Pin Review

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Course Bars, Cake, Dessert, Snack, Snacks

Servings 16 Bars

Calories 220 kcal

You do not have a fitting cake pan at hand right now? Try my new Cake Pan Conversion Calculator!

US Customary - Metric

Ingredients

Vegan Brownies:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour or sub gluten-free flour (*see notes)
• a pinch of salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 4,2 oz dark chocolate chopped
• ½ cup vegan butter or margarine or coconut oil
• ¾ cup brown sugar or other sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract optional
• 2 flaxseed eggs or ½ cup unsweetened applesauce or 1 banana (*see notes)
• approx. ¼ cup non-dairy milk warm

Vegan Cheesecake:

• 1 cup non-dairy cream cheese *see notes for options
• 1 cup silken tofu or soya quark or thick coconut yogurt
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Topping:

• 1 recipe cherry pie filling or sub 1 14-oz can store-bought cherry pie filling
• ⅓ cup vegan chocolate chips optional

Instructions 

For exatct measurements, click on the word "metric" right above the ingredient list!

* See step-by-step photos & the recipe video in the post above!

• Preheat the oven to 347°F (175 °C). Lightly grease an 11x7-inch or 9x9-inch square pan (or similar size) and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides (this helps to remove the brownies easily later).
• Prepare the flaxseed eggs by mixing 2 tbsp of ground flaxseed with 5 tbsp of hot water. Then set aside for 5-10 minutes until it gels.
• Prepare the cherry pie filling according to this recipe (or sub store-bought).

Cheesecake:

• Blend all ingredients for the cheesecake layer until smooth and creamy.

Brownies:

• Melt the vegan butter with the chopped chocolate and vanilla extract in a saucepan until smooth.
• Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and sugar in a bowl. Add the flaxseed eggs, non-dairy milk and the melted chocolate mixture and stir to combine.

Layer the cheesecake brownies:

• Add 2/3 of the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth it out evenly. Then spread the cheesecake filling over the brownie batter, followed by the cherry compote. Use a tablespoon to dollop the remaining 1/3 brownie batter over the top. Carefully, shake the pan so the batter spreads evenly, then use a wooden skewer to create swirls as shown in the step-by-step photos above.
• Top with chocolate chips as desired and bake the brownies for about 50-60 minutes or until your desired consistency. (The longer you bake the brownies, the drier they become. If you want moist brownies, please do not overbake.)
• Once done baking, allow to cool completely and refridgerate overnight to set. Then, carefully lift out the brownie using the parchment overhang and cut into bars.
• Enjoy at room temperature or reheat in the microwave for a few seconds for the ultimate chocolate fudginess!

Video

Notes

• Gluten-free: This recipe works equally well with gluten-free 1 to 1 baking flour.
• Flax-eggs: Instead of flaxseed eggs, you can use 1/2 cup of applesauce or 1 mashed ripe banana. I then recommend adding a little less sugar to the brownie batter as the fruit contains natural sweetness. If you are not vegan, you could also use regular eggs.
• Vegan Cream Cheese: You can substitute the 1 cup of cream cheese with 2/3 cup of silken tofu + 1/3 cup of vegan buttery spread or nut butter (e.g. cashew, almond or peanut butter).
• Cherries: Feel free to use other fruits or simply omit the fruit layer. See recommendations in the blog post above.
• Storage: You can store the brownies covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze them in portions for longer.

Nutritions

Serving: 1Brownie | Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 25.2g | Protein: 3.1g | Fat: 11.4g

Nutrition is calculated automatically and should be used as estimate.

Did you make this recipe?Mention @biancazapatka or tag #biancazapatka!