Vegan Cherry Cheesecake Brownies
Author: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!
Ingredients
Vegan Brownies:
- 1 cup (120 g) 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 (120 g) dark chocolate chopped
- ½ cup (120 g) vegan butter or margarine or coconut oil
- ¾ cup (150 g) 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 (60 ml) non-dairy milk warm
Vegan Cheesecake:
- 1 cup (250 g) non-dairy cream cheese *see notes for options
- 1 cup (250 g) silken tofu or soya quark or thick coconut yogurt
- ¼ cup (60 g) 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 (85 g) 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!
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 ½ 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 ⅔cup of silken tofu + ⅓ 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.
- The nutritional facts refer to 1 brownie without cherries.
- More information are mentioned in the text above!
Nutritions
Serving: 1Brownie | Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 26.2g | Protein: 3.6g | Fat: 13.7g | Saturated Fat: 4.3g | Fiber: 1.6g | Sugar: 16.8g
Nutrition is calculated automatically and should be used as estimate.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @biancazapatka or tag #biancazapatka!