Description
Delight in these luscious Heart Shaped Brownies featuring a rich chocolate base swirled with creamy cheesecake and fresh raspberry sauce. Perfect as a romantic Valentine’s Day treat or a special dessert, these brownies combine smooth cream cheese, tart raspberries, and decadent cocoa for a memorable indulgence.
Ingredients
Scale
Raspberry Sauce
- 1 cup raspberries (fresh or thawed frozen)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cheesecake Layer
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Brownie Batter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free blend)
- ¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil or neutral oil
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
Instructions
- Prepare Raspberry Sauce: In a saucepan, combine raspberries, sugar, and vanilla extract. Simmer over medium heat for 8 minutes until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds. Set aside to cool.
- Make Cheesecake Mixture: In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, then continue mixing until the mixture is evenly combined and creamy.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sifted cocoa powder, and salt to blend thoroughly.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In another large bowl, combine the oil, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
- Combine Batter: Slowly add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and stir just until blended to form a consistent brownie batter without overmixing.
- Assemble: Line a baking pan with parchment paper and spread the brownie batter evenly. Carefully spoon the cheesecake mixture over the brownie batter, then drizzle spoonfuls of raspberry sauce on top. Use a skewer or knife to gently swirl the layers together creating a marbled effect.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the assembled pan for 35 minutes until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs.
- Cool and Chill: Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. After cooling, place the brownies in the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours to set the cheesecake layer and raspberry swirl.
- Cut Shapes and Serve: Once chilled, use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut brownies into individual heart shapes. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
- Use room-temperature cream cheese and eggs to achieve a smooth and creamy cheesecake layer.
- Straining the raspberry sauce removes seeds, giving a more pleasant texture in the swirls.
- Chilling the brownies for 2 hours allows the layers to set properly and makes cutting into shapes easier.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute the all-purpose flour with an equal amount of gluten-free flour blend.
- To keep brownies moist, store them in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 heart shaped brownie
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
