Pink, pretty, and irresistibly rich—these ultra-fudgy raspberry cheesecake brownies are swirled with creamy, tangy cheesecake and real raspberry flavor. When it comes to indulgent, festive Valentine’s Day dessert recipes, this luscious chocolate-and-berry combo checks every box.
I first published this recipe in 2014, and over the years I’ve made a few thoughtful upgrades. The brownie base, with its deep chocolate flavor, remains the same, but the raspberry cheesecake swirl is now even better thanks to ground freeze-dried raspberries for natural color and bold fruitiness.
We also added just 1 Tablespoon of hot water to the brownie batter—this loosens it slightly and makes swirling everything together much easier. Small tweak, big payoff!
I love going back to earlier recipes and giving them smart little upgrades, using all the experience we’ve gained over the years.
Why You’ll Love Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies
- Bold Fruit + Chocolate Fusion: Rich chocolate goodness meets tangy raspberry cheesecake, now with concentrated raspberry flavor.
- Beautiful Pink Swirls: Freeze-dried raspberry powder gives these bars a naturally gorgeous pink hue—no artificial coloring needed.
- Crowd-Pleaser Dessert: Gorgeous presentation and decadent taste make these perfect for holidays, gatherings, bake sales, or any time you can’t decide between a chocolate or fruit-flavored dessert!
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Brownies need to cool completely before slicing, so they’re a great recipe to make a day in advance.
Ingredients You Need:
For today’s raspberry cheesecake brownies, we’re using the same brownie base as these coconut cheesecake brownies. I’ve published a lot of brownie recipes, but I really enjoy this one because the brownies remain soft, don’t dry out, and are intensely chocolatey.
- Butter & Oil: You can make brownies with butter, oil, or a combination of both, and today we’re using both—just like we do for brownie pie.
- Sugar: Sugar does much more than sweeten brownies. It liquifies as they bake, creating a softer center, and migrates to the top, creating that shiny, crackly surface characteristic of a good brownie. You also need some to sweeten the cheesecake batter.
- Eggs: You need 3 eggs—2 for the brownie batter and 1 for the cheesecake batter.
- Vanilla & Salt: Essential flavor for both batters!
- Cocoa Powder: Though natural cocoa powder can be used, I suggest a Dutch-process cocoa powder (I really like this brand) for a richer, smoother chocolate flavor. This brownie recipe does not rely on chemical leaveners; if a recipe does, that’s when it’s important to remember the difference between Dutch-process vs. natural cocoa powder.
- Flour: The cocoa powder takes the place of some flour, so you’ll only need 1/2 cup in these brownies, plus a couple Tablespoons for the cheesecake batter.
- Hot Water: Just a Tablespoon, to help thin out the batter and “bloom” the cocoa powder. We also use hot water in the brownie recipe I published in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
- Chocolate Chips: For texture and extra chocolate flavor—don’t leave these out!
You also need cream cheese, freeze-dried raspberries (optional—for color and extra raspberry flavor!) to make the cheesecake portion, and raspberry jam for topping.
How to Make Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies
Make the cheesecake batter first: Just like when we’re making classic cheesecake or cheesecake pie, full-fat brick-style cream cheese works best here. Use room-temperature ingredients so the mixture blends smoothly without lumps. You can use a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
Optional but recommended: If you’d like to give your cheesecake filling a pretty pink tint and extra raspberry flavor (I always do!), pick up some freeze-dried raspberries. Grind a small amount in a small food processor, sift out the seeds, then mix a couple teaspoons into the cheesecake batter. Add more for deeper color and flavor if desired.
Make the brownie batter next: Prepare this after the cheesecake batter—the brownie mixture thickens as it cools, and thinner batter makes swirling much easier.
Layer and swirl: This is where the magic happens! After the batters are prepared, spread some of the brownie batter into a lined 9-inch square baking pan. You want to use *just enough* to cover the bottom with a thin layer of brownie batter.
Drop spoonfuls of cheesecake batter on top, alternating with spoonfuls of the remaining brownie batter. Bang the pan on the counter a few times to help the batters to settle.
Add small spoonfuls of raspberry jam, then use a knife to swirl everything together. There’s no perfect method—each batch will look a little different, and that’s part of the charm.
Bake for about 35 minutes, give or take. Insert a toothpick into the center:
- Wet batter = needs more time
- Moist crumbs = perfect!
Success Tips for Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies
- Use proper room-temperature ingredients for the cheesecake batter, so it comes together easily, and without lumps. And a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a whisk attachment both work better than a paddle attachment for achieving a smooth cheesecake batter with minimal lumps.
- Line the pan: Lining the pan with parchment paper makes it much easier to remove the bars before slicing and serving. I use the same tip when making rice krispie treats and M&M cookie bars, too.
- Tent with foil at the 25-minute mark: To prevent the cheesecake portion from over-browning.
- Cool completely: Hard as it is to wait, cooling fully ensures clean slices that really show off that beautiful marbling.
If you love this combination of flavors, you’ll also love these white chocolate raspberry cheesecake bars and my dark chocolate raspberry coffee cake. And this chocolate raspberry cake is a showstopper worthy of a celebration!
Description
These raspberry cheesecake brownies are ultra-fudgy, swirled with creamy cheesecake, and packed with real raspberry flavor. Naturally pink thanks to freeze-dried raspberries—and updated for easier swirling! Perfect for Valentine’s Day, parties, or anytime chocolate meets berries. Wait at least 3 hours before cutting into squares and serving.
Cheesecake Batter
Brownie Batter
Topping
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower-third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to easily lift the cooled brownies out of the pan. Set aside.
- Make the cheesecake batter first: In a medium bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy with no lumps remaining, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar, flour, vanilla, and raspberry powder (if using) and beat until fully combined. If you’d like a deeper shade of pink and more raspberry flavor, beat in more raspberry powder, a teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired shade. Finally, beat in the egg just until incorporated. Set aside.
- Make the brownie batter: Melt the butter in the microwave in a large heatproof bowl, or in a small saucepan on the stove. (Transfer melted butter to a large bowl if using the stove.) Whisk the sugar and oil into the melted butter. Let it sit for 1 minute to slightly cool. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk very well to dissolve the sugar, until the mixture no longer looks grainy. Add the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and hot water and whisk until combined and smooth. The batter is thick. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Assemble: Spread about 1/3 of the brownie batter in the lined pan. The batter is very thick, so do your best. Drop large spoonfuls of about half of the cheesecake batter over the top, then alternate dropping large spoonfuls of the remaining brownie batter and the remaining cheesecake batter. Bang the pan on the counter a few times to get the batters to settle. Drop small spoonfuls of jam all over the top. Use a knife to gently swirl the batters and jam. Bang the pan a few more times to settle the layers.
- Bake for 33–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs (mine usually take 36 minutes). I recommend tenting the brownies with aluminum foil at the 25-minute mark to protect the top from over-browning.
- Remove from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack. Cool brownies completely (at least 3 hours).
- Lift the brownies out using the parchment paper overhang on the sides, transfer to a cutting board, and slice into squares.
- Cover leftover brownies and store them in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze cut brownies in single layers between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Square Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Whisk | Wooden Spoon or Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Freeze-Dried Raspberry Powder: In a small food processor (like this one or this one), pulse 1/4 cup (about 5g) freeze-dried raspberries until finely ground. Over a small bowl, sift the ground freeze-dried raspberries through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard the seeds left in the sieve. Add 2 teaspoons of raspberry powder to the cheesecake batter and beat until fully incorporated. If you’d like a darker shade of pink (and more raspberry flavor), add more raspberry powder, a teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired shade.
- Where to Buy Freeze-Dried Raspberries: I find them in my regular grocery store in the dried fruit aisle, and Trader Joe’s and Target usually have them, too. You can also purchase them online, and here is a brand we’ve used before. (They are much cheaper in stores if you can find them!) Do not use chewy/gummy dried fruit. You need freeze-dried raspberries, which are raspberries with all of the moisture removed—that way they can grind into a powder. Have leftover freeze-dried raspberries? Use them to make these chocolate raspberry crinkle cookies, raspberry sugar cookies, or white chocolate raspberry slice-and-bake cookies.
- Cocoa Powder: I prefer Dutch-process cocoa powder (such as this brand) for a smoother chocolate flavor, but you can use unsweetened natural cocoa powder instead if that’s all you can find.
- Recipe Update in 2026: This recipe was updated with a richer, creamier raspberry cheesecake swirl and an easier-to-work-with brownie batter. The cheesecake layer now includes butter, additional sugar, vanilla, and a whole egg for a smoother texture and fuller flavor, and we added 1 Tablespoon of hot water to the brownie batter to slightly thin it for easier swirling. If you’d like to make the original version, use the cheesecake mixture of 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese, 1/4 cup (50g) sugar, 2 Tablespoons (15g) flour, 1 egg yolk, and 1/4 cup (75g) raspberry jam.
