Cream Cheese Brownies

You can't go wrong with brownies. I mean... fudgey, chocolaty, ooey gooey brownies warm, with ice cream and caramel sauce....*droooool*. When they bury me it's going to be written on my tombstone: "The brownies finally got her."

I'm okay with that. 

This recipe is a bit of a cheat. We started with a mix and made some additions and ended up with a totally decadent dessert that will impress all your chocolate loving guests. If you are anti-cheat, then by all means you can use your favorite basic brownie recipe to start with!

Cream Cheese Brownies

Ingredients

1 box brownie mix (We used Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie) 

Ingredients on box to prepare brownie

Cream Cheese Swirl

4 oz cream cheese (1/2 a brick), room temp

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

Extras

vanilla ice cream

caramel sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 10 inch pan with parchment paper, set aside. (NOTE - can use a 9 inch pan but you will need to adjust cooking time.)

Prepare brownie as per box instructions and spread into the prepared 10 inch pan.

In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth, scraping bowl as needed. Drop by spoonfuls over the brownie in the pan.

Swirl the cream cheese mixture through the brownie mixture with a butter knife. 

Bake at 350 until toothpick inserted near center comes out with only a few moist crumbs and top looks "dry"- about 30 - 35 minutes. The cream cheese part will be browned. 

Let cool on wire rack. Use the parchment paper to remove the brownie from the pan OR serve directly from the pan. 

You can serve warm or room temp.... or even chilled if that's your thing. There is no wrong way to serve a rich and creamy cheesecakey brownie.

Ice cream always makes things better, of course. But wait, there's more...

Caramel sauce on top is just the bomb. 

Are we still saying that? Are things still "the bomb"?

Regardless.... this is and always will be. 

Do you enjoy cheesecake and brownies and ice cream and caramel in one stupidly over the top dessert? I do. I really, really do.