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Chewy, fudgy brownies with a rich, dulce de leche cheesecake swirl is the perfect brownie treat for any occasion. These Dulce de Leche Brownies are simple to make and will be everyone’s favorite new dessert!
I am a big fan of brownies, HUGE.
And I am an even bigger fan of combining brownies with another favorite: cheesecake. Swirl some cheesecake into my brownies and your wish is seriously my command.
My personal favorite for a long time was these Kahlua Cream Cheese Brownies, but they are now officially my number two. And I LOVE my Kahlua, so this is big.
Why You Will Love These Dulce De Leche Brownies:
- They are actually pretty easy to make. A few more steps than your classic brownie recipe, but these dulce de leche brownies are worth it. All in all, it’s really only about 15 minutes of prep and a matter of stirring and adding to the pan, so don’t worry about this recipe being too much, it’s easier than you think.
- They are perfect for so many occasions: birthdays, snow days, the office party, Sunday night dinner, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day and so so much more. Oh, and these cheesecake brownies are also great just because. No need to have something to celebrate!
- They combine amazing flavors into one fudgy brownie. Cream cheese swirl brownies add a tang to everyone’s favorite chocolate baked good, but tossing in the dulce de leche adds an entirely new level of flavor. These flavors were meant to be together!
What exactly is Dulce De Leche?
Dulce de leche translates to “sweet milk.” This sweet confection is made by slowly heating sweetened condensed milk to make a rich, thick caramel like sauce. And if you have ever had it, it is UNBELIEVABLE.
How is it different from caramel?
The big difference between caramel and dulce de leche is that caramel is made from heating sugar and dulce de leche is heated sweetened milk. Caramel sauce can be made by adding butter which in turn is much more similar to dulce de leche.
Dulce de leche is thick and caramel like, so naturally many think they are the same thing.
Can I just use caramel instead?
If you used caramel, then technically these would not be dulce de leche cheesecake brownies anymore. Buuuuut, caramel cheesecake brownies clearly would not be so bad if you ask me. I have not made these with caramel at this time, but I don’t think there will be any issue subbing it 1:1.
Recipe Ingredients:
For the Brownie Layer:
- butter: I use unsalted, but you can use salted and just half the amount of sea salt you use later in the recipe.
- eggs: large eggs at room temperature
- sugar: regular granulated sugar
- cocoa powder: unsweetened. You can certainly use a dark cocoa if preferred
- flour: all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- vanilla: I use 2 teaspoons in this recipe for a rich vanilla flavor
- baking powder: make sure it’s fresh and not expired!
- sea salt: table salt will work fine as well, but seat salt is preferred for us
For the Dulce De Leche Cheesecake:
- cream cheese: softened to room temperature. Your cheesecake layer will come out best if the cream cheese is at room temperature–make sure to let it set out. You could use a reduced fat cream cheese although the flavor is not quite the same.
- egg: also needs to be a room temperature for the creamiest texture
- sugar: classic granulated sugar
- vanilla: extract versus the imitation for optimal flavor.
- dulce de leche: I bought pre-made dulce de leche to make this easier on everyone for this recipe. Feel free to use a homemade version if you really want these fully from scratch!
How to make these Dulce De Leche Brownies:
For the brownie layer:
- Melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly. Toss in the egg and maple, whisk to incorporate completely. (steps 1 – 4)
- Add in sugar and stir. (steps 5 and 6)
- Add in baking powder, salt, flour and cocoa and stir. Stir until smooth. There may be some graininess to it, that is fine. Just make there aren’t any big bumps in the batter. (steps 7 and 8)
- Pour all but 1/3 cup of the batter into a parchment lined 8x8inch baking pan that is sprayed lightly with oil. Doing so will help keep the parchment in place while trying to pour the batter in.
- Spread the batter evenly with a spatula and set aside. (see image below)
For the dulce de leche layer:
- Add softened cream cheese and sugar into a medium mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer or standing mixer, beat until smooth and creamy. (steps 1 and 2)
- Add in egg and a vanilla. Beat once again to incorporate until smooth. (steps 3 and 4)
- From here, add in the dulce de leche. I like to fold mine in so that the dulce de leche is not fully incorporated the entire way through. I like to have some caramel colored streaks throughout the mixture. (steps 5 and 6)
- Pour the cheesecake mixture on top of the brownie layer. Drop the reserved 1/3 cup of brownie batter in spoonfuls in various areas of the cheesecake. Using a toothpick or a knife, start to swirl the brownie batter on top into the cheesecake. You can swirl it together as much or as little as you would like. (step 7 and 8)
- Ready for the oven! Pop it in and bake!
Once the brownies are baked, allow them to cool fully. For best results, refrigerate for about 4 hours to allow the cheesecake layer to really set. Easier said than done, I know!
They will also slice much more easily if chilled so that helps as well!
Recipe Tips and Notes:
- These brownies are best if you let them chill before serving. The cheesecake swirl is best if you allow it to chill and set. I like to chill them about 4 hours and up to overnight. This will also make it much easier to slice the brownies and get nice smooth cuts.
- Storage Instructions: Keep these dulce de leche brownies refrigerated for up to 5 days. You can eat them chilled or allow them to sit out for about for about 20-30 minutes to soften. You can freeze the brownies as well. Allow them to cool completely before doing so. I like to slice them and wrap them individually so I can grab one when I have a craving. Just make sure you use a freezer safe container to store.
- For easiest slicing: chill overnight prior to slicing. Use a very sharp knife and run it under hot water before cutting. Wipe it clean after each slice and run under water every few slices. This will allow for those nice, smooth slices!
Other Treats You Will Love:
- GLUTEN FREE WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP BLONDIES
- CHERRY CHOCOLATE BROWNIES
- KAHLUA CREAM CHEESE BROWNIES
- DOUBLE CHOCOLATE WHITE BEAN BROWNIES
- CHOCOLATE CHUNK AVOCADO BROWNIES
- RED VELVET CHEESECAKE DIP
- S’MORES BROWNIE SKILLET
- SMALL BATCH CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
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Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Brownies
Ingredients
For the Brownie Layer:
- 1/2 c butter, melted and cooled
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/4 c sugar
- 2/3 c cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1/2 c flour
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, vanilla and melted butter. Add in sugar and stir to combine.
- Add flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder and stir to combine and incorporate completely. Mixture will be smooth but may have some very small lumps.
- Scoop out 1/3 cup of the brownie batter and set aside. Pour the rest of the brownie batter into a well greased, or parchment lined 9x9in pan and spread evenly (8x8in. will work as well, and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add in egg and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated. Add dulce de leche and stir in slowly. I like to do it this way to allow some caramel like streaks to still be visible. You can fully incorporate it if you would like.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture on top of the brownie batter and spread evenly. Take the reserved brownie batter and drop in dollops across the cheesecake. Take a knife or long toothpick and swirl the two together.
- Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes up mostly clean (you don't want a brownie over baked, so I don't like mine coming up completely dry.) Cool and then chill for about 1 – 2 hours before serving.
- Serve with extra dulce de leche drizzle and a big scoop of ice cream!
Notes
- These brownies are best if you let them chill before serving. The cheesecake swirl is best if you allow it to chill and set. I like to chill them about 4 hours and up to overnight. This will also make it much easier to slice the brownies and get nice smooth cuts.
- Storage Instructions: Keep these dulce de leche brownies refrigerated for up to 5 days. You can eat them chilled or allow them to sit out for about for about 20-30 minutes to soften. You can freeze the brownies as well. Allow them to cool completely before doing so. I like to slice them and wrap them individually so I can grab one when I have a craving. Just make sure you use a freezer safe container to store.
- For easiest slicing: chill overnight prior to slicing. Use a very sharp knife and run it under hot water before cutting. Wipe it clean after each slice and run under water every few slices. This will allow for those nice, smooth slices!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thanks Roxy! I’m going to retest these. Can I ask if you used an 8 or 9 inch square pan?
Hi Lala—quick question. Did you use an 8 inch or 9 inch square pan? If you used an 8 inch pan it will definitely take about 10 minutes or so more. Just realized I did not note that. Also if you are at a higher altitude, that could be the reason. I will be testing these again to make sure times are ok. Thanks and hope they still turned out