These Vegan Halloween Cheesecake Brownies are the best of both worlds! Firstly, they create the most decadent treat you'll ever have—delicious chocolate with the sweetness and tartness of the cheesecake! Moreover, they're the perfect treat for the spooky season or, indeed, any time of the year.
I love any chocolate dessert, and these thick vegan cheesecake brownies are so simple and delicious! They have rich, fudge-like brownies on the bottom, topped with a light and slightly tangy vegan cheesecake swirl. These easy-to-make brownies come together with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry!
Furthermore, they look eye-catching right out of the oven. They are the perfect treat to make for Halloween or whenever your chocolate cravings strike. Overall, these take my brownie recipe to the next level.
✨ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Cheesecake and chocolate are a delicious flavor combination!
- These vegan brownies are super easy to make. You’ll only need a few bowls, a whisk, and a brownie pan.
- They’re super fudgy, as all brownies should be, in my opinion.
✏️ Ingredient Notes
- Dutch-processed cocoa powder - Dutch-processed cocoa powder gives the brownies a deeper chocolate flavor and balances out the flavor with the cream cheese. I love using Modern Mountain Dutch-processed Cocoa, but you can also use Hershey’s Special Dark.
- Instant espresso - Adding coffee to any chocolate-based recipe will greatly enhance and intensify the chocolate flavor. Surprisingly, it doesn't it taste like coffee at all!
- Semi-sweet chocolate - Chocolate gives these vegan cheesecake brownies their fudgy texture! For the best results, use high-quality baking chocolate chips or bars.
- Dairy-free cream cheese - I recommend using a vegan cream cheese you trust for baking. Unfortunately, not all vegan cream cheeses are formulated the same and will react differently when you bake. My favorite brand to use is Kite Hill.
- Food coloring - an optional ingredient. I like to use it for these vegan cheesecake brownies because the contrast between dark brown and orange gives them that quintessential Halloween look.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
📝 Substitutions & Variations
- Skip the food coloring! Keeping the cheesecake layer white will also give it that “spider-web” effect, which is also appropriate for Halloween!
- Add mix-ins like vegan white chocolate chips or toasted nuts for extra flavor and texture.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
🍴 How to Make Vegan Halloween Cheesecake Brownies
Top Tip: Use a food scale to weigh out the ingredients. This approach ensures that you'll only need one or two bowls and, as a result, won't have to wash many measuring cups!
Step 1: Firstly, preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Line an 8x8 square baking pan with parchment paper. Then, combine the softened vegan cream cheese, granulated sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and orange food color until smooth in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
Step 2: Next, whisk flour, Dutch-processed cocoa powder, and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
Step 3: In a large heatproof bowl, combine the vegetable oil and chocolate. Melt it in the microwave or in a bain marie, stirring in between to ensure the chocolate is melted and fully emulsified in the oil. Then, add the vanilla extract, dairy-free milk, espresso powder, and granulated sugar. Stir to combine.
Step 4: Combine the dry and wet ingredients and fold until combined. Do not overmix. Then, scoop out a ¼ cup of brownie batter and set it aside.
Step 5: Next, pour the rest of the batter into a prepared 8x8-inch baking pan and spread it evenly.
Step 6: Gently drizzle the cheesecake layer over the brownie batter, followed by the reserved brownie batter.
Step 7: Next, use a chopstick or butter knife to swirl the cheesecake, just enough to make swirls. Do not overdo it, as it will start combining with the brownie batter. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Step 8: Lastly, allow the brownies to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Carefully remove them from the pan onto a wire rack to cool completely. For better results, place them in the fridge overnight to set completely.
⭐ Expert Tips
- Use warm or room-temperature ingredients. Specifically, this applies to both the cream cheese and the dairy-free milk used in this recipe. Having room-temperature ingredients means the brownie and cheesecake batter will mix better together.
- Line the pan well. A well-lined baking pan makes life so much easier, especially when it comes to these brownies, where you want to be able to lift them right out of the pan. I use a long piece of parchment paper that hangs over the edges of the pan and secures it down with metal binder clips. After the brownies are done baking, I use the excess parchment as ‘handles’ to lift them out!
- Get the perfect brownie slice. These vegan Halloween cheesecake brownies can be annoying to cut, mainly when they stick to the knife! Dip the knife in the hot water to heat it, wipe off the excess water, and slice into the brownies!
💭 Common Questions
Yes! Simply double the ingredients and bake the brownies in a 9x13” pan or bake in two 8x8” square pans. If you’re using a bigger pan, be sure to keep an eye on it as it bakes because the baking times will vary.
Yes! Use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour.
🥣 Storage & Reheating
- Store these vegan cheesecake brownies in an airtight container and, for optimal freshness, keep them in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezing Instructions
These brownies freeze very well. Firstly, allow the brownies to cool completely. Next, place the cooled brownies in a freezer bag. Lastly, you can freeze them for up to 1 month. Allow it to defrost on the counter before eating!
❤️ More Recipes You'll Love
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️ rating and comment below! Tag @flouredframe on Instagram & Facebook!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Halloween Cheesecake Brownies
Equipment
- 8x8-inch square baking pan
- Parchment Paper
- 2 Mixing bowls
- 1 Heatproof bowl
- Silicone spatula
- Whisk
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
Brownies:
- 128 grams All-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 30 grams Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 200 grams Granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Instant espresso (optional)
- 200 grams Semi-sweet chocolate, melted (I used Baker’s chocolate)
- 75 grams Vegetable oil (or any neutral-tasting oil)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 cup Dairy-free milk, I used soy
Cheesecake:
- 227 grams Plain vegan cream cheese (I used Kite Hill)
- 150 grams Granulated sugar
- 16 grams Cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2-3 drops Orange food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Line an 8x8 square baking pan with parchment paper.
Cheesecake Batter
- Combine the softened vegan cream cheese, granulated sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and orange food color until smooth in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
Brownie Batter
- Whisk all-purpose flour, Dutch-processed cocoa powder, and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
- In a large heatproof bowl, combine the vegetable oil and chocolate. Melt it in the microwave or over a bain marie, stirring in between to ensure the chocolate is melted and fully emulsified in the oil.
- Add the vanilla extract, dairy-free milk, espresso powder, and granulated sugar to the chocolate mixture. Whisk to fully combine.
- Fold the dry and wet ingredients until combined. Do not overmix. Scoop out ¼ cup of brownie batter and set it aside.
Layer the Brownie and Cheesecake Batter
- Pour the remaining brownie batter into a prepared 8x8-inch baking pan and spread it evenly.
- Gently drizzle the cheesecake layer over the brownie batter, followed by the ¼ cup reserved brownie batter.
- Use a skewer or chopstick to swirl the cheesecake. Do not over-swirl it. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the brownies to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Carefully remove them from the pan onto a wire rack to cool completely. For better results, keep them in the pan and place them in the fridge overnight to set completely. Cut into cooled brownies before serving. See notes on how to cut perfect brownie squares.
Notes
- A common reason baked goods fail is incorrectly measured flour. I always recommend using a scale for accuracy when baking. This greatly improves your chance for success and lessens room for error. My recipes are 100% tested in grams.
- Use warm or room-temperature ingredients. For this recipe, that applies to the cream cheese and the dairy-free milk. Having room-temperature ingredients means the brownie and cheesecake batter will mix better together.
- Skip the food coloring! Keeping the cheesecake layer white will also give it that “spider-web” effect, which is also appropriate for Halloween!
- I recommend using a vegan cream cheese you trust for baking. Unfortunately, not all vegan cream cheeses are formulated the same and will react differently when you bake. My favorite brand to use is Kite Hill, and it's my favorite to use for all my cheesecake recipes, but I've also heard good things about Miyoko's Cream cheese!
- Get the perfect brownie slice. These vegan Halloween cheesecake brownies can be annoying to cut, mainly when they stick to the knife! Dip the knife in the hot water to heat it, wipe off the excess water, and slice into the brownies!
Winnie says
I enjoyed making these! My batter hardened quickly tho so it made it hard to spread bottom and the top layer after the cream cheese. Any tips?
Corinne says
The recipe end result was great and I would definitely make it again! I found I had to bake for about 15 extra minutes though to get my cheesecake top more set, but I used tofutti, there may be some variation in time needed between brands. The extra time did not hurt the brownie section, it may be the best brownie recipe I've used.
Floured Frame says
I'm so glad you enjoyed making this recipe! And that's a good note to point out about the different brands for the cream cheese, thank you!