Halloween Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies
These fudgy chocolate brownies with tangy, orange-and-black cream cheese swirls are the ultimate Halloween treat — rich, dramatic, and guaranteed to disappear at any party.
Equipment
- 9x13-inch baking pan
- Parchment paper
- 2 microwave-safe bowls
- Electric mixer
- toothpick or knife for swirling
Ingredients
- 4 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp espresso powder (optional)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 8 oz full-fat cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- orange gel food coloring
- black gel food coloring or activated charcoal powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment, leaving overhang for easy removal. Let eggs and cream cheese come to room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Melt butter and chopped unsweetened chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second bursts. Stir in sugar, then eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and espresso powder. Stir in flour, cocoa powder, salt. Fold in chocolate chips. Spread ¾ of batter into prepared pan, reserving ¼ for topping.
- Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add egg yolk and vanilla, mix until fluffy. Divide into 3 bowls: color one orange, one black, and leave one plain.
- Drop spoonfuls of each colored cream cheese mixture randomly over brownie batter. Dollop reserved brownie batter on top. Swirl using a knife or toothpick with gentle figure-eights or zigzags. Do not over-swirl.
- Bake 30–35 minutes until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs (not batter). Cool completely before lifting out and slicing. Refrigerate to speed up cooling if needed.
Notes
Let them cool completely before cutting for clean squares. Store at room temp for 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5. Gel food coloring is non-negotiable for bold, clean swirls. Don’t over-swirl or you’ll lose the marble effect.