Oreo Cheesecake Brownies
These Oreo cheesecake brownies are everything you could want in a brownie and more!
From its cookie crust to its Oreo cheesecake swirls, these brownies are absolutely decadent.
How to Make These Oreo Cheesecake Brownies
To make sure your Oreo cheesecake brownies turn out as amazing as possible, let’s walk through each step together!
Step 1: Make the Oreo Cookie Crust
Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C and line an 8 x 8-inch square pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Mix the crushed Oreo cookie crumbs with melted butter. The mixture should look like moist sand.
Press into the prepared pan and smooth using the back of a large spoon or a flat-bottomed cup.
Bake for 8 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Leave the oven.
Step 2: Make the Fudgy Brownie Batter
Place the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl and mix on high for 1 minute with a hand mixer or stand mixer.
The mixture should get lighter in color and look creamy.
Whipping up the sugar and eggs will help give these brownies a crinkly, shiny top.
Add the room-temperature butter and vanilla extract to the egg mixture.
Mix on a medium speed until combined and smooth.
Then sift the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder into the egg mixture on a low speed.
Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure all the ingredients are properly mixed together. Set aside.
Step 3: Make the Oreo Cheesecake
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on a medium-high speed with a hand mixer or stand mixer fit with a whisk attachment for 2 minutes.
Gradually mix in the granulated sugar and vanilla on a medium-low speed.
Then mix in the egg on a medium-low speed until incorporated.
At this stage, the cheesecake should look silky smooth.
The last step is to fold in the roughly chopped Oreos.
Mix until they’re evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Step 4: Swirl the Batter Together and Bake
Alternate spoonfuls of brownie batter and cheesecake filling on top of the baked and cooled Oreo crust.
Use a butter knife or small offset spatula to swirl the batter together.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the center of the brownies looks set. The toothpick test won’t work with these because of the cheesecake swirl, so I like to do a jiggle test.
The edges should be set, but the center can still be a little wiggly once they’re done. In my oven, the sweet spot is 44 minutes, but every oven bakes a bit differently!
If you notice the cheesecake swirl is browning toward the end of the baking process, place a piece of foil over the pan.
Step 5: Cool Fully Before Cutting
Remove the brownies from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool. It’s important that you let the brownies cool fully before cutting them.
You can accelerate the cooling process by popping the pan in the freezer for about an hour. I like these best chilled and straight out of the fridge!
Lessons from Recipe Testing
I had to make a few batches of these Oreo cheesecake brownies before I got them just right.
It is important that you truly crush the Oreo cookies for the crust into an ultra-fine crumb, almost like sand!
The best way to do this is to use a food processor or a blender. Using a knife is so much harder, and you never really get the same super-fine crumb.
The cookies need to be crushed so that you can really pack them down as you prepare the Oreo crust for these brownies.
If there are large chunks of cookie, it makes it super hard to press down the crumbs and get an even layer.
Substitutions & Swaps in These Cheesecake Brownie Bars
This recipe uses quite a few ingredients, and I know you might not have all of them on hand.
Or if you have food allergies or restrictions, I’ve got you covered. Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe.
- Brown Sugar – The mix of granulated and light brown sugar gives these brownies a crispy top and a wonderful flavor. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- Salted Butter – You can use unsalted butter plus salt if you don’t have salted butter on hand. Use 3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter plus 1/2 tsp of salt to make the crust and brownie batter.
- Vanilla Extract – The vanilla extract adds an extra little oomph of flavor and helps enhance the chocolate in these brownies.
- All-Purpose Flour – You can use a gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour in this recipe. Just be sure to use a good blend like King Arthur’s GF flour.
- Baking Cocoa Powder – I like to use natural, unsweetened baking cocoa in this recipe. However, Dutch-processed or dark baking cocoa can also be used.
- Oreo Cookie Crumbs – If you can’t find Oreo cookies, you can skip the crust in this recipe or use graham crackers in their place.
- Cream Cheese – The full-fat version that comes in a block works best in this recipe.
Doubling This Oreo Cheesecake Brownie Recipe
If you want to double this recipe, go for it! Simply double the ingredients and make as instructed.
I recommend baking a double batch in a 9 x 13-inch pan to help them bake through properly.
Bake the brownies at 350 F / 175 C for 40-50 minutes. They will be slightly thicker but just as delicious!
Making These Oreo Cheesecake Brownies in Advance
These Oreo cheesecake brownies keep in the fridge for up to a week. Store them in an airtight container to keep them fresh.
You can also freeze these brownies for up to a month!
Freeze them uncut on a sheet pan until they are firm to the touch, then wrap them in a layer of plastic wrap and then foil.
When you’re ready to eat the brownies, place them in the fridge overnight, then unwrap and enjoy the following day.
How to Make the Best Oreo Cheesecake Brownies
- Be sure your ingredients are at room temperature. It helps them mix together better.
- Make sure you properly measure your flour! I like to use a scale, but the fluff and level method works great too.
- Bake these brownies in a metal pan, not a glass pan! Glass gets hotter than metal pans. If you must bake these in a glass pan, bake them at 325 F.
- Crush the Oreo cookies in a food processor or blender to make a nice, even crust.
- Don’t over-bake your brownies!! Unlike cake layers a toothpick inserted into the center won’t come out clean when they’re done. You’ll know they’re done when the edges have risen, and the center is still a tiny bit wiggly.
- Chill your brownies before cutting into them! It will make them much easier to cut.
- Use a warm, sharp knife to get clean slices. Fill a tall cup with hot water and dip a sharp knife into it. Dry the knife fully, then make a slice. Repeat with each cut and wipe the blade clean after each cut.
- If you want to make this recipe in a 9 x 13-inch pan, double the recipe and bake at 350 F for 40-50 minutes.
Let Me Know What You Think!
If you try this recipe for Oreo cheesecake brownies, I’d love to hear what you think of it!
Please leave a rating and let me know your thoughts by sharing a comment below.
Oreo Cheesecake Brownies
Ingredients
Oreo Cookie Crust
- 1 1/2 cups crushed Oreo cookies – about 18 whole cookies 200g
- 1/4 cup salted butter, melted 56g
Brownie Layer
- 2 large eggs, room temperature 112g
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100g
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 100g
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened 113g
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 8g
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 65g
- 1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa 33g
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
Oreo Cheesecake Layer
- 1 cup (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature 226g
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar 133g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
- 1 large egg, room temperature 56g
- 1/2 cup chopped Oreo cookies – about 6 whole cookies 70g
Instructions
Oreo Cookie Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Mix 1 1/2 cups of crushed Oreo cookie crumbs with 1/4 cup melted butter. Press into the prepared pan and smooth using the back of a large spoon.
- Bake for 8 minutes, then remove from the oven. Leave the oven while you make the brownie and cheesecake batter.
Brownie Batter
- Place 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup of brown sugar in a large bowl and mix on high for a minute with a hand mixer or whisk. The mixture should get lighter in color and look creamy.
- Add 1/2 cup softened butter and 2 tsp vanilla extract to the egg mixture. Mix on a medium speed until combined and smooth.
- Sift 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, and 1/4 tsp baking powder into the egg mixture and mix on a low speed. The batter should be somewhat thick at this point. Set aside.
Oreo Cheesecake
- In a medium-sized bowl, beat 8 oz. or 1 cup of room temperature cream cheese on a medium-high speed with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment for a minute until it's creamy and smooth.
- Gradually mix in 2/3 cup of sugar and 1 tsp of vanilla. Mix on a medium-low speed until incorporated.
- Then mix in 1 egg at medium-low speed until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. At this stage, the cheesecake batter should look silky smooth.
- Fold in 1/2 cup of roughly chopped Oreos. Mix until they're evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Alternate spoonfuls of brownie batter and cheesecake filling on top of the cooled Oreo crust. Use a butter knife or small offset spatula to swirl the batter together.
- Bake at 350°F/175C° for 40-45 minutes or until the edges of the brownies look set. The toothpick test won't work with these because of the cheesecake swirl, so I like to do a jiggle test. The edges should be set, but the center can still be a little wiggly once they're done. In my oven, the sweet spot is 44 minutes, but every oven bakes a bit differently! If you notice the cheesecake swirl is browning towards the end of the baking process, place a piece of foil over the pan.
- Remove the pan from the oven and cool fully before cutting. You can accelerate the cooling process by popping the pan in the freezer for about an hour. I like these best when they're chilled and straight out of the fridge!
Video
Notes
Making These Oreo Cheesecake Brownies in Advance
These brownies last in the fridge for up to a week. Store them in an airtight container to keep them fresh. You can also freeze these brownies for up to a month! Freeze them uncut on a sheet pan until they are firm to the touch, then wrap them in a layer of plastic wrap and then foil. When you're ready to eat the brownies place them in the fridge overnight, then unwrap and enjoy the following day.Doubling this Recipe
If you want to double this recipe, go for it! Simply double the ingredients and follow the directions in, the recipe card above. Bake a double batch in a 9 x 13-inch pan at 350 F / 175 C for 40-50 minutes.How to Make the Best Oreo Cheesecake Brownies
- Be sure the ingredients are at room temperature. It helps them mix together better.
- Properly measure your four! I like to use a scale, but the fluff and level method works great too.
- Bake these brownies in a metal pan, not a glass pan! Glass gets hotter than metal pans. If you have to bake these in a glass pan, bake them at 325 F.
- Crush the Oreo cookies in a food processor or blender to make a nice, even crust.
- Don’t over-bake your brownies!! Unlike cake layers, a toothpick inserted into the center won't come out clean when they're done. You'll know they're done when the edges have risen, and the center is still a tiny bit wiggly.
- Chill your brownies fully before cutting into them. It will make them much easier to cut.
- Use a warm, sharp knife to get clean slices. Fill a tall cup with hot water and dip a sharp knife into it. Dry the knife fully, then make a slice. Repeat with each cut and wipe the blade clean after each cut.
Nutrition
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My my my….u are amazing..ur recipes are just out of the world…will try soon..n let u know..
Big fannnnnn….?
Much love from India.??
My cheesecake is turning a little too brown I think, should I decrease the temp on my oven? I’ve made these twice now and can’t get the texture exactly right but they’re delicious!
@Liz, Nevermind it says cover with foil! Haha
Made these yesterday for a birthday celebration for someone who isn’t a cake-fan. These were so simple to make and oh so delicious. I very easily could have ate the entire pan but I sent the leftovers home with the birthday guy. I used regular Oreos but will be making another batch this week for our neighbours and willing be using double-stuffed. Hopefully that doesn’t change anything too much. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Hi chels by chance do u have a dairy free choc cake recipe? Some of my family cant eat cake with dairy. If u dont plz consider doing one thanks 🙂
Hi Renata,
Sadly I don’t, but I def need to work on that!! Adding it to my list now!
Made these today. Doubled the recipe and they are delicious, however 40 minutes was too long in the oven.
Hi Madeline,
So happy to hear they turned out delicious!
How long did you bake yours for? Did the top of the cheesecake start browning at 40 minutes? What type of pan did you use? In my oven when I use a metal 9×13 inch pan and it takes about 42 minutes. The cheesecake portion does start to brown at that point. Hopefully we’ll be able to figure out what caused difference!
do you take the cream out the oreo’s ?
Hi Liv,
I leave the cream in the Oreos when I cut them up!! Hope that helps, happy baking!
I don’t know what I’m failing but the cheese cake doesn’t mix with the brownie and it doesn’t get speckled, the brownie is down and the cheese cake is up, the mixture of this is very liquid, what should I do?
Hi Alexandra,
Did you alternate spoonfuls of brownie batter and cheesecake batter as you filled the pan? What type of cream cheese are you using? The speckles should be from the chopped up oreo bits that are mixed.
This recipe turns out best with full fat cream cheese that comes in a block. Hopefully we’ll be able to figure out what happened!
Made this today and it tasted extremely delicious after cooling in the fridge for a couple of hours. My base was a little crumbly, not sure if its because of the oreo cookies that I used. They sold it without the cream so i tried to put more butter instead.?. For the oven i was unsure if its fan forced or just top/bottom heat…. but it ended as a success so I guess trial and error works too ?.
Thanks for the recipe anyways! Its a great treat for the family!
Hi Zing,
So happy to hear that your brownies turned out delicious! Using additional butter in place of the cream should have helped keep the crust together, but you might have needed a tiny bit more butter if the crust was crumbly. Hope that helps for the future, happy baking!
I think the brownie instructions are wrong. It says to add the eggs to the sugar and mix and then the butter after. Usually it is the other way around, should it be switched? I followed the directions and it is not becoming a smooth texture when the butter is added at the end.
Hi Kellie,
Whisking together the eggs and sugar is what gives the brownies a shiny shell on top! It incorporates some air and helps dissolve the sugar. So the steps in this recipe are very intentional 🙂 If the butter didn’t mix in fully, it may not have been softened enough! I’d recommend letting it sit out slightly longer next time, or heating it up the tiniest bit if your kitchen is cold. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Hey, Chel,
I have already made two batches of this brownies and they are great. They just crack a little around the edges every time I take them out of the oven. Do you take them out of the oven right after they are baked or do you let them cool in the oven and then take them out? Thanks for the answer, Andrea
In I just need extra confirmation. For the crust do you use the entire Oreo cookie with the middle cream part or just the cookie part?!
Yup, the whole cookie, middle and all!
I should give 1 star because they’re just way too addictive. The most amazing Brownies!
Hahaha when I read the first part of this comment I was like oh no!! Then I read the rest and laughed 🙂 Glad to hear you loved this recipe!!