Take plain box mix brownies to the next level with my Best Ever Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirl Brownies! These easy and delicious Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Brownies are made with a simple fudge brownie mix, and feature swirls of creamy peanut butter and sweet cheesecake for the best peanut butter brownies with box mix you’ll ever eat!
Best Ever Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
Hey everyone!
If you love peanut butter, chocolatey fudge brownies, and cheesecake, then today’s dessert recipe is for you!
Today I’m so excited to share a delicious recipe I created in partnership with Save-A-Lot: Easy Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies.
These peanut butter swirl brownies are absolutely delicious and the perfect dessert choice for when you don’t have time to make something from scratch.
That’s right – these Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Brownies are made quick and easy with a simple boxed brownie mix and they’re mine and my family’s absolute favorite way to make a store-bought brownie mix taste even better.
If you want to learn how to make these Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies with Brownie Mix, then keep reading below and check out my full video tutorial over here.
Don’t forget to subscribe to my Youtube channel here for weekly recipes!
Cheesecake Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies
If you’re anything like me, you probably love a good boxed brownie mix.
There’s nothing better than a batch of warm, fudgy brownies fresh out of the oven, am I right?
But sometimes you might wonder…
Can you add anything to brownies to make them better?
or maybe you ask yourself…
How can I spice up my brownie mix?
Thankfully, the answer is YES, you can definitely add ingredients to make boxed brownies better, and I have the perfect easy recipe for you!
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies
Reasons you’ll love Cream Cheese Peanut Butter Brownies…
With just a simple and quick addition of peanut butter and cream cheese, you can instantly take your boxed brownie mix to a whole other level of deliciousness.
While boxed fudge brownies alone taste good, the wow factor to these peanut butter swirl brownies happens once you add in the sweet peanut butter cheesecake mixture.
All the flavors go together perfectly and you’ll be tempted to keep grabbing another brownie bar (or two).
And I mean have you really ever met a more perfect flavor combo than chocolate, peanut butter, and cheesecake?!
It’s a match made in dessert heaven!
And aside from being delicious, these peanut butter swirl brownies are absolutely beautiful and perfect for impressing your guests!
I mean is there really anything prettier than a nice fudge marble effect?
3 Tips for Making The Best Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies
Before diving into the actual recipe, I first wanted to share 3 of my best tips for making these cheesecake swirl brownies.
1. Use milk instead of water
Most boxed brownie mixes will instruct you to use water in your batter, but my favorite little trick for making my brownies more fudgy, is to substitute the water for milk.
Bonus points if you use chocolate milk. 🙂
2. Don’t overmix the batter
Overmixed batter = dry brownies.
Avoid overmixing, and instead stir until just combined.
I personally like to use my electric hand mixer until there’s a little bit of dry batter showing, then switch to stirring by hand, so that I avoid overmixing.
This way the brownies turn out super moist and fudgy.
3. Don’t overbake your brownies
Bake and check your brownies at the lowest recommended time and remove when they are still ever so slightly gooey in the middle.
They will continue to cook while they cool, resulting in a delicious fudge-like brownie.
P.S. If you have a new oven or really old oven, make sure you use an oven thermometer to ensure you’re baking at the proper temp and/or adjust baking time as needed.
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies FAQ’s
What brownie mix do you use/recommend?
You can use any brand and type of brownies for this recipe, but I would personally recommend fudge brownie mixes for the best results.
Here are my favorites from each brownie brand:
- Fudge Betty Crocker Brownie Mix
- Chewy Fudge Duncan Hines Brownie Mix
- Chocolate Supreme Ghirardelli Brownie Mix
Prefer homemade? Make this with my Best Fudge Cocoa Brownie Recipe. They are THE BEST fudgy brownies ever!
What makes brownies more moist?
Using milk instead of water will make your brownies moist and fudge-like.
You can also switch to using only egg yolks in your brownies which increases the fat content, making them fudgier.
Can you use milk instead of water in brownies?
Yes, and I totally recommend it! You can use milk, chocolate milk, or even heavy whipping cream.
What is the key to fudgy brownies?
The key to fudgy brownies is not overmixing your batter and avoiding overbaking your brownies.
Can I add peanut butter to brownie mix?
Yes, adding peanut butter is a delicious way to make boxed brownies taste better.
Try my Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies for another delicious peanut butter brownie.
How do I make creamy cheesecake in brownies?
For creamy cheesecake swirls in these brownies, you want to make sure you use softened cream cheese.
I recommend letting your cream cheese come to room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
How do I create pretty swirls in peanut butter cheesecake brownies?
To create a beautiful marbled swirl effect on your brownies, simply take a knife and draw vertical lines across your batter, followed by horizontal lines.
If you want it even more mixed up, you can also do small swirling motions like in the photo below, but when it comes to a swirl look, less is more.
Do you have more brownie recipes?
Yes, check out more delicious and easy brownie recipes below!
- Best Fudgy Cocoa Brownies (Homemade)
- Easy Cookies & Cream Brownies
- Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies
- Easy Fudge S’mores Brownies
- Easy Chocolate Chip Brookies
- Easy Oreo Brownie Trifle
How to Make Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies
The base of this recipe of course starts with a simple fudge brownie mix.
You can use any brand, but my personal favorite is Betty Crocker Fudge.
I’ve also included a list of all the ingredients and kitchen tools used below.
Ingredients Needed:
- Box Fudge Brownie Mix
- Eggs
- Oil
- Milk (or water)
- Cream Cheese
- Creamy Peanut Butter
- Granulated Sugar
- Flour
- Vanilla Extract
- Salt
Tools for Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Brownies:
- 9×13 Baking Dish
- Large Glass Mixing Bowl
- Electric Hand Mixer
- Rubber Spatula
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Cookie Scoop
- Knife – This knife is my go-to for cutting brownies and bars mess-free!
- Cooling Rack
To make these peanut butter cheesecake brownies, first prepare your box brownie mix batter as directed in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
In a medium size mixing bowl, prepare your peanut butter cheesecake swirl mixture by beating cream cheese with an electric hand mixer for 1 minute or until smooth.
Next add in peanut butter and continue mixing until smooth. Add in other ingredients to include sugar, egg, flour, and vanilla and mix until combined and creamy.
Once you’ve made both your mixtures, pour all but 1/2 cup of brownie mixture into a greased 9×13 glass baking dish.
Next add your peanut butter cheesecake mixture on top of the brownie batter and spread evenly.
Use a cookie scoop and top with the remaining brownie batter in various spots.
To create a beautiful marbled swirl effect on your brownies, simply take a knife and draw vertical lines across your batter, followed by horizontal lines.
If you want it even more mixed up, you can also do small swirling motions to give it a super pretty effect, but when it comes to a swirl look, less is sometimes more.
Once your brownies are swirled nicely, bake in the oven until brownies are fully baked.
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirl Brownies Printable Recipe & Video
PrintPeanut Butter Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
Take plain box mix brownies to the next level with my Best Ever Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirl Brownies! These easy and delicious Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Brownies are made with a simple fudge brownie mix, and feature swirls of creamy peanut butter and sweet cheesecake for the best peanut butter brownies with box mix you’ll ever eat!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 20 brownies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Brownie Batter
- 1 box brownie mix (I recommend milk chocolate or fudge)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup oil (canola or vegetable)
- 3 tablespoons water or milk (I always use milk to make my brownies creamier/fudgy)
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirl
- 8 oz cream cheese (I recommend full fat or 1/3 fat)
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt (I use fine sea salt)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or as directed on brownies).
- First prepare your brownie batter by combining brownie mix, eggs, oil, and milk (or water) in a large mixing bowl. Use an electric hand mixer and mix on medium speed until there’s still a little bit of dry brownie mix showing. Switch to stirring together by hand and gently stir until just combined, avoiding overmixing. Set aside.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, prepare your peanut butter cheesecake swirl mixture by beating cream cheese with an electric hand mixer for 1 minute or until smooth.
- Add in egg, sugar, flour, vanilla, and salt and mix until well combined and creamy.
- Next pour all but 1/2 cup of brownie batter into a 9×13 glass baking dish that has been well coated with non-stick cooking spray.
- Spoon peanut butter cream cheese mixture in dollops on top of the brownie mixture and lightly spread.
- Use a cookie scoop and top with the remaining brownie batter in various spots.
- Use a knife and begin swirling the batter drawing vertical and horizontal lines. If you want it even more mixed up, you can also do small swirling motions to give it a super pretty effect, but avoid overmixing so that you don’t lose your swirls.
- Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Once fully baked, remove from oven and let brownies cool before cutting into bars with this knife.
Notes
Store leftover brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week
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More Dessert Recipes You’ll Love:
- Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars
- Skinny Cheesecake Swirl Brownie Muffins
- Triple Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
- Mom’s Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Save-A-Lot and contains affiliate links. All opinions are 100% mine.
So next time you’re craving some boxed brownies, I hope you’ll give my Best Ever Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies a try!
These peanut butter cream cheese brownies with brownie mix are epically good, super easy to make, and are sure to be loved by everyone who tries them!
Would you or someone you know love these peanut butter swirl brownies? Let me know in the comments below!
Thanks for stopping by! – Cara
Pin Me For Later
This was great! My favorite flavors all in one 🙂
Can you use AP flour instead of self-rising ??
Yes, you can. You’ll just have to add baking soda and salt too. 🙂
How much baking soda and salt ? All recipes I see are for a cup of flour
Hi Melissa – you don’t need them for this recipe. Hope you’ll give them a try! 🙂
Can these be frozen?
I’ve personally never frozen them, but I’m sure you could as long as it’s in an airtight container or freezer bag. 🙂
We made these last night and they were AMAZING! Really, one of the best brownies I have ever had.
Aw, yay! I’m so glad to hear you loved them! 🙂
Looks great. Not sure if I needed an egg added to peanut butter mixture. So I didn’t. Hope they work out
Thanks! Enjoy them! 🙂
Do I add an egg to the cream cheese mixture? It looks like the directions say to, but I don’t see it in the ingredient list. Thanks- Katy
Yes-you do. I accidentally left it off the ingredients list- just fixed. Hope you enjoy them! 🙂
These look so pretty and delicious! Must bake soon!
Thanks Michelle! They are definitely one of our new favorite treats! 🙂
these look SOOOOO yummy!
Thank-you! They are my new favorite!
Oh, WOW! They look so delicious!
I really suck at baking brownies. I’m good at pretty much everything else when it comes to baking, except brownies.
Thank-you! You should give these a try- they’re not hard at all! 🙂
Oh wow, these look delicious! Definitely going to have to try these! = Jennifer | https://maunelegacy.com
Thank-you! They are the perfect treat! 🙂
GIRL I am sitting here drooooooling like a fool – these look phenomenal!!!
Thanks Erica! They were divine! 🙂
WOW!! These look AMAZING. All of my favorite flavors in one dessert. Sign me up!
Thank-you! Mine too- you can’t beat the flavor combo! 🙂
Making me so hungry for these right now! They look delicious!
Thank-you! They taste so good!
These look SO yummy!!! I’ll have to try and make these!! My hubby and I just made cookie brownies and we’re addicted to all things brownie now haha!!
Thank-you! I bet you’d love them then! I’m a huge fan of Brookies too. 🙂
Oh wow, these look like a real treat! I love peanut butter desserts; I’ll have to try this out. 🙂
Thanks Victoria! They were delicious. 🙂
These look too good to be true! The photos are great so I can only imagine how wonderful they taste. I love brownies SO much!
Beth || http://www.TheStyleBouquet.com
Thank-you! They truly were delicious and went fast in our house lol.
Oh my goodness – YUM! These look and sound so incredible. My roommate is OBSESSED with peanut butter recipes, and we’re both huge fans of cheesecake. I can’t wait to share this recipe with her.
Thank-you! Sounds like you all need a baking day soon! 😉
YUM!! I am a HUGE fan of peanut butter and brownies — so I must try these!
Me too. I think you’d really like them, Lily! 🙂
Oh my goodness these look so yummy. I love anything peanut butter.
Thanks Tiffany! I do too and these are at a whole other level of goodness. 🙂
Swirly and Sensational. My boys would be all about these yummy brownies!
Gotta love the pretty swirls. 🙂
These look so delicious. My husband would love them! What a great flavor combo.
Looks great. Can’t wait to eat some.
Thank-you! You all would love them!
Thank-you! It really is the perfect combo! 🙂