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Halloween Cream Cheese Brownies

Take a break from all the candy and indulge in these cream cheese swirled brownies in traditional Halloween colors. These brownies come together quickly, are super chewy and moist and will surely get you in the Halloween spirit for the day!

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Ingredients

Brownie Batter

  • 1/3 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 1/2 cup Boiling water
  • 1/4 cup Semisweet chocolate chips
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) Unsalted butter, melted
  • 2/3 cup Vegetable oil
  • 2 Large eggs
  • 2 Large egg yolks
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups Domino® Golden Sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups All-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Cream Cheese Swirl

  • 8 ounces Cream cheese, room temperature

  • 1/4 cup Domino® Golden Sugar
  • 1 Large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 8-10 drops Orange gel food coloring
  • Optional - Candy Eyeballs
  • Optional - Halloween sprinkles
  • Optional - Small amount of frosting or decorating icing to "glue" eyeballs

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Instructions
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Prep Time: 15 minutes / Cook Time: 25 minutes / Yields: 15 brownies

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Line a 13 by 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside

Step 2

Whisk cocoa powder and boiling water together in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add chocolate chips and whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in melted butter and oil. (Mixture may look curdled.) Add eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth and well combined. Whisk in Domino® Golden Sugar until fully incorporated. Add flour and salt and mix with rubber spatula until combined

Step 3

Scrape batter into prepared pan, reserving ¼ cup to swirl on top with the cream cheese mixture

Step 4

Set aside while you prepare the cream cheese mixture

Step 5

Combine cream cheese and Domino® Golden Sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Use a stand mixer or hand mixer to beat until smooth and creamy. Stir in egg and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined. Add 8-10 drops of orange gel food coloring and mix until evenly combined

Step 6

Dollop the cream cheese mixture over prepared brownie batter then dollop reserved ¼ cup of brownie batter to fill in some of the spaces next to the cream cheese dollops. Use a knife to gently swirl the brownie and cream cheese mixture together, being careful not to swirl too much as the swirl pattern will get muddled

Step 7

Dollop the cream cheese mixture over prepared brownie batter then dollop reserved ¼ cup of brownie batter to fill in some of the spaces next to the cream cheese dollops. Use a knife to gently swirl the brownie and cream cheese mixture together, being careful not to swirl too much as the swirl pattern will get muddled

Step 8

Allow the brownies to cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire cooling rack. Using parchment paper overhang, lift brownies from the pan. Return brownies to the wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour

Step 9

Optional: Decorate brownies with candy eyeballs by sprinkling them on top of the brownies or sticking them to the brownies using a small amount of frosting or decorating icing dabbed on the back and pressing them gently onto the brownies. Sprinkle with festive Halloween sprinkles

Step 10

Cut into squares and serve

Additional Tip
  • Start out just a few drops of orange food coloring and add more, 1-2 drops at a time, until desired color is reached. Adding too much at once could result in an undesirable color and there’s no going back
  • Be careful not to over-bake your brownies. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick directly in the center. There should be just a few crumbs stuck to the toothpick and no raw batter. Over-baking will lead to cakey or rubbery brownies vs chewy brownies
  • I recommend using a metal baking pan vs a glass pan. Glass retains heat very well and the brownies will continue baking in the pan for a while after they are removed from the oven, potentially leading to over-baking. If using a glass baking dish, remove the brownies from the oven 5 minutes before the bake time called for in the recipe.
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Kimberlee Ho

Meet the Chef:

Kimberlee Ho

@kickassbaker

Kim is the blogger behind Kickass Baker. She is a home baker, wife, mom of two beautiful girls, and an active seeker of a life in balance. Kim shares approachable baking recipes and tips for busy families like her own. Follow along at kickassbaker.com!