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–+ servings
Photo of a heart-shaped brownie with a swirled cheesecake batter and a simple raspberry sauce.

Heart-shaped Brownies

Author Erin Dooner
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 brownies
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
These heart-shaped brownies are easy to make, topped with creamy cheesecake and a swirl of raspberry sauce — homemade or store-bought. They’re extra fudgy and can be made with all-purpose, whole wheat, or gluten-free flour.

Ingredients

Raspberry sauce:

  • 1 cup (125 grams) raspberries fresh or frozen defrosted
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cheesecake topping:

  • 8 ounces (225 grams) cream cheese room temp
  • 1/3 cup (66 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg 50 grams out of shell, room temp
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Brownies:

  • 1 cup (125 grams) flour see notes
  • 3/4 cup (86 grams) cocoa powder sifted, I use Dutch-process
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (196 grams) oil see notes
  • 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs 50 grams each out of shell, room temperature

Instructions

Raspberry sauce:

  • Add all raspberry sauce ingredients to a small saucepan over medium heat.
    1 cup (125 grams) raspberries, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Simmer for about 5-8 minutes or until thickened and syrupy and it coats the back of a spoon. It shouldn’t be as thick as jam. You’ll get about 1/3 cup.
  • Set a food mill or a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and strain the seeds.

Cheesecake filling:

  • In a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together at medium speed and then high speed until well combined.
    8 ounces (225 grams) cream cheese, 1/3 cup (66 grams) granulated sugar
  • Beat in the egg and vanilla on low until well combined.
    1 large egg, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Brownies:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and line an 8"×8" (20cmx20cm) pan with parchment paper.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.
    1 cup (125 grams) flour, 3/4 cup (86 grams) cocoa powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • In a large mixing bowl, stir together oil, sugar, and vanilla extract.
    3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (196 grams) oil, 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • Once combined, add the eggs one at a time and stir just until combined.
    3 large eggs
  • Add the dry mixture to the wet and stir just until almost no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix!
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
  • Spread the cream cheese topping over the top.
  • Dollop spoonfuls of raspberry sauce over the top and use a skewer (or whatever tool you like) to create swirls.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes. The brownies will jiggle a bit when you remove them from the oven, but when you see that just the middle is super jiggly, they’re not done yet.
  • Remove to a wire rack to cool completely and then chill for 2 hours or until chilled through. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out hearts.
  • Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Notes

  • If you live outside of the US – to make something similar to US cream cheese, for 8 ounces (225 grams) of cream cheese, buy a 300-gram package of European cheese cream (the stuff at Aldi, Lidl, etc. works just as well as Philadelphia), put it in the center of a clean tea towel or cheesecloth, and squeeze out the liquid until you have 225 grams of cream cheese.
  • For a gluten-free version, you can use 1 cup (158 grams) teff flour, or 1 cup (125 grams) light buckwheat flour (is buckwheat gluten-free?)or 1 cup (138 grams) Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-free Baking Flour, or 1 cup (125 grams) King Arthur Flour Gluten-free Measure for Measure Flour (or a similar mix that's meant as a direct sub for all-purpose flour.)
  • If using coconut oil, I prefer refined coconut oil over unrefined as refined has zero coconut taste to it. You also need to melt it first. It's what I used in the photos and always use for this brownie base. But I've tested other oils and they also work. Using olive oil would give you a strong olive flavor, so I don't recommend that for these brownies.
  • The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 421kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 5gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 131mgPotassium: 156mgFiber: 3gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 336IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 38mgIron: 2mgNet Carbs: 42
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