Description
Delight in these luscious Heart Shaped Brownies featuring a rich chocolate base swirled with creamy cheesecake and tangy raspberry sauce. Perfectly moist and beautifully presented, they make an ideal Valentine’s Day treat or special dessert to share.
Ingredients
Scale
Raspberry Sauce
- 1 cup raspberries (fresh or thawed frozen)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cheesecake Layer
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Brownie Batter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free blend)
- ¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp refined coconut oil or neutral oil
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
Instructions
- Make Raspberry Sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, simmer raspberries, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract for 8 minutes until thickened. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds and set aside to cool.
- Prepare Cheesecake Mixture: Beat cream cheese and ⅓ cup sugar together until smooth and creamy. Add the egg and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, mixing well until fully combined and smooth.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together flour, sifted cocoa powder, and salt until evenly blended.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk coconut oil, 1 ½ cups sugar, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Form Brownie Batter: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir just until combined to form the brownie batter. Avoid overmixing.
- Assemble Brownies: Line an appropriate baking pan with parchment paper. Spread the brownie batter evenly in the pan. Pour the cheesecake mixture over the brownie batter, then spoon the raspberry sauce over the cheesecake layer. Using a skewer or toothpick, gently swirl the raspberry sauce into the cheesecake for a marbled effect.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake the assembled brownies for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool and Chill: Allow brownies to cool completely at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours to set the cheesecake layer and raspberry swirl.
- Cut and Serve: Remove from the pan and cut into heart shapes using a cookie cutter. Serve chilled or at room temperature for a delightful dessert experience.
Notes
- Use room-temperature cream cheese and eggs for the smoothest cheesecake layer texture.
- Straining the raspberry sauce removes seeds, giving a silky mouthfeel in the final dessert.
- Allow the brownies to chill fully before cutting to maintain clean heart shapes without crumbling.
- Neutral oil or refined coconut oil ensures a subtle flavor and fudgy texture without coconut taste.
- For gluten-free variation, substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend of equal measure.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 heart (approx. 80 g)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 32 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
