Cream Cheese Stuffed Brownies (Printable)

Fudgy brownies with a luscious cream cheese center for an indulgent, simple sweet treat.

# What You Need:

→ Cream Cheese Filling

01 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
02 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Brownie Cookie Dough

04 - 1 box brownie mix (18-19 oz)
05 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 1/3 cup vegetable oil
08 - 2 tablespoons water
09 - 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Refrigerate for 10 minutes to firm up.
03 - In a large bowl, combine brownie mix and flour. Add eggs, oil, and water; mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips if using.
04 - Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of brownie dough and flatten slightly in your hand.
05 - Place 1 teaspoon of cream cheese filling in the center of each dough disc. Fold dough around filling, pinching to seal and rolling into a ball.
06 - Space stuffed dough balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
07 - Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are set but centers are slightly soft. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They look like you spent hours in the kitchen when they honestly take less time than a Netflix episode.
  • The contrast between fudgy brownie and tangy cream cheese is pure magic, and nobody needs to know how easy they are to make.
  • Brownie mix does the heavy lifting so you can focus on nailing the filling without any complicated mixing.
02 -
  • If your cream cheese filling is too soft, the cookies fall apart when you're trying to seal the dough around it—chilling it really matters, so don't skip that step or try to rush it.
  • That 10 to 12 minute window is crucial; a minute too long and your cream cheese center starts to melt into the brownie instead of staying as its own distinct layer, which is kind of the whole point.
03 -
  • Don't let the cream cheese warm up too much after you remove it from the fridge, or it starts sweating and becomes impossible to work with—keep it in a cool spot while you're assembling the cookies.
  • Rolling the sealed cookie gently between your palms smooths out the pinched seams and makes them look more intentional, plus it ensures the filling stays locked inside.
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