Gluten-Free Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies

Hi Bakers,

If you want to make your gluten-free brownies a bit more exciting, try adding a cream cheese swirl. It requires a few extra steps, but the effort is worth it. Here’s what to expect if you make this recipe: brownies that are deeply fudgy, moist, and flavorful with a cream cheese swirl, adding a bit of tangy cheesecake magic. I hope you make this beautiful and easy dessert. Enjoy ~Carolyn

Cream Cheese Swirl Gluten-Free Brownies

Adapted for gluten-free from King Arthur Flour’s recipe for Fudge Brownies

Makes one 9”x13” pan

Cocoa/Egg mixture

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cups cocoa powder***

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

Flour Mixture

1 1/4 cups Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour (original blend with milk powder)

1/4 cup blanched almond flour

2 teaspoons sweet rice flour

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (reserve 1/4 cup to sprinkle on top)

Butter Mixture

14 tablespoons butter, room temperature

2 1/4 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons applesauce, unsweetened

Cream Cheese Swirl

1 eight-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350F and set the rack in the middle position. Grease a 9”x13” pan or line it with parchment paper.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients except for the chocolate chips and set aside. In a large bowl, mix the cocoa/egg mixture and set aside. This mixture will be very thick. Microwave the butter and granulated sugar together, stirring every 30 seconds until the sugar dissolves a bit and the mixture begins to come together. Do not bring to a boil. Add the applesauce and mix well. Add the butter mixture to the cocoa/egg mixture and stir until completely combined. It will take a lot of mixing since the cocoa mix is very dense. Add the dry ingredients and mix until no dry bits remain. Stir in 3/4 cup of chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the pan and spread it to the edges. Scoop large spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture and drop randomly on top of the brownies. Gently run a butter knife through the top 1” of the brownies and cream cheese, swirling the mixture. Sprinkle with reserved chocolate chips. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center has no uncooked batter on it. Some moist brownie crumbs will coat the skewer, and that’s what you want. Let cool and cut into squares. Enjoy!

*** Today I experimented with three different types of cocoa, but I usually use Hershey’s brand. I used 1 cup Hershey’s, 1/4 cup Ghirardelli Rouge Cocoa Powder, and 1 teaspoon of black Cocoa powder for color.