Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake
This luscious Brownie Cheesecake features cubes of brownies baked right inside the cheesecake filling, an Oreo crumb crust, and a chocolate ganache topping. This is a true showstopper of a dessert that is every bit as delicious as it appears!
The Best Chocolatey Cheesecake You’ll Ever Have
Oh boy, this brownie cheesecake! It first graced my kitchen nearly 14 years ago, and I immediately fell in love. I’ve forever been a die-hard cheesecake fan, and this one totally knocked my socks off. I saw it on Smitten Kitchen and couldn’t wait to make it. And I was just as impressed with it as I thought I’d be.
A lot of time has passed since I originally made this, and I’ve tweaked and altered it a bit to better suit my tastes as they’ve evolved over the years. And I have to say that those adjustments are only for the better, even though the original is still utterly fantastic!
The cheesecake itself has the perfect texture - wonderfully creamy and melts in your mouth. Pair that with the crowd-favorite Oreo crust, a bite of fudgey brownie in every other forkful, and a layer of decadent chocolate ganache … and cheesecake (or life, for that matter) does not get much better than this!
This cheesecake recipe is perfect for special occasions like birthdays or holidays when you’re feeding a crowd because a little sliver really goes a long way. It also freezes beautifully so you can have delicious brownie cheesecake at any given time. I hope this rich brownie cheesecake can provide you with some special memories of your own!
How I Made This Brownie Cheesecake My Own
As I mentioned above, I’ve made a number of changes to the cheesecake recipe since I first posted it all those years ago, but if you prefer the original, you can still find it on Smitten Kitchen. Here’s what I changed:
- The Crust: When I’ve made this in the past, I had an issue with the melted butter pooling out of the pan, so I decreased the butter by half. Problem solved!
- The Brownies: In the original recipe, there was a simple one-bowl brownie recipe. You could totally still use this (or even a box mix!), but since you don’t need the entire recipe of brownies for the cheesecake, I decided to use my favorite all-purpose brownie recipe – the better-than-box-mix brownies. If I have leftovers, I want to love, love, love eating them!
- The Cheesecake: Since I found my very favorite basic cheesecake recipe, I love to use it for every variation I make. I first introduced it here on the site with my Oreo cheesecake, and also used it in the chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake. It’s super creamy and slightly dense and I adore it, so I used it here!
- The Ganache: The original ganache had chocolate, butter, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. I went the super simple route and used the same ganache (although halved) that I poured over the chocolate peanut butter cup overload cake. It sets firm yet soft and goes perfectly with the creamy cheesecake.
Key Ingredients
This recipe is threefold - the cheesecake, the Oreo crumb crust, and the chocolate ganache.
For the vanilla brownie cheesecake filling, you’ll need:
- Full-fat cream cheese (softened to room temperature to keep the cheesecake lump-free)
- White granulated sugar
- All-purpose flour (sifted)
- A pinch of salt
- Heavy whipping cream
- Pure vanilla extract
- Three large eggs + an egg yolk (also at room temperature)
- And the pièce de résistance - your favorite brownies cut into bite-sized cubes
For the Oreo crumb crust, you’ll need: finely ground Oreo cookie crumbs (I like to pulse them in a food processor with the cream filling), white granulated sugar, salt, and melted unsalted butter to hold all of that deliciousness together.
Lastly, for the homemade chocolate ganache, you’ll need: finely chopped dark chocolate (to ensure it melts evenly) and some heavy whipping cream. That’s it!
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How To Make Brownie Cheesecake
After you have gathered your ingredients, preheated your oven, and prepped your bakeware, follow these steps to make this incredible brownie mosaic cheesecake!
- Make the Oreo Crust: Whisk together the Oreo cookie crumbs, sugar, and salt together in a medium-sized bowl. Add the melted butter and, stir with a fork until evenly moistened (resembling soft sand). Press into the bottom and up sides of the prepared springform pan. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling so it hardens.
- Make the Cheesecake: Beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt together in an electric mixer on medium-low speed for 3-4 minutes, or until the mixture is creamy and lump-free. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the heavy cream and vanilla, and beat to combine. Beat in the eggs and the yolk one at a time. Gently fold in the cubed brownies by hand.
- Bake the Cheesecake: Pour the filling into the chilled Oreo crust and spread into an even layer. Place the springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the outer couple inches of cheesecake looks puffed and set, but the center still jiggles when you move the pan, about 40 to 55 minutes. Turn off the oven, crack open the door and leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour. After an hour, remove the cheesecake from the oven, place on a wire cooling rack and run a thin knife around the edge of the cake. Allow to cool completely to room temperature, and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
- Make the Chocolate Ganache: Place the chocolate in a 4-cup measuring cup, and set aside. Place the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and warm until scalded. Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate ,and let the mixture sit for 2 minutes to thoroughly melt the chocolate. Then, whisk to combine. You should have a thick, smooth ganache.
- Add Ganache to Chilled Cheesecake: Pour the ganache evenly over the top of the cheesecake. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the ganache to set.
- Serve: When ready to serve, un-mold the cheesecake and place it on a serving platter. Wipe your knife clean between slices to get a clean, even wedge of cheesecake every time. And, most of all, enjoy!
What To Serve with This Cheesecake
This brownie cheesecake is so incredibly rich on its own, you really only need a tall glass of ice cold milk to serve along with it. But a homemade iced coffee or a warm mug of hot chocolate would also be divine!
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions
- Store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 1 week.
- Freeze whole or in slices for up to 2 months. If you are freezing by the slice, wrap each slice individually to make grabbing one whenever the craving strikes easy.
- Reheat by simply letting it come to temperature in the fridge, or enjoy frozen!
More Cheesecake Recipes To Try
- Oreo Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Red Velvet Cheesecake
- New York Cheesecake
- S’mores Cheesecake
- Chocolate Lovers Cheesecake
- Snickers Cheesecake
- Black Forest Cheesecake
Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Oreo Crumb Crust
- 3 cups (480 g) or 24 cookies finely ground Oreo cookie crumbs
- ⅔ cup (133.33 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the Cheesecake
- 32 ounces (907.19 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup (119 ml) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 cups (228 g) ¾-inch cubes of your favorite brownies
For the Chocolate Ganache
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) dark chocolate, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup (79.33 ml) heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan; set aside.
- Make the Crumb Crust: In a medium bowl, whisk together the Oreo crumbs, sugar, and salt. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until evenly moistened. Press into the bottom and up sides of the prepared springform pan. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
- Make the Cheesecake: Using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour and salt until the mixture is creamy and no lumps of cream cheese remain, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the heavy cream and vanilla and beat to combine. Beat in the eggs and yolk one at a time, beating for about 15 seconds before adding the next. Using a rubber spatula, mix a few times by hand to ensure that all of the ingredients are evenly incorporated. Gently fold in the cubed brownies.
- Pour the filling into the chilled crust and spread into an even layer. Place the springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the outer couple inches of cheesecake looks puffed and set, but the center still jiggles when you move the pan, about 40 to 55 minutes. Turn off the oven, crack open the door and leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour.
- After an hour, remove the cheesecake from the oven, place on a wire cooling rack and run a thin knife around the edge of the cake. Allow to cool completely to room temperature. Once the cheesecake has cooled to room temperature, refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Make the Chocolate Ganache: Place the chocolate in a 4-cup measuring cup; set aside. Place the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and warm until it just comes to a boil. Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Begin whisking the mixture in the center, gradually working your way outward until the ganache is completely smooth. The ganache should be slightly thickened, yet still a pourable consistency. If it is still too thin, let sit at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until it reaches the correct consistency.
- Pour the ganache evenly over the top of the cheesecake. If it’s a little thinner, it will likely spread out on its own; if it is thicker, you may need to use an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the ganache to set.
- When ready to serve, unmold the cheesecake and place it on a serving platter. Leftover cheesecake can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It can also be frozen (whole or in slices) for up to 2 months.
Notes
- Equipment: 9-inch springform pan
- Brownies: You can use your favorite brownie recipe for this (homemade or store-bought); I chose to use my better-than-box-mix brownies.
- Ganache: I like using dark chocolate, but feel free to substitute semisweet if you’d like! I think milk might be too sweet for my taste, but you could certainly try it.
- Storage: Store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 1 week.
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze the whole cheesecake or slices for up to 2 months. If you are freezing by the slice, wrap each slice individually to make grabbing one whenever the craving strikes easy.
- Thawing: If you froze the entire cheesecake, allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Individual slices can be thawed in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
- This recipe was originally published on October 11, 2008.
- Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen.
- Nutritional values are based on one serving.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Photography by Dee Frances.
This sounds like my kind of cheesecake! And what a lovely story. I love how strong food memories can be and how they can take you to a happy place. 😊
This cake is better than sex .
Totally agree- double the Oreo crust. Great recipe:)
Great recipe! I used chocolate graham crackers for the crust instead of Oreos. This cheesecake had the perfect amount of sweetness, the Oreos might have been a little overwhelming for me. Ganache was perfect. I’ve tried so many recipes that were flops, I’m so happy that I gave this one a try. Will certainly make again!
This looks amazing! Can it be frozen? And how far in advance can you make it if it’s not frozen? The unsweetned chocolate is in a bar form right? Thanks so much!!
Hi Yvette, Yes, this can be frozen. If you prefer not to freeze, you could make it up to a couple days in advance of serving it. Unsweetened chocolate is usually found in bar form, yes.
Hi Michelle,
If you make ahead and freeze would you do the entire recipe including the topping or stop before the ganache and do that part before serving?
Hi Carolyn, You can definitely freeze it with the ganache on if you want to get it completely done before freezing! Enjoy!
Hi Michelle,
Absolutely in love with your blog – have tried some of your cakes but this is going to be the first cheesecake – very excited! Quick query – do you usually remove the bottom of the springform pan before serving? If so, how?
Thanks so much,
Tara
Hi Tara, I usually do not remove the bottom. I’ve done it a few times, however, and use this big spatula: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000237LPC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000237LPC&linkCode=as2&tag=broeyebak-20&linkId=5V375VNAYHUARXTW
Thanks a ton Michelle – thats very helpful. :)
Hi, can you explain this to me? I may sound dumb but I’m confused.
“Fold brownie cubes in very gently and pour mixture into prepared pan. Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan. Pour filling into crust and bake in baking pan (to catch drips)”
What do you mean by ‘prepared pan’? Is that the pan which is actually the springform pan with the crust? And then once I’ve filled the springform pan you’re saying to place it in ANOTHER pan? To me it sounds like all you actually need to do is just fill the springform and put it in the oven, but clarification would be grand.
Alex
Hi Alex, So sorry for the confusion! There was a typo in that sentence; you should fill the prepared springform pan with the batter, then it is recommend to bake in either a larger pan or on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. I hope this helps!
Hi Michelle,
I made this for the 2nd time and it was absolutely amazing! I was just wondering, since I doubled the oreo crust (and added 10 tablespoons of butter), would it work if I reduced the butter a little bit next time I make it? Would it make the crust less buttery? I’m having some friends over and wanna make this cheesecake again :) Please let me know your suggestion, if I still double the crust, how many tablespoons of butter shall I add…?
Thanks a lot for this one! I’m soo addicted to your spectacular recipes :)
Hi Ala’a, I would use the amount of butter called for in the recipe; if you use less, the crust could be dry and crumbly, and not stick together.
Just put this in the oven, so excited…but after 15 minutes, i smelt smoke, opened the oven and realised fat was dripping from the bottom of my springform pan, so I’ve had to take it out as I was worried the fat would catch fire. Will the cheesecake come out ok in the end if I put it in the oven again in a few hours? Just until I can clean the fat off the bottom of the oven. Will the eggs and cream cheese mixture will go funny if left in the tin sat on the kitchen top waiting to be cooked again?
Hi Mary-Jane, I would not recommend leaving the cheesecake sit out for hours half-baked and then try to finish it. I don’t think the texture will turn out correctly, unfortunately.
I made this few days ago and it turned out SUPER :) Very delicious unique combination:) Everyone totally loved it! :) I doubled the oreo crust and had a very rich thick cheesecake, THANK YOU Michelle :)
for the next time, I want to make the oreo crust without any sugar, as some people said it’s too sweet for them :S Would it still be ok? I am afraid the crust will easily break once I cut the cheesecake and will end up having it in crumbs…Will appreciate your advise :) <3
Yes, I think you can make the crust without the sugar.
I have just made this cheesecake.
Just had my first taste.
Probably one of the best cheesecakes I have ever made. The oreo base is soooo good, crunchy but not as sweet as I thought it would be, so excellent.
The recipe for the brownies was so simple.
This is a really good recipe.
Thanks so much.
Made this yesterday – we loved it – even my husband, who is not always a fan of too much chocolate. Very creamy, and double crust was definitely a good idea. Have you ever made it as individual (muffin-sized) servings?
Hi Patti, I’ve never made this into muffin cups, but I bet that would be good, too. If you try it let me know how it goes!
They worked brilliantly! I made them as bite-sized mini cupcakes. I cut the brownies up very small and placed one in each cup before filling them up with the cheesecake mixture. I made 4 dozen minis and a small (4-inch) cheesecake and I had enough leftover brownies that I froze them for another time.
Is the ganache supposed to harden right away? I finished the cake two hours ago, but the ganache is still soft
Hi Julie, The ganache doesn’t set rock-hard, it will stay a little soft.
Just a heads up–this person (who has been lifting content from other blogs I read) “borrowed” your text and photo here: http://oodlekadoodleprimitives.blogspot.com/2012/02/valentine-brownie-mosaic-cheesecake.html. She left the shout out to Smitten Kitchen, but somehow forgot to mention you…
I just decided I’m going to make this for my birthday in a few weeks! Thanks for the inspiration. :)
How many people does this feed.Im thinking of making this for a party??!
Hi Stephanie, It depends on how large you cut the pieces, but it’s pretty rich, so I would estimate 12 to 16 servings.
I made this for my dear friend’s 20th birthday party! It was delicious and definitely finished of to the last crumb! Making it again for a get-together tomorrow, and I and my family are prepared for the delicious leftovers haha!
what about a peanut butter chocolate ganache top? i haven’t made this so i don’t know…would that be overkill?
Oh heck no! That sounds awesome, go for it!
I made this a couple months ago and it was a huge hit! I accidently used the entire pan of brownies (which, admittedly, I do remember thinking was a lot. I probably should have re-read the recipe). It didn’t matter though! The cake was so amazing.
Thanks for sharing this delicious dish :)
I made this for Valentine’s Day (we celebrated early). It was beautiful. The crust was GREAT! Overall, it was good. I think I like my cheesecakes creamier. (I am just picky about cheesecake.) The husband liked it, but likes some of the other cheesecakes I have made better. I do like the concept and beauty of the cake though. Next time, I will use a different brownie recipe and a different cheesecake recipe, but I will NOT change the crust. Thank you for the idea!
Im so excited to make this for valentines day! I have mini heart spring form pans (about 4″). Do you have any recommendations regarding cook time or temp, for the smaller pans? Thanks do much!
Hi Beth, Keep the same temperature, but you won’t need to cook them as long. I haven’t done mini, but I would start checking about a quarter of the way through the full cooking time.
Oh my gosh!! I also made this as a birthday cake and it is just so SO good. The oreo crust is just unreal!!! The whole cake really is exactly as you’ve described it. Thanks for sharing!
I’m planing on making this wonderful cake for new years eve. And I was wondering if it would be better to chill the cake over night or could I make it in the morning and serve in the evening?
A big thank you for all your great recipes :) – from Germany ;)
Hi Melanie, You definitely want to chill the cake overnight. Happy New Year!
oh. my. god. this was my first attempt at cheesecake and it turned out wonderfully. the brownies were chewy, the (double) crust was perfect and the cheesecake was creamy and decadent. my boyfriend is a cheesecake freak and he loved it! this is the third or fourth recipe of yours i’ve tried, and you’ve never let me down. thank you thank you thank you!!!
Halved d cheesecake part n it ws yumm!! Evry1 luvd it thnku xx :)
This looks delicious…And i will certainly make this for this weekend i hope it will looks so good like yours.
initially it was more like a custard. But after letting it set in the fridge over night, it seems to be more dense and think and creamy. I still feel like i didnt cook it enough, when i took it out of oven, after cooling a bit, it “fell” or sunk in. Is this normal?
That can definitely happen with cheesecakes, they will settle down a little as they chill.
ok I made it, but I don’t think I let it cook enough. took it out at said time, but now that it’s cooled, its just not thick and creamy. Seems the center needed to be cooked a bit longer…trial and error.
I am going to make this today. First attempt ever at cheesecake. I made the brownies yesterday (first time making brownies from scratch!) I wanted to know if I am suppose to use just the cookie part of the oreo or do I crush entire cookie, filling and all? I can’t wait until I am stuffing my face with this.
When I made it, I used the whole Oreo (filling & all) & it was delicious!
Yes, definitely the whole Oreo!
This is an absolutely beautiful dessert! It looks yumptious. I would like to make it today, but need to know if a 9″ springform pan will work, since the recipe calls for a 10″ one. Looking forward to your reply.
Hi Veronica, Yes you can make it in a 9″ pan.