Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies (Vegan Gluten-Free)

These have a rich chocolatey brownie base with a tangy creamy cheesecake layer all swirled with a homemade raspberry chia seed jam. Top these vegan and gluten-free Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies with chocolate chips for the best brownie experience.

We all love brownies, and we all love cheesecake so why not combine them into one delicious bake? After my Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies last year, cheesecake brownies have been near the top of my to-bake list for some time now and finally, there they are. The wait was certainly worth it.

What are these Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies like?

These really are delicious, and I hope you are going to love them. They are:

• Rich and fudgy
• Chocolatey and sweet
• Fresh and fruity
• Melt-in-your-mouth delicious
• Packed with fresh raspberries
• High in fibre with added wholefoods
• Naturally vegan, easily gluten-free and nut-free

I hope you are already a fan of these brownies, so skip ahead to the recipe card, or first, let’s talk about the ingredients and method in more detail.

What ingredients do I need?

For the cheesecake layer:

• Vegan cream cheese: there are quite a few available now in the UK, so opt for your favourite (mine is from NUSH).
• Dairy-free yoghurt: this needs to be thick in order for the cheesecake layer to set properly. My favourite is coconut yoghurt or a dairy-free Greek-style yoghurt, although if you cannot find any, you could swap this for more vegan cream cheese.
• Almond butter: or another nut or seed butter. The important thing is that the nut/seed butter is smooth and runny. I get mind from Koro as they are always amazing (Nourishing5 saves you 5%).
• Caster sugar: I kept to white caster sugar for the colour of the cheesecake but other sugars like golden caster, coconut or light brown sugar will also work.
• Cornstarch: a lot of non-vegan cheesecake brownies use eggs, so this is our egg replacer as it thickens and binds the mix to the perfect texture. Arrow root powder/starch will also work.
• Vanilla essence: for the flavour.

For the raspberry chia jam:

• Raspberries: fresh is best although frozen will also work. If you are using frozen, I suggest warming them in a pan first with a splash of water to de-frost the berries and then mashing with a fork and then adding the chia seeds and vanilla.
• Chia seeds: these are so magic as they absorb all the liquid from the raspberries making it a thick and juicy jam. White chia seeds are best here for the colour but black chia seeds will also be great.
• Vanilla essence: for the flavour.

For the brownie base:

• Ground chia or flaxseeds: for the brownies it is best to have ground chia seeds (or flaxseed also known as linseeds) to mix with water to form a gel. This gel acts as an egg would act, binding the batter.
• Dark chocolate: the tastier the chocolate, the better the Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies as this adds a lot of the flavour. Melt the chocolate down to make these brownies really delicious and rich.
• Vegan butter: melt the butter with the chocolate above to make a wet mix for the batter. The block of butter is better here.
• Flour: I used wholewheat flour for this recipe as shown as I was promoting “Fibre February” but other flours will also work like plain white flour or a gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum to help bind the mix.
• Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda: for the rise. These do rise in the oven so make sure your dish has high sides.
• Caster sugar: for the lovely shine and texture on top of the brownies, caster sugar is best but you could swap this for coconut or golden caster sugar.
• Salt: to enhance the flavours.
• Plant based milk: just a splash to make the brownie batter the correct consistency. I like oat or almond to bake with, but any carton of milk will be good here. It is important to warm the milk to avoid extreme temperature differences as the chocolate is so warm – otherwise the mix could seize up and ruin.
• Vanilla essence: again for the lovely vanilla flavour.
• Chocolate chips: for the final layer on these Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies, a sprinkling of chocolate chips. Use any dairy-free chocolate either in chips or chopped up on top.

A note on egg replacers.

This recipe calls for two types of egg replacer and they both work in different ways. The cornstarch or arrowroot powder acts as a thickener and stabiliser for the cheesecake mix and the brownies use a chia or flax seed egg to help bind the mix and keep it moist. I would not recommend swapping these “eggs” around although some people like to use aquafaba eggs (3 tbsp of the water from a tin of chickpeas per “egg”) but I have not tried this here.

How do I make these delicious brownies?

The method is quite simple and comes together in three main stages:

• Make the cheesecake layer: stir together all the ingredients until smooth. If your cream cheese is firm, beat it first to soften the mix.
• Make the chia jam: mash the raspberries and then add the chia seeds and vanilla and let it sit to thicken up.
• Start the brownie batter: firstly make the chia or flax egg by stirring the ground up seeds with water.
• Melt the chocolate and butter: until silky and glossy.
• Stir together the dry ingredients: to mix them up.
• Warm the milk: just slightly to avoid the cold milk meeting the hot chocolate and seizing up. You can do this in a saucepan or the microwave until lukewarm.
• Pour the chocolate, chia egg, milk and vanilla into the dry mix: and whisk until silky smooth. The mix will be quite thick and glossy.
• Prepare the brownie tin: with grease proof paper or baking parchment, making sure the edges overhang as the brownies rise.
• Lay ¾ of the brownie mix in the dish: and spread out evenly.
• Cover with the cheesecake: and spread out to make an even layer.
• Spoon over the raspberry chia jam: to mostly cover the cheesecake.
• Add on the rest of the brownie mix: using a spoon.
• Use a blunt knife or the handle of a spoon to swirl the mix: just through the cheesecake, raspberry and top brownie layer. This makes the lovely patterns and mixes it all together.
• Sprinkle over the chocolate chips: and pop into the oven.
• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes: until an inserted skewer is almost clean, if it is too clean, the brownies will be over-baked. They will be tender in the middle but firmer at the edges.
• Allow the brownies to cool: this step is important to keep the brownies in shape so do be patient.
• Slice and enjoy: once sliced, these are ready to eat!

Are these brownies gluten-free and nut-free?

To keep these brownies gluten-free, use your favourite 1:1 baking gluten-free flour blend. For a nut-free option, swap the nut butter to a seed butter like tahini or sunflower seed butter. Check the labels on the cream cheese, yoghurt, plant milk and chocolate for gluten and/or nuts.

How long will these Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies keep?

It is best to keep these brownies in the fridge in a sealed container as they are fresh where they will keep for 3 to 5 days and you can also freeze them, once cooled, for 2 to 4 weeks in a sealed container.

Can I warm these up?

To enjoy a warm fudgy brownie, pop a brownie in the microwave for 10 second intervals until warmed through or back in the oven at 160Fan/180*C for 5 minutes or until warm in the middle.

I love chocolate, what other recipes can I make?

I hope you will love these Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies and for more ideas, how about my:

• Chocolate Salted Caramel Blondies
• Vegan Chocolate Brownie Skillet for 2
• Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins
• Hot Chocolate Banana Bread
• Easy Vegan Chocolate Tiffins

I look forward to hearing what you think of these Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies so please let me know in the comments below. If you do make them, I would love to see the brownies so please tag me in them, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With choco-raspberry cheesecake brownie love x

p.s. this recipe was originally made in celebration of Fab Flour’s Fibre February campaign although this blog post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own.