Easter Brownie Bars are a layer of fudgy brownies topped and baked with a colorful cheesecake layer. It is a simple combination of brownie and cheesecake, but made fun with some Easter-inspired colors! If this sounds delicious to you, be sure to try my Brownie Bottom Cheesecake.
Easter Brownie Bars
You can never have too many brownie or cheesecake desserts. So, why not put them both together for another decadent dessert? I used the brownie recipe from my French Silk Brownies. Then, I topped the brownies with a cheesecake topping that has a collage of bright and springtime colors, perfect for Easter!
Bars Ingredients
There are two sweet treats in this one dessert–the brownies and the cheesecake. Both are delicious on their own, but you can have your cheesecake and eat the brownies, too!
Room Temperature Ingredients: Using room temperature ingredients (specifically butter, eggs, and cream cheese) will help you get the best results when baking this dessert.
Cocoa: Use Dutch-process cocoa in the brownies. It gives them a richer taste and a more velvety texture. And, the quality of the cocoa does matter.
Food Coloring: There are a variety of food coloring options out there, from liquid to gel and paste. Choose the colors you want to use for this dessert, as well as the food coloring. Just be aware that you will not need as much gel or paste as the liquid form since those are much more concentrated.
How to Store Easter Brownies
Store any leftover cheesecake bars in the refrigerator, covered, for up to five days. If you still want to save some of the cheesecake bars, store them in the freezer for up to three months. To store in the freezer:
- Let the bars cool completely.
- Remove the bars from the pan and place them on a plate (cut or uncut). Put the bars (uncovered) in the freezer for about an hour.
- After the hour in the freezer, remove the brownie bars and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap.
- Place the wrapped brownie bars into a zipped freezer bag or wrap it in aluminum foil. Be sure to label and date the container!
More Brownie Recipes
Easter Brownies
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1½ cups (186 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (42 g) Dutch-process cocoa
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks / 170 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cheesecake Layer
- 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 4 colors food coloring, or gel
Instructions
Brownies
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray, GOOP, or line it with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together ingredients until they are fully incorporated.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl using a hand-held mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla until smooth.
- With the mixer off, add in the flour mixture. Turn mixer on low and mix until ingredients are well combined.
- Pour brownies into the prepared baking dish and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the brownings are just starting to set. (They will not be cooked through).
Cheesecake
- While brownies are baking, prepare the cheesecake layer. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, sugar, and egg on medium-high speed until smooth.
- Pour batter equally into 4 bowls.
- To each bowl add 2-3 drops of food coloring, or enough to reach your desired color in each bowl.
- Sporadically spoon/dollop the different colors of cheesecake onto the warm brownies. You will have a collage of colors on top of the brownies.
- Bake again for 28-30 minutes, or until the cheesecake is set. When the cheesecake is done the edges will be slightly pulled in and golden brown and the center will still jiggle slightly.
- Allow the cheesecake to come to room temperature and then transfer it to the refrigerator to chill for 3-4 hours.
- Enjoy! Store the bars, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
That’s a great recipe!
Dear Amanda, I made these wonderful Easter Brownies, they turned out very indulging and super delicious. However, I had a bit of a problem cutting them and taking them out of the form since they were quite sticky, and the cheesecake layer was quite soft. Any advice on how I can do it more effectively?
Hi! Glad you enjoyed them. You can try cutting them chilled or with a plastic knife! 🙂