Cream Cheese Brownie Recipe with Strawberries (2024)

FAQs

Can you leave cream cheese brownies out overnight? ›

Items like cheesecake with a large amount of cream cheese, should be refrigerated, but because these brownies use so little, the flour and sugar absorb any excess moisture—this means you can hold the brownies at room temperature in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.

For an easy boost to your boxed brownie mix, sprinkle in about a half cup of add-ins to give brownie batter a personal touch. Although nuts, chocolate and peanut butter chips, and mini marshmallows are easy wins here, this method invites creativity, and the options are truly limitless.

One change is to use milk or heavy cream instead of water. This change will make brownies more moist and gooey since milk is more fatty and flavorful than water. A second change is to use butter instead of oil. For similar reasons to using milk, butter adds a rich and more decadent quality to the batter.

Swap Fats. For a subtle upgrade, swap out the called-for vegetable oil with an equivalent amount of melted butter or coconut oil. The results are so incredibly rich and fudgy, they'll fool even the most die-hard of brownie snobs into thinking these are scratch-made.

Fillings and toppings should be kept refrigerated." It also states, "Dessert containing cream cheese, whether baked or unbaked, should be covered and stored in the refrigerator. Use within 5 days."

Brownies don't need to be refrigerated, but they'll hold up a few more days if they are. Unless your brownies include more perishable ingredients like fresh fruit or cream cheese frosting, they'll be fine at room temperature as long as they're stored in an airtight container.

If you opt to add more eggs, say double the amount, something interesting happens. Even though you are adding more moisture, the air bubbles that you catch in the extra eggs add volume, which decreases the density of your final product. This makes your brownies rise and gives them a much more cake-like texture.

Crushed potato chips, pretzels, and salted nuts stirred in or sprinkled on before baking can add textural interest, plus a little savoriness that can make the rich chocolate flavor more pronounced. A shower of sea salt or flaky salt like Maldon over baked brownies before slicing makes for a dramatic, sparkly finish.

Fresh or Frozen Fruit

My favorite is to chop up strawberries really small and add them to the brownie batter.

Add nuts – Add a handful of finely chopped pecans or walnuts if you love brownies with nuts. Add mix ins – Jazz up a basic brownie mix with chopped mini peanut butter cups, white chocolate chunks, or your favorite chopped up candy bar. Add a swirl – Swirl in spoonfuls of peanut butter or Nutella before baking.

What does adding milk instead of water do to brownies? ›

Brownie recipes traditionally call for water as it serves as a neutral liquid that hydrates the dry ingredients. However, using milk instead of water can impart a creamier texture and richer flavor to your brownies. The milk's fat content adds a smoothness that water cannot provide, resulting in a more indulgent treat.

Add an extra egg yolk to make the brownies a little richer. Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Add 1/2 cup peppermint pieces.

In general, when a brownie is left uncut and stored in an airtight container, it will remain fresh for five days at room temperature. A pre-cut brownie stored in an airtight container will only stay fresh for 2-3 days.

Test Kitchen Tip

When you have cheesecake that's already baked and chilled, the absolute max time you could let it sit out to avoid the USDA's "danger zone" is two hours.

Brownies can be kept at room temperature for up to five days for most brownie types. A cheesecake swirl or frosting or a ganache frosting should not be kept at room temperature. Store brownies in the fridge if they contain add-ins that are normally refrigerated.

Cream cheese is a perishable food, and per FoodSafety.gov, perishable foods should not sit in room temperatures for longer than two hours.