These Vanilla Cheesecake Brownie Cups are such a fun alternative to a regular brownie square. Think dense and fudgy, with a layer of creamy cheesecake topping. Perfect to prep before a busy week for easy sweet treats to keep stocked in the cupboard!

For these brownie cups, we rely heavily on the melted butter and light brown sugar to give the fudgy texture and super shiny topping. To make the shiny top on a brownie, there are arguments as to whether it’s the egg, or the molten sugar in the butter, so let’s make sure to do both. This recipe serves about 10-12 cups, and the recipe is easily doubled. They keep well in the cupboard for a few days. That said, they don’t last long if you’ve got lots of happy hungry mouths in the house!

The brownie recipe is so simple, and comes together in no time. Once the batter has been made, pour into the muffin cups, before topping with cheesecake. The cheesecake mixture is simply cream cheese, sugar and egg. Whisk really well before topping each cup!

How to get a shiny top on brownies

Melted Butter: Make sure to use unsalted butter or margarine (the baking spread works just fine – no need to buy real butter here). The butter should have only just been melted, so that it’s still really hot!
Light Brown Soft Sugar: Using a combination of sugars provides the best structure. Light brown sugar adds flavour and the chewiness/fudginess we love. The melted butter needs to be so hot that the sugar almost ‘dissolves’ – into a thick paste.
Eggs: There is speculation that the way the eggs bake as part of the brownie batter contributes to the shiny top. It’s definitely true that I really struggle to get shiny tops on vegan brownies!

Top Tips for the best Vanilla Cheesecake Brownie Cups

Melted Butter: As mentioned above, this contributes to the shiny top!
Melted Chocolate: Try to use a higher quality dark chocolate where possible, as this really does contribute to that final flavour.
Light Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar: It is the combination of both sugars that creates the fudgy texture and rich flavour.
Cocoa Powder: Again, where possible try to use a higher quality make. This contributes so much to the flavour and I find some cheap ones really dull the richness!
Filling: These don’t rise too much, so you can fill fairly close to the top of the cases without fear that they will spill.

This recipe for Vanilla Cheesecake Brownie Cups makes about 10-12 muffins (I use two 6 hole muffin tins – like these ones)! I also recommend a good stand mixer or high speed mixer (like this one) to make the brownie mixture. If you want more wild brownie recipe ideas, check out my Chocolate Caramel Brownie Cups. For videos and baking inspiration, head on over to my Instagram.