Do yourself a favor and make these Tiramisu Cheesecake Brownies, stat! Seriously though, these little guys are sooo good. This decadent dessert is layered with a rich chocolate brownie base, then coffee and rum-soaked ladyfingers, and finally finished off with a rich cheesecake topping with chocolate chips. This dish has all of the elements of classic tiramisu, plus brownies and cheesecake.
Tiramisu Cheesecake Brownies
I’m super proud of this dessert. Don’t get me wrong, I’m always proud of my food. This recipe, however, was a major accomplishment. Normally, when I come up with a recipe idea, I may have to test it once or twice. This one, took three times and every time was very stressful! I knew the flavors were there, I was just having trouble with the ratios and baking times. I almost gave up on it, but I’m so glad I didn’t. The third time was definitely the charm.
How to Make Tiramisu Cheesecake Brownies
There are three main components that make up this dessert. I’ll break down each component with tips for success.
Brownies
The first layer to this dessert is the brownie layer. You will mix all of your ingredients together in a bowl till just combined and then pour into the pan. Make sure you have THOROUGHLY greased your pan. I like to use both parchment paper and baking spray. The parchment paper makes good “handles” to be able to lift the whole tray of brownies out of the pan and then easily cut them into pieces.
Lady Fingers
Lady fingers are long oval shaped biscuit cookies that are used in the layers for classic tiramisu. They are typically dipped into coffee and then layered between cream. In this recipe, you will dip the ladyfingers into a coffee and rum mixture, and then layer between the brownies and the cheesecake. Most grocery stores carry lady fingers, or you can fine them online. Make sure you just dip the cookies quickly to let it absorb the liquid. They are very light and airy so they will pick up the liquid quickly. If left to sit in the liquid, they will dissolve. Once they are dipped, simply press them into the brownie batter and then you are onto the next layer.
Cheesecake
The cheesecake is the last layer to these Amazing Tiramisu Cheesecake Brownies. When making any cheesecake, it’s best to make sure your ingredients are room temperature or at least softened. This will allow them to easily combine together and not make for a lumpy cheesecake. Next, make sure you mix the cream cheese and the mascarpone cheeses together thoroughly. Then, add in the rest of your ingredients and mix until they are well combined. Lastly, pour the batter into the pan on top of the dipped ladyfingers. Smooth it out with a spatula and then sprinkle the top with chocolate chips.
Putting It All Together…
Once you have all of your layers assembled, you are ready to bake! These take about 45 minutes to bake in a 325° oven. You want to make sure the cheesecake is cooked through before taking them out. Once the top of the cheesecake layer is no longer shiny and slightly browned, they should be done. The cheesecake layer may be a bit jiggly, but will firm up during the cooling and chilling process. Let the brownies cool for 30 minutes on the stove top and then move them to the fridge to finish chilling. The hardest part about these brownies is that they need to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight for best results. Chilling them overnight gives everything a chance to set well and the flavors to combine. If you want them to turn out the best, I recommend making them a day in advance.
Even More Sweets…
I hope you enjoy these delicious little gems. They are definitely my new favorite dessert and I can’t wait to hear how they turn out for you! If you are looking for some more Italian inspired desserts, here are some of my favorites:
- Dark Chocolate Orange Biscotti
- Grilled Peaches with Honey Whipped Mascarpone
- Pumpkin Roll with Mascarpone
As always, if you make these Amazing Tiramisu Cheesecake Brownies, please be sure to leave a comment and give it a rating. I love to hear from each and every one of you! Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram as well, if you make any of my recipes. It makes my day to see all of your photos of the food you have made.
Happy Cooking!
Amazing Tiramisu Cheesecake Brownies
Ingredients
Coffee Dipping Mixture
- 1 cup strongly brewed coffee or espresso
- ¼ cup dark rum
Brownies
- ½ cup melted butter, cooled
- 1 Tablespoon coffee dipping mixture
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Cheesecake
- 8 oz mascarpone cheese, room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tablespoons coffee dipping mixture
Assembly
- 8 lady finger cookies
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° and line an 8×8 square baking pan with parchment paper and grease generously with butter or baking spray.
Coffee Dipping Mixture
- In a shallow dish, combine coffee and rum together and set aside.
Brownies
- In a medium sized bowl, combine melted butter, 1 Tablespoon of the coffee dipping mixture and both eggs. Whisk to combine.
- Next, add in sugar, cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk until all of the ingredients are just combined.
- Pour brownie batter into prepared baking dish and set aside.
Cheesecake
- In another medium sized bowl, combine mascarpone cheese and cream cheese. Using a hand mixer, beat cheeses on high for 2 minutes until well combined. Add in sugar, eggs and 2 Tablespoons of the coffee dipping mixture and beat on medium high for another 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and continue to mix for 1 more minute making sure all ingredients are thoroughly mixed together. Set aside.
Assembly
- One at a time, briefly dip each lady finger into the coffee dipping mixture and place in a single layer on top of the brownie batter. Break lady fingers in half if needed to fit evenly into the pan.
- Next, pour finished cheesecake batter on top of the dipped lady finger cookies and smooth out with a spatula. Sprinkle the top of the cheesecake with the mini chocolate chips.
- Bake brownies in pre-heated oven for 45 minutes or until cheesecake is cooked through and the top is lightly browned. The cheesecake should be cooked through when it is no longer shiny on top and it has a light brown color to it.
- Remove brownies from the oven and cool for 30 minutes on the stove top. Move to the refrigerator and let chill for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight for best results.