These eggnog cheesecake brownies are guaranteed to make even the most strong-headed eggnog hater fall in love. Creamy eggnog cheesecake swirls into my favorite one-bowl brownies to create an unforgettable holiday dessert.
I'm going to be honest with you, I've never been a huge eggnog fan. The thought of drinking raw eggs wasn't too bad. I mean, I eat raw cookie dough like it's an essential food group. It was how creamy the drink was and the general flavor that got to me. It just wasn't my thing. Somehow it felt unnaturally creamy.. and the nutmeg way too strong.
I feel like eggnog is just one of those drinks you have to have at least once during the holidays, so I figured I may as well try and find an eggnog that I liked. And I found it. There's this Southern Comfort eggnog that I actually quite like because it is just sweet and not too creamy feeling, but also has a nice balance of vanilla to nutmeg that keeps the nutmeg from being overpowering. I decided I needed to use it in a dessert. I needed to share my new love of this nog with the world.
So I was watching this holiday baking competition (you know the one - I just can't think of the name of it now) and one of the contestants reduced her eggnog to bring out the flavors and I was really interested in how the eggnog looked as it reduced. Thick and yellowish - like a paste. I thought that might be a good method to try when making cheesecake. Because I love cheesecake and I am promising to try and share more cheesecake on the blog.
I reduced my eggnog until I got to that paste-like stage and fell in love! Warm, thickened eggnog is pretty darn good people. Try it! I decided to swirl it in my favorite one-bowl brownie batter that I like to make it even more indulgent and qualify as something I can add to my cookie platter this year. And let me tell you... these eggnog cheesecake brownies were the first to go!
Eggnog Cheesecake Brownies
Ingredients
For the Eggnog Cheesecake
- 1 ½ cups eggnog
- 6 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1 egg room temperature
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg optional*
For the Brownies
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 9 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- ⅔ cups lightly packed brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup Dutch-processed cocoa
- 1 cup flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Heat a small skillet on medium high and add the eggnog. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the mixture is reduced. It will look thick, slightly yellow, and almost like a paste. Allow to cool to room temperature.
- Beat the reduced eggnog with the cream cheese until completely combined. Beat in the egg, sugar, and nutmeg if using. Set aside.
- On a double boiler, add the butter and chocolate together and melt.
- Mix to combine. Remove the top pot of your double boiler from the heat and allow to cool slightly before beating in the sugar and eggs. Add in the vanilla, then the cocoa powder, flour, and salt.
- Pour ¾ of the brownie mixture into the pan, then top with the eggnog cheesecake filling, making sure the cheesecake is spread evenly.
- Dollop the remaining ¼ of the brownie mixture over the cheesecake mixture and then swirl in.
- Bake for about 30 - 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely, then remove from the pan and slice.
Notes
Nutrition
talya says
Hi there, these sound delightful and I'd love to try making them for our family holiday gathering. Thoughts on making them ahead (specifically how far ahead might work) and traveling with them (should they be stored in the fridge)? Thanks!
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake says
I'm glad you saw the light for eggnog! because that stuff is so good, you can't miss out on it 😛 This looks like a great use for it, so rich and decadent 🙂
sophie says
Thank you for the recipe! I get a jar of eggnog every year for Christmas and needless to say, no one in the house drinks it, so it was great to find this recipe.
For anyone interested, I baked these in muffin cups. You can get between 14-16 regular-sized muffin versions of this cheesecake brownie.
Thank you again and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Amanda says
Oh a brownie cup version sounds so delicious and handy! Thank you so much for trying my brownies and commenting! Merry Christmas and I hope you have an amazing New Year! 🙂
Christa Lynn Macnear says
Have you tried freezing these brownies? I make Christmas baskets for family and friends and begin my baking a little early and freeze some of it so I have plenty for the baskets.. I would appreciate your opinion about this or any other possible traits that would be good in the baskets as well. Thank you very much.
Christalynn
Amanda says
I have not tried freezing them, but I don’t see a reason they wouldn’t freeze just as well as any other brownies. There are many other festive treats and even peppermint bark brownies you can try. I recommend searching through the site’s recipe index. The home page has a winter recipe index that has most of the holiday recipes included!