Christmas Tie Dyed Cheesecake Brownies
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Aren’t these brownies gorgeous? They taste even better! The best thing about these little beauties though, is how easy they are to whip up. You can start with homemade brownie batter but I just use a boxed mix, then mix up the cream cheese batter and you’re good to go! These add a fun touch to a school party, office get together, or a great hostess gift during the holidays. They’re just so stinking pretty that you gotta love ‘em!
To make these you’ll need: A box of brownie mix (and the ingredients called for on the box to make them), one egg, a little sugar, some clear vanilla*, and a brick of cream cheese that has been softened at room temp.
You’re also going to need some gel food coloring* to give the brownies their festive red and green swirls.
*Clear vanilla can be found at the grocery store, just hunt through the flavorings section. It can also be found in the cake decorating section at Wal Mart, Hobby Lobby, and Michaels *Gel food colorings are a must to have the vibrant colors pictured here. I get mine at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby, also in the cake decorating section. They are a little over $1 each.
Mix up your brownie batter according to package directions and spread into a greased 9×13 pan.
Set aside while you make the cream cheese mixture.
In a mixing bowl, place your egg, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.
Note: You can substitute Splenda for the sugar here if you want. Some would argue that there is still sugar in the brownie batter which is, of course true, but just because you can’t bail out the whole boat doesn’t mean there isn’t some good in using your bucket to get what you can.
Beat the living mess out of it until it is smooth and creamy.
Take 2/3 of the cheesecake mixture and divide it into two bowls, leaving the rest in the mixing bowl until you need it.
Y’all just eyeball this because it’s not like a life is hanging in the balance if we don’t get exactly 1/3 of the batter in each bowl.
This is cooking, not rocket science – and believe me, having been born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, I know rocket science when I see it.
Using your gel colors (because those give us the vibrant colors we want), tint one bowl of cheesecake mixture green and the other red.
Like this
Now drop spoonful dollops of this all over your batter.
And swirl it with a butter knife. I just kind of start drawing “S”‘s into the batter until I like how it looks.
Bake this at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until set in the center.
Allow to cool completely and then cut into bars.
If you’d like to make individual brownies in muffin papers, here is how you do that…
Divide your batter evenly into a muffin tin lined with papers. Dollop a small spoon of each color on top of the batter.
Swirl that with a knife until you like how it looks.
Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes, or until set in the center.
UPDATE: I’ve had a lot of interest and questions about the square muffin tin pictured here. I got this at WalMart for around $10.00 and I like it so much that I now have two of them. For the cupcake liners, I just use regular round ones. Once you put your batter in them they perfectly conform to the shape of the tin and become little squares
Look how pretty!
I’m heading to catch the first of three flights which will eventually land me in the Dominican Republic where I’ll be taking part in handing out the 100 Millionth Shoebox with Operation Christmas Child! I’ll be sharing details from my trip with you this week on a special post that I hope to update at the end of each day. Click here to visit that post and be sure you check in each morning to keep up with my updates!
Ingredients
- One box Brownie mix, and ingredients required on package
- 8 ounces cream cheese, well softened and at room temp
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla*
- red and green gel food coloring*
Instructions
- Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Spread batter into greased 9x13 pan.
- In large bowl, combine softened cream cheese, egg, vanilla, and sugar. Mix until smooth and creamy with electric mixer.
- Divide cream cheese mixture into three bowls. Tint one bowl red, one green, and leave one white.
- Using a spoon, put dollops of each color all over top of brownies (see post for photos). Take a butter knife and gently swirl icing until blended and looking like tie dye.
- Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until set in the center. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.
Print This Recipe Butterflies don’t know the color of their own wings,
but human eyes can see how beautiful they are.
Likewise, you don’t know how special you are, but others can see the good in you.
~Anon. Submitted by Jackie. Add your inspirational or motivational quote to our collection by clicking here.
; ;
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Posted by Christy Jordan
on Dec 3 2012. Filed under Dessert.
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Those are really pretty Christy & they would stand out on a Christmas sweets tray – great idea!! Merry Christmas.
I have square calphalon muffin pans….did you use regular round muffin liners for your square muffin pans?
Pretty!
How beautiful these are! And wouldn’t it be just as great to do these in pastel colors for Easter!
Pillsbury makes a sugar free brownie mix. So, you could actually make a totally sugarfree version of this for those people you love who need a sugarfree dessert. Good luck on your trip. Our prayers are with you and the people there.
Wow I love the way these turned out! I can’t wait to try this. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
These are so pretty! They’d definitely dress up a goodie tray. Thanks!
Could you tell me how to add the oute at the end of the recipe? Would lov to print it to recipe. These look so wonderful for the holiday. Thanks
Very Pretty!
Oh how pretty! I love, love, love the mini ones.
Thank you so much for all the yummies!
What a gorgeous, artistic idea Christy! You’ve been creatively thinkin this year.
(although, artistically speaking that technique is called marbleized – don’t want your kids to to call them the wrong thing) You’re sure going to have a merry and BRIGHT colored Christmas this year…teehee
@ Gayle – there is a “print recipe” link just below the recipe. Click on that and you can print from there or copy and paste it to notepad, word or whatever.
Happy Holidays Everyone!! Merry Christmas!!
Those are just terrific. I am going to have my grandaughter help me with these during our annual Christmas cookie making session. She will be so impressed with something new this year and I am already thinking other holiday color combos.
Very pretty Christy
I’m thinking red and white for the championship game! Roll Tide!
Great idea! I will have to make these for our work Christmas party! Thank you Christy!
I love your emails, they have the best ideas.
The ones in papers are so cute! I bet they would be a big hit at my in-laws. The individual serving size desserts always go the fastest there!
You could frost these with a white butter cream or 10X frosting and when you bite into them – Surprise! Goes in my collection.
Wow! What a great idea! It is both easy and festive (and rather frugal too). Well, I know what I’m featuring at my Christmas Party this year. Thanks Christy!
Thank YOU Pat!! Hope everyone enjoys them!!
I have 2 questions as this is on my list to make this year!!
1)The 9×13 pan,Is it the little square pan or is it the long rectangular pan ??
2)Can we use regular vanilla extract,if we can’t find the clear version??I can’t seem to find it anywhere,And I so want to try this recipe….
The pan is rectangular. And you can use regular vanilla if you can’t find the clear. But the color will not be the same. I hope you enjoy them!
I made these today, in a square muffin pan. They are really pretty and I used supreme dark cho. brownie mix with hershey’s syrup added into the brownie mix. They were oooey gooey good!
Ohhhh YUMMY!!
Pretty sure the clear vanilla is a requirement. I just made some with the gel colors but used the regular vanilla and they are a very pretty pastel pink and green! LOL! Off to Wally world I go!
LOL Marsi! Thanks Christy!!
I found the clear vanilla at Kroger!! So I am all set!! Can’t wait!!
Made these last night for Christmas party at work today. Did the individual ones and they turned out really good. Since the topping is cheesecake I think next time I will double the recipe for the topping so the cheesecake is thicker. Used the gel coloring and it takes more of the red to be red than the green to be green.
Do need the clear vanilla to keep the white portion white. Very good and very pretty. Had a few left so will use tonight for a small after dinner party. May you have a Christmas that is as bright as my brownies. Enjoy your recipes!!
Wow, these look great, just like the Tiger Butter does….all pretty and “marbled”. Looking forward to making this for Christmas. Thanks for sharing. xo
I hope you enjoy Terri!!
How many square cupcakes did this make? I’ve bought the pan, the liners and the ingredients to make these for my husbands christmas party at work but I need to know if I make one box or two? Thanks!
I made these with ghiradelli triple chocolate brownie mix…Im not sure why but I have had to bake them for over an hour and a half and they are still not done in the middle! I tried an end piece that was absolutely amazing so I hope someone can help with why they arent cooking through :/
I made mine in the same square bar pan as in the picture and I had to cook mine for around 33 minutes. Otherwise they were still liquid in the middle. I know brownies don’t “look” done when they are, but since you can’t actually see the brownie, it’s kind of tricky. Even so, mine were done but still gooey on the top right under the cheesecake. I guess it might have to do with that, especially if you are cooking in one big pan.
should these brownies be stored in the refrigerator?
I love all your descriptions like “beat the living mess out of this”!!! Mine are in the oven for Christmas tomorrow, and so far my only comment is that the gel icing only made my mixtures pink and mint green, so I added a LOT of food coloring…..we’ll see!