Make Better Boxed Brownies
I loved picking up a fudgy, moist chocolate brownie for an afternoon pick me up when working in NYC, but during quarantine, I had no specialty bakery or Starbucks in walking distance around me. What’s a girl to do? This is how I turned to hacking. Hacking brownie mixes that is! Today’s post is how you can make better boxed brownies by adding some a Filipino twist– Ube Cheescake Swirled Brownies!
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This recipe is a quick way to upgrade that brownie mix you have lying around. You know the one, the emergency box in your pantry. This recipe came from one such emergency. My husband and I were going to visit some friends for a social distance get together. I, unable to ever show up empty handed, needed a dessert to offer and the party was in less than 2 hours. I had two brownie mixes but felt those were way too plain on their own. So, I jazzed them up with some ube jam and cream cheese!
The ube cheesecake is tangy and sweet, with that hint of ube flavor. It also brings a great pastel purple color that contrasts so well with the chocolate. The brownies, made from our favorite Ghiradelli Triple Chocolate mix, have always been a crowd pleaser on their own. When our friends (who have never had ube before) had a bite, they were blown away and went for more!
Tips for making better boxed brownies
Boxed brownies are pretty straight forward, but to make better boxed brownies, you’ll need to follow a few easy tips to ensure you have the best ube cheesecake swirled boxed brownies of your life!
- Use a higher quality brownie mix. Ghiradelli Triple Chocolate has bittersweet, semi-sweet, and milk chocolate all in one mix, so this is why it’s our favorite! It’s also fool proof in terms of making a perfect fudgy brownie. You can spice it up by adding some instant espresso to the mix.
- Use room temperature ingredients. No one wants a lumpy cheesecake. Room temperature ube jam, eggs, and cream cheese will help ensure that everything mixes to a silky smooth batter. (Pro tip: To quickly get your fridge cold eggs and cream cheese to room temp, place them in a bowl of hot water for 5-10 minutes. Dry them off, and they’ll be good to go!)
- Protect the cheesecake layer. I baked these before and didn’t place a foil tent over my pan. What resulted was a brown-ish purple cheesecake layer. It wasn’t burned, but it was definitely not what I was envisioning. Place a foil tent and your cheesecake will be protected from getting overly brown.
Definitely give these a try, they are such a unique spin on cheesecake brownies and are definitely a great way to kick your boxed brownies up a notch. They can be made so quickly, they are so fudgy, filled with chocolate, and have an amazing ube cheesecake swirl that will have you reaching for more! Make better boxed brownies today with ube cheesecake, you’ll impress your friends and family.
Need ube jam? You can find our recipe for it here!
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Ube Cheesecake Swirled Boxed Brownies
Equipment
- 9" x 13" metal pan
- mixing bowls
- silicone spatula
- whisk
- hand mixer or stand mixer
- parchment paper
- aluminum foil
Ingredients
Brownies
- 2 brownie mixes we like Ghiradelli Triple Chocolate
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2/3 cup water room temperature
Ube Cheesecake
- 8 ounce cream cheese room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup ube halaya
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Ube Cheesecake
- Mix egg, cream cheese, ube jam, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl with a mixer. Mix until just combined, do not over mix.
Brownies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (325 degrees if using a dark or nonstick pan) while you measure out all of your ingredients.
- In a large bowl, add eggs, water, and oil. Whisk together until evenly mixed.
- Add two pouches of brownie mix and stir gently together until fully combined.
- Place parchment paper into 9"x13" pan. Parchment paper should hang over the long sides of pan, this will make it easier to remove brownies once done.
- Place brownie mix in pan, spreading it out evenly. Take dollops of ube cheesecake batter and place randomly. Swirl brownie mix and cheesecake batter together gently with a butter knife or chopstick.
- Place a large piece of foil over the pan to prevent top from getting too dark. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out slightly moist but not wet. Allow to cool completely and place in the fridge for 1 hour for cheesecake layer to set.