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January 11, 2018

Lightened Up Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

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These dark chocolate cheesecake brownies are lightly sweetened with maple syrup, decadent, and rich. Refined sugar-free, gluten-free, butter- and oil-free!

So my brother-in-law complained about the switch from decadent brownie batter cookie dough to healthy turkey pasta.

As Peter is coming to stay with us soon, David felt the need to warn his brother that we were on a refined-sugar free kick and there would probably not be blog goodies.  As my dear husband mentioned this to me while walking away, he also quietly muttered that he may have mentioned something about our household being in less cheerful moods due to said lack of goodies.

First.  WUT.  I am always cheerful.  Freaking cheerful.  Second.  DOES MY HUSBAND NOT KNOW ME AT ALL?!?!?!  “No refined sugar” does not mean no treats!  It just means healthier, naturally sweetened, and chemical free treats!  Guilt-free treats!

Don’t worry, Peter.  Eat your healthy turkey pasta and zucchini and you can have some lightened up dark chocolate cheesecake brownies.  And be cheerful.  Apparently.  -_-

Overhead shot of a half-full brownie pan and three servings of chocolate cheesecake brownies served on little squares of parchment paper

These dark chocolate cheesecake brownies are lightly sweetened with maple syrup, decadent, and rich. Refined sugar-free, gluten-free, butter- and oil-free!

Chopped dark chocolate on a wood cutting board

Spreading warm chocolate ganache across the top of the brownies

Close-up shot of half-full brownie pan with a fork resting in the pan and chocolate crumbs scattered

Lightened Up Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

These cheesecake brownies are everything they should be.  They are rich and decadent and have a creamy quality similar to cheesecake.

But they also have more structure and density, like a brownie.  And these cheesecake brownies come with even more perks . . .

  • gluten-free
  • oil and butter-free
  • refined sugar-free (depending on the dark chocolate you use, but still very low sugar)
  • primal (aka paleo with allowance for dairy)
  • so so so rich and chocolatey

I used my favorite 88% dark chocolate again.  It makes me happy that a portion of profits go to endangered species protection and it’s seriously the very best dark chocolate I’ve found for when I need a little hit of sweetness.  Now, I should note that if you use this dark chocolate, it won’t be 100% refined sugar free… but 5 grams of chocolate for half the bar is pretty negligible.  As another option, there is always Enjoy Life or Davis chocolate chips.

But enjoy the cheesecake brownies, regardless!

Cheers!

A hand holding up a dark chocolate cheesecake brownie covered in chocolate ganache

Close-up of chocolate cheesecake brownie on a square of parchment paper with a bit missing from the corner

mikaela | wyldflour

9 extra-large or 16 medium brownies

Lightened Up Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

15 minPrep Time

30 minCook Time

45 minTotal Time

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4.3 based on 3 review(s)

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Ingredients

    Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies:
  • 4 oz dark chocolate, divided
  • 1 cup 4% milk fat cottage cheese
  • 1/2 cup grade A dark maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Dark Chocolate Ganache:
  • 4 oz dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter or grease an 8x8 inch baking pan.
  2. Measure cottage cheese into a food processor and blend until the consistency of ricotta cheese--i.e., not large curds. Set aside.
  3. Melt 2 ounces of dark chocolate in a large mixing bowl by heating in the microwave at 50% power. (About 1 1/2 minutes.) When completely melted, stir in cottage cheese. Then stir in maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir in cocoa, almond flour, and salt. Chop the other 2 ounces of dark chocolate and stir into brownie batter.
  4. Spread the brownie batter in the greased baking pan and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set the pan on a cooling rack to cool completely.
  5. Make the Ganache! Chop 4 ounces of chocolate and set aside in a bowl. Heat cream in the microwave until just about to boil. (Do NOT boil it.) Pour over chopped chocolate and let sit for 2-3 minutes. Stir until smooth. (If you still have chunks, then heat in the microwave at 50% power for as little time as necessary to melt the chunks.)
  6. Spread the ganache over the brownies and let set. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled. Slice and serve! Store these brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

NUTRITION/MACROS:
If cut into 9 brownies: Calories: 212 Protein: 7g Carbs: 20g Fat: 15g
If cut into 16 brownies: Calories: 119 Protein: 4g Carbs: 11g Fat: 8.5g


Looking for non-lightened up brownies? Check out my fudgey chocolate brownies, slutty brownies, or mayan chocolate brownies!


Tip: I use the darkest chocolate I can find to reduce the amount of refined sugar in the recipe. I love this 88% dark chocolate. You can sub in semi-sweet chocolate if you want a sweeter brownie.


Note: I adapted these cheesecake brownies from the fabulous Half Baked Harvest's fudgy ricotta brownies.

7.8.1.2
114
https://www.wyldflour.com/lightened-up-dark-chocolate-cheesecake-brownies/
wyldflour

Nutrition

Calories

1748 cal

Fat

95 g

Carbs

220 g

Protein

58 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info
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Disclaimer:  Note that the above links may include affiliate links, from which I make a small percentage. However, I personally use the above products and will only recommend something I continue to use, myself. My opinions are 100% my own. Check out my full policies here.

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Filed Under: All Recipes, Baked Goods, Bars & Brownies, Dessert, Special Diet-Gluten Free, Special Diet-Unrefined Foodie, Special Diet-Vegetarian Friendly

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Valerie says

    February 2, 2020 at 5:33 pm

    Do you think all purpose flour would work instead of almond flour? And is aunt Jemima syrup good enough?
    Reply
  2. Laurie says

    March 14, 2019 at 8:30 pm

    I found this recipe here a few weeks ago and have made it about 6 times. Have taken it to my daughter's pre-school, church potluck and shared with the neighbors. Everyone LOVES it!! Thank you. This is my new go to brownie.
    Reply
    • Mikaela says

      March 16, 2019 at 9:06 pm

      Yay! Thank you, Laurie! So happy that you love them! They are my favorite to keep around for when a craving hits!
      Reply
  3. Gina J. says

    December 13, 2018 at 8:07 pm

    Is it just my pagevor is the item after the cottage cheese incomplete? My list shows. "1/2 cup (BLANK). What is the missing item? I loved at your Ricotta brownie recipe and thst line item is for maple syrup. What does this recipe need? If maple syrup, could I substitute Lakanto ( monk fruit) msple syrup? Trying to cut out as much sugar as I can. This sounds so good I cannot wait to make it! Gina
    Reply
    • Mikaela says

      December 22, 2018 at 8:06 pm

      Ohmygoodness! Thank you so much for letting me know, Gina! I misplaced a tiny bit of code and it made the maple syrup disappear. I haven't tried substituting Lakanto syrup, but if it is the same consistency as maple syrup, it should work!
      Reply
  4. Ashley says

    March 5, 2018 at 6:01 pm

    I stumbled upon this recipe scrolling through Facebook and since I always have cottage cheese and dark chocolate around, decided to give it a shot. I don't buy almond flour (because I can't afford it), so I substituted coconut flour. I also don't use maple syrup/sugar, so I used stevia (8 tablespoons is what I use for other types of brownies I make). I worried that they might be too dry since I only buy 2% fat cottage cheese, but I don't think it made a difference. Actually, I took a lot of liberties with the recipe because I just used what I had. I don't own an 8x8 pan, so I used my mini muffin tins. It made 28 brownie bites (bake time only 10 minutes). I also didn't add any extra dark chocolate in them (so, only used the 2 oz melted in the brownies) and didn't make the ganache (I try to keep things as low-cal as possible). End result was brownie bites at around 35 calories each. I think I would use a little less cocoa powder if I make them again, because they are strongly chocolate-y, but not in a bad way. They taste just as dark and delicious as the chocolate chips I used. Anyway, thank you for this creative usage of cottage cheese! So much fun to make since I didn't need to buy anything I don't already have on hand. :-D
    ★★★★★
    Reply
    • Mikaela says

      March 8, 2018 at 1:01 pm

      Lol. Sounds like you have a whole new recipe for deliciousness right there, Ashley! But happy to provide the inspiration--so glad that the brownie bites turned out well. They sound amazing!
      Reply
  5. Guest says

    February 25, 2018 at 10:21 pm

    Fabulous!
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  6. Ed says

    February 16, 2018 at 6:43 am

    You should SHOW the Sugar content on all your recipes !! Diabetics NEED to know those #, b/4 indulging !!
    ★★★☆☆
    Reply
  7. Connie Condra says

    February 15, 2018 at 6:45 pm

    I am looking for high-fat, low-carb alternatives. Is there anything to replace the maple syrup? I can probably live with the cottage cheese although mascarpone cheese did pop up as an alternative.
    Reply
    • Mikaela says

      February 16, 2018 at 9:29 pm

      Hi Connie! I'm not sure what I would replace the maple syrup with, since you need something to sweeten the cocoa. Otherwise it will be very dark!
      Reply
      • Connie Condra says

        February 16, 2018 at 10:45 pm

        I wondered about using a simple syrup made with Stevia.
        Reply
        • Mikaela says

          February 17, 2018 at 10:08 pm

          Hi Connie! It's possible that would work! I haven't done much cooking/baking with Stevia, but a simple syrup would match the same consistency as the maple syrup, so the recipe should work. Just make sure the syrup is sweet enough to balance the cocoa!
          Reply
          • Connie Condra says

            February 18, 2018 at 5:52 pm

            Thanks. I have seen directions for making a simple syrup with Stevia. I think I will try it. I would really like to make some of your recipes, but do not want to use maple syrup. I am trying to really back away from carb.s
          • Mikaela says

            February 22, 2018 at 1:28 pm

            Totally understand! Let me know how it goes if you try it!
  8. Karly says

    January 18, 2018 at 7:41 pm

    There isn't a single part of this post that doesn't scream perfection to me. These look SO good- seriously!
    Reply
    • Mikaela says

      January 18, 2018 at 8:35 pm

      Thanks, Karly! These cheesecake brownies are quickly becoming an obsession of mine!
      Reply
  9. Rosa says

    January 11, 2018 at 4:51 pm

    "Ain't no sunshine when sweets are gone..." Ha ha ha!! Loved your post today. I can relate...pretty dreary here when the sweets are gone, too. 🤣 I think these brownies would go perfectly with your cherry garcia ice cream I have churning away in my ice cream maker right now.....I can have both because they are unrefined and lightened up, right?? 😄😍
    Reply
    • Mikaela says

      January 12, 2018 at 9:52 pm

      Totally right. 100% right. Lol. Let me know what you think of the ice cream! It is definitely my latest obsession...
      Reply
      • Rosa says

        January 13, 2018 at 5:05 am

        It was AWESOME! Cherry Garcia is one of my top five flavors and you nailed it!!! Also, it was my first success at making ice cream. I’ve tried a couple other recipes from different sources but they didn’t turn out (odd texture, not great flavor). Thank you, again, for another keeper! You are a genius!!! 😄
        Reply
        • Mikaela says

          January 13, 2018 at 10:08 am

          Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy. I'm so so so glad it worked out for you. Despite me testing recipes several times, I am still always a little worried that it won't work out in someone else's kitchen! And I love love love this ice cream... it's going to take all of my strength to try and wait at least a week to make another batch. (I finished off the last test batch last night...)
          Reply
          • Rosa says

            January 14, 2018 at 3:18 pm

            Oh, Mikaela...all of your recipes we have tried have been wonderful. Several have even become THE recipe (i.e. the search is over, there is no better version)! BUT..if you ever need a recipe tester/sounding board, I’m your huckleberry. 😄
          • Mikaela says

            January 14, 2018 at 8:21 pm

            Ahahahahaha. My dad LOVED the movie Tombstone and used to use this saying all the time. Thank you so much!

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