Bacon Cheesecake Brownies

Bacony, chocolatey brownie batter is baked up with little pockets of lightly sweetened cheesecake goodness, turning a basic chocolate indulgence into an amazing one.  Bake up a pan of these triple treats and share them with someone special.

In answer to the comments querying the use of bacon:  Yes, really!

I was planning on making cheesecake brownies for my husband for Valentine's Day and documenting the assembly process for Instructables.  However, when I went to the fridge to get out the light cream cheese, I saw the bacon.

Step 1: Ingredients

One box of brownie mix -- I prefer the "family size" versions which can go into a 9"x13" pan

Ingredients to make the brownie batter according to the box (I like to use an extra egg for "cake-like" brownies, but that's personal preference)

Bacon bits -- Use about 1/4 cup pre-packaged bacon bits or cook about 4 strips of bacon until very crisp.  Crumble or mince the bacon into small pieces so the bacony goodness is distributed throughout the brownies.

Cheesecake filling:
One 8oz package of cream cheese, softened
One egg
1/3 cup sugar
1 teas. vanilla

Step 2: A Tale of Two Batters

Brownie
Prepare your pan according to brownie package instructions. 
Mix the batter according to package instructions*.  Fold in the bacon bits.

*For more bacony goodness, you replace a little of the required oil with bacon grease.

Cheesecake
Place softened cream cheese in a bowl and beat until smooth.  Beat in sugar, egg, and vanilla.

Step 3: Filling The Pans

Pour your bacon brownie batter into the prepared pan.

Add the cheesecake batter using one of the following methods:

Dolloping (No Pastry Bag) Swirled Method
Drop spoonfuls of cheesecake batter all over the bacon brownie batter.  Aim to distribute your dollops of the cheesecake filling evenly in the brownie batter..  Once the cheesecake filling is all added, use a knife to swirl it in a little.  The goal here is NOT to mix it completely!

Pastry Bag "Injection" Method
Load your cream cheese mixture into a pastry bag with a large tip (I'm using a star tip here).   "Inject" cheesecake filling into the brownie batter by pushing your tip below the surface of the batter and give it a good squeeze.  Inject little pockets of  cheesecake throughout the pan.  Use a knife to swirl the cheesecake filling with the brownie batter, if desired.  I kind of like them left alone. mmmm....

Step 4: Baking

Bake brownies as usual.  You may have to extend the baking time because of the added ingredients.  Test for brownie doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center.  When it comes out clean, the brownies are done.

Consume!

Comments

[vmoser]

So, I made these.... Hands down, AWESOMENESS!!  These were inhaled and the only thing on the side you might need is milk.  I used a thicker cut apple wood smoked bacon cut into about a half an inch wide.  There were about 5-6 pieces of bacon used, and they were cooked low and slow, to a light crispness. For the next batch we were thinking of using a smaller cubed piece of bacon, that has a more smokey taste, smokier than the apple wood surprisingly.  Other thoughts we had were to go ahead and cut up crispier smaller pieces and add them in the last few minutes of cooking to the cheesecake top.  We were thinking that the flavor of the bacon won't overwhelm the cheesecaky-ness of the whole situation.  

Please make and consume them immediately!!  This was easy to make and only get better and better and better and better............

[xanelx]

Can I do this recipe with cupcakes?? Will that work???

[jeremiah.stewart]

Very good recipe! Me and a coupe friends made these in the dorm kitchen, did an alright job, but everyone that tried one, loved them!

[trebory6]

I think the only thing this is missing is Peanut Butter!

[Radrussian]

I Love You...

[jgawne]

My roommate and a friend of ours are both bacon fiends, and they both love brownies AND cheesecake... their birthdays are both this weekend - guess what their birthday "cake" is gonna be?!

[hardrockertg]

Maple Bacon... nuff said

[--= Excogitate =--]

So I was skeptical, but I made them and they are the best. brownies. ever. My friends enjoyed them too (well one liked them until I told them about the bacon... can you say placebo much?). Five stars!

[--= Excogitate =--]

Meanwhile in America... lol seriously though I am curious. I will have to try this out.

[jocko777]

i understand each has his own taste but really when is someone going to post something to eat that doesnt have bacon in it . the word bacon is used so much im surprised it isnt used in led flashlights and woodprojects etc etc bacon baacon bacon

[starshipminivan]

This is an old project entered for Valentine's day a few years ago before bacon seemed to be en vogue and it became the featured project of the day today. At the time it was created, I thought other people might enjoy making them for husbands and boyfriends for Valentine's day. Nothing gets to the heart like saturated fats.

[Deadendshop34]

Just put some in the oven, I can't wait they smell sooooo good!!!

[farzadbayan]

mmm.., Really AWESOME!

[LilithAvalon]

Your husband is a lucky man.

[kcls]

Did I read this wrong? Bacon with chocolate? And I thought the velveeta cheese fudge was different... what does it taste like?

[LilithAvalon]

It's the best thing ever. And it makes the chocolate that much chocolatier.

[starshipminivan]

Absolutely!  It is a food pairing that seems to be growing in popularity.  You can actually buy chocolate bars with bacon in them.

[paravou]

My husband (the cook in the family) recently made dark chocolate covered bacon it was simply sinful.You cook the bacon up and drain as much grease from it as possible then dip it it the melted chocolate
The combination of salty bacon with sweet chocolate is amazing, He tried with white chocolate but it wouldn't melt down smooth so he ditched the white chocolate. I'm guessing the salty sweet is what makes it soo good.
Merry Christmas all and a Happy new year.

[RaNDoMLeiGH]

They are Evil Good. Voges makes them.

[frollard]

Made these 2 or 3 times now, but this time, the cheesecake portion was stiff and was willing to form peaks -- I used large eggs, not extra large. I wonder what the trouble could be :S They're in the oven now -- who knows if it'll turn out!

[The Landon]

WTF with the bacon?

[Hiroak]

I made these for a potluck at my work, used extra bacon, and only told one person they contained bacon, she’s Jewish. Everyone loved them and then when I said they are bacon-e-licious no one believed me, until we dissected the last one. Thanks they were great.

[inuyasha7322]

to make a patry bag, just put the batter in a ziplock bag, and cut the corner of

[ZAKxOFxTHExDEAD]

 bacon. really?

[jakieboy111]

it looks good and i have a lot of good and disgusting foods i would like to invent like:
pizza sallad
speaking of bacon: bacon ice cream
dill pickle ice cream
chocolate ketchup bars
ketchup covered cookies (it is awesome!)
ketchup, mustard and relish ice cream
and many more

[jrhafelein]

Healthy? Heck No. Thus they should be Guaranteed Delicious! Once per month or per Season won't kill anyone-- A pan of Bacon Cheesecake Brownies each Week will probably be bad news...unless you have a metabolic disorder where you are otherwise unable to gain weight.

These would be a great snack for someone who in on Chemo Therapy who has a poor apatite and is unable to eat enough to keep any body mass.

I can't wait to try these!

[thefutureisnow]

 I agree, if it's not healthy, then it's bound to be delicious! Moderate consumption recommended.

[g0nn el tren]

no ofense but, is that healty? brownie with bacon? and chesecake filling. ive never seen something like this before, but the people seem to love it.
i wonder how'd it taste

[starshipminivan]

You can infuse bacon flavor without adding tons of extra fat.  See further down in the comments for nutritional information and other options.  I don't normally go for the full-fat, white flour version of anything but I know how to do it.  This recipe can be adjusted to many degrees of healthiness, depending on how far you want to take it, without taking out the bacon or the cheesecake elements.

[bowmaster]

The title has a small misspelling/ It should say H-e-a-v-e-n.

[Stephen D. Alverez]

 Now that you mention it, I saw that to!

[timothymh]

 Just while we're no the topic of spelling, "too".

[Stephen D. Alverez]

 Oh, I noticed, but you said "just while we're no..." Guess we're even (unless thats what you meant to say). But, you know, it was early in the mornin' where I was, still, how did I miss that?

[timothymh]

 :) Happy birthday.

[HappyHeadCase]

...I want this now. Nothing else.

[killerjackalope]

The gods have smiled upon your kitchen...

[herrmonroe]

Two words:   PURE GENIUS!

We bow before thy awesomeness!

[lucien237]

Bacon cheesecake brownies... Welcome to America and enjoy your stay. My mouth is watering but my pancreas and heart and crying in terror.

[starshipminivan]

I agree it sounds absurdly fattening.  I normally make adjustments to a recipe to make it more nutritionally worthwhile.  Consider:
-Precooked bacon bits have a great deal of the fat rendered out.  1/4 cup for the whole batch has 100 calories and 6g of fat (only 2 of which is saturated)--not the nutritional sink hole you'd expect for something that brings so much flavor.
-Light and fat-free cream cheeses are great alternatives to regular and, in this application, you hardly notice the difference.  
-You can eliminate the oil from the brownies altogether by substituting applesauce or cooked pureed legumes (I use lentils which also add protein and fiber.)  It makes a denser, more substantial feeling brownie. 
-You can also use Egg Beaters or similar egg substitutes.
-You can add ground flax seed for fiber and Omega-3.  The brownies simply seem chewier.

I often perform nutritional analysis on foods. So here are the numbers on a batch with all standard ingredients:
24 servings each contain 189 calories, 11g fat, 2.7g protein.
These brownies are so rich that it's hard to eat many of them.  I cut them into small squares for "brownie bites" so it seems like you are eating more.

Making adjustments as I do for foods that are not a once a year treat (or, in this case, a contest entry), the analysis for brownies with lentils substituting for oil and fat free cream cheese instead of the full fat variety:
24 servings each contain 130 calories, 2.8g fat, 3.6g protein

(For those who won't do lentils and prefer applesauce: 127.5 cal, 2.5g fat, 3.2g protein).

[RaNDoMLeiGH]

this is totally no fun.. you're supposed to slather it on the insides of your arteries. That's what makes bacon, chocolate, and cheesecake Bacon, Chocolate, and Cheesecake.

I suppose you'll be posting an instructable about how to sell an indulgence next, eh?

just kidding. I appreciate the info. Have your baconcheesecakebrownie and eat it, too. Lots and lots of it since it's now healthier. Erm.