Gluten Free Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Brownies

These Gluten Free Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Brownies are a summer variation of my favourite cheesecake brownie recipe. Gluten free cooks love tried-and-true recipes that can be varied to suit the season or the occasion. This recipe uses a single flour and that's another bonus for family and friends who want to cook gluten free food you can eat.

When the raspberry bushes in my garden are loaded with berries I make raspberry sauce and it's become a once-a-year decadent treat. I hide it in the back of the fridge and use it to drizzle over Grilled Peaches or pour on ice cream. I even make raspberry butter (another once-a-year treat) to slather on muffins, scones, pancakes or anywhere you slather butter.

Whether you grow your own raspberries, buy them at a Farmer's Market or grocery store, they're at their best when they're in season! Watch for them and have your raspberry recipes all lined up.

Ingredients

This recipe is a real single flour recipe. I buy certified gluten free quinoa flour at the grocery store (PC brand at the Real Canadian Superstore if you're in Canada). Recipes like this, with no special gluten free ingredients, are worth sharing with family and friends.

• chocolate chips
• butter
• sugar
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• quinoa flour
• cream cheese
• milk
• raspberries
• homemade raspberry sauce

See recipe card for exact amounts.

Instructions

this gluten free recipe

There's no right or wrong way to make swirls in your brownie. Drop big blobs of chocolate cheesecake filling on the cheesecake layer, make thin lines of raspberry sauce or anything in between. Use a wooden skewer, a small knife/spreader or even a fork.

Try them all and have fun! This is the technique you'll use at Halloween to make spider webs.

Remember you're making swirls in the cheesecake layer only. Be careful not to disturb the bottom brownie layer.

Variations

Chocolate Swirl - Omit the raspberry swirl and just make chocolate swirls. That is the original recipe that you can see here, Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies.

Blueberries - Blueberries can replace raspberries in almost any recipe or they can be used together. Adding berries in the cheesecake layers makes cutting the cooked brownie a bit messy. I prefer to make the brownie with raspberry swirls and top each piece with fresh berries.

Travel Tips for Gluten Free Cooks

Everyone wants tips to take gluten free food with them when they travel. Here are a few tips for a road trip.

• Brownies are a great choice to pack in a cooler, even for a road trip that spans several days with hotel stops.
• Make them in advance and freeze them right in the baking pan. Wrap well with foil and put in a large zippered plastic bag.
• Don't cut your brownies. Keeping them whole and in the pan they were made in will keep them moist and fudgy.
• Ask for a room with a bar fridge that has a freezer. Then you can keep your brownie refrigerated and refreeze your ice packs.
• I have a cooler with a lid that has storage in the top. It holds my own gluten free cutting board, knife and dishcloth so I'm always ready to cut brownies.

Get The Tools

My two 8-inch baking pans get a lot of use in my kitchen and as I've been known to say, buy them in pairs, you'll never regret it! You don't need the most expensive kitchen tools but choose decent quality and many tools will last decades.

• A pair of 8-inch square baking pans.
• Sturdy cutting board for home use and a smaller one for travel.
• Large chef’s knife so I can make one long cut across the entire brownie.
• A roll of parchment paper or parchment sheets.

Storage

Brownies freeze well, cut or whole. Store in a single layer in airtight containers for up to one week in the fridge and a month in the freezer.

Top Tip: Baking Challenge

Here’s a baking challenge for anyone who's needs one. Have a head-to-head brownie tasting or make a different brownie recipe every month for three months. I guarantee you'll find people to help you eat them and you'll find a new favourite recipe in the process. Here are some to choose from:

• Mochaccino Brownies
• Chocolate Truffle Brownies, more cake-like than fudgy.
• Layered Cappuccino Brownies with a no bake cheesecake layer.

Gluten Free Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Brownies

This is a summer variation of my favourite gluten free brownie recipe. It's made with quinoa flour so there are no special gluten free ingredients to purchase. This is a recipe to share with anyone who want to bake gluten free.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Baking, gluten free baking

Cuisine: Canadian

Keyword: gluten free brownies, Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Brownies

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 pieces

Author: Cinde Little

Ingredients

Brownie Base

• ▢ 1½ cups chocolate chips
• ▢ ½ cup butter
• ▢ ⅓ cup sugar
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ cup quinoa flour

Cheesecake Topping

• ▢ 8 oz cream cheese , room temperature
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ¼ cup sugar
• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 1 tablespoon milk
• ▢ 2 tablespoon quinoa flour

Raspberry Swirls

• ▢ 2-4 tablespoon raspberry sauce see link to recipe below
• ▢ ¼ cup fresh raspberries

OPTIONAL: Chocolate Swirls

• ▢ ¼ cup chocolate chips

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Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.

Brownie Base

• Put chocolate in a small bowl and melt in the microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir then add butter. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir and checking if mixture is completely melted. Repeat if needed. Set aside to cool.
• In a medium bowl beat sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add melted chocolate and mix well.
• Add the flour and mix thoroughly. Pour into the prepared pan.

Cheesecake Layer

• **See notes below for chocolate swirl variation before completing this step.
• In a medium bowl beat the cream cheese, vanilla, sugar and egg until evenly combined.
• Blend in milk and flour.
• Pour cheesecake mixture onto the brownie base in wide ribbons to cover completely. Smooth with spatula if needed.

Make Raspberry Swirls

• Drop spoonfuls of raspberry sauce (and chocolate mixture if using) all over the cheesecake topping allowing space to create swirls.
• Top with whole raspberries.
• Using a knife draw circles through the sauce and into the white cheesecake layer. Have fun creating swirls right to the edges of the pan being careful not to disturb the brownie layer.
  

Optional Chocolate Swirls

• Melt chocolate chips in microwave. Stir into reserved cheesecake mixture until combined. Create swirls following directions above.
  
• Bake in preheated oven 30-35 minutes, until the middle springs back when gently touched in the center with a finger. Cool completely and chill overnight before cutting.

Cutting Brownies

• For nice clean cuts use a knife, dipped in hot water and wiped dry. Be sure to wipe clean between each cut. Use a ruler if you want them all the same size.
  

Notes

Homemade Raspberry Sauce: Follow the link to see the exact recipe. It's simply raspberries, sugar and lemon juice.

Melting chocolate in a microwave: Chocolate can easily burn in a microwave so it's worth the effort to learn to melt it properly. Use a bowl that holds the chocolate nicely, not too big. Cook for 1 minute on high then stir. Then cook in 30 second intervals, stirring vigorously each time as this evenly distributes the heat and helps melt the chocolate.

Chocolate Swirl Variation: Reserve a third of the cheesecake mixture in a separate bowl. Melt chocolate chips in a small bowl in a microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir until chocolate is smooth, cook another 30 seconds if needed. Cool slightly then add to reserved cheesecake mixture. Stir until combined and drop blobs onto the cheesecake layer. Create swirls as desired.