Goat Cheese Swirl Brownies

These thick, fudgy dark chocolate brownies swirled with sweet, creamy goat cheese are like cheesecake brownies only better. Made with melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and tangy goat cheese.

creamy goat cheese swirled brownies

Back in the height of the Food Network days of my childhood, I remember watching one of those deep-dive shows into a goat farm somewhere in the Northeast where, at the end of the episode, there was a montage of bleating goats, cheese-making machinery, and thick brownies swirled with fresh goat cheese. Those brownies made a permanent impression in my my mind so to say that I have been thinking of this recipe for the past 15 years is not an exaggeration. Thankfully, I found myself with a Costco-sized goat cheese log in the refrigerator that was just begging to be swirled into brownies.

about these goat cheese swirled brownies

The base for this recipe starts with my long-time favorite fudgy brownie recipe. I spent about 5 years testing and tweaking this recipe so you know it’s a good one. They are thick and deeply chocolate-y and come together in just a few minutes using minimal dishware—always a win in my book. Then we make a sweetened goat cheese mixture and swirl it through the batter just before baking. They are sweet and simple and a little bit fancy, just how I like my baked goods.

ingredients you’ll need for goat cheese swirled brownies

• Chocolate. The most important part of any brownie recipe. This recipe has a base of melted chocolate + the addition of a little cocoa powder. I like to use the Trader Joe’s 72% Pound Plus Chocolate Baking Bars because they are quality-chocolate at an affordable price. You can either use dutch-processed or dark cocoa powder for this recipe—the darker the better in my opinion.

• Butter. This recipe uses butter as our fat source and it’s melted with the chocolate in a double boiler. Because we’re using it in a melted form, if you want to play around with flavor, you could experiment with olive oil or coconut oil for a slightly different flavor.

• Espresso Powder. Espresso goes beautifully with chocolate. You can use espresso powder or instant coffee granules in this recipe.

• Eggs. This recipe uses 6 eggs in total, 5 in the brownie batter and 1 in the goat cheese mixture. Egg yolks provide fat and emulsification, while whites contribute to the structure of the brownie. In the brownie batter, we are using 3 whole eggs and 2 of the egg yolks, while the remaining 2 egg whites are whipped with sugar to create our crackly brownie crust.

• Brown Sugar. I love the sticky, caramelized flavor that brown sugar adds to this recipe.

• Granulated Sugar. Half of the granulated sugar in this recipe is whisked directly into the brownie batter and half is whipped into the egg whites to create a meringue that will give us a crackly, brownie crust. We’ll use another 2 tbsp to sweeten the goat cheese mixture.

• Flour. We are using one cup of all purpose flour in this recipe.

• Goat Cheese. The star of the show, we are using 8 oz of plain goat cheese for the swirl layer.

• Salt, Heavy Cream, and Vanilla. A pinch of salt is added to both the brownie batter and the goat cheese mixture. A splash of heavy cream can be used in the goat cheese mixture to help loosen it and make it a “swirl-able” consistency. I scraped the vanilla bean seeds from one vanilla bean pod for the goat cheese swirl, but you can substitute 2 tsp of vanilla extract.

Yield 16 brownies

Author Anna Ramiz

Prep time

45 Min

Cook time

30 Min

Total time

1 H & 15 M

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Goat Cheese Swirl Brownies

These thick, fudgy dark chocolate brownies swirled with sweet, creamy goat cheese are like cheesecake brownies only better. Made with melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and tangy goat cheese.

Ingredients

for the brownie batter

• 1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 6 tbsp cocoa powder
• 12 oz dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, cubed
• 2 tsp espresso powder
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, divided
• 1 cup (213 g) brown sugar
• 5 eggs (3 whole, 2 separated)

for the goat cheese swirl

• 8 oz plain goat cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 vanilla bean, scraped
• 1-2 tbsp heavy cream, if needed

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a 9x13" baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.
3. Combine chopped chocolate, cubed butter, and espresso powder in a large heat-proof bowl and set it over a pot of simmering water. Heat, stirring often, until mixture is completely melted and smooth. Let cool slightly.
4. When the chocolate has cooled a bit, whisk in the brown sugar and half of the granulated sugar.
5. Add the 3 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks one at a time, whisking thoroughly after each addition.
6. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients, mixing with a rubber spatula until just combined and no flour streaks remain. Set batter aside.
7. In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, begin whipping the 2 egg whites on medium speed. When the whites are frothy, gradually stream in the remaining half of the granulated sugar. When all of the sugar has been added, increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip until medium peaks form.
8. Working in two additions, gently fold the whipped egg whites into the brownie batter, mixing gently until completely combined, no white streaks remain, and all of the batter is one consistent color. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and set aside while you make the goat cheese swirl.
9. To make the goat cheese swirl, combine goat cheese, egg, sugar, salt, and scraped vanilla bean seeds in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer until smooth, adding a splash or two of heavy cream to loosen if needed.
10. Dollop the goat cheese mixture over the top of the brownie batter and swirl with a knife or skewer. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top of the brownie is set and a knife or toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center.
11. Let the brownies cool completely before serving. For clean slices, chill the brownies for at least an hour and preferably overnight before slicing.

Notes

You may have extra of the goat cheese mixture, but I'm not into writing recipes where you have to use 1/2 of an egg. If you want a little extra goat cheese, you can add a layer to the middle of the batter in addition to swirling it on the top.

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Goat Cheese and Roasted Artichoke Dip

This recipe is part of a paid partnership with Reese Specialty Foods and Wellington Crackers. As always, all thoughts and opinions are all my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Gathered At My Table possible!

Happy Monday from me and a brand new savory recipe here on the blog! A few weeks ago, I took a poll on Instagram to see if you guys would be interested in the very occasional, non-baked good recipe making an appearance on the blog and the answer was a resounding YES (like 100% yes responses). I hear you! When sharing savory recipes with you, I definitely like to stick the category that I like to call “fun food”. Fun food includes any party food (tiny tapas, appetizers, etc), anything I can dip bread or crackers into (like today’s goat cheese and roasted artichoke dip), a collection of meats and cheeses artfully arranged on a board (like this mediterranean snack board or this classic charcuterie board), and of course, cocktails. And this goat cheese and roasted artichoke dip that I created with Reese Specialty Foods and Wellington Crackers is most-definitely a very fun food.

The inspiration for this dip came from where all good inspiration comes from…TikTok. Remember that baked feta pasta dish that everyone made in February? I thought it a version of it could make a really great dip and turns out, I was right. To make this dip, grape tomatoes and artichoke hearts get roasted alongside garlic and olive oil until they are blistered and soft. Then goat cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, parmesan or asiago, and a handful of herbs are mixed until smooth, half of the tomatoes and artichoke hearts are stirred in, and the whole thing is baked until hot and bubbly. Top with all the leftover tomatoes and artichokes and serve with Wellington Crackers and white wine and you have yourself a very fun food.

The best thing about this recipe is its versatility. It can easily be tweaked to fit the ingredients that you have on hand. Sour cream can be subbed with plain yogurt or even ricotta cheese. You can use a sampling of any soft herbs that you like—parsley, basil, oregano, thyme. The asiago cheese can be switched out for parm, and you can even add mix-ins like lump crab meat, handfuls of spinach, or roasted mushrooms. And, in case you were wondering, the leftover dip also makes a great last-minute pasta sauce.

Yield: serves 6-8

Author: Anna Ramiz

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Goat Cheese and Roasted Artichoke Dip

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

A creamy, cheesy dip filled with oven roasted artichokes and tomatoes featuring Reese Specialty Foods and Wellington Crackers.

Ingredients

• 10 oz grape tomatoes
• 1 can (13.5 oz)Reese Artichoke Hearts, drained
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 3 cloves of garlic, with the skins still on
• 8 oz softened cream cheese
• 4 oz goat cheese
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup grated asiago cheese, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, roughly chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 boxes Wellington Assorted Crackers, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.
2. Place grape tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and garlic cloves in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and stir to combine. Roast for 30-35 minutes, until tomatoes are blistered and garlic is soft and caramelized. Set aside and decrease oven temperature to 400° F.
3. In the bowl of a food processor combine cream cheese, goat cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, grated asiago, basil, black pepper, and the remaining teaspoon of salt. Squeeze roasted garlic from its skins and add to the food processor.
4. Pulse for 1-2 minutes, until everything is well-combined and cheeses are smooth.
5. Scoop the dip into ramekins or a baking dish and top with more grated asiago cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and the edges are bubbling. Spoon roasted tomatoes and artichokes over the top and serve immediately.

Notes:

The best thing about this recipe is its versatility. Don't have sour cream? Sub plain yogurt or even ricotta cheese. Use parsley, oregano, or even rosemary in place of the basil. Stir in a bunch of lump crab meat or lobster or a few handfuls of spinach. This dip is endlessly adaptable and can be made with whatever you have on hand.

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Goat Cheese and Roasted Raspberry Crumble Ice Cream

Have y’all ever been to a Jeni’s Ice Cream? If you haven't, you’re missing out. The franchise started in Ohio, but they have locations all over the Midwest and Southeast (and even California now according to the website!). We discovered Jeni’s a few years back while living in Nashville, where the ice cream shop has a cult following. It doesn’t matter if it’s 90° F and sunny or 35° F and snowy, you could always spot any Jeni’s location because of the line snaking out of the front door and down the sidewalk. They have a whole bunch of unique flavors that change seasonally, but my absolute favorite was a Goat Cheese and Red Cherries Ice Cream that only made it’s appearance in late Spring/early Summer. Usually, around mid-May, I would start seeking out Jeni’s trips to see if this perfect flavor had made it’s appearance on the board yet and get as much as I could before it disappeared at the end of cherry season. For all of the times that I went with high hopes of finding the goat cheese ice cream only to find it’s space on the flavor board empty, there was Brambleberry Crisp. Ribbons of dark, juicy berries, swirled with cobbler chunks, and although it wasn’t the goat cheese and red cherries, it made a pretty great second choice.

This ice cream is a mash-up of these two favorites. The tangy goat cheese gives almost a cheesecake flavor to the ice cream base, while bright summer raspberries are roasted until they are dark fuchsia and stirred in with chunks of crumble topping. The best part is that this ice cream can be made with or without an ice cream maker. Like all of my ice cream recipes here on the blog, it’s a creme anglaise base that gets chilled, whipped, and frozen—no churning necessary. But, if you’re one of the blessed few who has an ice cream maker at home, the base can be added to your machine and churned following the instructions on your ice cream maker. It’s a perfect summer treat for those of us without a Jeni’s around the corner.

Goat Cheese and Roasted Raspberry Crumble Ice Cream

Yield: 1 quart ice cream

Ingredients: 

for the ice cream base

2 cups (460 g) heavy cream

3/4 cup granulated sugar

4 egg yolks

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2.5 oz goat cheese

for the roasted raspberries

10 oz raspberries

2 T granulated sugar

for the crumble 

1/4 cup (35 g) all purpose flour

1/2 cup (50 g) rolled oats

3 T (40 g) brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp kosher salt

4 T (57 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Procedure: 

to make the ice cream: 

1. In a medium saucepan, heat cream over medium-low heat until it is beginning to bubble around the edges of the pan and is hot to the touch. 

2. While the cream is heating, whisk together salt, vanilla, egg yolks, and sugar in a large bowl. When the cream is hot, slowly stream it into the egg mixture, whisking continually the whole time. Transfer the entire mixture back into the saucepan and return to heat. 

3. Cook, stirring continually with a wooden spoon, over low-medium heat until anglaise sauce is thickened, but do not bring to a boil. You can test if the sauce is ready by wiping your finger through the sauce along the back of the wooden spoon. If the line your finger creates holds, the sauce is ready. If it drips, continue cooking. 

4. When the sauce is sufficiently thickened, strain into a large mixing bowl, whisk in goat cheese until melted and combined, cover, and refrigerate.

5. Whipping and chilling: When the anglaise sauce is cold, transfer to a mixer and begin whipping. Whip until soft peaks form and then return to the refrigerator.  

to make the roasted raspberries:

1. Combine raspberries and granulated sugar in a cast-iron skillet or glass baking dish. Bake at 400° F for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, gently stir raspberries and continue baking for another 10-15 until bubbly and softened. Set aside to cool.

to make the crumble: 

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds to combine. 

3. Add cold butter to flour mixture and mix on medium speed until butter is evenly distributed and completely incorporated. (If making ahead of time, the crumble mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.)

4. Press crumble mixture in an even-layered disc or rectangle on your prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until golden brown on the edges. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on the pan and then use your hands to break up into chunks. 

to assemble ice cream: 

1. After whipping the creme anglaise to soft peaks, use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the cooled roasted raspberries and sprinkle in the crumble mixture. (Make sure to mix only until everything is evenly distributed, but that ribbons and streaks of raspberry remain.)

2. Spread ice cream in an 8x8 pan or a loaf pan, cover the dish with plastic wrap and freeze overnight (8-12 hours). 

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