Lovey Dovey Brownie Cheesecake With Chocolate Ganache For Two (Or One!)

Today is Valentine’s Day. For people who aren’t big fans of dessert and don’t want to have to deal with leftovers taking up space in the fridge, this is a great alternative to provide a simple treat to close out a satisfying meal! While this is generous enough to split into two portions, it’s also a great dessert that you could eat yourself if you wanted to without breaking your calorie bank!

So, that being said, let’s get right to it! In the pictures, I made a marshmallow creme frosting around the sides (you could also just use whipped cream!) and topped it with a candy fudge heart! I actually stepped this recipe up this year by swapping out the vanilla extract for strawberry extract and added 1/8 chipotle powder into the crust to kick it up a notch! As I always say, play with it and get creative!

As a quick note, all of the ingredients are in grams because when you’re dealing with small quantities, it’s a lot harder to get precise with tablespoons and cups!

Brownie Crust Ingredients

-20g butter (measured solid, then melted)
-10g black cocoa powder (can also use regular!)
-10g almond flour (can also just use 20g almond flour or whatever flour you have on hand!)
-1 tbsp sugar / granulated sugar substitute
-pinch of salt
-1/2 large egg (save the rest for the filling!)
-1/8 tsp vanilla extract

Cheesecake Ingredients

-3 oz cream cheese (softened)
-1 tbsp sugar / granulated sugar substitute
-15g sour cream
-1/8 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache (Optional!)
-20g cocoa butter (or coconut oil!)
-12g cocoa powder
-2 tbsp sugar (or to desired sweetness!)

Steps

To make the crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 and grease a small 3-4″ cheesecake pan well.
   
2. Melt the butter and set it aside to cool.
   
3. Mix together your dry ingredients in a small bowl.
   
4. Crack the egg into a bowl and divide it in half. Using a scale will really help you here!
   
5. Add the vanilla extract and egg into the dry ingredients. Stir until combined.
   
6. Stir the butter into the bowl and mix until it comes together in a dough. It will look a bit “wet.”
   
7. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes. It’s okay if there is some butter that comes to the top of the brownie; it will re-absorb as it sets. Place it aside to cool while you make the filling!

To make the filling:

1. Place the 3 oz of cream cheese (a little less than half a brick) in a stand mixer and beat together with sugar.
   
2. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract and beat until it’s combined.
   
3. Scoop the filling over the cooled crust and then place into the oven.
   
4. Bake at 325 for 20-30 minutes, depending on your oven. Remove when the edges are set but the middle is still a bit jiggly.
   
5. Let sit on the counter for 1 hour to cool down before placing it in the fridge for 1-2 hours to cool. Make sure it’s cool before you add the ganache!

To make the ganache:

1. If you have a microwave, just add the ingredients to a small heat-proof bowl and microwave for ten seconds, then remove and stir. Keep doing this until the cocoa butter is all melted and it comes together!
   
2. If you don’t have a microwave, place a bot full of water boiling on the stove, and then set a large glass bowl or another pot of water on top of it in order to create a double boiler.
   
3. Place the ingredients in the top pan and let sit until melted, stirring occasionally.
   
4. While the ganache is melting, put the cheesecake in the freezer for about 10 minutes. When the ganache is ready, take the cheesecake out of the freezer and pour it over the top. The warm chocolate will seize as it hits the frozen cheesecake, so make sure to do this quickly and let it pour over the sides.
   
5. Place back in refrigerator and serve whenever you’re ready for it! When you cut the cake, the ganache is going to crack like in the photos above. It may not be pretty, but it will be delicious!

Enjoy!