Baileys Cheesecake Brownies with Espresso Ganache are a must have – whether it’s Wednesday or St. Patrick’s Day!
I’ve never been so excited for a Wednesday, but these bars are out of this world and here, today, this Wednesday before St. Patrick’s Day. Are you ready for it?!
Ready for the fudgy brownies, rich, creamy cheesecake, and smooth chocolate espresso drizzle?! Well, ready or not, here they come…
I guess you could say I’ve been on somewhat of a brownie kick lately. When I realized St. Patrick’s Day was just around the corner, I knew I wanted something that reminded me of my travels around Ireland – and that checked the ultimate dessert box.
Sophomore year of college I went to Ireland to do some solo travel for a bit. I’m not a huge beer drinker (and by not huge, I mean like, almost never – unless it’s in Guinness Cupcakes). So, naturally, I had to find a favorite Irish beverage to warm me up after those dreary, rainy days – it was January, after all!
So I jumped on the Irish Coffee train… which, I know, doesn’t have Baileys in it, but between the cream, and liquor, and coffee, it felt to me like Baileys on steroids. To this day I have yet to have such a delicious Irish Coffee here in the states, but then again, I tend to find my favorite coffees while abroad. And I gotta say, it’s seeming I’m a sucker for indulgent, yet not overly sweet, coffees when calories don’t count. Because they don’t when you’re traveling, right?
Or when you’re eating Baileys Cheesecake Brownies with Espresso Ganache.
The purpose of my whole Irish Coffee rant is because it’s a huge piece of the inspiration here.
MY FRIENDS, they have the creaminess, the indulgence, the coffee, the chocolate! It’s all so wonderfully over the top, all so Irish-Coffee-esque.
Let’s take a closer look:
- Brownies: thick, fudgy brownie base, slightly adapted from my Mocha Brownies, because the inspiration from Irish Coffee couldn’t be without some espresso. And of course, there’s Baileys in the brownie mix. These are Baileys EPIC brownies…
- Cheesecake: The creamy, rich, decadent cheesecake layer…with more Baileys…well, they melt-in-your-mouth, and are the best combination of not-too-sweet and just-enough-tangy…
- Espresso ganache drizzle: chocolate, on chocolate, on chocolate. Is this heaven? I think so. Not only chocolate, but chocolate AND espresso AND Baileys! The trifecta, my friends, the trifecta.
This combination is just so ultimate. These NEED to be on your St. Patrick’s Day menu – whether or not you’re going to a party, going to a bar, drinking or not drinking, or laying around at home – it doesn’t matter, because these Baileys Cheesecake Brownies are going to make your weekend AMAZING.
Baileys Cheesecake Brownies with Espresso Ganache
Ingredients
Brownie Layer
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 TBSP Bailey's Irish Cream
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 TBSP espresso powder
Cheesecake Layer
- 16 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 TBSP Bailey's Irish Cream
- 2 eggs room temperature
Espresso Ganache
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp espresso powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper.
- Brownies: Melt the butter in the microwave, then whisk in the vanilla extract, sugar, and Bailey's. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking between each addition. Add dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, salt, and espresso powder, stir until just combined. Spread evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Cheesecake: Add the room temperature cream cheese to a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a hand mixer, cream the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and Bailey's, continuing to beat until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, until fully combined. Spread the cheesecake batter on top of the brownie batter evenly.
- Bake for 38-42 minutes until mostly set (the center may jiggle a little still, that's ok!). Once you've removed the bars from the oven, let them cool for 30-45 minutes at room temperature. Then, place in the fridge to chill for approximately 2 hours.
- When ready to serve, combine all the ganache ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl (you can also use a double boiler). Microwave the ingredients in at least 2, 15-second increments, stirring between each time. At this point, it should come together smoothly after several good stirs; if not, microwave for an additional 10-15 seconds. Don't cook too long! Drizzle or spread the ganache on top of the bars, cut as desired, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Cheers!
Charlotte | What Charlotte Baked
Oh my gosh, these look like heaven in a square! I’m obsessed with that chocolate coffee drizzle. I want.
Becca
YES – chocolate espresso drizzle is AMAZING!
Ann
These are fantastic! Made them for my birthday/New Years eve gathering! Wow! So good! I didn’t have espresso powder so I use French vanilla cappuccino mix and it was so good! Thanks for the recipe! Very easy to make!
Becca
I’m so glad you loved them, Ann! I hope you had a lovely birthday, too!
Amanda
How do you think the bittersweet instead of the semisweet would taste in the ganache??
Becca Mills
Hi Amanda! That should be totally fine! Generally they’re pretty interchangeable. If anything, you’ll notice a little more dark chocolate flavor, but with the other sweetness going on I don’t think you’ll be able to even tell much of a difference. Let me know if you give them a try!