Max and Trystan Sandvoss use goat cheese in their brownie recipe

A recipe using artisanal goat cheese from Upstate New York.

Goat cheese in a brownie? It may sound like a strange combination, but our editors put this recipe to the test and found the contrast of the chocolate sweetness and goat cheese tartness, along with the smooth cheese texture against the cakeiness, to be excellent. Thanks to Max and Trystan Sandvoss—profiled in our September-October 2013 issue—we will be making these again and again. 

Brownie Batter:
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces
8 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/3 cup flour, sifted

Chèvre Batter:
8 oz First Light Farm original chèvre
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

Use a 9 x 13 pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brownie batter: Melt butter and chocolate in microwave in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, stirring occasionally and keeping a close eye on the mixture until melted. Stir until completely smooth. Beat in, using an electric beater, the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt until well combined. Add flour and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Spread half the mixture in the baking pan.

Chèvre batter:  Beat all ingredients with electric mixer until smooth. Drop dollops of batter on top of the brownie batter, and swirl them in with knife. Add the second half of brownie batter and smooth it over chèvre mixture with a knife or spatula.

Bake until edges are slightly puffed and the center is just set, about 30 - 35 minutes. Cool.

Related topics

You might also like

Novelist Lev Grossman on Why Fantasy Isn’t About Escapism

The Magicians author discusses his influences, from Harvard to King Arthur to Tolkien.

This TikTok Artist Combines Monsters and Mental Heath

Ava Jinying Salzman’s artwork helps people process difficult feelings.

England’s First Sports Megastar

A collection of illustrations capture a boxer’s triumphant moment. 

Most popular

Harvard Scholars Discuss Venezuela After Maduro

A Harvard Kennedy School panel unpacks the nation’s oil sector, economy, and democratic hopes.

Why Men Are Falling Behind in Education, Employment, and Health

Can new approaches to education address a growing gender gap?

HAA Announces Overseers and Directors Slate for 2026

Alumni will vote this spring for members of two key governing boards

Explore More From Current Issue

Four young people sitting around a table playing a card game, with a chalkboard in the background.

On Weekends, These Harvard Math Professors Teach the Smaller Set

At Cambridge Math Circle, faculty and alumni share puzzles, riddles, and joy.

Black and white photo of a large mushroom cloud rising above the horizon.

Open Book: A New Nuclear Age

Harvard historian Serhii Plokhy’s latest book looks at the rising danger of a new arms race.

A busy hallway with diverse people carrying items, engaging in conversation and activities.

Yesterday’s News

A co-ed experiment that changed dorm life forever