Red velvet brownies are a delicious twist on the classic brownie that you definitely need to try and it's perfect for fans of red velvet or for during the holidays. These brownies have a delicious brownie texture with classic red velvet flavors.
Topping these flavorful red velvet brownies is a delightful cream cheese frosting for a truly unforgettable dessert experience. Enjoy!
This recipe is popular during the Christmas and holiday season, Valentine's Day, and even Mother's Day.
This was inspired by my Red Velvet Cupcakes with cream filling on this site, another delicious red velvet dessert.
Ingredients
To prepare these delicious Red Velvet Brownies, this is the list of ingredients you will need:
For the Brownies:
- all-purpose flour
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- baking powder
- salt
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- unsalted butter
- bittersweet chocolate
- vanilla extract
- white vinegar
- red food coloring
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- cream cheese, softened
unsalted butter, softened - powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
It doesn't take a lot of ingredients to make brownies with classic red velvet flavors.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
To begin making these delicious Red Velvet Brownies with homemade cream cheese frosting, first preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, making sure to allow at least 2 inches to extend over the sides. This will make it easy to remove the brownies from the pan to serve.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter with the chopped bittersweet chocolate in 15-second increments, whisking each time to allow the butter and chocolate to melt and melt together.
Beat in the granulated sugar and the cocoa powder, then beat the eggs in one at a time.
Mix in the red food coloring as well as the vanilla extract and the white vinegar.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet brownie mixture, stirring until fully combined.
Pour the red velvet brownie mixture into your prepared baking pan, spreading it evenly. Bake the brownies in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
Allow your Red Velvet Brownies to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before lifting them out of the pan using the parchment paper. Allow the brownies to cool completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting.
Hint: Frost the brownies with the cream cheese frosting and chill them in the fridge for an hour or two before slicing. Run a knife under hot water and wipe it dry before slicing the brownies to create clean cuts.
Substitutions
There are a few ingredients you can substitute when making this red velvet brownies recipe.
Butter: If you don't have unsalted butter, you can use salted butter instead. When using salted butter, omit the salt that is in this recipe to prevent the brownies from being over-salted.
Sugar: You can lower the sugar content in this recipe or substitute some or all for a proper sugar alternative. It may alter the overall flavor of these brownies.
Remember, when making substitutions the recipe may not come out as intended.
Variations
There are a few twists you can take on this red velvet brownies recipe. Here are a few:
- Add nuts - Top the cream cheese frosting with chopped pecans or walnuts to give it a nutty flavor and texture.
- Frosting - Leave the Red Velvet Brownies bare if you want to have bare brownies or top them with cool white instead of cream cheese frosting.
See this Red Velvet Poke Cake recipe on my website! It's an easy recipe using a boxed cake mix and sweetened condensed milk. It's easy, delicious, and a crowd favorite!
Equipment
Baking pan - For this recipe, a 9x9 baking pan is used to create thick chewy brownies.
Parchment paper - For ease of removing the brownies and cleaning the pan, parchment paper is used for simplicity.
Mixing bowls - Different sizes of mixing bowls are ideal for combining wet and dry ingredients.
A microwave-safe bowl is another great item to have on hand for melting butter and chocolate. If you don't have a microwave-safe mixing bowl, a glass bowl works well.
Measuring cups and spoons - Wet and dry measuring cups and spoons are essential tools to get the correct measurements when making these Red Velvet Brownies.
Whisk - This recipe comes together easily so for this recipe a whisk is my tool of choice when combining the ingredients for this red velvet brownies recipe.
Hand Mixer - Hand mixers are very useful when it comes to making frosting. It's quick and efficient.
Storage
For maximum freshness, store the Red Velvet Brownies properly for the best results with flavor and quality.
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Since these brownies are frosted with cream cheese frosting, these brownies should be stored in the refrigerator for safety. To store them in the refrigerator, wrap them tightly and store them for up to a week. Before eating, let the brownies come to room temperature before serving, as it will soften the brownies and cream cheese frosting.
You can also freeze your Red Velvet Brownies for up to 3 months. For ease of eating later, slice the brownies into squares and wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and then place the wrapped brownies in an air-tight container,
When ready to eat, remove the desired brownies from the freezer and thaw them in the refrigerator for a few hours.
Top tip
Chilling the frosted red velvet brownies before slicing will create clean-cut brownies with minimum smearing of the frosting.
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Red Velvet Brownies
Equipment
Ingredients
Red Velvet Brownies
- 4 ounces bittersweet baking bar - chopped
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ounce red food coloring
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese frosting - softened
- ¼ cup unsalted butter - softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Red Velvet Brownies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing at least a 2-inch overhang.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter with the chopped bittersweet chocolate in 15-second increments. Stir until smooth.
- Beat in the granulated sugar and the cocoa powder, then beat the eggs one at a time.
- Mix in the red food coloring, the vanilla extract, and the white vinegar.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, stirring until fully combined.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan, spreading it evenly.
- Bake the brownies in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Allow the brownies to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before lifting them out of the pan.
- Allow the brownies to cool completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the softened cream cheese together with the butter until smooth and creamy.
- Mix in the powdered sugar and the vanilla extract until smooth.
- Using an icing spatula, spread the cream cheese frosting over the brownies in an even layer.
- Store frosted brownies in the refridgerator.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate based on third-party calculations. Actual values may vary due to ingredients, measurements, and serving sizes.
© Mama Needs Cake
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Dana is an experienced recipe creator who crafts easy and delicious recipes for all levels of home cooks.
Her recipes range from classic comfort foods to healthy and nutritious meals, and she is always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to bring flavor and variety to the table.
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