Red Velvet Brownies

These luscious red velvet brownies are chewy, moist, and topped with cream cheese frosting! Perfect for Valentine's Day or special occasions.

I love making these brownies on Valentine's Day, but I often make them throughout the year, too!

I've always wanted to make red velvet brownies with cream cheese frosting, so I adapted this recipe from my classic brownies recipe.

Knowing how to make red velvet brownies from scratch couldn't get any easier than this recipe. And these brownies are absolutely irresistible!

I think these are the best red velvet brownies and they taste so much better than brownies from a box mix.

Love brownies and bars? Try my ancient Greek sesame bars - Pasteli, my easy vegan fudge brownies, or my no bake pumpkin cheesecake brownies.

Why you’ll love these fudgy red velvet brownies

• They're quick and simple. These easy red velvet brownies are pretty quick and ready in less than an hour.
• They're pretty. These brownies have a gorgeous deep red color that are great for special occasions, like Valentine's Day. 
• They taste amazing. These red velvet cream cheese brownies are so delicious. It's hard to just eat one piece.

What are red velvet brownies made of?

Red velvet brownies include a variety of ingredients like cocoa powder, flour, sugar, butter, eggs, red food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla extract. They are rich and dense with a characteristic red color. Many recipes, like mine, also have a yummy cream cheese frosting for a creamier texture and a tangy flavor.  

What do these red velvet brownies taste like?

These red velvet cheesecake brownies are dense and chewy with a touch of cocoa, yet they're not overly sweet. The slightly tangy cream cheese frosting on the top is the most notable flavor that is perfect with these brownies.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

Ingredients for the brownies

• Butter: I use unsalted butter, melted.
• Sugar: I use regular granulated sugar for the brownies and powdered sugar for the cream cheese frosting.
• Eggs: I use 2 medium organic eggs.
• Flour & leaveners: I use all purpose flour and baking soda.
• Vinegar: I use white vinegar, but you could also use apple cider vinegar, instead.
• Cocoa powder: I use unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract.
• Salt: A little bit of salt enhances all the flavors.
• Red Food coloring: For this recipe, I used Wilton Red Red gel food color.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities.

Equipment you'll need

• large mixing bowls
• hand mixer (or stand mixer)
• an 8x8 inch (20x20 cm) or 9x9 (23x23 cm) inch baking pan
• parchment paper

HOW TO MAKE RED VELVET BROWNIES

Step-by-step Instructions

This easy red velvet brownies recipe is really simple to follow.

First, make the red velvet brownie batter.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Set it aside.

In another bowl, beat the sugar and the melted butter together until well combined.

Add the vanilla, eggs, vinegar and food coloring and mix until everything is well incorporated.

Add the dry ingredients and mix until everything is thoroughly combined and there are no more streaks of flour. Don't overmix.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and even out the top.

Then you bake the brownies and let them cool completely before cutting. 

TOP TIP

The color of your brownies will depend on the food coloring you use, liquid or gel. Gel food coloring is very concentrated so you'll need less compared to liquid food coloring.

Although totally optional, I highly recommend topping these brownies with cream cheese frosting! It's so good!

Ingredients for the cream cheese frosting

• Butter: I use unsalted butter.
• Cream cheese: I use full fat cream cheese.
• Powdered sugar: I prefer using confectioner's sugar so the frosting isn't gritty.
• Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract.

HOW TO MAKE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Beat the butter until it's really smooth and fluffy.

Then gradually add the powdered sugar. I do it in 3 batches.  

Then add the cream cheese and vanilla and beat until it's just combined.

The consistency of this frosting is perfect! 

Recipe Notes

Storage Tips

Store these brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to about 5 days.

Freezing Instructions

These brownies freeze well, with or without the cream cheese frosting! Wrap them in plastic wrap and then place them in freezer bags. They can be frozen for up to about 2 months. To thaw, let them sit in the refrigerator overnight.

Variations

Red velvet oreo brownies

Place half of the batter in the pan and then add a layer of oreo cookies on top. Then spread the remaining batter over the cookies.

Red velvet cheesecake brownies from scratch

Make the cheesecake mixture by mixing together 8 oz (226g) cream cheese, 1 whole egg, and ¼ cup (50g) sugar with a hand mixer. Top the brownie batter with spoonfuls of cheesecake filling. Use a knife to create swirls all over the top. Then bake as instructed.

Add-ins & Toppings

• If you like sweeter brownies, you can add some white chocolate chips to the batter or sprinkle them on top before baking.
• For more texture, add some chopped nuts.
• For even more indulgent brownies, drizzle some homemade chocolate syrup, homemade salted caramel sauce, or some melted Lotus Biscoff spread on top before serving.

FAQs

Happy baking!

MORE BROWNIE RECIPES

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite recipes to serve with these red velvet brownies:

Let me know how these red velvet brownies turn out for you in the comments below! I'd love to hear from you!

Recipe

Red Velvet Brownies

These luscious red velvet brownies are chewy, moist, and topped with cream cheese frosting! Perfect for Valentine's Day or special occasions.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 44 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 , approximately

Author: Voula

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

• mixing bowls
• hand mixer (or stand mixer)
• an 8x8 inch (20X20 cm) or 9x9 inch (23x23 cm) baking pan
• parchment paper

Ingredients

For the brownies

• ▢ 2 cups (250g) all purpose flour
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ cup (25 g / 0.9 oz) unsweetened cocoa powder
• ▢ 1 cup (226g / 8 oz) unsalted butter, melted
• ▢ 1 ¼ cups (250g) sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ▢ 2 medium eggs, at room temperature
• ▢ 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons red gel food coloring (I use Wilton Red Red Gel Food Coloring)

For the cream cheese frosting

• ▢ 4 oz / 113g cream cheese, full-fat
• ▢ ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ▢ 2 ½-3 cups (300g-400g) powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla

Note:

For best results, please read through the full post before beginning the recipe.

Instructions

Make the brownies

• Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C.
• Line the pan with parchment paper. Set it aside.
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Set it aside.
• In another bowl, beat the sugar and the melted butter together until well combined.
• Add the vanilla, eggs, vinegar and food coloring and mix until everything is well incorporated.
• Add the dry ingredients and mix until everything is thoroughly combined and there are no more streaks of flour. Don't overmix.
• Spread the batter into the prepared pan and even out the top. 
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the brownies cool completely before cutting into squares.

Make the cream cheese frosting

• Beat the butter on high speed until it's light, fluffy and smooth.
• Gradually add the powdered sugar in 3 batches. Beat on high for a few minutes until the mixture is light and creamy. Scrape the bowl a few times in between as needed.
• Add the cream cheese and vanilla and beat until it's combined. Don't beat it too long, or it could get runny.
• Use a small spoon or a pastry bag to frost the cooled brownies.
• Enjoy!

Notes

Storage Tips

Store these brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to about 5 days.

Freezing Instructions

These brownies freeze well, with or without the cream cheese frosting! Wrap them in plastic wrap and then place them in freezer bags. They can be frozen for up to about 2 months. To thaw, let them sit in the refrigerator overnight.

Picture Tutorial & Tips

I have a detailed picture tutorial in my post to help you out with each step of the recipe as well as lots of tips to ensure success.

Baking Measurements

I have used weight measurements for all the recipes on this website. Even though I have also included American volume measurements for convenience, I highly recommend using a digital kitchen scale to weigh all ingredients for the most accurate measurements. Digital kitchen scales are more precise than cups, which is so important in baking, and they give the most accurate, consistent results. Happy baking!

©Pastry Wishes

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