Red Velvet Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting are fudgy, delicious brownies, paired deliciously to the best cream cheese frosting!
Red Velvet and Cream Cheese go together so well- I shared this combo previously with my cake mix cookies and now I thought it would be the perfect combo in this recipe.
Why I love this recipe:
- These red velvet brownies are great with or without frosting!
- They take no time to make!
- Most of the ingredients are probably in your pantry! I just had to buy red food coloring to make these!
For this recipe I took my homemade brownies and altered it to make it red velvet.
Since red velvet is usually a rich, chocolatey dessert I played around with what I already new to be a winner brownies recipe and came up with this!
And might I say it is delicious!
Ingredients needed for red velvet brownies:
- Butter
- Cocoa Powder
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Sugar
- Vanilla
- Red Food Coloring
- Eggs
Is this true red velvet?
Yes and no. It is rich and chocolatey and also red. However, a red velvet cake usually is a combination of chocolate, vinegar, and buttermilk- that gives the cake a maroon color that is then enhanced with extra food coloring.
For these brownies I wanted to make them tasty and also easy. So no buttermilk or vinegar- but lots of deliciousness.
How to make red velvet brownies?
- Melt butter then stir in cocoa powder- set aside
- Combine flour, baking powder and salt- set aside
- Mix your butter/cocoa mixture, sugar, vanilla, and red food coloring. The mix in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated.
- Fold in the flour mixture.
- Pour into prepared dish, then bake until a toothpick comes out clean!
- Let cool before frosting!
How to get thicker brownies?
Bake your brownies in a 9x9 pan. I used a 9x13 for the brownies pictured, but baking the brownies in a slightly smaller pan will give you more height.
Red velvet is quickly becoming one of my favorite deserts- whether it’s crinkle cookies or these tasty brownies- I feel like I am discovering a whole new world of desserts!
If you like this recipe make sure to check out my easy lemon bars, s’mores brownies, and my cocoa puff cereal bars!
Watch how to make this recipe!
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Red Velvet Brownies
Ingredients
Red Velvet Brownies
- ¾ cup + 3 tbs unsalted butter
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 oz red food coloring
- 4 large eggs
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¼ cup butter slightly softened but still cold cut into chunks
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 tbs heavy cream plus more if needed
- Pinch of salt
- 2.5 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray
- In a microwave safe dish melt the butter. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat until the butter is completely melted.¾ cup + 3 tbs unsalted butter
- Stir cocoa powder into melted butter making sure there are no clumps. Set aside.¼ cup cocoa powder
- While butter mixture is cooling, in a separate small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.1 cup all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a stand mixer, or using a hand mixer, mix together the butter mixture (it’s okay if it’s still warm), sugar, vanilla, and red food coloring. Then add the eggs one at a time, letting each egg become fully incorporated into the batter before adding the next.2 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 oz red food coloring, 4 large eggs
- By hand, with a large rubber spatula or mixing spoon, fold in the flour mixture. Folding in the flour will help the brownie batter keep the air in it.
- Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake for 27-33 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool completely before frosting and cutting.
Frosting
- Combine the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer and cream until light and fluffy.¼ cup butter slightly softened but still cold, 2 oz cream cheese
- Mix in the vanilla, heavy cream, and salt and whip on high for a few minutes.1 teaspoon vanilla, 3 tbs heavy cream, Pinch of salt
- Then mix in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Add more heavy cream 1 tbs at a time if the frosting is too thick.2.5 cups powdered sugar
- Spread over the brownies and enjoy.
Notes
- You can bake these in a 9x9 pan for thicker brownies. Just increase the bake time until they are cooked through.
- Once frosted I recommend refrigerating any leftover brownies. Cover the dish with plastic wrap to keep them fresh.
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