Red Velvet Brownies

Red Velvet Brownies are the prettiest dessert this side of Valentine’s Day. Crafted from an authentic red velvet cake recipe, these buttermilk brownies with cream cheese frosting will melt in your mouth.

Despite living in the south the majority of my life, I’ll always be a northerner at heart. I love fall leaves, furry boots and telling people to go fly a kite. With a metal key attached. During a major lightening storm. Call it anti-social or part of my Yankee charm; Southern hospitality just isn’t in my genes. Besides, it’s too damn hot in Florida to be nice.

While I can’t stomach Southern pleasantries, Southern recipes are a different story. In fact, there’s nothing my stomach likes more than a Southern-made dessert. And the best of the best is a Southern classic: Red Velvet Cake. There’s just something about this crimson cake that wows no matter what form you eat it in: layer cake, sheet cake, bundt cake or brownies.

That’s right, I said red velvet brownies. It’s a ruby red dessert scratch-made in true southern fashion: with moisture-packing buttermilk, white vinegar and cocoa powder. And bless your heart if you think adding food coloring to box mix brownies is a passable shortcut. Don’t do it; that’s blasphemous to anyone below the Mason-Dixon line.

Keep the peace between geographic regions in the States and try this stand-out recipe for yourself. No matter where you call home, these bright red brownies are pure perfection slathered with a tangy white layer of cream cheese frosting.

Before sharing the recipe for Red Velvet Brownies, here are a few tips to help you out:

Ingredient Tips

I only bake with unbleached all-purpose flour. Bleach should only be added to brownies for a cheating boyfriend, not brownies you’re eating yourself.

For best results (and to avoid lumps), cream cheese must be at room temperature before preparing frosting.

Gel food coloring is recommended because it is more vibrant and less batter diluting than regular food coloring. Double the amount of food coloring in the recipe if you are substituting a non-gel color.

Preparation Tips

Above all, always bake brownies in a shiny metal pan. Avoid glass and stoneware pans for brownies because of their prolonged bake times.

Remove brownies from the oven when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. If the batter is still wet then continue baking and check again in one minute increments. Take care to avoid overbaking.

How to Store Red Velvet Brownies

Cover and store frosted brownies in the refrigerator up to 5 days or in the freezer up to 2 months.

Unfrosted brownies can be stored covered at room temperature up to 3 days.

I hope you enjoy this Red Velvet Brownie recipe. Please leave a rating and review below when you try it for yourself. And, while you’re at it, sign up for my weekly Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a tempting recipe!

Finally, if you like unique brownies then you’ll love this Cherry Cheesecake Brownies Recipe. Made from scratch, these fudgy brownies are studded with cherry pie filling and creamy cheesecake for a swirl of both in every bite. 

Red Velvet Brownies

Heather Wolf

Red Velvet Brownies are the prettiest dessert this side of Valentine's Day. Crafted from an authentic red velvet cake recipe, these buttermilk brownies with cream cheese frosting will melt in your mouth.

5 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 33 minutes mins

Cool 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 53 minutes mins

Course Brownies and Blondies

Cuisine American

Servings 9

Equipment

• 8 x 8 metal baking pan

Ingredients

  

Red Velvet Brownies

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract pure
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 tbsp red gel food coloring
• 3/4 tsp white vinegar
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 100% cacao
• 1 cup all-purpose flour unbleached
• 1/4 tsp sea salt fine

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract pure

Instructions

 

Red Velvet Brownies

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 x 8 metal baking pan with aluminum foil then set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together butter and sugar until combined.
• Add vanilla and eggs, whisking until smooth.
• Add buttermilk and vinegar and continue whisking until incorporated.
• Whisk in food coloring. Be sure to whisk all the way to the bottom of the bowl to ensure color is evenly distributed.
• Stir in cocoa powder with a spoon.
• Finally, add flour and salt, stirring with a spoon until just combined. Be careful to avoid overmixing or your brownies will crack as they bake.
• Pour brownie batter into baking pan then smooth with a spatula until even.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Avoid overbaking.
• Remove brownies from oven and place pan on a baking rack to cool completely at room temperature before frosting, approximately 1 hour.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy – approximately 2 minutes.
• Add butter and continue beating until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
• Reduce mixer speed to low then add vanilla and powdered sugar. Beat on low until combined then beat on high until light and fluffy.
• Slather frosting on cooled brownies then slice and serve. For pristine slices, wipe the knife blade clean with hot water after each cut.
• Cover and store frosted brownies in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

Keyword brownies, red velvet