Red Velvet Brownies

These Red Velvet Brownies are the perfect simple Valentine's Day dessert - moist, fudgey, rich and chocolatey, with an easy cheesecake topping!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Red Velvet Brownies, Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 22

Total Time 32

Servings servings

Calories 314kcal

Author Chrissie

Equipment

Ingredients

For the cheesecake mixture:

4 ounces full fat cream cheese
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 large egg (or use one small egg)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the red velvet brownie batter:

1/2 cup butter melted
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons red gel food colouring
1 teaspoon white vinegar
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) and grease an 8-inch square baking pan, lining it with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, sugar, 1/2 egg, and vanilla. If you have a carton of pre-beaten pasteurized eggs on hand, add 1 1/2 tablespoons in place of the 1/2 egg. Set this mixture aside.
To a different mixing bowl, add the melted butter with the cocoa powder and whisk together until smooth.
Whisk in the sugar, then the eggs, then the vanilla, gel food colouring, and vinegar. Whisk the mixture together well until smooth.
Add the flour and salt and mix together with a spatula just until the flour disappears and everything is combined.
Add the thick batter to the prepared pan and press the batter to the edges and into the corners of the pan with the back of the spatula or with an offset spatula.
Gently score the top of the unbaked brownie batter in the pan to create a tic-tac-toe pattern (dividing it into 9 equally-sized squares).
In the centre of each square, add one dollop of the cheesecake mixture (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) into the middle. If you're creating the heart design, you may have some leftover cheesecake mixture to discard.
Tap the pan firmly against the table to settle the batter and the cheesecake mixture.
Take a butter knife or a dinner knife (not a sharp knife) and drag the knife (held vertically) through each of the cheesecake dollops to create the hearts (watch the video in this post for a tutorial).
Bake for 22-25 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius), turning the pan once about halfway through baking to ensure the cheesecake hearts cook evenly and don't over-brown on one side.
Let the brownies cool for about 20-30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Video

Notes

Storage Instructions

Because the cheesecake hearts contain cream cheese it's best to store these brownies in the fridge. Leave them out at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Freezer Instructions

Place sheets of parchment paper between the layers and store in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.

Make-ahead Instructions

For best results, enjoy these brownies the day they're made or make them one day ahead of time.

No Fail Tips

If you want to make these brownies without the heart design, simply dollop all the cheesecake mixture on top of the unbaked brownie batter and swirl with a wooden skewer or a butter knife. Follow our tutorial HERE for this method. Bake as directed.

We don't recommend using red food colouring in this recipes. Using gel food colouring (affiliate link) is the best way to colour the batter red without adding a bad food colouring taste or changing the texture.

Nutrition