These Red Velvet Brownies have everything you love about red velvet cake, but with the rich, fudgy texture of a brownie!
Quick Look: Red Velvet Brownies
The perfect combination of fudgy brownies and red velvet cake - topped with the best cream cheese frosting.
☆ Why make THIS version? I spent a whole week tweaking and testing this recipe to find the perfect balance of red velvet flavor and fudgy brownie texture.
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Red velvet brownies should taste like red velvet - not just chocolate cake dyed red. I spent a full week testing this recipe because it was surprisingly difficult to keep that distinctive flavour while creating a properly fudgy brownie. Too much cocoa overwhelmed the subtle vanilla and tang, while even a small increase in flour made them cakey.
The final recipe uses a simple melted-butter method, no raising agents, and just enough cocoa to let the classic red velvet flavours and cream cheese frosting shine through. The batter is mixed entirely by hand, with plenty of visual cues below to help you get the texture just right.
Reader Review:
Oh my goodness! These are the absolute best red velvet brownies I have ever had. Sweet, chocolatey, moist, and dense at the same time. The chewiness is what really won me over though. My family loved these too.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Heidi
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Key Ingredients
This red velvet brownie recipe uses simple ingredients, similar to what you'd find in red velvet cake, but tweaked for texture and homemade brownie perfection.
- Fats - A combination of butter and oil gives the brownies a rich flavor while keeping them super moist.
- Sugar - A mixture of granulated sugar (Caster sugar in the UK), and light brown sugar gives a deeper flavor, and the extra moisture contributes to a gooey brownie texture.
- Cocoa Powder - Use natural unsweetened cocoa powder.
- White Wine Vinegar - As there is no baking soda, the vinegar is included for flavour rather than lift. All the tang comes from this, since the recipe doesn't use buttermilk.
- Red Food Coloring - Use a gel food coloring to make sure the color comes through after baking.
See the recipe card for the full recipe.
How To Make Red Velvet Brownies
The brownie batter is mixed entirely by hand to avoid whisking in too much air, which is the key to a fudgy texture rather than a cakey crumb
Before You Begin...
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C (160° fan) and line an 8-inch square cake pan with parchment paper.
Mix Butter and Sugars
Pour the melted butter into a large mixing bowl along with the white and brown sugar and whisk together just until combined.
Wet Ingredients
Whisk in the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla, then add the oil and vinegar and whisk until glossy and smooth.
Add The Red Food Colouring
Take a couple of tablespoons of the batter and put them into a small bowl. Add your red gel food coloring to it and mix it until completely incorporated. Stir this mixture to the main bowl of batter and mix until combined.
This just makes sure you don't end up with any big clumps of food colouring in your batter.
Fold In Dry Ingredients
Sift the flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt together, then gently fold them into the batter in two batches, using a rubber spatula. Be very careful not to overmix here.
Optional: If you want to add white chocolate chips, fold them in now. If you want a red velvet recipe where white chocolate plays a bigger role, try my chewy red velvet cookies with white chocolate chips.
Bake The Brownies
Pour the brownie batter into the prepared cake pan and bake until the edges are set and pulling away from the pan, and the centre still looks soft, but not wet.
Baking time will vary depending on your oven and pan, but mine take around 25 minutes. If you insert a toothpick in the middle, it should come out with moist crumbs. The brownies will continue to bake as they cool.
Let them cool completely before decorating and slicing.
Decorate and Slice
Once the brownies are completely cool, remove them from the pan and cover with cream cheese frosting.
If you want some pretty red crumbs to sprinkle on top, cut a small slice off one end of the brownies before putting the frosting on. Crumble it up with your fingers and sprinkle on top for that classic red velvet cake look.
Slice into 9 or 16 squares.
decorating idea
For Valentine's Day, you can also cut the cooled brownies into hearts and add sprinkles - see my homemade Valentine's Day dessert ideas for more inspiration.
Troubleshooting
These red velvet brownies have been one of the most popular recipes on my blog for the past 4 years. While most people absolutely love them, I've seen some people have issues, so I wanted to address them here.
I've gone through your comments and questions to identify the most common mistakes, so you can avoid them and get perfect brownies on your first bake.
Cakey or Dry
Why it happens:
Too much flour, overmixing, or overbaking can create a cakier texture.
What to do:
Weigh the flour with a kitchen scale and fold only until the last dry streak disappears. Bake until it looks soft but no longer wet.
Raw Middle
Why it happens:
The centre likely needed longer to bake.
What to do:
Use visual cues rather than a timer to determine if the brownies are baked. Let them cool completely before judging the texture.
Taking Too Long To Bake
Why it happens:
Oven temperature too low or incorrect pan - glass and silicone pans will take longer.
What to do:
Use a metal pan. Check temperature with an oven thermometer, and resist opening the oven to check them.
Flat Brownies
Why it happens:
Too little flour, overmixing, or baking them in a pan that is too large.
What to do:
Weigh your ingredients, fold the flour in just until combined, and use an 8-inch square pan.
Something else? Have a question that isn't answered here? Let me know in the comments, and I'll get back to you asap.
The best thing you can do to ensure your brownies turn out is to use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients. Brownie texture changes massively with just small mismeasurements.
What I Learned While Testing
The test batches below show how small changes can completely alter a brownie's texture.
Each batch used the same core ingredients, with small changes to the ratios and mixing method. Adding just 30g more flour, for example, made a noticeably cakier crumb.
The results were so fascinating I actually ended up writing a whole post about what makes brownies cakey vs fudgy!
The final ratio keeps the brownies dense and fudgy, with just enough cocoa to give them their classic red velvet flavour.
Storage
Store unfrosted brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Once they have the cream cheese frosting on, though, keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bring them to room temperature before serving for the softest texture.
Freezing: Unfrosted brownies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap them individually, place them in an airtight container, and thaw at room temperature before frosting. I don't recommend freezing the cream cheese frosting.
If you're making these for an event, you'll find them alongside more easy bake sale recipes for a crowd in my complete guide.
Red Velvet Brownie FAQs
Yes. The food colouring only affects their appearance, so you can leave it out without changing the texture or flavour. The brownies will naturally be brown rather than red.
Raising agents would make a lighter, more cake-like texture. This recipe deliberately leaves them out to keep the brownies dense and fudgy.
Red velvet isn't supposed to be chocolatey. It has a small amount of cocoa powder for a hint of chocolate, but it shouldn't be the hero flavor. Chocolate brownies are very chocolate-forward, whereas red velvet brownies emulate the unique, tangy flavor of red velvet cake, but with the texture of fudgy brownies.
Watch How To Make Them (Video)
Watch me make, bake, and decorate these red velvet brownies in this full video tutorial.
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More Classic Desserts With A Twist
Love a familiar dessert with an unexpected twist? Try these creative takes on classic bakes.
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If you tried this recipe, I'd love to know how it turned out in the comments!
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Red Velvet Brownie Recipe
Ingredients
- 85 g (¾ stick) Unsalted Butter melted
- 200 g (1 cup) Granulated Sugar (Caster Sugar)
- 55 g (¼ cup) Light Brown Sugar
- 3 Large Eggs room temperature
- 1 Large Egg Yolk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) Vegetable Oil or any neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Red Food Coloring gel
- 90 g (¾ cup) All-purpose Flour (Plain Flour)
- 25 g (¼ cup) Cocoa Powder natural
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 130 g (¾ cup) White Chocolate Chips optional
- 115 g (4 oz) Cream Cheese full-fat, room temperature
- 85 g (¾ stick) Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 240-360 g (2-3 cups) Powdered Sugar (Icing Sugar) *see notes
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Equipment
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch square cake pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C (160°C fan).
- Put the white sugar and light brown sugar in a large mixing bowl, then add the melted butter and whisk together until combined.200 g (1 cup) Granulated Sugar, 55 g (¼ cup) Light Brown Sugar, 85 g (¾ stick) Unsalted Butter
- Add the eggs, egg yolk and vanilla and whisk until smooth.3 Large Eggs, 1 Large Egg Yolk, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Add the vegetable oil and vinegar to the brownie batter and whisk until it looks glossy and smooth.1 tbsp White Wine Vinegar, 80 ml (⅓ cup) Vegetable Oil
- Take a couple of tablespoons of the batter and put them into a small bowl. Add your red gel food coloring to it and mix it in until the gel is all incorporated and there are no lumps. Add this mixture into the main bowl of batter and mix until combined. This just ensures there are no clumps of unmixed gel color in your batter.½ tsp Red Food Coloring
- Sift the dry ingredients and mix them together, then fold them gently into the brownie batter in two batches, using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Be very careful not to overmix here as it can make the brownies dense or cakey.90 g (¾ cup) All-purpose Flour, 1 tbsp Cornstarch, ¼ tsp Salt, 25 g (¼ cup) Cocoa Powder
- Optional: If you like, you can add some white chocolate chips at this stage. I decided I liked the brownies better without.130 g (¾ cup) White Chocolate Chips
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared cake pan and bake until the edges are set and pulling away from the pan. The center should still look slightly soft, but not wet. Baking time will vary depending on your oven and pan, but mine take roughly 25 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out with moist crumbs.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely before frosting and slicing.
- Beat the room temperature butter and cream cheese together until smooth and combined.115 g (4 oz) Cream Cheese, 85 g (¾ stick) Unsalted Butter
- Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and mix in slowly to avoid a dust cloud. You may need more or less powdered sugar depending on the thickness of your cream cheese, so add it 1 cup at a time until it is thick enough to spread. Beat for a few minutes until light and fluffy.240-360 g (2-3 cups) Powdered Sugar (Icing Sugar), 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Spread over the red velvet brownies before slicing.
Stephanie says
Halfway through making the batter i started reading the comments and was really worried that I had just wasted a bunch of ingredients, especially since I doubled the recipe for a party but they turned out great! Theyre delicious and a perfect brownie texture. Im not sure what everyone else was doing to mess it up cause it worked for me.
Carolina says
When do i add the cocoa? It has it listed in the directions with the vegetable oil and vinegar (step 4) but again in the dry ingredients.
Amanda says
I made these brownies did not rise but came out flat. I don’t know what I did wrong. I also noticed the recipe did not call for baking soda or baking powder. Maybe that’s why it came out flat.
Anne Hunt says
I was looking after my grandchildren so to entertain them I made red velvet brownies with my Grandson for Valentines day. He had great fun. We baked them in a slightly bigger tray and then when cold we cut hearts out with a metal cutter. To finish off we added a ( messy!) drizzle of melted white chocolate as I had no cream cheese. Needless to say they loved them and are not going to last long in the tin!
Jules Grasekamp says
I'm so happy to hear this Ann! What a lovely way to spend time with your grandchildren. A lot of people tell me about fond memories they have of baking with grandparents when they were younger, so I'm sure these times will stay with them forever!
Thank you for trying my recipe and I'm so glad you and the grandkids loved them!
Jules
koko says
Hello, I tried this recipe, and in my opinion, it's the worst recipe I've tried in my life as "red velvet brownies." They are not brownies, as the inside is oily, and it's not cooked, and I baked brownies a lot, and this repice doesnt look like brownies recipe. If you want "red velvet brownies," just make the original brownie dough and put red food dye gel, and you will have "red velvet brownies".
Jules Grasekamp says
Hi Koko,
I'm sorry to hear you didn't like my recipe, though I have to say that red velvet brownies are definitely not just 'regular brownies with red food dye'. There is a big difference between the two.
Also, every oven is different, so I always recommend that people look for the visual cues that things are baked, rather than relying on just the 'baking time' in the recipe to make sure they are baked before taking them out of the oven.
I hope your next batch turns out great!
Jules
MK says
I bake frequently, and have for a long time and I followed the recipe exactly and these turned our absolutely nothing like the picture. Very dry cake like texture, this were absolutely horrible and basically inedible. I had to toss in the garbage and go to the bakery instead, such a disappointment and waste of time.
Phila says
I should have read the reviews, very weird texture, quite dry and very little flavour. Sure red velvet is a bit of a difficult flavour to capture, but I paused when I saw how little cocoa powder was being used, and I should have clocked it then.