Red Velvet Brownies that actually taste like red velvet, without compromising on the fudgy brownie texture.
Red Velvet Brownie Recipe Snapshot
What it is: The perfect combination of fudgy brownies and red velvet cake - topped with cream cheese frosting.
Why you'll love it: They have the unique flavor of red velvet, but are soft and fudgy, not cakey.
How to make it: Whisk melted butter and sugars together, then add the eggs, followed by wet, then dry ingredients. Colour the batter and bake. Top with cream cheese frosting.
Red Velvet Brownies should taste like red velvet - not just chocolate dyed red. The problem is, the ingredients that give that signature flavor often push the texture in the wrong direction, leaving you with something closer to cake bars than brownies.
I spent a full week testing different versions of this recipe to find the balance - getting that subtle cocoa flavour and slight tang, while keeping the rich, chewy texture a good brownie should have. Small tweaks to the ingredient ratios made a huge difference (you can see some of my test batches below).
Now I can show you how to make red velvet brownies that actually taste like red velvet, AND have the perfect chewy, fudgy bite.
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
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
- Balanced Fats: I used a combination of butter AND oil to make the perfect texture. Butter adds rich flavour and oil keeps them soft and moist, even after cooling. The extra egg yolk adds richness and creates a deliciously dense, chewy bite.
- Cocoa Ratio: Red velvet isn't supposed to be chocolatey. Using just a small amount of cocoa powder gives that subtle chocolate note while letting the other flavors shine.
- Brownie Method: Classic red velvet ingredients are combined using a melted butter method, rather than the creaming method. This limits air in the batter and is the key to a fudgy texture rather than a cakey crumb.
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.
- Unsalted Butter - We'll use both butter and oil in these brownies to balance a rich flavor and fudgy texture.
- White Sugar - Granulated sugar (Caster sugar in the UK).
- Light Brown Sugar - brown sugar adds depth of flavor, but the higher moisture content also contributes to that gooey brownie texture.
- Eggs - We'll need whole eggs and an extra egg yolk on top for additional richness. Get some ideas for how to use extra egg white.
- Vanilla - Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste for a base flavor.
- Oil - I use vegetable oil, but you can use any neutral oil, like canola or sunflower oil. This helps keep the brownies gooey and moist.
- Cocoa Powder - Dutch-processed cocoa powder will help make your brownies fudgy rather than cakey. It also has a milder chocolate flavor that won't overpower everything else.
- Flour - Regular all-purpose flour (plain flour) is best for the structure of the brownies.
- Vinegar - The ingredient most recipes skip, and the one that makes these taste like red velvet. It adds a subtle tang and reacts with the cocoa to enhance the flavor. White vinegar or apple cider vinegar both work
- Cornstarch - This will help keep the brownie soft and a little chewy.
- Red Food Coloring - Use a gel food coloring to make sure the color comes through after baking.
- Cream Cheese - For the cream cheese frosting, use full-fat, not the spreadable kind.
- Powdered Sugar - (icing sugar). You may need more or less, depending on how soft your cream cheese is.
See recipe card for the full recipe and quantities in both cups and grams (though I strongly recommend weighing your ingredients with a kitchen scale for this recipe).
Things You'll Need
- Square Cake Pan - 8-inches / 20cm
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Rubber Spatula
- Sieve
Reader Review:
These are delicious and easy to make and are now in my permanent recipe file. .. I like the way the recipe is written (with quantities listed under each instruction, making it easy to double-check quantities.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Lore
How To Make Red Velvet Brownies
These homemade red velvet brownies are super easy to make, and you don't need any fancy equipment.
Before beginning, preheat your oven to 350°F / 180°C (160° fan) and line an 8-inch square cake pan with parchment paper.
Butter + 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.
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 this bowl and mix it in until the gel is all incorporated and there are no lumps. Add this mixture to the main bowl of batter and mix until combined.
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.
Bake
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 takes roughly 20-25 minutes. If you insert a cake tester 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.
Getting the Perfect Brownie Texture
After testing a lot of small variations of this recipe, I was surprised by how much even tiny changes affected the final texture. Here are the key rules I found that make the biggest difference:
- Use a scale:
This is especially important for brownies. Even small differences in flour can completely change the texture from fudgy to cakey. The last two brownies in this picture had a difference of just 30g of flour. Cups are not consistent or accurate - use a scale if you want perfect bakes.
- Don't overmix:
Once the flour is added to the batter, fold it in gently just until there are no more dry streaks. Overmixing incorporates extra air and develops the gluten, which will make the brownies more cakey than fudgy. - Bake for texture, not time:
Baking times vary depending on your oven and bakeware, so visual cues are more reliable than exact timing. These brownies are ready when the edges are set and pulling away from the edges, but the centre still looks a little soft. They continue to bake as they cool, so don't wait for them to look fully set or they will end up overbaked.
Most Common Mistakes
These red velvet brownies have been one of the most popular recipes on my blog for the past 3 years, with over 400,000 of you baking them at home. While most people absolutely love them, I've also seen a small number of inconsistent results.
I've gone through your comments and questions to identify the most common issues, so you can avoid them and get perfect brownies on your first bake.
- Cakey texture or dry brownies:
Almost always caused by too much flour or overmixing the batter after the dry ingredients are added. Even a 1-2 tablespoons too much flour can significantly change the texture, which is why weighing your ingredients is so important for this recipe. - Taking a long time to bake
Bake time will vary, so it's better to use visual cues to know when the brownies are baked. They are supposed to still look soft and a bit underbaked before coming out, as they will continue to bake as they cool. If they are taking a lot longer than they should, make sure you are using a metal 8x8-inch pan (not glass or silicone) and check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer. - Dense or heavy texture:
This can be because of overmixing or mis-measured ingredients. - Wrong pan size:
This recipe was developed to be baked in an 8-inch square pan. It's fine to use a different size of pan, but you'll need to adjust the baking time accordingly. - Ingredient Swaps:
Substituting ingredients (like reducing the sugar or swapping fats) can massively affect the texture and structure of the brownies. The most common one I see is people using natural cocoa powder instead of Dutch-processed, which can make the brownies drier and denser, and can overpower the other flavours.
Storage
You can store the unfrosted red velvet brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Once they have the cream cheese frosting on, though, it's best to keep them in the fridge for up to a week.
They will go a little firmer in the fridge, so let them sit at room temp for 20-30 minutes before serving.
Watch How To Make Them
Watch my video tutorial on exactly how to make these Red Velvet Brownies:
Show Me Your Bakes!
If you make this recipe, please tag @bonni_bakery on Instagram or send me a photo - I love seeing all your creations.
Want your bake featured on the blog? You can also upload a photo here.
Show Me Your Bakes!
If you make this recipe, please tag @bonni_bakery on Instagram or send me a photo - I love seeing all your creations.
Want your bake featured on the blog? You can also upload a photo here.
More Brownie Recipes
If you love this red velvet brownie recipe, try some of my other brownies!
Recipe
Red Velvet Brownies
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
- 25 g (¼ cup) Cocoa Powder Dutch-processed
- 90 g (¾ cup) All-purpose Flour (Plain Flour)
- 1 tablespoon Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Red Food Coloring
- 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
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch square cake pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C (160°C fan assisted).
- 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 (Caster Sugar), 55 g (¼ cup) Light Brown Sugar, 85 g (¾ stick) Unsalted Butter
- Add the eggs, egg yolk and vanilla and mix together. Be careful not to overmix - we are not trying to add air into the mixture as that will make the brownies cakey.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.25 g (¼ cup) Cocoa Powder, 1 tbsp Vinegar
- Take a couple of tablespoons of the batter and put them into a small bowl. Add your red gel food coloring to this bowl 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.80 ml (⅓ cup) Vegetable Oil, 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 (Plain 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, but the centre still looks slightly soft. Baking time will vary depending on your oven and pan, but mine takes roughly 20-25 minutes. If you insert a cake tester in the middle, it should come out with either moist crumbs or a very thin layer of batter. The brownies will continue to bake as they cool.
- 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.
Elizabeth
These turned out beautiful but the taste is not good. I did everything exactly according to the recipe. I don’t know what the problem is with these but they just don’t have much flavor and what flavor they do have isn’t great. My teen son gave them a 4 out of 10. I made them for a party tonight and I’m really disappointed about the flavor even though they look great.
Melissa
Literally the same thing happened to me. It was like the bottom wasn't cooked and the top was a strange texture that even my sugar fene kids wouldn't touch. Mine also came out sicking sweet, (which is rare for me to say because we love sweet) I must have done something off, because all the other review sound like it was amazing.
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Melissa,
I'm so sorry to hear that, that's so strange!
May I ask, did you measure your ingredients using cups or with a kitchen scale? The biggest problem I see with people's bakes is when they have used cups to measure - it's very hard to measure dry ingredients accurately this way and can lead to inconsistent results.
I always recommend weighing your ingredients with a scale for best results.
I hope your next batch turns out wonderfully!
Jules
Susan
Can this be doubled and use a 9x13 pan?
Karen
I made the brownies using King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour. They were amazing! I plan on making them again for Valentine's Day. Thanks for the wonderful recipe that was very easy to follow!
CafeChic
This is a great Red Velvet Brownie Recipe! If you want to elevate as I did I added White Chocolate shavings to the top of the Cream Cheese Frosting. I used a White Chocolate Bar & a potato peeler to get chunky shavings of the white chocolate. I’ve also tossed some toasted chopped pecans on top of the recipe as written. Delicious either way, but this recipe is amazing❤️
Jules Grasekamp
Hi there,
Thank you so much for your comment, I'm so glad to hear you loved the recipe! White chocolate shavings on top sounds wonderful - I may try that next time I make these!
Thanks for trying my recipe and for taking the time to let me now you liked it!
Happy baking!
Jules
Naomi Ellis
Hello Mrs. Jules,
I absolutely loved the brownies. The way the batter came out and especially the cream cheese frosting. They were delicious and my family enjoyed them very much. I just wanted to let you know that this was my first time trying your recipe and it was awesome. Thank you so much and I hope to look for more of delicious recipes.
Than you much.
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Naomi,
I'm so happy to hear you loved the brownies! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for taking the time to let me know you liked it!
Jules
Charity
I’m excited to try this!!!!! I was wondering if I added some instant coffee would that enhance the chocolate flavor? Or would that be a no no?
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Charity,
You can definitely add some instant coffee. I would dissolve it in a tiny splash of hot water first to help it incorporate into the batter, and add it in at the same time as the other wet ingredients.
Happy baking!
Jules
Trish
I can't find the recipe.
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Trish, the recipe is always in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, just above the comments section. There's also a 'jump to recipe' button at the very top of the page. Hope this helps! 🙂
Jules
Lore
These are delicious and easy to make and are now in my permanent recipe file. .. I like the way the recipe is written (with quantities listed under each instruction, making it easy to double check quantities.
A couple of personal preferences: 4 cups of sugar to cover a 9” square is way too sweet; I prefer a tangier cream cheese frosting and only used about 3 c of sugar. I also didn’t use the entire quantity of frosting; it was just too much for our tastes.
There are, however, a couple of important things to point out. The US measure and the metric measure for the cocoa were confusing for me. I always use metric measures when available. I measured the cocoa powder, said “no way that’s only 1/4 c”. It was actually about 1/2 c using Trader Joe’s unsweetened cocoa powder. . Is it possible that some cocoa powders weigh different amounts? The other is that in the recipe instructions, the baking time is listed as 26-30 minutes. In the long explanation prior to the recipe, however, the baking time is listed as 25-30 minutes. I always start checking at the minimum baking time, in this case, I checked at 26 mins. They should have come out of my oven at 25. One minute can make a noticeable difference.
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Lore,
Thank you for your comment and your extremely helpful feedback!
Firstly, I love that you adjusted the amount of powdered sugar to your own taste - this is absolutely a matter of preference and I also sometimes prefer my cream cheese frosting a little less sweet.
As for the measurements of cocoa, I do use dutch-processed cocoa powder rather than unsweetened, however the weight should be the same. 25g is 4 tablespoons, which should be exactly 1/4 cup. One of the reasons I always prefer to use metric is that it's incredibly hard to be accurate with cup measurements, so depending on how much the cocoa powder is 'fluffed up' it can seem like way more or way less than it really is. If you measured using grams though you can't go wrong, and it sounds like that's what you did 🙂
Thank you for pointing out about the discrepancy in baking times, I have updated that now.
I really appreciate you trying my recipe and I'm so glad you loved the brownies!
Happy baking 🙂
Jules
Maddy
This is a lovely recipe, but I messed it up somehow. The white chocolate chips sank to the bottom into a gelatinous mess and the top half was a very strange texture and didn't have much flavor. I had to throw it out. The icing turned out well.
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Maddy,
Oh I'm so sorry to hear your brownies didn't turn out. I'm afraid I'm not sure what could have caused what you described, it sounds very strange. Did you substitute any of the ingredients?
Jules
Heather
These were amazing! They are actually better the next day as the cream cheese frosting I guess sort of seeps into the brownies making them more fudgie. Definitely don't over mix the batter. That's very important for them to come out dense and not cakey. Way easier than making a red velvet layer cake. They didn't last any time at all any of the three times I've made them now. I highly recommend them if you're a fan of red velvet cake and brownies. This was a perfect combination and it makes plenty of frosting. I like extra!
Jules Grasekamp
Thanks Heather! I'm so glad to hear you love the brownies!
I agree, it's crucial not to over mix the batter or incorporate too much air.
Thank you for trying my recipe and for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed it!
Jules
Eden
If you double the recipe can you put the batter in a 9x13 pan?
Judy Nicole
Hi, I'm Judy Nicole and I started making red velvet brownies since 2020 and they are really good. Thanks!
Marilyn
Is the flour self rising or AP?
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Marilyn,
It’s all-purpose flour.
Hope you love the brownies!
Jules
Teresa
Can you use gluten free flour?
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Teresa, I haven't tested these with gluten free flour but I can't see any reason why they wouldn't turn out just fine. It's a very small amount of flour anyway so shouldn't impact the recipe too much. If you do try it, I'd love to know how they turn out. Happy baking!
Lewis Dickson
Where have these been all my life!
Kristin
This recipe is perfect. Thank you for the ease of use. I was able to double the recipe and also scroll through the instructions and readily find the exact ingredients I was working with every step of the way. Very well-written. I'm trying your shortbread caramel chocolate bars next. They seem reminiscent of Twix candy bars,which are my favorite!
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Kristin,
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm so happy to hear you love the recipe! I've spent a lot of time perfecting the process for writing these so it's really nice to hear it's appreciated! The caramel shortbread bars are an older recipe so the post isn't quite as in depth as my more recent ones - if you have any questions in the process just let me know. I hope you love them!
Laurie Dupree
Yes, huge kudos for putting ingredient measurements with each step ~ SOOOO helpful. They are in the oven as we speak ~ finally having our Family Christmas celebration and they are on the dessert menu! Can't wait to try! (Wish I had made a double batch!!)
Lulu
Scumptious! Thanks for such a beautifully written recipe. Didn’t know that about the vinegar ….
Lisa Brunscon
Hello Lulu. The vinegar is used to make the batter turn the rich-red color; when mixed with the cocoa powder.
Maribel Gonzalez
Me parece fabulosa esta receta..la voy hacer y te comento...gracias muy amable desde Venezuela
Jules Grasekamp
muchas gracias!
Mary
Made these for a group. It's only August, but we were launching the beginning of practices for our Community Choir Christmas Concert in December. We wanted to keep everything Christmas themed and these brownies fit right in with their beautiful red color and the creamy white icing. I added some seasonal sprinkles on top to give them an even more festive. These chewy brownies were definitely worth making and were a big hit!
Jules Grasekamp
I'm so glad to hear this Mary! Thank you for trying my recipe, and for taking the time to. let me know you enjoyed the brownies! 🙂
Jennifer Bobo
Just made these for my sister's work party. I snagged a tiny piece to taste while theyre cooling enough to frost and they are awesome!! Also, i absolutely love that the ingredients and measurements are under each step. That was super helpful while baking!!
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Jennifer,
So glad to hear you loved the brownies! Thank you for taking the time to let me know!
Also happy that you like the recipe layout - I always find it so annoying having to scroll back and forth between the ingredients and instructions!
Thank you 🙂
Jules
walkinthepark
Brilliant! Never thought we'd be using our phones in the kitchen, but this