Red Velvet Brownies

This easy red velvet brownies recipe are the ultimate treat for any dessert lover. They combine the richness of chocolate with the allure of red velvet. Trust me, you are going to love both the center and edge pieces of this one. They deliver a velvety texture and a decadent flavor that will leave you enchanted and wanting for more. Whether you’re preparing a special occasion dessert or simply treating yourself to a sweet delight, these red velvet cream cheese brownies are sure to impress!

Pantry Checklist:

• Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar: You will need both granulated sugar and dark brown sugar to make this red velvet brownie recipe. Sugars not only add to sweetness but also give baked goods a sturdy structure. Brown sugar adds to chewiness and better overall flavour as it has a higher content of molasses. Brown sugar helps to add moisture, softness & chewiness to the red velvet chocolate brownies recipe. If you’re in a fix you can swap this for packed light brown sugar.
• Eggs: Use large eggs and bring them to room temperature before mixing in. Eggs strengthen the binding of your cake and also add moisture. Having your eggs at room temperature makes it easier to incorporate them and allow them to mix thoroughly in your cake batter. A good way of doing this is by letting them sit in a bowl filled with room temperature water for around 10 minutes or until they come down to room temperature.
• Chocolate: I highly recommend using good quality couverture baking chocolate chips or chocolate bars (I use callebaut) to ensure the best flavor. Couverture chocolates are made of cocoa butter as compared to regular compound chocolates which are made of saturated fats like oil.
• Oil: You can use either vegetable oil or canola oil. This is one of the secrets resulting in these brownies being ultra soft and chewy at the same time. Oil reduces the gluten formation in your batter, which makes them more moist as compared to using butter as a fat. I do not recommend using olive oil, as it adds a strong flavor of it’s own and changes the taste.
• Red Food Coloring: You will need gel red food coloring to make this recipe. Liquid coloring will disrupt the consistency of brownies and I highly recommend using gel food coloring.
• Vanilla: You must use a high quality pure vanilla extract in your recipes. This helps to add a rich flavor to your baked goods especially when they contain chocolate. Pure vanilla extracts are typically dark brown in color. This enhances the flavour of all ingredients and you should never leave this out. You will need a teaspoon vanilla extract for this recipe.
• All-purpose flour: I highly recommend weighing all your ingredients using a kitchen scale for accurate recipe results. If you’re using cups, don’t scoop your cup into the flour. Spoon the flour into your cup and level it off with the back of a knife.
• Cocoa Powder: A good quality natural and unsweetened cocoa powder is the best (I use Van Houten and I love it). This can make a huge difference in the taste of chocolate in your baked goods. I highly recommend you use a dutch process cocoa powder which is natural and unsweetened.
• Espresso Powder: You will need espresso powder to make these brownies. This not only adds a distinct espresso flavour but also helps to enhance the flavour of chocolate in the brownies.
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps to thicken the brownie batter and bring it to the desired consistency so that the brownies turn out extra fudgy.
• Cream Cheese: Having your cream cheese at room temperature helps to make a smooth glaze without and lumps. I recommend using block cream cheese to make this cream cheese icing to frost over cinnamon buns from scratch.
• Powdered Sugar: You will need powdered sugar to add to your cream cheese frosting. It mixes in it like a breeze and leaves no grainy lumps at all. You will need one cups powdered sugar for this recipe.
• Unsalted Butter: It is very important to have your butter at room temperature. You can ensure this by lightly pressing your finger on the block of butter. It should slightly leave an imprint. I also prefer to use unsalted butter because salted butters have varying amounts of salt content in them and it is always a good idea to add it on your own and avoid your bakes from being too salty.
• Heavy Cream: You will need high-fat heavy cream or heavy whipping cream to make a smooth and silky frosting. If you’re using low-fat cream, make sure to drain out the water content from it before starting.

FAQ

Bake along with me:

Here’s how to make red velvet brownies from scratch:

• Step 1: Gather all the ingredients.

• Step 2: Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, use the bain-marie method (explained below) of melting chocolate. Do this step first so that the chocolate cools down by the time you make the brownie batter.

• Step 3: Sift together all the dry ingredients for the best red velvet brownies with cocoa powder.

• Step 4: Beat together the eggs and sugars until light and fluffy. This will take ~5 minutes.

• Step 5: Add the melted chocolate, oil, red food coloring and vanilla to the mixture. Beat until combined. This step makes these brownies red velvet. Do not overmix as this can deflate the mixture. I like using a spatula for this step.

• Step 6: Add the sifted dry ingredients into this mixture. Using a spatula mix everything together. Don’t over mix. It’s okay to have a few streaks of flour left. The mixture will darken in color a bit.

• Step 7: Bake the brownies at 325 degrees F for ~50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.

• Step 8: Let the brownies cool completely in pan. Drizzle cream cheese frosting using a piping bag or spoon. You can also use make the frosting for these red velvet brownies with white chocolate chips here.

• Step 9: Cut into 16 bars. Use a sharp wet knife. Wipe your knife clean with a wet cloth after cutting once to get neatly cut bars.

Secrets to success

• Use high quality chocolate. Since this recipe calls for so few ingredients, you’ll want to use high quality chocolate and cocoa powder for the best flavor. I love Van Houten Dutch process cocoa powder and Callebaut chocolate chips. Now is not the time to skimp on the good stuff bakers!

• Do not over mix. Less is more when it comes to mixing the red velvet brownie batter. Once you have added the dry ingredients, fold the batter together gently only until you see that the flour and cocoa powder are barely incorporated. Stop there and pour the batter directly into the prepared pan. Don’t miss out on tasting the batter, it’s gonna make the wait worth it!

• Line the pan with parchment. Lining the bottom and sides of your brownie pan with parchment paper allows for easy release of the brownies once baked. And those clean, sharp edges are so satisfying!

• Watch the oven. The best brownies are ever so slightly under baked so keep a close eye on your oven. Since all ovens are different, baking times will always slightly vary. Be sure to remove the brownies as soon as the edges are set and the center is baked through but still a bit fudgy. The brownies will continue to bake a bit once removed from the oven due to the residual heat from the pan. If a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out completely clean, the brownies are over baked. If it still has gooey batter attached to it, you’ll want to bake the brownies more. If your brownies are under baked, they will sink once cooled!

• Cool completely. There’s nothing like diving into a pan of warm fudgy brownies fresh from the oven. I say go for it! But if it’s clean cuts and perfectly sliced edges you’re after, wait for the brownies to cool completely before cutting with a clean, sharp knife. Wash the knife under warm water and wipe with a clean towel between each slice. Believe it or not, allowing the brownies to cool will yield a richer, chewier brownie. It’s worth the wait friends!

Last but not the least:

All of the recipes on the blog are thoroughly tested multiple times and carefully designed so that anyone can reproduce these delicious baked good in their own kitchen and enjoy them to the fullest. The only way to make this possible is when anyone can exactly replicate the measurements and temperatures.

• In order to standardise the way ingredients are measured, I highly recommend that you weigh them in grams. Volume measurements are nearly not as accurate and have a lot of scope for errors. To precisely be able to replicate the recipes, all you will need is a kitchen scale!
• Every oven heats up differently. Your oven might be over heating or under heating by around 50 degrees or more and you might not even know. In order to ensure that you are baking at the right temperatures, I highly recommend investing in an oven thermometer!

If you would still like to bake using volume measurements, I mentioned those below. However, I primarily test my recipes in grams and cannot promise the best results if you do so. Trust me, once you’ll start using these tools you’d never want to go back!

I hope you’ll enjoy these red velvet brownies with cream cheese frosting and don’t forget to bookmark this recipe for later. This recipe for red velvet brownies with crackly tops would make the perfect delight to share with your friends & family!

Happy Baking! x

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