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Red Velvet Brownies

Red velvet brownies with a rich cocoa base and a cream cheese swirl baked through for a fudgy, deep red interior. Easy one-pan method with a quick swirl so every square has marbled flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 16 brownies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For red velvet brownies
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter
  • 1.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2.5 tbsp red food coloring
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.3333 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • 0.5 tsp salt
For cream cheese swirl
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 0.25 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep the pan and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F, then line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper for easy lifting.
Mix the red velvet brownie batter
  1. Whisk the melted butter and granulated sugar until smooth, then whisk in the eggs, vanilla, and red food coloring until evenly red.
  2. Fold in the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, white vinegar, and salt until just combined with no dry streaks.
  3. Spread the batter evenly into the lined 9x13 pan.
Make and swirl the cream cheese layer
  1. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
  2. Dollop the cream cheese mixture over the brownie batter, then swirl it through with a gentle figure-eight motion.
Bake and cool
  1. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350F, until the center looks set and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
  2. Cool completely before cutting so the cream cheese swirl firms up and the brownies slice cleanly.

Notes

For the neatest swirl, dollop the cream cheese in small blobs and swirl lightly—overmixing can muddy the marbling. Store airtight in the refrigerator up to 5 days; freeze baked brownies (well wrapped) up to 2 months. For a dairy-lite option, use reduced-fat cream cheese in the swirl while keeping the bake time the same.