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Red Velvet Brownies

Red velvet brownies with a cream cheese swirl baked into fudgy, deep red bars. Melted-butter batter with cocoa and red food coloring gives a vibrant interior, then a tangy swirl runs through the center.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For red velvet brownies
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 0.04 cup red food coloring use 2-3 tbsp
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.33 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
 

Prepare pan and red velvet batter
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9x13 pan with parchment, pressing it to fit for easy lifting.
  2. Whisk melted unsalted butter and granulated sugar until smooth, then whisk in eggs, vanilla, and red food coloring until the batter turns evenly red.
  3. Fold in all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, white vinegar, and salt just until no dry streaks remain, then scrape the bowl.
  4. Spread the batter into the lined 9x13 pan in an even layer.
Make swirl and bake
  1. Beat cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth and creamy, then dollop it over the brownie batter.
  2. Swirl the dollops into the batter with a light figure-eight motion so red velvet and cream cheese ribbons bake together.
  3. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes until the center looks set but still slightly soft and a toothpick shows moist crumbs.
Finish
  1. Cool completely before cutting so the cream cheese swirl firms up and slices cleanly.

Notes

For the cleanest swirl and easiest cutting, let the brownies cool fully, then chill 1-2 hours if your kitchen is warm. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days; freeze unfrosted brownies (well wrapped) for up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese in the swirl (texture will be slightly softer but still swirl well).