Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies Recipe
Regular brownies are great, but red velvet cheesecake brownies are even better. There are plenty of brownie recipes that are floating out there on the internet, but if you are looking for something that combines brownies and decadent cheesecake, then you've definitely come to the right place. Add a little bit of red velvet flavor, and you have got one of the best baked goods that you will ever have the pleasure of eating.
Recipe developer Jessica Morone of Jess Loves Baking is the brains behind these incredible brownies that taste just as good as they look. These are great for an after-dinner treat, a bake sale, and they're also fantastic to bring to someone else's home for a sweet treat. "I love the flavor of these. Red velvet with cream cheese frosting is such a classic combination, and this has the same flavor profile," Morone says. "Also, they are just really pretty to look at." We think that she hit the nail right on the head. Keep reading to find out how to make these delicious red velvet cheesecake brownies.
Gather the ingredients for red velvet cheesecake brownies
The first thing you need to do is gather all of the necessary items to make this dish. For starters, you will need salted butter and sugar, which are common in most brownie recipes. You will also need vanilla extract and cocoa powder. In addition, grab some red food coloring and red wine vinegar.
The remaining ingredients that are necessary include eggs, flour, and cream cheese. (Make sure to leave the cream cheese out for a few hours before using it, so that it's at room temperature. This will make it easier to stir.) Once you have everything gathered in front of you, it's officially time to begin!
Preheat the oven, and prep the baking sheet
Are you ready to begin baking? Before you get down to the nitty gritty, you have a simple task at hand. Go to your oven, and set the temperature to 350 F. Preheating is vital, as it makes sure the oven is ready to go when you're finished mixing all the ingredients.
Then, take out a 9x9-inch pan, and spray it with cooking spray. Alternatively, you can line it with parchment paper. Either way, we want to prevent the brownies from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Then, set the pan aside, and move on to the next step.
Mix the ingredients
Grab a microwave-safe bowl, and toss in the butter. Heat it for a few seconds at a time to let it melt. Once the butter melts, add a cup of sugar, the vanilla extract, cocoa powder, food coloring, and red wine vinegar. Mix them together well.
In the meantime, take out another separate bowl, and beat the two eggs. Then, stir them into the brownie batter. The last thing that you need to add is the flour. Once again, stir until everything is well-combined. "I haven't tried to use a boxed brownie mix for these. I suspect that there would be too much cocoa powder in a traditional brownie mix for them to turn out very red even if you add food coloring to it, but you could try making the brownie mix as instructed and adding a tablespoon of red food coloring to that," Morone notes. "But my recipe is pretty easy and gives you a good red velvet flavor with a bright red color so you don't need to use a boxed mix."
Pour the batter into a baking dish, and beat the cream cheese
Now that you finished your brownie batter, go ahead and pour it into the baking dish. Save about ¼ cup of the batter to swirl on the top of the brownies.
Then, using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, the remainder of the sugar, two eggs, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until the mixture is nice and smooth. Spread the cream cheese layer on the brownie batter in the pan. Use a spoon to place dollops of the remaining brownie batter over the cream cheese layer. Then, use a knife to swirl the batter together lightly, as pictured above.
Bake the red velvet cheesecake brownies, and enjoy
Pop the brownies in the oven, and bake them for about 25-30 minutes. You can check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the brownies. If it comes out mostly clean, then they are done. If the toothpick comes out with batter, stick it in for a few minutes, and check again.
Allow the brownies to cool completely before you cut and serve. They are great by themselves, but if you are in the mood for something cold to accompany them, we recommend a scoop of your favorite ice cream. As for leftovers? "The leftovers can be kept for a couple of days covered on the counter, or up to a week if they are tightly covered and kept in the fridge," Morone shares.
- ½ cup salted butter
- 1 ½ cups sugar, divided
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon red food coloring
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 4 eggs
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Spray a 9x9-inch pan with cooking spray, or line it with parchment paper, and set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Add in 1 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, cocoa powder, red food coloring, and red wine vinegar.
- In a separate small bowl, lightly beat 2 of the eggs, then stir them into the brownie batter. Mix in the flour until everything is just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, saving about ¼ cup of the batter to swirl on top.
- Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, remaining ½ cup sugar, 2 eggs, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth.
- Spread the cream cheese layer on top of the brownie batter in the pan.
- Use a spoon to place dollops of the remaining brownie batter over the cream cheese layer.
- Use a knife to lightly swirl the batter together.
- Bake the brownies for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out mostly clean. Allow them to cool completely before cutting and serving.
| Calories per Serving | 349 |
| Total Fat | 22.3 g |
| Saturated Fat | 12.8 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.3 g |
| Cholesterol | 115.2 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 33.7 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0.9 g |
| Total Sugars | 26.4 g |
| Sodium | 220.1 mg |
| Protein | 5.3 g |
