Chocolate-Swirled Red Velvet Brownies — 🍫❤️🎉 These easy red velvet brownies are topped with an abundance of chocolate and are velvety soft and smooth! They don’t call it red velvet for nothing!
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Chocolate-Swirled Red Velvet Brownies
Red velvet fever has begun in advance of Valentine’s Day. It’s everywhere. Here’s my contribution.
This recipe tasted like a cross between red velvet brownies and red velvet bars. It’s not over-the-top chocolaty to give them true brownie recipe status, but is much fudgier, denser, and richer than your typical bar.
Classic red velvet flavor is known to have chocolate undertones but doesn’t have an overly chocolate flavor. And these easy cocoa powder brownies hit that mark.
And they’re as far away from red velvet cake that you can get. Nothing light, fluffy, or cakey about them. They’re smooth, rich, dense, and supremely moist for a decadent fudgy brownie.
They’re an easy, no-mixer, scratch recipe that comes together in minutes. Just as easy as opening a box of red velvet cake mix, but so much better and more unique tasting.
The chocolate swirls on top help to accentuate the cocoa that’s stirred into the batter. The overall chocolate level is present, but not too dark or too intense.
They’re buttery, rich, and velvety soft, and smooth. They don’t call it red velvet for nothing.
What’s in the Red Velvet Brownies?
To make these fudgy red velvet brownie bars, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Light brown sugar – NOT granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Red food coloring
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Bittersweet chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips – Feel free to substitute dark chocolate chips or white chocolate chips if preferred
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make a From-Scratch Red Velvet Brownies Recipe
I made these brownies by adapting my trusty blondies base recipe. Here’s an overview of the process:
- Melt one stick of butter in a large mixing bowl, stir in the wet ingredients, and whisk in the cocoa powder. Use a spatula, there’s no need for a stand mixer!
- Add the red food coloring to the large bowl. I bought two sets of Betty Crocker red gel food coloring (with red, blue, yellow, and green) in order to get two red vials needed for the red color.
- Whisk in the remaining dry ingredients, and pour the brownie batter into a prepared baking pan. Spread the batter evenly with a rubber spatula.
- Melt the chocolate chips, and swirl them into the brownie mixture with a toothpick or sharp knife.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Allow the bars to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. Foptimal results, cool overnight so the chocolate has a chance to set up fully.
Tips for the Best Red Velvet Brownies
A few things to note when making these easy cocoa powder brownies:
- First, be sure to wait a minute or two before adding the egg to the melted butter. If you add the egg to hot melted butter, you’ll wind up with scrambled egg.
- Second, once you add the dry ingredients to the wet, you want to mix the batter just until everything is incorporated. If you over-mix the brownie batter, you’ll wind up with dense, cakey brownies.
- Lastly, these red velvet brownies remind me of the Gingerbread Molasses Chocolate Chip Bars I made before Christmas, and a longer cooling period is preferred. I urge you to allow them to cool in the pan for at least a few hours, or overnight. It’ll give the chocolate a chance to set up fully and for the bars to just rest so slicing is a neater job.
You’ll be rewarded with bars that are soft in the interior, with slightly firmer and chewier edges, and you’ll just want to sink your teeth into them.
Storage:
These brownies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature to serve.
Note that the brownies need to cool completely before being stored in a container. If you put the brownies in Tupperware before they’ve cooled completely, condensation will form in the container and will affect the texture of the brownies.
Recipe FAQs
You likely can, although I haven’t made a double batch of these red velvet brownies before. I imagine you’d simply need to double all the ingredients and bake the brownies in a 9×13-inch pan.
Yes, although your red velvet brownies won’t have the same color as mine. But you’d still wind up with a batch of amazing chocolate-swirled fudge brownies!
I’ve only made these red velvet brownies as instructed in the recipe card below. So, I can’t say for certain if / how to make this a gluten-free recipe. If you give it a go, please let me know how the brownies turn out!
If you’re craving cream cheese-swirled red velvet brownies, I recommend making my Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies instead. I’ve tested that recipe multiple times and know that the cheesecake swirl works.
Chocolate-Swirled Red Velvet Brownie Bars
Equipment
- 1 (8-inch) Square Baking Pan
- 1 Large, Microwave-Safe Bowl
- 1 Small Microwave-Safe Bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 2 vials red food coloring, or as needed (I used 2 red Betty Crocker gel food coloring vials)
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
- Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don’t scramble it. Add the egg, brown sugar, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the cocoa and whisk until smooth.
- Add the red food coloring and whisk to incorporate. Keep adding until desired shade is obtained.
- Add the flour, optional salt, and stir until just combined; don’t overmix.
- Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula; set aside.
- In a small, microwave-safe bowl melt the chocolate chips, about 1 minute on high power. Stop to check and stir. Heat in 10-second bursts until chocolate can be stirred smooth.
- Drizzle the chocolate over the pan and swirl lightly with the tip of a table knife or a toothpick. To create the pattern shown, drizzle chocolate over batter in 5 wide, evenly spaced, parallel lines, each spanning the length of the pan. Like 5 rows of long train tracks. Rotate pan 90-degrees. With a toothpick, starting at the top of the pan, “draw” 5 evenly spaced lines through the chocolate. You’re dragging the toothpick perpendicularly through the first set of lines to create the swirling.
- Bake for about 28 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
- Allow bars to cool in pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving; however, for optimal results, cool overnight so the chocolate has a chance to fully set up fully.
Notes
- I used 2 vials of red food coloring. I had to buy two sets of gel food coloring (red, blue, green, yellow) for the two reds I needed. Use any type of food coloring you like; you’ll need a lot of it because it takes a lot to turn a chocolaty batter red.
- Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Valentine’s Day Dessert Recipes:
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting — Extremely popular with readers and so many positive comments about these easy, no-mixer cupcakes.
Easy Chocolate Pots de Creme – No-bake, no-cook, and made in a blender in 5 minutes! The PERFECT dessert! Rich, decadent, a chocolate lover’s dream, perfect for special occasions, and guaranteed to impress!
Red Velvet Poke Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting — The cake is fast, easy, and it’s a poke cake so it’s automatically super soft and moist.
Soft Frosted Valentine’s Heart Cookies — These easy cookies are soft, chewy, dense, made in one bowl, and you don’t have to roll them out.
Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies — These chocolate chip red velvet cookies have a secret ingredient — cake mix! These cookies are super ooey gooey and ultra rich!
Valentine’s Day Vanilla Pudding Sugar Cookie Bars – A sugar cookie crust topped with creamy vanilla pudding, whipped topping, and sprinkles! A luscious and EASY Valentine’s Day dessert that will put everyone in festive spirits!
The Best and Easiest Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes — One bowl, no mixer, so easy! The warm, gooey, fudgy chocolate lava cake center is heavenly! Better than any restaurant versions! Best chocolate cake EVER!
Valentine’s Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars – Sugar cookie bars are so much FASTER AND EASIER than making sugar cookies! The sprinkles and tangy cream cheese frosting help to make the bars a PERFECT Valentine’s Day treat!
You may be my brownie guru. I am always looking for new recipes and tips on how to get that perfect brownie. I loved what you wrote and can’t decide which of your recipes to make for the big game day. I agree, keeping the brownies overnight to cool, has them just right and easy to cut in the morning. I think twenty eight minutes in an eight by eight pan usually does the trick. And, a parchment paper lining is very helpful. I’ll be back with an update (and for more recipes)!
Glad you like what you see & LMK what you make!
How perfect do these look?! I’ve only had red velvet cupcakes but I’m sure the brownie version is a million times better.
So much more dense and not cakey…I loved these babies :)
These brownies look FANTASTIC and sooooo pretty!
That red velvet swirl is perfect, these are perfect for Valentine’s!
I love how these are actually red! Definitely perfect for Valentine’s Day :)
2 vials of food coloring, yes indeed!
You’re not kidding when you say these have a dense, fudgy texture, Averie. The photos say it all – these are gorgeous! I’m loving the vibrant red of your red velvet and the beautiful contrast with the chocolate swirls. Fuggedabout Valentines Day – I could eat these all year round.
LOVE the vibrant colors here!!! That chocolate swirl looks so decadent, definitely takes the brownies over the top! I love that you did a chocolate swirl instead of the standard cream cheese swirl, it’s a nice, intriguing twist :)
xo Lindsay
Cream cheese and red velvet is so…cliche I guess. I wanted that BOLD pop of chocolate. Thanks for noticing I didn’t go the standard route :)
Oh wow, these look ridiculously good! I love all things red velvet, especially around Valentine’s Day!
We are huge brownie lovers over here in my home! These look really fun… so colorful and decadent! I’ve never tried the BC food gel– yet. Can’t wait to make a batch of these!
Thanks, Gloria! Just repinned your choc-covered banana donuts. They look so good :)
How beautiful! I love love love the chocolate swirls in there. Great valentine’s idea!
Oh my. I HAVE to try this! So pretty!
anything to do with red velvet is good with me! these look so lovely!
I don’t even know where to begin!!! These are just AMAAAAAZING. I mean, your photos! And this recipe! Please, send some this way :)
Thanks for all the sweet compliments :)
looks like a valentines must!
Now these are stunning images & AMAZING looking brownies Averie. I pinned them before I knew they were yours & now pinned again!
Thanks for the repeat pins :) And for the photography compliments. That means a TON coming from you!! And some shoots everything works. The food, lighting, styling, and it just works. I had like a zillion images to choose from. And other shoots, well, you know. Nothing works, like, at all.
Gorgeous!