Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

This red velvet cheesecake is heavenly. The brownies are moist, the cheesecake is creamy, and the combination is incredibly delicious.

Red velvet is usually a hit or miss for me (or maybe I just wait for more and end up disappointed).

But that’s not the case with this amazing red velvet cake. They’re divine!

Red Velvet Brownie Mix

The brownie batter is very simple:

• Butter and chocolate
• Granulated and brown sugars
• Egg + vanilla + red food coloring
• A little cocoa, flour and salt

Once you add the red food coloring, the dark brownie batter turns instantly red. The red color becomes even more intense as the brownies bake.

Red Food Coloring

There is absolutely no way to confuse these with regular brownies. They are red velvet from top to bottom.

A few notes on the red food coloring:

1. I use liquid food coloring for this recipe; I have not tried substituting it with gel food coloring. If you do, I suppose you can use half the amount of gel food coloring as it is more effective.
2. I do not have a natural substitute for red food coloring (i.e. I have not tried the beetroot recipe and the world is better this way). You can skip the food coloring altogether and opt for a delicious cheesecake.

The red food coloring does not affect the flavor of the brownies, it is just there to give them a nice, exciting look!

The Perfect Swirl

For this recipe, *most* of the brownie batter is spread on the bottom of the pan. One cup is reserved for the scooping and swirling procedure.

The rest of the batter is spooned onto the cheesecake layer and stirred in with a wooden pick or other thin utensil.

Personally, I use a clean knitting needle to make swirls. This may sound strange until you learn that I have tried to learn to knit and failed 6 and a half times, so I reused the knitting needle to make brownie swirls and ebelskivers swirls, and I have no regrets.

Red Velvet + Brownies + Cheesecake

These red velvet cheesecake brownies are insanely delicious.

The ratio of brownies to cheesecake is perfect. And the red velvet only enhances the appeal of these brownies.

I highly recommend you try these cold. You may never eat room temperature brownies again. (But don’t even think about serving them warm… that’s fine for a decadent batch of regular brownies, but it’s chilling for cheesecake swirl brownies.)

While they may seem like they should only be served on a festive occasion, let me assure you that these delicious brownies are perfect any time and for any reason.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Makes: 24 mini brownies

Prep time: 4 hours 30 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Total time: 5 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

Brownie dough:

• 1 cup (227 g) butter (I use salted)
• 2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped (or good quality chocolate chips, see note)
• 1 ½ cups (318 g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (212 g) lightly packed brown sugar
• 6 large eggs (300 g)
• 2 tablespoons red liquid food coloring
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ¾ cup (249 g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup (21 g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt

Cheesecake dough:

• 16 ounces (454 g) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (36 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs (100 g)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil (I suggest using a metal baking pan for even baking) and lightly coat with cooking spray.
2. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine butter and chocolate and cook for 1 minute at 50-60%, stirring between each and continue cooking until melted (do not overheat).
3. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat until combined. Add eggs and beat until fully combined.
4. Add vanilla and food coloring and beat until well combined.
5. Add flour, cocoa (if cocoa is too lumpy, sift it into batter) and salt, and stir until combined and no dry streaks remain.
6. Scrape out 1 cup of batter and set aside for later. Spread remaining batter evenly over prepared bread.
7. For cheesecake batter, in a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and granulated sugar until well combined. Add the flour and mix until well combined.
8. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
9. Spread the cheesecake batter evenly over the brownie batter.
10. Drop heaping tablespoons of the reserved brownie batter onto the cream cheese layer. Using a wooden skewer or other thin tool (I use a clean knitting needle!), rotate the layers back and forth. Rotate quickly or the brownie batter will harden and become difficult to rotate.
11. Bake the brownies until the edges are set and the top is shiny, about 45 minutes. Add more time, if necessary, as each oven and pan can vary. The center of the brownies should be slightly wobbly; this is good. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should register 165°F.
12. Leave the brownies to cool completely in the pan. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours (or overnight) until chilled. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Notes

Chocolate: My favorite chocolate chips to melt in brownie recipes are Guittard or Ghirardelli.
Food coloring: I have not made this recipe with gel food coloring, so I don’t know what the equivalent would be for the red food coloring called for in the recipe.