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Red Velvet Brownies with White Chocolate Icing

Name: Red Velvet Brownies with White Chocolate Icing
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 16
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature; 1 1/2 cups sugar; 2 eggs; 2 teaspoons vanilla; 1 1/4 cups flour; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 3 tablespoons cocoa powder; 2 tablespoons red food coloring; 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature; 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 4 ounces white chocolate, melted; 1/2 tablespoon milk

posted by Liz Berg on February 27, 2013 (updated 5/17/21)

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Red velvet desserts have always been a favorite of my daughter. Katie has requested red velvet cake or cupcakes for her birthday numerous times, so I knew she’d love a batch of these Red Velvet Brownies with White Chocolate Icing!

This Red Velvet Brownies Recipe is made from scratch and the rich Cream Cheese Frosting flavored with white chocolate pushes it over the top!

Red Velvet Brownies with White Chocolate Icing on a white rectangular tray

Table of Contents hide

1 Why You Should Make Red Velvet Brownies

2 Frequently Asked Questions

3 Are Red Velvet Brownies REALLY Brownies?

4 What Constitutes a Red Velvet Dessert?

5 A Red Velvet Dessert Recipe Redux

6 More Red Velvet Recipes You’ll Love:

7 Red Velvet Brownies with White Chocolate Icing

Why You Should Make Red Velvet Brownies

They’re an easy way to get your red velvet fix!
There’s almost as much cream cheese frosting as brownie in every bite!
The color makes them fun for Christmas, Valentine’s Day and even patriotic holidays if you add a few blue or red, white and blue sprinkles.

Katie loves anything red velvet. The hubby does not. I think he expected more chocolate flavor when he first tasted one of my red velvet cupcakes. He’ll still eat them, mind you, but would much rather have a devil’s food version with chocolate buttercream.

The minimal amount of cocoa powder is the reason Katie is such a fan, and why Bill is not. So to balance out all the lava cakes and boca negra of late, I whipped up a batch of red velvet brownies. The Queen of the House, as she is known around here, loves special treats just for her.

Red Velvet Brownies with White Chocolate Icing stacked on a square white plate

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Red Velvet Brownies REALLY Brownies?

The definition of a brownie is a “small square of rich chocolate cake, usually containing nuts.” Well, I think that answers that! No!
These red velvet brownies are neither brownies nor blondies, which are pale cookie bars, but instead just plain ol’ cookie bars.
There is a smidgen of cocoa powder, but not enough to make these any sort of chocolate dessert. My husband will confirm this!

What Constitutes a Red Velvet Dessert?

First, and foremost, they need some sort of red coloring. These brownies have a healthy dose of red food coloring, but other red velvet recipes utilize ingredients like beet juice for a more natural dye.
Though dark in appearance, a red velvet dessert only has a few tablespoons of cocoa powder to darken and deepen the red velvet color versus give it a chocolate taste.
In most red velvet recipes, there’s also some vinegar added to the batter which interacts with the cocoa and buttermilk to work some magic baking chemistry. This trio of ingredients brings out the red anthcyathin in cocoa powder, thus enhancing the red color.
These brownies contain neither vinegar nor buttermilk, but they’re still a very obvious red color!

A Red Velvet Dessert Recipe Redux

I blogged about this marvelous recipe a couple of years ago. In fact, it was one of my first Foodgawker acceptances. But I have a whole new crowd of followers who may have missed this post. My sweet friend, Patti, shared this recipe with me, but it originally came from How Sweet It Is.

Check out Jessica’s post to see how amazing these look with a fluffier icing, then you can decide how to top yours. Add a little more milk to make the frosting softer and of piping consistency. Less milk will make the denser frosting I’ve used. I know you’re going to want to bake these beauties!

More Red Velvet Recipes You’ll Love:

Red Velvet Marble Cake Recipe from Grandbaby Cakes – a gorgeous Bundt cake
Red Velvet Checkerboard Cake from That Skinny Chick Can Bake – Katie’s birthday request one year!
Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies from Tidy Mom – with a name like that, how can you resist?
Red Velvet Fudge from That Skinny Chick Can Bake – a fun Christmas or Valentine’s Day treat
Gooey Red Velvet Brownie Cake from Beyond Frosting – a delectable cross between cake and brownies

PRO-Tip: To cut clean slices, chill your brownies, then use a hot knife to cut. I dip my knife into a glass of extremely hot water, dry it off, then cut. Bring the brownies back to room temperature to serve.

The Recipe: