Red Velvet Brownies with White Chocolate Icing
Red Velvet Desserts have always been my daughter’s favorite. 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 White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting pushes it over the top!
Why You Must Make
- 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 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.
Ingredient Notes
Here are the ingredients for the red velvet brownies, then the white chocolate buttercream.
- Kitchen Staples – Sugar, Eggs, Flour Salt, Milk
- Butter – Salted butter is fine, have it at room temperature for easy incorporation.
- Vanilla – Make sure it’s real vanilla extract, not artificially flavored.
- Cocoa Powder – I use Ghirardelli cocoa powder. Use regular cocoa powder not Dutch process.
- Red Food Coloring – A one-ounce bottle has two tablespoons of food coloring.
- Powdered Sugar – Sift for smooth frosting.
- White Chocolate – I chop, then melt a Ghirardelli bar in the microwave.
Brownie Ingredients
Frosting Ingredients
How to Make
- Cream together butter and sugar, then mix in eggs.
- Add the red velvet paste and mix in dry ingredients.
- Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake and cool
- Make the white chocolate frosting, spread it over cooled brownies, and dig in!
Expert Tips
- PRO-Tip: Have your butter and eggs at room temperature for easier incorporation.
- This recipe uses 2 tablespoons of red food coloring! That is typically a one-ounce bottle.
- Sift your powdered sugar for the smoothest frosting.
- For the best white chocolate flavor, use a bar of white chocolate, like Ghirardelli. The frosting will taste better than if made with white chocolate chips (but they are definitely a viable substitute.)
- 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.
- If you’d like fluffier icing, add a little more milk to make the frosting softer and of piping consistency. The recipe below will make the denser frosting seen in these photos.
Frequently Asked Questions
The definition of a brownie is a “small square of rich chocolate cake, usually containing nuts.” Well, I think that answers that!
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 them a true chocolate dessert. My husband will confirm this!
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 giving 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 anthocyanin in cocoa powder, thus enhancing the red color.
These brownies contain neither vinegar nor buttermilk, but they’re still a very obvious red color!
You May Also Like:
- Red Velvet Marble Cake Recipe from Grandbaby Cakes
- Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies from Tidy Mom
- Gooey Red Velvet Brownie Cake from Beyond Frosting
- Red Velvet Checkerboard Cake
- Red Velvet Fudge
- Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- All my Best Dessert Recipes
Red Velvet Brownies Recipe
Irresistible red velvet brownies smothered in a thick layer of white chocolate icing
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
Frosting::
- 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
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Line 8 x 8 pan with nonstick foil or regular foil. Grease regular foil with cooking spray if using.
- In a small bowl, mix cocoa powder, food coloring and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla to form a paste. Set aside.
- With a mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, then add the second teaspoon of vanilla. Then beat in cocoa paste. Add flour and salt, and mix just until combined.
- Spread in pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool before frosting.
- Cream butter with mixer till fluffy. Add vanilla. Slowly mix in powdered sugar, then white chocolate. Add enough milk to reach desired consistency. Ice cooled brownies.
Notes
For the cleanest slices, chill, cut, then serve at room temperature.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1 brownieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 330Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 141mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 0gSugar: 40gProtein: 3g
87 Comments on “Red Velvet Brownies with White Chocolate Icing”
The last time I made something red velvet, I through chocolate chips in the batter so my husband and son would eat it. They loved it with the chocolate chips. Those look absolutely delicious.
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It looks like you spent hours cutting these to perfection. It will only take one minute for those to be inhaled in a house full of teenagers. Take Care, BAM
Looks perfecly delicious,what a great combination with white chocolate,YUM 🙂
These look just too delicious for words! I am absolutely going to have to try making a batch.
Thank you for stopping by my blog. Now following by e-mail and very much looking forward to it.
Kate x
These look so creamy and tasty! Red Velvet is the best!
I like red velvet, but I don’t understand the craze. However, I love white chocolate and these do look spectacular.
Nazneen
I think I must have missed this first time round, would have remembered it I’m sure as it looks SO good!
Ohh this is looking very elegant like all your desserts actually. Love it. I will save this recipe for later:)
Have no idea how do you make them so perfect and cut them so evenly!
These brownies look utterly gorgeous my friend 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I think red velvet cakes is really about the frosting, and these brownies have a very generous amount! I’d love to have one now…that is, if Katie will share!
Speaking of Queen of the House, I made up a little song for my 18 mo. old granddaughter:
“Oh, you have to be entertained when you eat…
You have to be held when you sleep…
Oh, what’s a mother to do…
But love a girl like you!”
Of course, I think I’m Billy Crystal!
Have a good night!
Gahh! I meant white chocolate icing. I was staring at it thinking about cheesecake… though making these brownies and topping them with white chocolate cheesecake is also not a bad idea. GAHH! Now I *really* need to make them!
Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous! Would you believe that I’ve never made homemade red velvet anything? (I made box red velvet cake once years ago) I think I’m just scared that if I do, there’s no turning back and I’ll have no restraint… it was bad enough when Carla at Chocolate Moosey sent me red velvet cookie bars for Valentine’s Day and I ate all 6 in two days. Add cheesecake and I will no doubt be a goner!
OMY! dear Lizzy always your recipes are elegant and beautiful!! just amazing!! xoxox
WOW! …. just wow! Those look so perfect. Have a great weekend, Lizzy! 🙂
These look picture perfect. 🙂 I love the tip of the hot knife… gotta try that one. 🙂
I always like it when bloggers bring back old recipes – they tend to be particularly good ones. As this is. I’m an equal opportunity eater – I’ll happily eat these, a devil’s food version! They’re all good. 😉 Thanks for this.
Oh my gosh these are amazing Liz. High 5!!!!!!
Holy cow, check out that frosting! It’s as much frosting as brownie…just the way I like it 😉 These look seriously amazing and I’m so glad you’ve shared them again because I think I missed them the first time around. My husband would love these.
These look so pretty. I’ve never thought to make a red velvet brownie. The color makes it look enticing. (Is there a step missing in #5?)