The Best Fudgy Red Velvet Brownies Recipe

I’m a food blogger sharing my fudgy red velvet brownies, an easy, chocolatey treat made from pantry staples that fits right into Desserts With Everyday Ingredients and will make you want to read the recipe.

I grew up thinking red velvet was just pretty cake until I made these fudgy brownies. They are dense, a little gooey in the middle and the color is wild.

No frills, just big flavor. I keep the texture fudgy not cakey.

I love how unsalted butter and semisweet chocolate play together to make a deep, slightly tangy chocolate note that still feels red velvet. This is one of those Desserts With Everyday Ingredients that somehow tastes fancy, the kind you want to hide from friends so theres more for you.

Try one bite and you wont want to share, seriously.

Ingredients

• Adds richness and fudgy mouthfeel, high in fat, little protein, makes brownies decadent.
• Brings deep chocolate flavor, has sugar and fat, some antioxidants, not exactly healthy.
• Main sweetener, pure carbs so no nutrients, controls structure and chewiness though.
• Provide protein, moisture, structure and lift, help set fudgy crumb, bind everything.
• Adds intense chocolate notes without fat, provides color, some fiber, bitter edge.
• Adds tang, keeps brownies moist and tender, adds fat and slight acidity.
• Gives creamy tangy contrast, adds richness and visual swirl, higher in fat.

Ingredient Quantities

• 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter
• 4 oz (115g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp (12g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp (30ml) red food coloring or 1 oz gel red coloring
• 1/4 cup (60ml) sour cream or plain yogurt
• 1 cup (125g) all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 oz (115g) cream cheese, softened for swirl (optional)
• 1/4 cup (30g) powdered sugar for swirl (optional)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract for cream cheese swirl (optional)

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment leaving an overhang for easy removal and lightly grease the paper. Let eggs and sour cream come to room temp if you can.

2. Melt 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter with 4 oz (115g) chopped semisweet chocolate in a microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring between, or melt gently in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Let cool a bit.

3. In a bowl whisk 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar with 2 large eggs until glossy, then whisk in 1 tsp vanilla. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and mix until smooth.

4. Stir in 2 tbsp (12g) unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tbsp (30ml) red food coloring or 1 oz gel, and 1/4 cup (60ml) sour cream or plain yogurt. Add 1/4 tsp salt and mix until uniform.

5. Whisk together 1 cup (125g) all purpose flour and 1/2 tsp baking soda in a separate bowl. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet just until combined, dont overmix or you’ll get cakey brownies.

6. Pour in 1 tsp distilled white vinegar and fold gently one or two times so it reacts with the baking soda for that classic red velvet tang and fudgy crumb.

7. Scrape batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. If doing the cream cheese swirl: beat 4 oz (115g) softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup (30g) powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla until smooth, dollop over batter and drag a knife through to make swirls. Don’t over-swirl.

8. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until the edges are set and the center still has a few moist crumbs when tested with a toothpick. They should look slightly underdone in the middle, thats what keeps them fudgy.

9. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack for at least an hour, then lift out using the parchment. For neat slices chill 30 minutes before cutting and wipe your knife clean between cuts or warm the knife under hot water and dry it.

10. Store in an airtight container at room temp up to 2 days or refrigerated up to 5 days. Reheat briefly to bring back that gooey center. Use good chocolate and room temp ingredients for best texture.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (preheat to 350°F)
2. 8×8 inch square baking pan plus parchment paper with an overhang, and a little butter or spray to grease the paper
3. Microwave safe bowl or a heatproof bowl for a double boiler to melt butter and chocolate
4. Two mixing bowls (one large for wet stuff, one medium for dry)
5. Whisk and a rubber spatula (or wooden spoon)
6. Measuring cups and spoons plus a kitchen scale for best accuracy
7. Hand mixer or stand mixer (optional, makes the cream cheese swirl smoother)
8. Wire cooling rack, sharp knife and a toothpick or cake tester for checking doneness

FAQ

The Best Fudgy Red Velvet Brownies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Butter (1/2 cup): swap with melted coconut oil 1:1 (115g) — gives similar fudgy texture and a hint of coconut, or use neutral vegetable oil at about 3/4 the butter volume if you dont want coconut flavor. Coconut may firm up a bit when cool.
• Semisweet chocolate (4 oz): use equal weight of chopped dark or milk chocolate. If you only have unsweetened baking chocolate, add 2 to 3 tbsp extra granulated sugar to balance the bitterness.
• Sour cream or plain yogurt (1/4 cup): plain full fat Greek yogurt works cup for cup; buttermilk also works 1:1 but is thinner so batter might be a little looser.
• All purpose flour (1 cup): to mimic cake flour, remove 2 tbsp AP flour and stir in 2 tbsp cornstarch, sift and use the cup; or use a 1:1 gluten free all purpose blend if you need gluten free.

Pro Tips

1. Measure flour by weight or spoon and level the cup, dont scoop straight from the bag or your brownies will come out too cakey. A kitchen scale is worth it if you wanna keep these fudgy.

2. Use gel or paste red coloring and mix it into the melted chocolate and cocoa first, that way the red is deeper and more even without thinning the batter. If you only have liquid red, add it slowly so you dont ruin the texture.

3. Let the melted chocolate cool until just warm before mixing it with the eggs, otherwise you risk scrambling them and getting a grainy batter. If it feels barely warm to the touch its safe to go.

4. For a pretty cream cheese swirl, pipe even dollops from a zip bag or piping bag and make just a few long swoops with a skewer instead of a million tiny circles, then chill briefly so the swirl sets and slices look sharp. Also a tiny pinch of instant espresso powder can boost the chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee.