What is it about ‘Red Velvet’ that gets people excited when someone mentions the words ‘Red Velvet’? It sounds sexy for sure! These Mini Red Velvet Brownies with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting are rockin the RED’!
They’re soft, dense and fudgy, with the awesome flavor you’d get from a traditional red velvet cake. These brownies taste great on their own, but the vanilla bean cream cheese frosting puts them in a league of their own.
Making homemade red velvet brownies can seem pretty intimidating, but once you do it, you’ll never go back.
Did you know red velvet desserts have chocolate in them and are usually adorned with cream cheese frosting?
The cocoa overtones and and the tang of the cream cheese are a match made in heaven. They are never breaking up!
Amazon links used: I used red food
How tempting do these red velvet brownies look?
Can’t you just see them at a special Valentine’s dinner on a cute little party tray afterwards with some coffee, hot cocoa or my favorite, some bubbly champagne!
Birthday, Christmas, 4th of July, Mother’s Day and Anniversary Parties are calling for these! And then again, brownie lovers are too!
- 1 1/8 or sticks or 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
- 1 3/4 cups Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chips
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk room temp
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon red food coloring
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temp, I use Philadelphia Cream Cheese
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temp
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 or 2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste I used Nielsen-Massey
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Line a 9x9 or 8x8 baking pan with heavy-duty foil and very lightly grease the foil with vegetable shortening, like crisco.
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In a small saucepan, melt the butter over your lowest setting, then add the milk chocolate chips stirring constantly with a small whisk until melted and smooth.
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Turn off heat and let set.
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In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs into the bowl and lightly whisk.
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In another bowl, add in the sugars and salt and whisk together.
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Whisk in the melted chocolate into the egg/sugar mixture, then gradually whisk in the melted chocolate until just combined.
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Briefly whisk in the vanilla and red food coloring.
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In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder together and sift into the chocolate mixture.
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Stir with a silicone spatula and pour and spread out evenly into your prepared baking pan.
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Bake 40 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean and transfer pan to cooling rack and let cool for 15 minutes.
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Refrigerate, covered until cooled to frost.
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Lay out on tin foil or cutting board and cut into 16 or 25 squares evenly using a sharp knife.
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Make frosting.
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Place cream cheese, butter, vanilla, vanilla bean paste and salt in small mixing bowl.
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Using a mixer, beat on medium high until well combined.
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Add confectioners sugar and mix until smooth and creamy.
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Place frosting in a pastry bag with a pastry open or closed star tube and pipe a star in the middle, then pipe frosting around the star to create a rose.
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Add sprinkles, chocolate shavings, etc.
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Put back in fridge until ready to serve.
I prefer to trim the brownies edges to get nice looking edges on all the brownies, before I cut them into mini brownies. It's best do to this when the brownies are refrigerated to get a nice looking cut.
More Red Velvet lovelies!
‘Kiss Me’ Red Velvet Brownies
Valentine Red Velvet Party Blast Cookie Pie
Red Velvet Cake Donuts with Cream Cheese Frosting (Of course)
Red Velvet Luv Truffles
Red Velvet Tuxedo Brownies
These are too darn cute Kim:) You are the Godess of baked goods, my dear!!! I’ve never met anyone that doesn’t love red velvet cake and making a brownie version of that is genius!.
Thank you so much Maria, that is sooooo sweet! These little brownie bites are the cutest for sure!
Can I just use regular vanilla extract instead of the paste?
These would be the cutest for a Valentine’s Day party! But I’d have to make two batches because one would be all for me 🙂
Yes, absolutely Laura! 🙂 Enjoy!!
LOL Kelsie! I love the way you think! 🙂
Oh my goodness, these red velvet brownies are chewy, gorgeous deliciousness! They look soooooo scrumptious! 😀
Thank you so much Catherine!! xo
I would eat about a million of these if I made them. So yummy – that vanilla-bean cream cheese frosting would be so perfect!! Drool!
Mmmmm yes. Definitely with coffee! The frosting sounds so creamy and vanilla-y! And I love red velvet. Perfect for Valentine’s Day!!!