Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

These fudgy red velvet cheesecake brownies are a combination of three of your favorite desserts: red velvet cake, cheesecake and brownies. Sweet and creamy cheesecake is swirled into moist red velvet brownies creating a stunning dessert perfect for Christmas or Valentine’s Day!

Why You’ll Love These Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

No one ever rejects brownies, red velvet, or cheesecake… and this recipe has all three!

  • Fudgy: Cream cheese, cocoa powder and butter create an irresistibly rich and fudgy texture.
  • Sweet and Tangy: The combination of a cocoa-based red velvet brownie batter plus a tangy cream cheese mixture means the flavors are perfectly balanced.
  • Simple To Make: Beat to combine the brownie batter and cheesecake batter and swirl them together and bake. While there are a few steps, each is quick and simple to do!
  • Holidays: Red food coloring makes these festive and fudgy red velvet brownies an ideal dessert for Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Package them in a cute bag or box for a delightful little gift.

If you love red velvet desserts, make sure to try my impressive layered red velvet cake, easy red velvet crinkle cookies and decadent red velvet cupcakes.

Ingredients for red velvet brownies recipe arranged on a tabletop, from top to bottom: butter, vanilla, red food coloring, cocoa powder, sugar, flour, salt, egg and cream cheese.

What You’ll Need

Red food coloring is a must for this red velvet brownie recipe or it’s will not have that signature red velvet look! Scroll down to the recipe card for exact amounts.

  • Flour: I use all-purpose flour. Avoid cake flours because it’ll make the brownies airier and cakey.
  • Cocoa Powder: I used Dutch process cocoa powder for a darker and more intense chocolate flavor, but unsweetened cocoa powder will also work.
  • Salt: Kosher salt is best.
  • Unsalted Butter: If you use salted butter, only add 1/4 teaspoon additional salt to the batter.
  • Granulated Sugar: Light brown sugar works too for the brownies, but only use granulated sugar for the cheesecake filling.
  • Eggs: They add richness and help the batter come together and keeps the cheesecake mixture from separating.
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Red Gel Food Coloring: Liquid food coloring works too, but you’ll need to add 2 to 3 times more to get the same color intensity.
  • Cream cheese: Full-fat or low-fat are okay, but full-fat will make them creamy.
Red velvet cheesecake brownies turned on the side to show their visible red and white layers swirled together.

How to Make Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

It’s just like making regular brownies, but you swirl of cheesecake on top before baking. Scroll to the recipe card at bottom of the post for full detailed instructions. 

  • Dry Ingredients: Combine the flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
  • Wet Ingredients: Whisk the melted butter and sugar in a separate bowl, then add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla extract, food coloring, and dry ingredients. Mix well.
  • Cheesecake Filling: Beat the cream cheese and egg in a bowl until smooth. Then add the sugar and vanilla, beating until creamy.
  • Swirl: Pour the red velvet batter into the prepared baking pan with parchment paper, reserving ⅓ cup. Top batter with the cheesecake mixture. Then drop dollops of the reserved batter on top and create swirls using a toothpick or knife.
  • Bake: Bake the brownies in a preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few crumbs. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, then slice and serve!
Red velvet brownies with sweet and creamy swirls of cheesecake are cut into squares on parchment paper.
Chef's Notes

A few tips and variations to guarantee your brownies turn out perfect!

  • Festive Shapes: Use cookie cutters to cut the cooled brownies into Christmas trees, santa hats, hearts, or your favorite shapes for different holidays.
  • Baking Pan: A non-stick 8×8 metal baking pan is your best bet at perfectly baked brownies. Glass pans take longer to heat up and will increase the baking time. The bottom usually ends up over cooked while the center is under cooked.
  • Red & Green: Add 1 to 2 drops of green food coloring into the cheesecake batter to make your brownies extra Christmas-y.
  • Add-ins: Stir 1/2 cup of chopped pecans, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, crushed peppermints, or even mini pretzels into the batter for extra flavor and texture. You can also sprinkle them on top before baking.
  • Bang The Tray: If the cheesecake layer is uneven when you pour it in, bang the baking pan against the counter 3 to 4 times to help the mixtures settle before baking.
  • Cool The Knife: Pop the knife into the freezer for 20 minutes before slicing. It helps make cleaner cuts. Dip the knife into ice water in between each cut. Another trick is to use a plastic disposable knife to make cleaner cuts. 

    How to Store Red Velvet Brownies

    The storage method depends entirely on how soon you plan to enjoy all your fudgy brownies. Here are your options:

    • Fridge: Transfer the cooled brownies to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 6 days. Place a piece of parchment paper between each layer to keep them from sticking. Enjoy them chilled or set them on the counter for 20 minutes to warm to room temperature.
    • Freeze: Wrap each brownie in plastic wrap twice. Place them in a freezer-friendly bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, thaw overnight in the fridge.
    Landscape photo of red velvet cheesecake brownies.
    4.5 from 70 votes
    Print Pin Recipe
    Yield: 9 brownies

    Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

    These rich and fudgy red velvet cheesecake brownies are a combination of three classic desserts: red velvet cake, cheesecake and brownies. Sweet and creamy cheesecake is swirled into moist red velvet brownies creating a stunning dessert in under an hour.
    Prep Time15 minutes
    Cook Time35 minutes
    Total Time50 minutes

    Ingredients

    • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
    • 3 tablespoons Dutch processed cocoa powder, or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
    • ¾ cup granulated sugar
    • 2 large eggs, room temperature
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
    • 5-6 drops red gel food coloring

    Cream Cheese:

    • 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
    • 1 large egg, room temperature
    • ¼ cup granulated sugar
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

    Instructions 

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8 square metal baking pan with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper. Set aside.
    • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
    • Whisk to combine the melted butter and sugar for 1 minute. Add the eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, beating for 2 minutes until well combined. Next, add the vanilla extract and red food coloring.
    • Add the dry ingredients and combine using a spatula until they are evenly incorporated. Set the red velvet batter aside.
    • Prepare the cream cheese batter by beating the cream cheese and egg together until smooth. Add the sugar and vanilla, and beat for an additional minute until creamy.
    • Pour the red velvet batter into the prepared pan, reserving ⅓ cup of the batter.
    • Next, pour the cream cheese cake batter over the red velvet layer as evenly as you can. Then add the ⅓ cup reserved red velvet batter in dollops on top. Create beautiful swirls using a chopstick or toothpick.
    • Bake the brownies for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top looks shiny and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs.
    • Allow the red velvet cream cheese brownies to cool. Then cut into equal squares and serve.

    Notes

    Storage: Transfer the cooled brownies to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 6 days. Place a piece of parchment paper between each layer to keep them from sticking. Enjoy them chilled or set them on the counter for 20 minutes to warm to room temperature.
    Freeze: Wrap each brownie in plastic wrap twice. Place them in a freezer-friendly bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, thaw overnight in the fridge.
    Baking Pan: A non-stick metal baking pan is your best bet at perfectly baked brownies. Glass pans take longer to heat up and will increase the baking time. The bottom usually ends up over cooked while the center is under cooked.
    Bang The Tray: If the cheesecake layer is uneven when you pour it in, bang the baking pan against the counter 3 to 4 times to help the mixtures settle before baking.
    Cool The Knife: Pop the knife into the freezer for 20 minutes before slicing. It helps make cleaner cuts. Dip the knife into ice water in between each cut. Another trick is to use a plastic disposable knife to make cleaner cuts. 
    Festive Shapes: Use cookie cutters to cut the cooled brownies into Christmas trees, santa hats, hearts, or your favorite shapes for different holidays.
    Red & Green: Add 1 to 2 drops of green food coloring into the cheesecake batter to make your brownies extra Christmas-y.
    Add-ins: Stir 1/2 cup of chopped pecans, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, crushed peppermints, or even mini pretzels into the batter for extra flavor and texture. You can also sprinkle them on top before baking.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 brownie, Calories: 338kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 116mg, Sodium: 234mg, Potassium: 99mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 23g, Vitamin A: 757IU, Calcium: 41mg, Iron: 1mg

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    Post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

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    Recipe Rating




    294 Responses
    1. Marbled Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies (as featured on The Stir) - GAZELLE MAGAZINE

      […]  This recipe was modified from The Novice Chef […]

    2. Scarlet

      These are so pretty! And that balloon style presentation is too cute! I can’t wait to make these with my daughter. Pinning now:)

    3. Laura Taunton

      I made these for my boyfriend for valentines day this year! I cant wait to give them to him — they looked and smelled incredible! Thank you so much for the recipe — will definitely be back to try more!

    4. Lukas

      hi, my batter was pretty liquid even though i put more flour; then I doubled red colouring doze and still got it brown due to cocoa; can you confirm the ingredients, what you actually mean with a cup? for me it is 220ml; thx for connfirming as really want to make it work :)

    5. Receitas DIabéticos

      I used your recipe, but in addition to hearts I used templates of stars and clouds. They are delicious and very beautiful for the decoration of parties and receptions. I love the website recipes.

    6. Hannah

      I made these for Valentine’s day this year and am going to make them again tonight for a staff morning tea (just not with heart shapes… ). They were so yummy and moreish, lasted well in the fridge too!

    7. Blue

      Wondering. I’d like to sub out the red dye and use a reduction of raspberries. Please give me your take on my choice. Thank you Blue

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        Honestly, I worry you wouldn’t be able to get enough color out of the raspberry reduction without comprising the texture of the final product.

        However, I have never tried it and could be wrong! If you do try it, please report back how it works for you! :-)

    8. Mandy B

      Really disappointed. I attempted to make these for a wedding this weekend, followed the instructions exactly. Bottom brownie layer is still raw and greasy after 45 mins. Seems like 1 cup oil is way too much!

    9. Christine

      Just put these in the oven :) quick question though, are you supposed to drag your knife through the very bottom later when marbeling?

    10. Elke

      Hello,
      I tried to make these but my brownies weren’t red but brown due to the cocoa powder. I’ve been using (a lot) german liquid red food coloring. How does your batter become red and not brown??? What am I doing wrong?
      Thanks for your answer and advise!
      Best wishes,
      Elke

    11. Myradyla

      I was hoping to end with a good or at least satisfying result but the end product was a major fail. I guess I will have to try other recipe.

    12. MB

      I made these tonight – I was only able to drag the knife through the top two layers, the bottom one was too dense. Is that how you did it?

      I haven’t tasted them yet, but they look pretty good. The cream cheese swirls got a little dark making them look a lot less appealing but I’m guessing won’t make them taste bad.

    13. N Raza

      I took ages to make sure all the measurements and swirls were perfect… and then because your recipe doesn’t specify that your heat is in farenheit, I put it the highest I could in celsius to try and go up to 350 and it completely burnt. Valentines day present ruined. Lol.

    14. Mariah

      I made these for my boyfriend for Valentine’s Day, and they turned out wonderful! He absolutely loves red velvet, and the cheesecake just makes them even better! Thank you for posting this recipe… They certainly turn out super pretty and super delicious!

    15. Kyla

      I’d be careful with the 3o min or until the middle no longer jiggles bit, I kept putting mine in for 5 more min because each time the middle still giggled and now they are a bit dry. They are still very good and I will make them again, but I’ll just trust them to set up a bit more after they cool and only bake for 30 min. Thanks!

    16. Rebecca

      I made these and they are great but wasn’t sure about te consistency? It seemed very sticky. I am not sure if the pan was to deep making them
      To thick or that is the way they are supposed to be.

    17. Dori

      I have a heart shaped cake pan, about 8-9 inches in diameter. Any suggestions on temperature and time for putting this recipe in that kind of pan? Thanks!!

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        I would only make half of the batter instead of a full batch. Then I would bake it at the same temperature, but start checking them much sooner. You will know when they are done baking when they no longer giggle in the middle.

    18. Jill

      I made these last night and they came out great! I used a 13×9 cake pan and they are pretty thick but still delicious. My boyfriend is going to love them! Also, scraps make a good unhealthy breakfast treat ;) Thanks for posting, these are much more exciting than my typical sugar cookies with pink sprinkles.

    19. Jessica

      Hi, these looks really great and I was planning to make these for Valentine’s day. However I noticed that 1 cup of vegetable oil is alot. Can I reduce it to 1/2 cup or substitute it with other ingredients? Thanks alot!

    20. Gina

      I made these for Bunco last night, so fun and were a huge hit!!! I made two batches. The only thing I changed was instead of using 3/4 cup of the brownie batter I used 1/2 cup that gave me a little more contrast with the red n white swirl. I served with sliced fresh strawberries and whipped cream on the side then drizzled a little chocolate. I’m going to bring these to work as well. Thanks for the recipe!!! 5 stars!!!

    21. kat

      Since my go-to red velvet recipe uses buttermilk instead of plain milk, I was thinking of using it. Did you experiment with buttermilk first? Just wondering. Am going to try them soon. Thanks.

    22. Ann

      Hi! I was wondering if these brownies “melt” easily, just in case I want to send them to my loved one overseas?

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        Because of the cream cheese/cheesecake part, I would not recommend mailing them. They will need to be refrigerated if not eaten within a few hours.

    23. Rachel

      Are these sturdy enough to be placed on skewers/cake pop sticks? Also, if I substitute blue food coloring for the red will they be blue?

      I am planning to make these as party favors for my sister’s bridal shower as it is the day after valentines day this year and her color is blue so I though this would connect the “holiday” with her day =)

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        If you cut them small enough, yes they could be stuck on skewers.

        And yes, if you use blue food coloring they will be blue.

        Hope your sister likes them!

    24. Nirmal

      What type of cream cheese did you use? I can never get the right one and that tends to mess up my recipes :(

    25. Natalita

      It looks absolutely marvelous! Going to bake it tomorrow, but could you please specify how much cream cheese in grams is required?

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        I did not use a ribbon for anything with this recipe. If you are talking about the first photo with the twine – that was just for fun for a photograph.

    26. Stephanie

      Just wanted to update you…I put some brownies in the freezer and they seem to thaw and taste just fine to me!

    27. Jenn.a.k.a.Pina

      These look delicious and I’m planning on making these for my wedding dessert table. Can I please ask how long they keep for/can they be frozen?
      Yum, can’t wait to make them

    28. Julianne

      My husband and I celebrated Valentine’s Day on Sunday because he was out of town for work all last week.

      He loves Red Velvet, so I wanted to surprise him with these. They were AWESOME! We both loved them! Plus, they are so pretty. I have no idea what that above commenter is talking about…but maybe she did something wrong? My whole family is already asking for a second batch!

    29. Madison

      These were disgusting. I followed the directions to a T and they came out horrible. My family spit them out immediately.

    30. Robbie

      Hi Jessica, I have to wonder if different parts of the country had misprints in the Relish article. Several people described their brownies exactly like mine, like oily play dough. Our recipe in Colorado called for 1 cup of oil and it was really just way too much. Is that the amount in the original recipe?

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        Nope, no misprint. The recipe posted on my website is the original recipe.

        If you read the comments, about 1 out of every 5 people don’t like them. I think it’s a personal thing, some love them…others don’t! Sorry!

    31. Kaitlin

      Have these in the oven right now!! I made mine Gluten Free (boyfriend is allergic to gluten) and these are his Valentines day surprise. They smell & look awesome, Hope they turn out since I used a smaller pan.

    32. Molly

      Made these yesterday and they were beautiful and deeee-lish! And so impressive looking. I’m a cake maker, and I can truly say I prefer these to red velvet cake (and I use an excellent recipe!) Also, they make an excellent breakfast.

    33. Emily

      So I just baked these, and OMG! They are delicious! I’m not sure how many I’ve eaten, but I’m definitely making a dent:) Question, should these be refrigerated?

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        Yay! So glad to hear it!

        If you are eating them within 24 hours, you are ok to leave them out (at least, I did!). Otherwise, store them in the fridge and let them come to room temperature before eating!

    34. Laura

      Hi! Just made these today and I think it turned out very pretty looking and I am waiting for it to be over night to taste it but just wanted to ask if the bottom portion is suppose to be more cake like vs. brownie? I love the cheesecake portion and how do I get brownie taste out of the cake batter?

      Also when i’m doing the marbling should i stick the knife all the way down through all the layers or just the top? Thanks!!! super cute idea!! XOXO

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        I stuck my knife about 75% down. I didn’t do it all the way to the bottom, but I did it through half of the bottom layer. Hope that makes sense!

        And the bottom layer should be dense and no they won’t taste like a traditional brownie. They are different from that!

    35. sandi

      these are so good – however the cake part of mine did not turn out “cakelike” it was quite heavy – any idea why? in any case they were a big hit!

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        Hey Sandi, the bottom part is supposed to be dense – not cake like. So they turned out just like they should have! Glad you liked them! :)

    36. Srishti Mehta

      I made these today for my hubby. Really enjoyed making them and they turned out Really yumm. It’s a great recipe. Thanks for sharing your love and recipes :)

    37. Lynn

      I saw these in Relish Magazine and just had to try them. They turned out awesome! I know my husband (a big Red Velvet Fan) is going to be over the moon! New to your site, but I am going to stick around. Thanks again.

    38. Denny

      I’m so sad – had very high hopes for these brownies but I made them this evening and ended up tossing the entire batch. After baking, the texture was oily and kind of gummy, and the flavor just wasn’t there :-( There’s another recipe on foodnetwork.com that uses butter instead of oil and a different proportion of fat:flour:sugar so I’m going to give those a try.

    39. kari

      yum/adorable!
      just made these tonight upon the request of my mother in law who brought the issue of relish to me.

      mine turned out ok – a little burned around the edges, (probably too much cooking spray) and the layers separated a smidge (i think this was because i was too anxious and didn’t let cool all the way before i began to cut them w/ the cookie cutter)

      heading to a pre-school party tomorrow with these lovely baked goods packaged perfectly to gift, thanks for the inspiration! i am sure they’ll be a hit.

    40. jen

      I have just made these… they look gorgeous – just like in your pic – but are they supposed to taste like jam? there is something about the taste that is quite off-putting… and they are extremely dense on the bottom – did i do something wrong or is that what they are supposed to be like… i haven’t had much experience with red velvet – i know many people adore them – i am making these to serve for valentine’s day dessert at our restaurant and am unsure whether they are just not my cup of tea or if i made em wrong.

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        I dunno about Jam, but they are supposed to taste like Red Velvet with a cream cheese flavor. Maybe to you Red Velvet just taste like Jam! ;-)

    41. Chris Bozak

      HI Jessica, Saw our recipe in ‘RELISH’. I LOVe to bake on rainy/stormy days. So when the stom ‘Nemo’ hit last Sat.and the power was still on, I tried your recipe. Couple of comments: the reserved batter was SO stiff that I had to add more milk to make it soft enough to spread over the cream cheese. Secondly the scraps – well I just molded them all together pressed down some and cut out MORE hearts! They don’t look the same but still taste good!
      Thanks
      Chris Bozak

    42. Michelle

      I made these last night and couldn’t cut them then so I left ten
      Over night in the fridge because I didn’t think I could leave them out due to the cream geese but when I tried to cut them his morning the cake part was kind of hard. And mine taste a little plain. I followed the receipe but they don’t taste like brownies or cheesecake. What did I do wrong?

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        I’m not sure what could have gone wrong, but they aren’t the traditional brownie flavor – they are red velvet. So a slight cocoa flavor. And the cheesecake flavor should have been pretty prominent!

    43. Ashley

      Made these tonight for work on Valentines Day. Didn’t have any cocoa powder so had too look up for a sub with chocolate chips. Turned out great and still taste amazing.

    44. jenn

      so i just made these tonight…im letting them cool overnight and using the heart shaped cookie cutters on them tomorrow. this is the first thing I’ve actually made from scratch and it was not bad at all…very easy to follow. when mixing the wet and dry ingredients together she wasn’t kidding when saying the batter will be very thick almost moldable! spreading the brownie batter on the pan i felt was the most aggravating part considering the thickness…it took a little patience…which i have little of but i pulled through haha. they smell so good i cannot wait to try one tomorrow =) I’m making them for my boyfriend for valentines day i can’t wait for him to try one!

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        Hi Steffany,

        The recipe above, with 3 1/4 cups is correct. I wouldn’t follow the recipe from another site…and definitely wouldn’t use 6 cups of flour…

        As for the cookie sheet, it depends on how big it is. The pan this recipe uses is a 13×18. Any smaller and you will need to split it into multiple pans.

        Hope you enjoy them!

    45. Stephanie

      I just made these and they are awesome!!!! I’m cutting them out right now to give as Valentine’s Day gifts. Do you think they would freeze or no? I’ve never tried freezing cream cheese so I’m clueless.

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        Hey Stephanie! Glad you love them! :)

        I sadly have no experience freezing them, so have no idea if that would be ok or not…if you do try freezing them, I would love to hear your results!

    46. Sheryl

      Though looking good, I found there were problems.
      First, the dough was so thick, I was rolling the dough out with a rolling pin. Second, the brownies didn’t rise very much.
      Third, they tasted too oily, and bland.
      The only saving factor was the creamcheese topping.

      Was there to more milk and less oil?
      My husband, sweetie that he is, is eating the brownies. He said they could use more flavor.

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        Hi Sheryl,

        I don’t know what mistake could have been made, but all the other commenters have made them with great success. Maybe they just aren’t for you? Sorry!

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        Hi Anne, for the future all yields are listed under the recipe name. For this recipe, I got 16 hearts out of it.

    47. Jessica

      These are AMAZING!!!! I seriously just finished making them as a surprise for my hunny on V-Day. I don’t think they are gonna last that long lol. They are delicious!!!!

    48. Karen

      I made these today & they are absolutely delicious, but I am really having a difficult time getting them to come out of the cookie cutter…is this normal?

    49. Sam

      Hi, I plan on making these for my son’s class and can’t wait. They so pretty and I wanted to do something different. My question is do you rotate the pan 90 degrees or 180 degrees. I’m not much of a baker. Thanks so much for the great idea.

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        A 180. The side that was farthest away from the window/door, should now be closest to the window/door of the oven. Hope you enjoy them!

    50. Desiree @the36thavenue

      WOW! Looks great!
      I am following you everywhere now… Thank you for sharing so many great recipes.

    51. kelly laminack

      These did not turn out well at all. They tasted like they had way too much oil in them. I would leave out the oil in this recipe.

    52. Jacqui

      Beautiful!! I’m thinking these will be the perfect 1st red velvet recipe for me to try with a brownie obsessed fiancé, but just want to clarify do you just use liquid food colour or do you use gel or powder colour to get the intensity?

    53. Patti

      I’m so excited to make these! My daughters love red velvet cake!! I may need to send all my “college kids” a special valentines treat! I also love the way you and your husband spend Valentines day! My jelly roll pan is 11×15 do you think I need to adjust the recipe in anyway or just cook a little longer?

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        Well, it depends on how deep it is. If your pan is really deep, then yes you could do it and cook a little longer. However if it’s a 11×15 baking sheet, it might be to much batter and would cook over the edges.

    54. Cathy O

      Made these today and OMG – they are awesome! And such a huge quantity of brownies. I cut them into squares and am sharing them with a few special people! Thank you for your detailed instructions, too.

    55. All My Monkeys

      God Bless Pinterest for leading me here. So cute and Red Velvet + Cheesecake + Brownies??? OMGosh. Can’t wait to make them. Alone. As I much prefer baking without “help.” (So help me, God, I just finished a kid-bake session. Happy to say I’ve lived to tell about it.)

    56. buzzkehl

      these look SO great! any ideas for alternatives to cream cheese for the dairy-intolerant? (hopefully not just skip it!)

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        I wish there was a good suggestion, but when it is a main component for the cheesecake flavor there is no dairy free sub.

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        They look adorable! …and after reading you rave about them, it’s making me crave them like crazy again! So good!

    57. Sister Riles

      Definitely going to have to try this, maybe for an upcoming pre-Valentine’s wedding shower! I wonder if you could make some kind of “brownie pops” or brownie bon-bons with the leftovers? Cream cheese frosting, white chocolate coating, and some pretty red sprinkles…I might have to try it! Thanks for the great recipe.

    58. Michi

      Hi
      I live in Dubai with my family & came across your recipe on Pinterest.
      I tried it out and it turned out perfect, just like in your picture. It’s an absolutely great recipe & I especially like the fact that it’s made the old-fashioned way, when so blogs out there always use ready made cake mix. Being a baking addict, I really enjoyed making it. Thank you.

    59. Shar

      This turned out absolutely amazing. I froze the scraps, chopped em up, and folded them into a batch of buttermilk ice cream. Both were a hit with my fiancé.

    60. Pippa

      I just made these and I had really high hopes until I came to rotating them halfway through the bake and the top was TOTALLY browned over. You can’t see the cheesecake layer or the red velvet colour. The marbling pattern is only just visible. I can only presume my oven was too hot, but I converted the temp to C and then reduced it by 20 degrees as I have a fan oven. Hopefully they still taste good, but they look horrible in the tin D: They were gonna be an anniversary bake for tomorrow; thank goodness I’ve got fail-safe brownie pops on the go too xD Sad times. One say I’ll try again with a much lower temp.

    61. TheBrazilTraveller

      Awesome article, I am going to spend more time doing some research but this has helped me out. Thanks!. Ok time to get back to the beach!

    62. Yvonne

      Hi!! Is this more cakey or chewy?
      How much should I reduce the baking time by if I’m halving the recipe, separating Into 9×9 pan and a smaller pan?

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        They are more chewy!

        And I do not know exactly a time considering the two dimensions of the smaller pans. I would say start with 13-15 minutes and watch from there. The edges will slightly brown and the center will no longer giggle when it’s done.

    63. Darcey

      These are by far the easiest, cupiest, and best things I have ever made for Valentines Day.. I have a husband that doesnt eat sweets and almost ate the whole batch! So I am now going to make them every season and just change the color for the season.

    64. Colleen

      Made these for Valentine’s Day !!! They were delicious ! My friend has requested I make green Shamrocks for her St Patrick’s Day party ! Thanks for the recipe !

    65. leslie

      I am so making these! We have a valentine party that i make the treats for every year. WE do it on President day so i am so making these this year THanks :).

    66. Anna

      This turned out absolutely amazing. I froze the scraps, chopped em up, and folded them into a batch of buttermilk ice cream. Both were a hit with my fiancé.

    67. Megan O'D

      My husband took these to the office on Valentine’s Day…he said people were conducting business in the break room, just to be within reach of them! They rocked!
      I linked to them in a post I’m doing for my blog tomorrow…
      ChaosServedDaily.blogspot.com

      Thanks so much!

    68. Cassie

      I made these last night for my husband for valentines day. They were AMAZING!!! He loved them so much.
      I don’t have a large jelly roll pan, but I decided to make the whole batch and did 75% in my 13×9 pan and do the rest in mini muffin tins! It was perfect!!

    69. Jessica

      My husband and I made these last night! They came out awesome! We used a couple of different sizes of heart shaped cookie cutters to mix it up. Thank you for the fun recipe!

    70. Vanita

      I made them yesterday, and although they were a lot of work, they were totally worth it.
      I didn’t have red food coloring, by the way, so I just left out some of the sugar and used grenadine. :-)

    71. Meghan

      I made these for my family and friends for valentine’s day, and they turned out fabulous! I halved the recipe and baked them a few minutes less, it made a normal-sized batch of brownies (9×13 pan) which was perfect! The swirls were so pretty, especially on the tiny little hearts i cut them into! They tasted absolutely amazing; very rich and cheesecake-y! Thanks so much for the awesome recipe!

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        So glad to hear they work well in a 9×13 if you half the recipe! :-D I wasn’t sure and people kept asking…and I couldn’t risk making the recipe again since I would eat them allll haha

    72. Shannon

      I made this last night and brought them into work today! Huge hit! A girl even asked me to make them for an upcoming wedding shower!

    73. Megan

      I made these for my class today and they were a Huge Hit!! Wonderful recipe. I will definitely be making them again….Just change up the color for the holiday :)

    74. Emily

      I made these tonight…not one of my better nights in the kitchen. I accidentally put too much cocoa, didn’t have enough red food coloring, and totally forgot to put the vinegar in. sheesh…so…I added a touch of vinegar in the 3/4 c batter…we will see how they turn out! Glad every day in the kitchen isn’t like this LOL

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        Oh no! Sorry to hear that. I hate when I mess up on a recipe. I hope they still turned out ok despite the little mess ups! ;-)

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        Eh, it depends. If you are storing it for a few days, yes I would just be safe. If it’s a few hours, they are fine to sit on the counter!

    75. Jeannae

      I just got back from the UPS Store after spending waaayyy too much $$ to ship these AWESOME goodies overnight to my sweet little valentine college boy (okay, maybe 6’3″ 195 lbs isn’t so “little” but he’s still my baby). My son and his roommates are going to LOVE LOVE LOVE these! They turned out so adorably perfect and taste wonderful! Thanks for the great recipe…it’s definitely a keeper!!

    76. Trinity

      I just made these today for my hubby for valentines tomorrow. I LOVED them! they were fun and easy to do. I was a bit iffy at first with how the brownie batter was but they turned out great! i will be making these more and next time i’ll let the kids help with different shapes =)

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        There is too much batter. But if you halve the recipe it should be ok in a 13×9!

        Just make sure to watch the baking time if you do halve the recipe.

    77. Lisa

      Ours were not NEARLY as red, lol – although I didn’t use nearly a tablespoon of red food dye. They were still red-ish, and tasty. We used a smaller heart cutter and got 40ish.

    78. Carla

      I did a variation on these with a half sheet pan and a boxed red velvet cake mix, they were a huge hit and I’m currently making another 4 batches, 2 for my friend to take to her daughter’s Valentine’s day party at school and 2 for a charity bake sale. The half sheet pan makes 2 dozen hearts with what looks to be the same cookie cutter that you have. I also upped the sugar in the cream cheese mixture for the kiddies.

    79. D

      I had trouble cutting these with the cookie cutter so I just cut them into squares. Since I ruined some of them I made them into cake pops! Yum yum.

    80. Rachel Davis

      I made them today, it was hard for me to make because i realized that i didn’t have eggs of cream cheese, so i have to go hunter for them. I think that i also stained my hands with red, but they were so good and so worth it!! :) Making them again on tuesday

    81. Ivorie

      I plan on giving these as Valentine’s gifts for my daughter’s 4th grade class. I bought little clear bags with hearts on them and I’m going to attach her Valentine’s Day card to it. Already made a batch and they were a hit with the family. Good Job!

    82. Keri

      I just made these and the taste is fabulous! I had trouble cutting them with the cookie cutter so I cut them into rectangles and had no waste!

      My question to you is….How do you store them? In the refrigerator?

    83. Muzette

      I love this idea, and I love both cheesecake and red velvet anything, so I saved this recipe to use today for my daughter’s Valentine’s day Party at school! So fun! My marbling didn’t turn out quite as smooth as yours did (the lines were not as small), but how can you go wrong with cheesecake & brownies!?! If those kids don’t like ’em, I’ll bring them home and eat them myself! (uh-oh….that could turn out badly).

    84. Emily

      Hi there! These look amazing. I’ve had this recipe saves for weeks now but nervous about trying them. :)
      I usually substitute natural applesauce for the oil in recipes for cakes & cupcakes…. Any chance that this could be done for this recipe?

    85. Anna

      I really want to make these for valentine’s day but have recently joined WW. Any suggestions for a lower calorie alternative to this recipe?

    86. Annika

      Yep, I think I found this year’s Valentine’s dessert! Thank you for sharing these! They look delicious!

    87. Katie

      This might be an obvious question, but would a sil mat (or whatever those rubbery baking mats are) do the same trick as yor jelly roll pan?

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        Well SilPats are used for cookies so they won’t stick, like parchment paper.

        The reason you need to use a jelly roll pan is for the edges. If you put it in something without edges, the dough will fall out or flatten way too much.

        You could use an extra large glass (like a rectangle casserole dish) or metal baking pan instead.

        Hope this helps!

    88. Megan

      I wanted to make these to bring into my coworkers on Valentine’s Day so I made a batch over the weekend as a test run. They are amazing!

    89. Lauren

      These turned out awesome! I am so excited to take them into my daughter’s Mother’s Day Out class tomorrow morning! :-)

    90. Nicole

      I made these today and they turned out a bit oily/crumbly. Could this have been from baking them for too long? They taste delicious, they just don’t want to stay together. The batter was more similar to dough when I prepared it as well. Maybe I missed something?

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        That may have been from baking for too long. The batter will be similar too a dough, I described it kind of like a weird playdough. But I had no issues with it being crumbly!

        I’m sorry they didn’t hold together right, but I’m glad they at least still tasted good!

    91. meagan

      Thought u should know that they guy at almostgastricbypass2.blogspot is passing off your pictures as his own goodies

    92. Joan G

      Thank you SOOOOO much for just solving my “WTH am I going to make for my daughter’s pre-school class for Valentine’s Day?” dilemma!! I am taking your ‘hint’ and will be making them all “lollipops if i don’t manage to break them in the process… Thanks so much again. Great idea!

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        Make sure and stick them on a thick stick, like a popsicle stick because they are pretty heavy!

        Make sure and let me know how it turns out! And a picture of the kids eating them would pretty much make my day :-D

    93. Mandy

      Jessica, I just made these today and…. Oh My GOSH! How cute!!!! Thank You so much for sharing this! I fixed these for my women’s only recipe get together I have once a month at my house. They will LOVE these! One thing for all to note is the one TBL spoon of red food coloring will turn your batch red. I noticed Jessica’s was more pink. Next time I may seperate out the 3/4th cup and then add food coloring for a more pink look for the marble topping. Again thank you Jessica! Keep the GREAT work up!!! :-D

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        So glad you liked them Mandy!! :-D

        Mine were also red, not pink. But they were not a really dark red…more like a vibrant cherry red!

    94. kako

      I found your brownies on pinterest and featured your recipe on my blog this week. Thanks for the inspiration for my Super Bowl treats :)

    95. Brandie

      I love love love these! I will be making them for my kiddos valentines day parties! I was just wondering if you had a suggestion for a fruit/veggie to use instead of food coloring to make it red. :)

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        To be honest, I don’t have a lot of experience using the natural ones.

        But I have heard of people using beets. Or you could buy the icing coloring from Michael’s…then you would only need a few drops because it’s so concentrated!

    96. Nell McCaslin

      What a great idea. I’m going to try to make a gluten free version of this brownie. Regarding the scraps…I sometimes take stale or left over muffins or cookies and mix them with cake mix, nuts, choc chips etc then top with a crumb or coconut topping to make crazy coffee cakes.

      1. Maureen Medeiros

        I love this recipe! Top notch. Only issue I had was spreading the 1/4 amount of batter into the jelly roll. Very small amount to reach throughout the whole pan without having to really work at pinching openings together to make it cover completely. Wondering if it would work better to save 1/2 of the batter to spread and have the remaining 1/2 to spoon on top? Anyone else have that problem?
        Delicious recipe!!

    97. Colleen

      thank you for posting the 9×13 pan amount conversion. :)

      I will make these for the office Valentine ‘grazing’ day…we always have a white/pink/red theme for the treats. :)

    98. Javelin Warrior

      These are awesome! Once again, I feel compelled to feature you in my Friday Food Fetish roundup and on Pinterest. Let me know if you have any objections and keep the amazing food coming…

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        What do you mean by a normal pan?

        Whatever you use, it must have sides…and it needs to be a large pan. Not deep, but in width/length.

    99. Janice

      Thank You for correcting the recipe. I’m glad that I remembered to check the “Comments” before I deleted the recipe from my favorites when my first batch did not work well.

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        You can make it in a 9×11 if you can make 2/3rd of the recipe.

        Meaning instead of 3 eggs, 2 eggs. Instead of 1 cup of oil, 2/3rd cup oil.

        Good luck!!

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        Hmmm. That’s a tough one because you really want the jelly roll so they cook evenly.

        Maybe if you have a large metal cake pan? You can put them in that. Just make sure it’s a big pan like the 13×18 jelly roll pan I used or they will be too thick.

        If you don’t have anything metal, you could try using a 13×18 glass casserole dish. If you do this, drop the temperature down to 325, and cook them a little longer. You will have to watch them carefully!

        I hope this helps! Let me know what you end up doing and if it works out!

    100. Rachel

      What kind of red food coloring did you use? I have the wilton pastes, which are more concentrated, so do you know how much of that you would use instead? I think these brownies are adorable, btw!

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        I have no idea how much you will need to use of the concentrated ones.

        But just play around with it! Add a little at a time till you get the color you want. You can even make them pink if you would prefer! ;-)

    101. Lauren

      I made these late last night…HOLY COW! I love them! I think they get even better after they sit for overnight. I ate like 11 for breakfast!

    102. Mandy

      Must we wait until Monday to see what you have done with the leftovers? I’m on the edge of my seat! Can’t wait!!! :-D

    103. Ashley

      I just made these….and they are…ADORABLE! And super tasty!! I am going to make a batch to take into my classroom for Valentine’s day.

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        I just got an email a couple hours ago from someone who made them…and discovered I made a typo in the recipe! I had the wrong amount of oil!! I just remade a batch to make sure that my notes were correct…and have updated the recipe above to the correct amount of vegetable oil.

        I am SO incredibly sorry. I hate that you wasted ingredients! If you don’t totally hate me, please try them again. I promise they are delicious now that I corrected the amount of oil :-(

    104. Teena

      wow they look so cute & yum!! Can i grab one pls ;) This looks perfect for my ongoing ”Valentine’s Day Event”. If you are willing to share, you can check out the event details on my blog :) Found you through ”Go Bake Yourself ” So glad to follow you!!

    105. Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen

      So so pretty! I want 7 of them for breakfast. No. Let’s be reasonable- 3 for breakfast and 4 for lunch. ;)

    106. Cheryl

      These look so amazing! I am very much looking forward to firing up the oven for a batch of these lovely treats. Thanks so much for sharing! And congrats on the new home!

    107. Deborah

      Funny – I just moved from a house with a yard to a townhouse with no yard. And a kitchen about a third of the size of the kitchen at my house. Yikes!!

      I am a red velvet addict, and am totally loving these!!

    108. Gerry @Foodness Gracious

      Congrats on the new place, I panicked when I saw your valentine post and thought, my god I better get my butt into gear!! I guessed right on your FB page, ;)
      Take care..

    109. Living The Sweet Life

      These are adorable!! I love love love love love these love treats :) lol, im totally making these for the special people in my life – – yum!!

      And, it’s kind of early but good luck with the move :)

    110. Joanne

      You are SO on top of things! I actually just posted a V-day dessert as well! I made it for new year’s but…champagne works with any holiday, right?

      Yay for your move! So exciting!

      I’ll be that person eating the scraps over the sink (scrap calories don’t count. Duh.) But then I’ll make another batch for your next treat. I promise.

    111. Cassie

      I was thinking earlier that I’m so behind on a valentine’s day post. I might not actually get one done. I don’t think I could top this anyway…totally brilliant!

    112. Christina @ ovenadventures

      i love your styling on the first photo. fabulous. these are so cute.

      If someone wanted to make these and didn’t have a sturdy jelly roll pan I bet you could just double up your pans.

      I wish someone would make these for me!

    113. Christine

      I have a V-day Blogger swap and I think Im going to try these out to send my partner! I wonder how they will ship?

      1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
        Jessica

        I would be worried about the cream cheese…but if you could do 2 day shipping and add some dry ice I think they would be great!

    114. Windy

      Wow, these sound fantastic. And they look so pretty! And pigs on fire in hell means you gave us bacon to go with them, right? :)

      I may have to make these next month and be a brownie pusher.

    115. Jessica Macpherson

      Color me inspired! Those look both adorable and delicious! Plus, the man loves both brownies and cheese cake. I think we have a winner here! :) Thanks!

    116. nicole {sweet peony}

      omg i looove these! the color & marbling are perfect, and the creativity with the string makes these so adorable!! congrats on the new house- i’m sure y’all are thrilled!!

    117. Glory/ Glorious Treats

      These look delicious, and the creative photography really makes them extra special!! Gorgeous work! (straight to pinterest) =)

    118. Julie @ Table for Two

      wow, gorgeous!!! hahaha i would totally love a valentine from you ;) congrats on the new house!! that’s going to be amazing with all that space!

    119. JulieD

      This is so funny! I love your brownies…can you believe I recently made red velvet cheesecake brownies too? Great minds think alike but yours look way better than mine!!!

    120. Tara @ Chip Chip Hooray

      These are SO. Gorgeous. Oh my gosh. I love the way you made a brownie balloon bouquet. :) Such creativity in your photos!!

      Also I’d totally be an over-the-sink-scrap-eater, but I think you probably knew that. ;) Congrats on the new house!! That sounds amazing and like a really exciting new chapter.

    121. thelittleloaf

      I LOVE the way you’ve styled these shots! And your brownies look so delicious – although can you call it a brownie when it’s pink? Actually who cares, they look divine either way :-)

    122. Kathryn

      Love the pictures here – I mean, the brownies probably would look good whatever you did to them but I love the cute little balloons you made out of them. Adorable.

    123. Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga

      SO PRETTY!

      Wow..I made pink cookies earlier in the week but you outdid yourself with these..and the strings and your creative touch…wanna send some of that creative energy over here and help me entertain my kiddo? :)

    Welcome!

    Jessica
    I'm a trial & error, self taught, sugar addict who thankfully learned how to survive in the kitchen! I am also a wife, mama of 3.