Red Velvet Brownies
Whether you’re looking for a vibrant Valentine’s treat or just craving the classic flavor of red velvet, these red velvet brownies are just the thing. I’ve taken everything you love about red velvet cake a turned them into an easy dairy free dessert, complete with a cream cheese glaze.
Why you’ll love these red velvet brownies
- These red velvet brownies are infused with a little cocoa powder and a just hint of apple cider vinegar to get that classic red velvet flavor.
- These brownies are the perfect balance between fudge and cake brownies, and to keep them from being too sweet, I added a little [dairy free] cream cheese drizzle.
- That iconic red hue is perfect for celebrating Valentine’s day – just add a few heart sprinkles!
Ingredients & substitutions
- Cream cheese – We used Violife dairy free cream cheese for this recipe, but you can use whichever brand you prefer, even regular cream cheese if that works for you.
- Apple cider vinegar – Vinegar is very specific to red velvet cake and it interacts with the cocoa powder to create the distinct color and taste. You can also use white vinegar, but I wouldn’t suggest a wine or rice vinegar for this recipe.
- Cocoa powder – You want natural cocoa powder, which is not Dutch processed, because it doesn’t use an alkalizing agent. I used Hershey’s.
- Red food coloring – I used Americolor super red gel food coloring, and I do recommend a gel (regardless of the brand), but if you only have liquid, you’ll just need to use more.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
How to make this red velvet brownie recipes
Mise en place. Preheat your oven to 350˚F and line a 9×9 inch baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside. Then, measure your ingredients and make sure you have everything you need before you get started.
Mix the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk until everything is evenly sifted together.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the oil, sugar, vinegar, vanilla, food coloring and eggs. Whisk until smooth.
Combine and bake. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and whisk until mixed. Don’t worry about lumps, but make sure everything is moist.
Transfer the batter to your prepared baking dish and pop it into the oven for 25 – 28 minutes, or until the top is set and the center isn’t super jiggly. Stay closer to 25 minutes to get fudgier brownies.
Remove the brownies from the oven and let them cool completely before frosting.
Make the glaze. While the brownies are cooling, beat the cream cheese, vanilla and a 1/2 cup powdered sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Keep adding the powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments. Then, add milk – 1 tablespoon at at time – until the frosting reaches your desired thickness.
Decorate and serve. Cut brownies into individual pieces and then put the glaze in a piping bag. Drizzle the brownies in a zig zag pattern and top with sprinkles while the frosting is still wet.
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Ingredients
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons red food coloring or 1 teaspoon gel coloring
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt pinch
- 100 g Violife vegan cream cheese 1/2 container
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 – 2 tablespoons oat milk
Instructions
For the brownies:
- Preheat oven to 350˚F and line a 9×9 inch baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine flour, cocoa powder and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk until evenly sifted.
- In a separate bowl, combine the oil, sugar, vinegar, vanilla, food coloring and eggs. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk until just mixed.
- Transfer batter to baking dish and bake for 25 – 30 minutes.
- Remove brownies from the oven and allow them to cool completely before slicing and decorating.
For the glaze:
- While brownies bake, beat the cream cheese, vanilla and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add remaining powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments until incorporated.
- Thin glaze with oat milk (1 tablespoon at a time) until desired consistency is reached.
- Transfer to a piping bag or use a spoon to glaze as desired.
Love these brownies! (test comment by author)