I’ve made a few variations of red velvet brownies before, in my Halloween cookie boxes, but they just weren’t perfect enough for me to share. FINALLY, we have my favorite rendition. When I am packing up cookie boxes, I don’t want anything to be frosted since it could easily smudge in transit but I always missed that cream cheese flavor in the red velvet brownie. Luckily, I saw so many videos of white chocolate cream cheese bark online and thought it would be a perfect fit in this recipe.

These red velvet brownies are everything you love about red velvet cake, in a fudgy, chewy brownie. The twist is a cream cheese bark: white chocolate and cream cheese mixed together, frozen, broken into chunks and folded into the batter. In the oven, those chunks melt into soft, tangy pockets that taste like cheesecake bites hiding in every square.

Most red velvet brownies either swirl cream cheese on top or pile frosting over the whole pan. I wanted the cream cheese flavor inside every bite, without a frosting layer that makes them messy to stack or pack. Freezing the cream cheese and white chocolate first is the trick. It keeps the chunks from dissolving into the batter, so you get distinct creamy pockets against the rich, cocoa-tinged crumb.

They’re bright red, a little tangy, and deeply chocolatey. Bake them for the holidays, Valentine’s Day, a bake sale or any time you want. Also yes, you do need red food dye or a red velvet bakery emulsion– or else these are just regular cream cheese brownies (which is probably still good tbh).

Why You’ll Love These Red Velvet Cream Cheese Brownies

Cheesecake in every bite. The frozen cream cheese bark bakes into creamy, tangy pockets, so you get red velvet and cheesecake together without a separate swirl layer.
Fudgy, not cakey. These are true brownies with a dense, chewy middle and the mild cocoa flavor red velvet is known for.
Made from scratch. No cake mix, so you control the flavor, the texture and the color.
No frosting needed. They stack, slice and travel cleanly, which makes them perfect for gifting, bake sales and cookie boxes.
Seriously festive. That deep red color with flecks of white is made for the holidays and Valentine’s Day.

Red velvet brownies, close up, with white chocolate cream cheese bark

Ingredients for Red Velvet Brownies

You need two components: a cream cheese white chocolate bark and the red velvet brownie batter. Full amounts and steps are in the recipe card below.

For the cream cheese white chocolate bark

¾ cup (165g) cream cheese, room temperature
1 pinch kosher salt
1 (4-ounce) bar white chocolate (113g)

For the red velvet brownies

¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter
4 ounces (113g) semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
⅔ cup (142g) dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 to 1½ teaspoons red gel food coloring
½ cup (42g) natural cocoa powder
½ cup (42g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 cup (126g) all-purpose flour

Ingredient notes

White chocolate bar, not chips: A bar melts smoothly into the cream cheese. Chips contain stabilizers that keep them from melting as evenly.
Two kinds of cocoa: Natural cocoa brings the slight tang classic red velvet is known for. Dutch-process cocoa adds a deeper, rounder chocolate flavor. Together they make a brownie that tastes like red velvet but still eats like a real brownie.
White vinegar: It’s the classic red velvet ingredient. It sharpens the tang and brightens the red.
Gel food coloring: Gel gives a deep red with less liquid than drugstore liquid coloring. Start with 1 teaspoon and add more for a bolder color.
Diamond Crystal kosher salt: If you use Morton kosher salt or table salt, use about half as much, since they’re saltier by volume.

What is the cream cheese white chocolate bark?

I originally saw a version of this over on the incredible Instagram page of The Purple Cupcake. She mixes a cream cheese white chocolate bark into so many of her delicious recipes and that inspired this one!

Melt the white chocolate. Melt it until smooth, then set it aside to cool slightly.
Mix the cream cheese. In a medium bowl, mix the room-temperature cream cheese with a pinch of salt until mostly smooth.
Combine. Fold in the melted white chocolate until fully combined. The mixture should be fairly smooth and thick.
Spread it thin. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Spread the mixture into a thin, even layer with an offset spatula.
Freeze. Freeze for about 1 hour, until firm enough to handle.
Chop. Chop the bark into small pieces. It won’t get hard or brittle like chopped chocolate. It stays slightly soft even when frozen, and that’s what you want.

Make the red velvet brownies

Prep the pan. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides to lift the brownies out once cooled.
Melt the butter and chocolate. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the butter and semisweet chocolate in 30-second increments, stirring well between each, until completely melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
Whip the eggs and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the sugars and eggs with a whisk or hand mixer on medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until the mixture is lighter in color and the sugar is mostly dissolved. This step gives you that shiny, crackly brownie top.
Add the chocolate and color. Pour the warm butter and chocolate mixture into the eggs. Add the vanilla, vinegar and red food coloring, and mix until smooth and evenly combined.

Tips for the Best Red Velvet Brownies

Freeze the bark until firm. It stays slightly soft even when frozen, but it should be firm enough to chop cleanly. Bark that’s too soft smears into the batter instead of baking into distinct creamy pockets.
Fold fast and bake right away. Work quickly once the bark is in the batter so the chunks stay cold.
Use gel food coloring. It gives a deep red without thinning the batter the way liquid coloring can.
Don’t overbake. Pull the pan when the center still looks slightly underdone. Brownies keep setting as they cool, and overbaking makes them cakey.
Chill before slicing. For clean squares that show off the cream cheese pockets, chill the cooled pan, then cut with a hot, dry knife, wiping it between cuts.

How to Store Red Velvet Brownies

Because these have cream cheese inside, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let them sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before serving for the fudgiest texture. To freeze, wrap squares individually and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge.

Red Velvet Brownies FAQ

What do red velvet brownies taste like?

Red velvet has a mild chocolate flavor with a slight tang. These taste like a fudgy cocoa brownie crossed with red velvet cake, with creamy cheesecake bites from the cream cheese bark.

Are these the same as red velvet cheesecake brownies?

They have the same flavor combination, but instead of a swirled cheesecake layer, the cream cheese is frozen with white chocolate and folded in as chunks. You get cheesecake flavor in every bite, and they’re easier to slice and stack.

Can I make red velvet brownies with cake mix?

This recipe is from scratch, which gives a fudgier, richer brownie than cake mix. Cake mix versions tend to bake up lighter and more cake-like.

Do red velvet brownies need to be refrigerated?

These do, because of the cream cheese. Keep them in the fridge and bring them to room temperature before serving.

Why didn’t my cream cheese chunks show up?

The bark probably wasn’t firm enough, or it sat in the batter too long before baking. Freeze it for the full hour and get the pan in the oven right after folding.

More Brownie Recipes to Try

More recipes like this?

If you make these red velvet brownies, leave a star rating and a comment below. I’d love to see your cream cheese pockets! And for more from-scratch treats like these, check out my cookbook, In the Mood to Bake.