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Made with the fudgiest red velvet brownie batter and stuffed with creamy vanilla cheesecake and chocolate cheesecake fillings, these brownies are the definition of indulgence!
Read the full blog post below for detailed notes, tips, tricks, photos and videos.
Why I love this recipe
These brownies are a love letter in the form of dessert…
- The texture of brownies meets the flavor of red velvet: Most red velvet brownies are either more like red velvet cake, or so chocolatey that you can barely see the red. I have worked hard to perfect these red velvet brownies so they have the best of both worlds: the shiny crust and fudgy texture of brownies and the subtle chocolate and vanilla flavor of red velvet
- Taken to the next level with not one but two types of cheesecake filling: There are a lot of red velvet cheesecake brownies out there, but I have never seen a recipe which uses both vanilla and chocolate cheesecake fillings. The two fillings combined really bring together the flavors of red velvet and chocolate brownies
- And an absolute explosion of flavor, texture, and beauty: The result is unbelievable. These brownies taste incredible, with the perfect balance of chocolate, vanilla, and tanginess. They are fudgy, creamy and silky. And they are a sight to behold!
I cannot think of a better dessert for Valentine’s / Galentine’s or special occasions like anniversaries! But if you want something simpler, try my Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies or Red Velvet Cake.
Components of these brownies
These red velvet chocolate cheesecake brownies are made of 3 main components:
- Red velvet brownie batter. Similar to a regular brownie batter but with less chocolate, more vanilla, red food color and some vinegar
- Vanilla cheesecake filling. A simple cheesecake filling made of cream cheese, sugar, egg, vanilla and salt – this is reminiscent of the cream cheese frosting on red velvet cake
- Chocolate cheesecake filling. A chocolate ganache based cheesecake filling that ties everything else together
Process with photos
The detailed recipe is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but let’s go over the steps with photos to help you visualize everything.
1. Make the vanilla cheesecake filling
Simply whisk together room temperature cream cheese, sugar, an egg, heavy cream, vanilla and salt until smooth and creamy:
2. Make the chocolate cheesecake filling
First prepare a simple chocolate ganache. Whisk the cream cheese and sugar until creamy, then fold in the ganache:
3. Prepare the red velvet brownie batter
Brown the butter, then stir in the chocolate until melted:
Separately, whisk the eggs, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy:
Mix in the red food color, vinegar, and the butter / chocolate mixture:
Lastly, sift in the flour, cocoa powder and salt and fold to combine:
4. Assemble and bake
You can assemble however you’d like (e.g., one layer of each component or everything dolloped and swirled together). I layer half of the brownie batter, then pipe on the 2 types of cheesecake filling, cover with the remaining brownie batter and swirl on any remaining cheesecake fillings. I also add some white and milk chocolate during this process:
Top Tip
The red velvet brownie batter becomes thicker and firmer as it sits, which makes it harder to spread. I recommend working quickly to avoid this!
If it does become firm, don’t worry, you can spread all the batter in one layer to save time and effort. If you want to do two layers like I did, spread the batter on a separate parchment sheet using a spatula or your hands (kind of like shaping cookie dough), and then transfer into the brownie pan by placing the parchment upside down and then peeling it off.
I also don’t recommend folding chocolate into the brownie batter as it makes it harder to spread it. Instead, press in the chocolate chunks after you have already spread the brownie batter in the pan.
Once assembled, bake, rest, slice and enjoy!
Tips to perfect this recipe
Here are some of my best tips to perfect this recipe:
- Weigh the ingredients with a kitchen scale, especially the flour. It’s easy to add too much flour if using measuring cups, which can make the cake feel very dry
- Make sure to bring the cream cheese to room temperature – this will ensure there are no lumps in the cheesecake fillings
- Use good quality chocolate! I love using Lindt or Valrhona
- Use a gel red food color – I love this one from Amazon
- Don’t overbake. You want a toothpick inserted in the middle to come out with some sticky crumbs (not wet batter, not completely clean) – this is when the brownies are at the right fudgy consistency. They will continue to cook and set as they cool down
- Don’t skip the resting step! If you try to cut into these brownies while they are still warm, you will have oozing goo everywhere! Let them fully cool down, ideally for 1 hour in the fridge, before slicing
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can prepare these brownies ahead of time and keep them in the fridge. However, they are best eaten fresh!
Keep these brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can eat them cold from the fridge or let them come to room temperature / warm them in the microwave depending on your preference.
Yes! Just skip the cheesecake fillings, add lots of chopped chocolate (I recommend a mixture of milk, dark and white), and reduce baking time to ~20-25 minutes.
Yes, you can make them with either the vanilla or chocolate cheesecake fillings. You can keep their quantities or double them (e.g., double the vanilla cheesecake quantities and skip the chocolate cheesecake) depending on the ratio of brownie to cheesecake you want. If you just skip one of the fillings and keep everything else the same, reduce baking time by 5-8 minutes.
Red velvet lover? Check out these favorites too:
The Ultimate Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies
Red Velvet Molten Lava Cakes For Two
Moistest Red Velvet Cake
Crumbl Copycat Red Velvet Cookies
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Ingredients
Vanilla cheesecake filling:
- 8oz cream cheese, room temperature (226g)
- 1/4 cup white sugar (50g)
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
Chocolate cheesecake filling:
- 100g dark or semi-sweet chocolate
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (60g)
- 6oz cream cheese, room temperature (170g)
- 1/4 cup white sugar (50g)
Red velvet brownie batter:
- 12 tbsp unsalted butter (170g)
- 50g dark chocolate
- 3/4 cup white sugar (150g)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (100g)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 tsp vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp red food color
- 1 cup all purpose flour (130g)
- 2 tbsp Dutch processed cocoa powder (12g)
- ¾ tsp salt
- 100g of chopped white, dark and milk chocolates (or chocolate chips) to your liking
Instructions
Vanilla cheesecake filling:
- Add the cream cheese, sugar, heavy cream, egg and vanilla to a bowl. Whisk on medium-low speed until a creamy mixture forms, scraping the bowl as you go. Do not overmix. Set aside
Chocolate cheesecake filling:
- Add the chocolate and heavy cream to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 20 second increments until the chocolate melts into the cream to form a smooth ganache. Avoid overheating or overmixing
- Separately, whisk the cream cheese with the sugar on medium-low speed until a creamy mixture forms
- Fold the ganache into the cream cheese mixture gently until combined, scraping the bowl as you go. Do not overmix. Set aside
Red velvet brownie batter:
- Add the butter to a saucepan. Cook and stir on medium heat for a few minutes until the butter has melted and you see brown specks in it. It will also smell nutty at this point. Remove from heat quickly once the butter reaches this stage to avoid getting it burned
- Add the dark chocolate to the butter and stir to melt it in
- In a large bowl, whisk the white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla on high speed until a very pale, frothy and light mixture forms (at least 3-4 minutes)
- Whisk in the vinegar, red food color and butter/chocolate mixture until combined
- Sift in the flour, cocoa powder and salt, and use a rubber spatula to very gently fold until just combined. Do not overmix
- You can fold in the chopped chocolate here, or add it during assembly. I recommend the later as the brownie batter is easier to spread without the chocolate in it
Assembly and baking:
- Pre-heat your oven to 350F (conventional / no fan) and line a 9×9″ baking pan with parchment paper
- You can layer the brownie batter and two cheesecake fillings however you like (e.g., add the brownie layer, then top one by one by each cheesecake filling, or add the brownie layer and then dollop on and swirl the two cheesecake fillings) — see notes
- To follow my method exactly (see pictures in blog post above), first spread half of the brownie batter and top with some chopped chocolate. Then pipe the two cheesecake fillings in thick alternating lines. Top off with the remaining brownie batter, and dollop on any remaining cheesecake fillings. Use a toothpick to swirl the cheesecake fillings, and decorate with chopped chocolate — see notes
- Once assembled, bake in the pre-heated oven for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with moist, sticky crumbs attached
- Let the brownies rest in the pan for at least 20 minutes at room temperature. Then transfer to the fridge for 1 hour to fully set them before slicing and eating
Video Tutorial
Notes
- The brownie batter becomes firmer with time, which can make it harder to spread. You can still spread it with a spatula or using your hands (kind of like a soft cookie dough). It is easier to do this if you first spread it on a separate sheet of parchment paper, and then transfer into the baking pan by placing the parchment paper upside down and peeling it off
- I recommend storing these brownies in the fridge due to their cheesecake filling, but I like to eat them at room temperature or slightly warmed up in the microwave
Comments
juju
hello! is there any way to substitute heavy cream in both cheesecake fillings? like all purpose cream and whatnot. would appreciate it if it can be done!
Zoha Malik
Hi! You can use any kind of cream that has ~35% or more fat in it. Name depends on where you live (e.g., cream, dairy cream, whipping cream, double cream)
Shiza Ahmad
Hi Zoha. I first came across your recipe of Hot Fudge Pudding Cake on Pinterest and loved it. Since them, everytime I wanted to make any dessert, I exclusively use your recipes! This turned out amazingly as well. My family loved it… 🙂
Zoha
Aw, you made my day, Shiza! Thank you!
Shiza Ahmad
🥹🫶
Jennifer M.
Are you able to double this recipe?
Sunita
They were an absolute dream!! Thank you for sharing your treasure with us. God bless!
Yasna Quarri
I really enjoyed making cake with this recipe. It was so easy and fun.
I haven’t tried the cake yet. It needs to cool down but it seems so tasty and I can’t wait to eat it.
I’ll probably use this site for baking again. Thank you🦋
Zoha
Thank you so much, Yasna! 🙂
Trupti Shetty
This is not the first recipe of yours that I’m trying .. but just the first of many feedbacks that I’ll be writing .. your recipes are just so amazing.. there’s never been a fail . touchwood.. even the sweetness in all your desserts are just so perfect!! Though I can’t post pics of what I have tried as my desserts don’t end up looking as pretty as the ones you make.. but the taste is absolutely awesome… looking forward to trying many more of your recipes.. this red velvet cheesecake brownies were such a huge hit .. received compliments from people who usually never do so ❤️.. thank you
sending you lots of love and best wishes from India