Red Velvet Brownies

These red velvet brownies are far more chocolatey than the traditional red velvet flavor, but that's what makes them SO GOOD. Rather than adding a small amount of cocoa powder to create a subtle chocolate flavor and allow the red coloring to show through more, I opted for a true fudgy, chocolatey brownie based on these Olive Oil Brownies. So they bake up with a bright red, shiny crinkle top and a dark, fudgy interior. Best of both worlds!

For more red velvet recipes, try Red Velvet Whoopie Pies, Red Velvet Bundt Cake, and Red Velvet Macarons. 

Why you'll love these red velvet brownies

• Rich, Fudgy Texture: Thanks to the combination of melted chocolate and two types of cocoa powders, these brownies bake up super fudgy!
• Shiny Crinkle Top: If you beat your sugars and eggs together long enough, you'll be rewarded with a gorgeous shiny top!
• Signature Red Color: With the addition of a small amount of red food gel, these brownies bake up with a bright red top.

Ingredient Notes

• Chocolate: You'll need some chocolate to melt and add to the batter, and some to finely chop and mix in the batter for pieces of chocolate studded throughout each bite! I recommend using semi-sweet or bittersweet. For dairy free chocolate I recommend Guittard or Scharffen Berger. 
• Olive Oil: Depending on how strong of an extra virgin olive oil flavor you want, you could use anything from light-tasting evoo to a full-bodied evoo. I used Filippo Berio robusto evoo. You could also use a more neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable oil. I'm sure melted coconut oil would also work great too. 
• Gel Food Coloring: I recommend using Americolor red food gel, as a little goes a long way!
• Eggs: You'll need three large eggs at room temperature. Eggs significantly affect the texture of brownies and determine whether they bake up cakey or fudgy. I settled for one less egg than most brownie recipes use in order to ensure they baked up ultra fudgy!
• Vanilla: Extract: Every good brownie recipe needs high quality vanilla. My favorite brands are Rodelle and Heilala. 
• Brown Sugar: I opted for dark brown sugar in this recipe because the extra molasses content that adds more depth of flavor, but you can use light brown sugar. 
• Granulated Sugar: You'll need about 1 cup of granulated sugar for the brownies.
• All-Purpose Flour: You'll need a little more than one cup of flour.
• Cocoa Powder: I love using a combination of dutch process and black cocoa powders for a richer chocolate flavor.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.

Step by Step Instructions

STEP 1: Melt the chocolate & oil. In a small bowl, add the bittersweet chocolate, olive oil, and red food coloring. Place over a small saucepan of simmering water, and stir often until fully melted. Remove from the double boiler and allow to cool for a few minutes.

STEP 2: Beat the sugars & eggs. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add the sugars, eggs, vanilla, and white vinegar. Using an electric mixer, beat on high speed for about 5-6 minutes until the mixture has doubled in size. Scrape down the bowl to make sure everything is properly combined.

STEP 3: Mix in the chocolate oil mixture. While mixing on low speed, slowly pour in the chocolate oil mixture.

STEP 4: Fold in the dry ingredients & chopped chocolate. Once it is fully combined, add the flour, cocoa powders, and salt, and fold with a rubber spatula until mostly combined. Lastly, fold in the chopped chocolate until evenly dispersed.

STEP 5: Bake. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth out the top with an offset spatula. Bake the brownies for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs.

STEP 6: Cool & enjoy. Allow them to cool completely in the pan before removing. Cut into 16 squares, top with flaky sea salt, and enjoy!

Expert Baking Tips

• Use a high-quality bittersweet chocolate. I recommend Guittard or Valrhona. 
• Depending on how strong of an extra virgin olive oil flavor you want, you could use anything from light-tasting evoo to a full-bodied evoo. I used Filippo Berio light tasting evoo. 
• If you do not have black cocoa powder on hand, you can use a total of 84g (1 cup) dutch process cocoa powder instead. 
• Be sure to beat the sugars and eggs for a full 5-6 minutes! This is what will give the brownies that gorgeous shiny top. 
• When cutting the brownies, use a sharp knife and run it under hot water (and wipe clean) before each cut.

Storage Tips

Room Temperature: Store these brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. 

Fridge: These brownies can also be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. They don't last too much longer in the fridge, but they do become much denser and more fudge-like!

Freezer: For long-term storage, keep these brownies in a freezer ziplock for up to 3 months. 

All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale. 

If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.

But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!

Happy baking! x