These are one of those bar-cookie-brownie desserts that are easy to put together, and great for pot-lucks and entertaining. They’re super rich, but easily cut into small pieces so you can eat a little or a lot. The red-velvet brownie layer is covered with an Oreo truffle layer, and the whole darn thing is smothered in melted chocolate and mini chocolate chips.
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Brownie Heaven – Red Velvet Brownies Recipe
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 24 brownies 1x
Description
If you are looking for a great way of upgrading your brownies with something new – look no further than these red velvet brownies.
Ingredients
- 1 box Red Velvet cake mix
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 (3.4 oz / 95 g) package instant vanilla pudding
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 package Oreos
- 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese
- 1 lb (450 g) candy-melt chocolate (like Almond Bark or CandiQuick), melted
- 1 bag mini chocolate chips, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F).
- In a large bowl, combine cake mix, melted butter, eggs, pudding mix, vegetable oil and mix well until thoroughly combined,
- Spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Spread the red velvet brownie layer into the pan. Use a rubber spatula to press into place.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Using a rolling pin or a food processor, crush Oreos to a coarse powder, with no large chunks.
- Add cream cheese to food processor, or use a mixer to blend cream cheese with Oreos until
- Spread Oreo truffle mixture on top of baked red velvet brownies, again using rubber spatula to assist in spreading to edges of pan.
- Melt chocolate candy bark (or chocolate chips) and pour over top Oreo truffle layer.
- Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips while still warm.
- Let cool completely before cutting into squares.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 brownie
- Calories: 290
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the red velvet brownie layer include instant vanilla pudding mix?
The 3.4 oz package of instant vanilla pudding is mixed directly into the batter along with the cake mix, butter, eggs, and oil. The pudding adds moisture and density to the base layer, giving it a fudgier, richer texture than a standard cake-mix brownie.
What is candy-melt chocolate and can I use regular chocolate chips instead?
The recipe calls for 1 lb of candy-melt chocolate (such as Almond Bark or CandiQuick) melted and poured over the Oreo truffle layer. Candy melts are designed to set smoothly without tempering. You can substitute regular melted chocolate chips, though the topping may be slightly less glossy and more prone to cracking.
Why must the brownies cool completely before cutting?
The final step explicitly says to let the pan cool completely before cutting into squares. With three distinct layers — the baked red velvet base, the cream cheese Oreo truffle middle, and the poured chocolate top — cutting too soon causes the layers to slide and the chocolate topping to crack unevenly.
Oh, man, these look insanely good. I don’t know whether to thank you or to accuse you of corrupting me. How about both?! ;)