Baileys Red Velvet Brownies with a Cheesecake Swirl

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These Bailey's red velvet brownies are luxuriously decadent. The gooey boozy brownies have a cheesecake swirl for a deliciously creamy red velvet chocolate taste in every bite.

Baileys Irish cream red velvet chocolate brownies with a cream cheese cheesecake swirl

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✏️ Making a tasty and easy recipe
🥘 Ingredients notes
💭 Top tips
❔ Recipe FAQs
♻️ Alternatives and substitutions
🧁 Other goodies
📋 Recipe

✏️ Making a tasty and easy recipe

I love homemade brownies and this recipe is based on my favourite fudgy chocolate brownies from scratch. These romantic brownies also have a delicious alcohol kick from the Baileys Irish cream liqueur, giving a delicious twist on the classic red velvet brownies.

These easy Baileys red velvet cheesecake swirl brownies are perfect for a Valentine’s Day or Galentine’s Day gift, or to share with friends and family for a tasty sweet treat.

I wanted to create a red velvet brownie recipe with a fun twist. Although I love the usual red velvet style - a dark red brownie and white cheesecake swirl - I wanted to make something a little different. These boozy red velvet brownies are rich cocoa brown and have a bright red cheesecake swirl.

This easy brownie recipe uses both cocoa powder and real dark chocolate to give them a rich chocolate flavour.

🥘 Ingredients notes

Using high-quality ingredients will make a huge difference in the taste of your Baileys red velvet brownies. I’ve tried using several different brands of cooking chocolate, and you can tell the difference between a cheap brand and quality baking chocolate. For this recipe, I like to use Callebaut chocolate - it’s delicious!
I also recommend using a decent flour, such as Mcdougalls (a good UK brand) or Bob’s Red Mill (a good US brand).
When I'm making cheesecakes, I always use full-fat cream cheese and for these red velvet brownies with a cream cheese swirl that’s no exception. If you use a reduced-fat version, you might find the cheesecake mix too runny and it may not set properly on your brownies.
For the red cheesecake swirl, I like to use gel food colouring if possible. This will give your cheesecake swirls a beautiful bright colour without changing the consistency. Using the regular liquid food colouring will still work though if that’s all you have. Add enough food colouring, stirring in one drop at a time, till you get the bright red colour you want.
When measuring your ingredients, I always recommend using weights rather than cups where possible for greater accuracy. Accuracy is important for the amount of flour used.

💭 Top tips

For a perfectly fudgy and gooey brownie, it’s important not to overbake them. You should try to take these boozy brownies out of the oven once they have a slightly cracked top and are still very slightly wobbly in the middle. I do like my brownies pretty fudgy!
When these bad boys come out of the oven, they’ll be quite soft, but don’t panic! These boozy brownies will firm up as they cool to give that fudgy chewy goodness. If they’re still not firm enough for your liking, you can pop them in the fridge to set further before serving. Something about eating them cold really boosts the sweet mouth joy for me!
It’s best to let your Irish cream red velvet brownies cool completely before removing them from the tin and cutting them into squares. If they're still warm, they might fall apart when you try to take them out and cut them up.

❔ Recipe FAQs

How long do homemade Bailey’s red velvet brownies last?

Your Bailey’s red velvet brownies should last for up to 5 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

♻️ Alternatives and substitutions

If I’m feeling extra decadent, I’ll add chocolate chips to my Baileys red velvet brownies for more texture and sweetness. Add ¼ cup (45g) each of white chocolate and milk chocolate chips to the brownie batter before pouring it into the tin.

Another great alternative is to switch up the flavour of Baileys Irish cream that you use. As this is a red velvet brownie, I’d definitely recommend trying the Baileys red velvet cupcake liqueur instead! They also have a great range of other Baileys liqueur flavours too though.

Gluten-free option

To make these Baileys red velvet brownies gluten-free, swap the plain / all-purpose flour for a gluten-free plain flour blend of the same quantity.

I usually recommend a pre-mixed blend such as King Arthur's measure for measure flour or Freee from Doves Farm.

To be safe, always check your other ingredients for allergen warnings on the nutritional label, as they may have cross-contamination warnings.

🧁 Other goodies

Looking for more brownies to love? Why not take a look at my recipes for Baileys Oreo brownies or slutty brownies – they’re full of fudgy gooey chocolate goodness!

Big fan of a boozy dessert? Check out my recipes for Bailey's chocolate mud cake, Bailey's cocoa truffles, spiced orange rum brownie cookies or whiskey almond cookie bars.

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