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.
I love homemade brownies and this recipe is for fudgy chocolate brownies made from scratch. These beauties have a delicious alcohol kick from the Baileys Irish cream liqueur, giving a delicious twist on the classic red velvet brownies.
These easy brownies with cream cheese are perfect for a Valentine’s Day or Galentine’s Day gift, or just to share with friends and family for a tasty sweet treat. I’m also a big fan of these beauties at bake sales and for bribing work colleagues!
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✏️ Making a tasty and easy recipe
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 a rich cocoa brown and have a bright red cheesecake swirl – so pretty!
I also wanted to change up the usual red velvet brownie and add an extra kick. I’m a big fan of adding alcohol to desserts for adults, and I think these easy Baileys red velvet brownies are the perfect grown-up treat for all occasions.
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.
🔪 Equipment notes
I usually use an 8inch (20cm) square tin for these brownies, like this tin from Wilton.
I find it easiest to grease and then line the pan with parchment paper (greaseproof paper), leaving a small overhang over the sides.
I like to use digital scales for weighing my ingredients as it's easier and more accurate than other scales. I'm a fan of these KitchenAid or Salter ones! Weighing your ingredients is much more accurate than using cups and will give you better results.
Use measuring spoons for your teaspoon and tablespoon amounts where possible.
🍱 Brownie storage
One of the best ways to keep your brownies moist is to seal them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge. These Baileys red velvet brownies should last up to a week in the fridge.
You can freeze your Baileys red velvet brownies by wrapping them in clingfilm / plastic food wrap and then a layer of foil. They should keep for up to a few months frozen. Defrost and enjoy!
💭 Top tips for success
- 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 into squares. If they're still warm, they might fall apart when you try to take them out and cut them up.
Troubleshooting help:
If you’ve got any specific questions on making these boozy Baileys irish cream red velvet brownies, please feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll try my best to help out!
Alternatively, you can get in touch via my Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest – I’d love to hear from you!
♻️ 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
I definitely recommend that you whip up a batch of these boozy Baileys red velvet brownies with a cheesecake swirl! But as an avid home baker, I’m sure you’re asking yourself “what next?”.
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 spiced orange rum brownie cookies or whiskey almond cookie bars.
Looking forward to some new recipes? Check out my Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest pages for a few sneak peeks and some sweet inspiration! Or if you’d like to hear about our latest recipes, why not subscribe to our newsletter?
📋 Recipe
Baileys Red Velvet Brownies with a Cheesecake Swirl
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Equipment
Ingredients
Cheesecake:
- 150 g (⅔ cups) full-fat cream cheese
- 45 g (¼ cups) caster sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-5 drops red food colouring (depending on type/brand)
Brownies:
- 115 g (½ cups) unsalted butter
- 115 g (⅔ cups) dark chocolate
- 2 eggs (large)
- 200 g (1 cups) caster sugar
- 70 g (½ cups) plain/all-purpose flour
- 35 g (2 ½ tablespoon) cocoa powder
- 65 ml (¼ cups) Baileys Irish cream (or Baileys red velvet liqueur)
- 1 teaspoon vinegar (apple cider or white)
Instructions
Cheesecake:
- Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and egg yolk until smooth.
- Stir in red food colouring, a drop at a time, until it reaches the desired shade. Leave this to one side while you prepare the brownie mix.
Brownies:
- Preheat oven: 180°C / 160°C (fan) / Gas Mark 4 / 350°F
- Melt the butter and dark chocolate in the microwave (no more than 30secs at a time) and stir until smooth.
- Beat the eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy, then pour in the slightly cooled chocolate mix, stirring together until combined.
- Sieve in the flour and cocoa powder, gently folding into the mix until just smooth, before stirring in the Baileys and vinegar, mixing till even throughout.
Assembly:
- Pour ¾ of the brownie mix into a lined 8inch square tin and spread evenly in the pan before dolloping spoonfuls of the cheesecake mix spaced out on top.
- Spoon the remaining brownie mix on top and swirl together with a knife or skewer.
- Bake for 25-30mins until the top is lightly cracked, with only a slight wobble in the middle. Allow the brownies to cool before cutting into squares.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online nutritional calculator, actual values may vary.
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