With just 5 ingredients, you can make these red velvet cake mix brownies in under 30 minutes! They have a rich, fudgy red velvet base with a sweet cream cheese swirl.
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♥️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Two great flavor elements in one dessert. You're going to get a decadent red velvet brownie with a tangy cheesecake swirl that complements the richness of the fudgy brownies so well.
- Super easy to make. These are ready in under 30 minutes and only require 5 ingredients, including a boxed cake mix!
- They're really pretty. That cream cheese swirl is beautiful in the deep red color of the brownies - and so simple!
Love red velvet recipes? Make sure to check out my Red Velvet Cookies and Red Velvet Waffles!
🥄 Ingredients
- 1 box red velvet cake mix - The cake mix makes this recipe so easy! I used one standard-sized box for this recipe.
- ½ cup vegetable oil - This is going to give your brownies a gooey, fudgy texture.
- 2 eggs - I recommend using large eggs for these brownies.
- 8oz cream cheese - A standard 8oz block works perfectly. If you'd like to cut the fat in this recipe, reduced-fat cream cheese works just as well.
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar - Don't make the mistake of using granulated sugar for this; it will make your cream cheese swirl grainy. You can always pulse granulated white sugar in a food processor if needed.
Additions & Variations
- If you want to make this brownie recipe even easier, leave out the cream cheese swirl. That cuts it down to 3 ingredients!
- Add a cup of dark chocolate chips to the batter to add to the richness of the brownies. You can also add white chocolate chips for a great sweet element.
- Add a cup of chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts) to your brownie mixture for a crunch.
How to Make Cake Mix Brownies
You can make these brownies with any cake mix imaginable. They're great as blondies with yellow cake mix. You can also make lemon cake mix brownies or strawberry cake mix brownies.
🧑🍳 How to Make Red Velvet Brownies with Cake Mix
Step 1: Blend Brownie batter.
In a large mixing bowl, blend the box of cake mix, ½ cup oil, and 2 eggs with a hand mixer. Spread this mixture in a glass baking dish prepared with cooking spray.
Step 2: Add cream cheese swirl.
Microwave 8oz cream cheese in a medium microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds, stir, then repeat until cream cheese is smooth and stirrable. Add ⅔ cup powdered sugar and stir well.
Drizzle this mixture over the brownie batter. Swirl it in with a butter knife.
Step 3: Bake and cool.
Bake brownies at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until the top starts to brown.
Cool for 30 minutes to an hour before serving.
🥡 Leftovers & Storage
STORAGE: Because of the cream cheese swirl, I recommend storing these in an airtight container in the refrigerator and serving them within 3-4 days of baking them.
REHEATING: When you're ready to enjoy again, warm in an air fryer or toaster oven for 3-4 minutes. They're also delicious straight out of the refrigerator.
FREEZING: Bake as directed, cool, slice, and store in a gallon-sized freezer bag until ready to serve.
When you're ready to enjoy them again, just thaw them in the refrigerator!
Related: check out over 30 cream cheese desserts!
💡 More Helpful Tips & Tricks
- Make sure to swirl the cream cheese all the way to the edge of the baking dish before baking.
- Don't over-swirl the cream cheese - it will lose that pretty red/white contrast if you over-mix.
- These can be made in a 7x11" glass baking dish or an 8x8" glass baking dish with similar results. You an use a 9x13" pan, but you'll get thinner, crispier brownies.
More Delicious Brownies & Bars
I hope you love this simple brownie recipe! If you give it a try, make sure to rate ⭐️ and review 💭 in the comments below. Before you go, don't forget to follow along for the latest from the blog!
Red Velvet Cake Mix Brownies
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Ingredients
- 15.25 oz boxed red velvet cake mix
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 8 oz cream cheese
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to blend cake mix, oil, and eggs. Spread this mixture in a glass baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
- Micowave cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl for 30 seconds. Stir, and keep microwaving in 30 second increments until cream cheese is stirrable. Stir in powdered sugar.
- Pour this mixture over the top of the brownie batter. Gently swirl the cream cheese in with a butter knife.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until top starts to brown.
- Allow brownies to cool for 30-60 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Make sure to swirl the cream cheese all the way to the edge of the baking dish before baking.
- Don't over-swirl the cream cheese - it will lose that pretty contrast if you over-mix.
- These can be made in a 7x11" glass baking dish or an 8x8" glass baking dish with similar results. You an use a 9x13" pan, but you'll get thinner, crispier brownies.
Nutrition Facts
Leslie Lambert is a lifestyle writer and content creator specializing in home organization, family recipes, and intentional living. With 16 years of experience in blogging and digital storytelling, she helps busy women create calm, purposeful homes they love.
