These high altitude red velvet bars are easy to make, with a dense, soft and chewy texture like fudge brownies. The flavor is rich and mildly chocolatey, and they’re finished with fluffy cream cheese buttercream.
You might also love these high altitude recipes for red velvet chocolate chip cookies, red velvet cupcakes, and red velvet cake whoopie pies.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Beautiful for any Holiday. Christmas and Valentine’s Day is when I usually make red velvet bars, cakes and cookies, because I just love the rich, deep red color contrasting with the snowy buttercream.
Mild Chocolate Flavor. While not as dark, chocolatey and fudgy as my favorite recipe for fudge brownies, you can definitely taste the chocolate in these red velvet brownies.
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
- Food Coloring. I use and recommend Americolor Super Red Gel Food Coloring.
- Cocoa Powder. Use a good quality, Dutch-processed cocoa powder for the best flavor and a rich, dark color. In red velvet baked cakes and cookies, there is usually only a hint of chocolate flavor. But I used extra cocoa powder in today’s recipe so that these are a cross between red velvet bars and red velvet brownies.
- Corn Starch. Gives the cookie bars a more chewy, tender texture.
Instructions
Red Velvet Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, to make it easier to lift out and cut the cooled bars.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and red food coloring, until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, corn starch, cream of tartar and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid mixture, and stir just until the flour is incorporated and you have a soft dough.
- Use an offset spatula to spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until the bars have risen slightly, and the center is set. If you bake them for longer, they may end up too dry.
- Set the pan on a cooling rack. Cool completely, at least 4-6 hours, before cutting. You can even make these the night before, cover the pan with plastic wrap and cool overnight, before frosting the next day.
Buttercream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cold cream cheese for about 1 minute, until smooth. Add the butter and beat together until well combined.
- With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar by spoonfuls, the corn starch, salt and vanilla.
- Beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled bars, or pipe it on using tip 1M for a more decorative finish.
- Cut into 16 squares.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Unfrosted, the bars can be kept at room temperature. Frosted, store the leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3-6 months. Let come to room temperature before serving.
Cream of tartar is a chemical leavener, as is baking soda and baking powder. The cream of tartar also adds a subtle tang, reminiscent to the flavor of buttermilk that’s typically used in red velvet cake.
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High Altitude Red Velvet Bars
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
Ingredients
Bars
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ tsp "super red" gel food coloring
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 5 tbsp unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
Buttercream
- 4 oz block cream cheese, cold
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- ⅛ tsp coarse Kosher salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Red Velvet Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, to make it easier to lift out and cut the cooled bars.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and red food coloring, until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, corn starch, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid mixture, and stir just until the flour is incorporated and you have a soft dough.
- Use an offset spatula to spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until the bars have risen slightly, and the center is set. If you bake them for longer, they may end up too dry.
- Set the pan on a cooling rack. Cool completely, at least 4-6 hours, before cutting. You can even make these the night before, cover the pan with plastic wrap and cool overnight, before frosting the next day.
Buttercream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cold cream cheese for about 1 minute, until smooth. Add the butter and beat together until well combined.
- With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar by spoonfuls, the corn starch, salt and vanilla.
- Beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled bars, or pipe it on using tip 1M for a more decorative finish.
- Cut into 16 squares.
Notes
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