Red Velvet Brownie Cups with Cream Cheese Frosting and a Hershey Kiss inside. These have the perfect amount of chocolate inside and the flavor is delicious!
I made these red, white and blue version of my favorite red velvet brownies for the 4th of July this past week and everyone loved them. They are the perfect treat for any celebration, but for the 4th of July you can top them with blueberries for a fun and festive treat.
You could of course make these year round and leave off the blueberries, but I thought they would be perfect for the holiday this weekend!
These brownies are made from scratch and baked in mini muffin pans creating the perfect mini dessert. I feel like everything is so much cuter when it’s mini, don’t you? Plus you don’t feel as bad eating 2…or 3! ;)
Red Velvet Brownie Cups with Cream Cheese Frosting are so easy to make!
To get started you’re going to mix up the red velvet brownies and then scoop them into the mini muffin pans to bake. I love to use a small scoop to make them all the same size.
Then you’re going to place the Hershey Kisses in the center of the cups. My kids had fun helping me unwrap all the chocolate and pressing them into the middle.
Once they’re baked, you can pipe on the frosting using a 1M tip, or simply place it in a zip top bag and snip off the top to pipe it on top. Here’s a tutorial if you’d like more tips on frosting.
These Red Velvet Brownie Cups with Cream Cheese Frosting treats are perfect for little helpers!
My kids loved helping me frost the brownies as well. I let them each have one brownie cup to decorate and my son was so proud of his creation. I love having my kids in the kitchen with me and we’ve made so many great memories (and messes) baking together.
I think they turned out so cute and they were SO delicious! I’m such a sucker for brownies and these were such a fun twist on the traditional brownie cups. My kids helped me deliver these to our friends and they definitely brought a smile to their face. I’m trying to teach my children that little acts of kindness can go a long way and they have turned into great little helpers.
Red Velvet Brownie Cups with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
cupcakes:
- 2 ounces Hershey’s baking bar semi-sweet chocolate could also do bitter-sweet
- 1 stick salted butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- red food coloring
- 36 Hershey Kisses unwrapped
Cream cheese frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 block 8-ounce package cream cheese
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 pint blueberries optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a mini cupcake pan with liners or use a non-stick silicone pan with no liners. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Place the chocolate and 2 Tablespoons of butter in a microwave safe bowl and cook in the microwave for one minute at 50% power. Stir and cook an additional 30 seconds, or until melted. Allow cooling slightly.
- Place the remaining 6 Tablespoons of butter into a large bowl and add the sugar. Cream together with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes. Add in the eggs and mix just until combined. Add in the cooled chocolate mixture. Pour in the flour and stir just until combined. Then stir in the vanilla and red food coloring.
- Use a small scoop or 1 Tablespoon and scoop the batter into the cupcake pan. You want to leave about 1/4″ inch from the top. Then press the Hershey Kiss into the center of the cupcake.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove onto a cooling rack and allow cooling.
- For the cream cheese frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese in large bowl with an electric mixer. Slowly add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Add the vanilla and mix until smooth. Spread or pipe onto the top of the cupcakes and then top with 3 blueberries if you’d like.
Nutrition
Your guests will love the surprise inside! :D
These would definitely be the perfect treat to bring to your upcoming 4th of July BBQ’s. You can’t beat a red, white and blue brownie!
Yum! ENJOY! :)
What are your plans for the 4th of July? Making anything yummy this weekend?
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I have made these several times and they are always a hit! But, I have had to keep experimenting with the food coloring; not enough and they’re a weird color, too much and the baking time and texture are thrown off. Would love advice on how much to use!
Hi Laura! Sorry for the delayed response. I’ve found using Wilton food coloring gels adds a much better color. I usually start with a teaspoon and go from there.
These are PERFECT for 4th of July!! Love the chocolate kiss in the middle. So festive and tasty!
So disappointed. Just made these for a party this evening and they made such a mess. The brownies will not come out of my pan and I sprayed it very liberally! Using a knife and spoon now to clean my pan. They are completely unsalvagable.
I’m so sorry these didn’t turn out for you Laura. I haven’t had a problem with my silicone pan or cupcake liners, but I have found that they do not come out as well with a regular muffin tin. Just an idea to salvage…if you crumble the brownies and mix with cream cheese frosting, you can make cake pops! :)
Can these be made as regular cupcakes?
Definitely! :)