Christmas Brownies are a festive and delicious way to celebrate the season. A from-scratch brownie layer topped with a red & green swirled cream cheese layer come together to make a rich brownie that will make kids and adults happy.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of an 8 x 8 baking dish with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.
For the Brownie Layer
In a medium bowl, add the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder.
1 cup granulated white sugar, 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
In a liquid measuring cup (or small bowl), add oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix with a fork until well combined.
2 large eggs, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
For the Cream Cheese Layer
In a medium bowl, add the cream cheese, sugar, egg, & vanilla. Blend until smooth.
8 ounces cream cheese, 1/4 cup granulated white sugar, 1 large egg, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
To two small bowls, add 1/2 cup each of the cream cheese mixture.
To one bowl, add red food coloring. To the other bowl, add green coloring.
food coloring
Spoon the white, red, and green cream batters on top of the brownie batter.
Gently swirl with a skewer.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until set. Remove and let cool completely before slicing.
Notes
For the coloringFor the red layer: 5 drops of red. For the green layer: 5 drops of yellow + 2 drops of blue.Results will vary based on which brand and type of food coloring you use.
Equal parts melted butter can be used in place of oil in the brownie layer.
Due to the cream cheese layer, keep brownies covered in the fridge.