Christmas Brownies

This holiday season, these festive Christmas brownies with their chocolate base, creamy icing, and sprinkles will delight family and friends.

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Table of Contents

Christmas Brownies Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make This Christmas Brownies Recipe
How To Serve
Storing These Christmas Tree Brownies
Why We Love This Recipe
Frequently Asked Questions
More Recipes You’ll Love
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These adorable Christmas brownies are made into the shape of Christmas trees for a fun addition to the holidays. Rich, fudgy brownies create triangle trees and are topped with green buttercream frosting before being decorated with plenty of cheer.

Christmas Brownies Ingredients

Christmas Brownies raw ingredients that are labeled

Christmas brownies are a delectable treat to satisfy any sweet tooth. Chocolatey with a festive twist, these treats will bring a Christmasy feel to any gathering.

From their gooey centers to their Christmas tree shape to their layer of mouth-watering green icing, these Christmas brownies are truly divine.

To make these festive treats, you’ll need:

For The Brownies:

1 (18.3-ounce) boxed brownie mix, prepared according to box directions
18 mini candy canes, hook removed, or 9 regular-size candy canes, hook removed and broken in half

For The Buttercream Frosting:

¼ cup of salted sweet cream butter, softened
2 tablespoons of vegetable shortening
½ teaspoon of clear vanilla flavoring
¼ teaspoon of almond extract
2 cups of powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream
4-6 drops of forest green food color, depending on how dark green you want
12 candy star decorations, optional decoration
Multi-colored candy confetti, optional decoration
OR nonpareils, optional decoration

Substitutions And Additions

STARS: If you cannot find the candy star decorations, you can use a large white or yellow nonpareil for the star on this holiday brownie.

FROSTING: You can substitute canned white frosting for buttercream for these easy Christmas tree brownies.

Simply tint the frosting with the green food color.

SANDING SUGAR: Sprinkling a little bit of sanding sugar to give the appearance of snow would be gorgeous.

Red and green decorator’s sugar is also very pretty on this festive treat.

BROWNIES: If you don’t want to use a box of brownie mix, you can replace it with your favorite homemade brownie recipe instead.

How To Make This Christmas Brownies Recipe

It’s all about the decoration with these fun chocolatey treats. To start, you will bake a boxed brown mix for your Christmas tree base.

Now the fun part! Once the brownies have cooled, cut them into triangles following our instructions. Add a candy cane at the bottom of the brownie for the tree trunk.

Finally, pipe it onto the brownie, add sprinkles, and you’ll have delightful holiday trees!

For The Brownies

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch baking dish with a parchment paper “sling”.

Spray the pan with baker’s spray. You can use Baker’s Joy or a generic version. Set it aside.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

Lining the pan with parchment paper will allow you to lift the entire rectangle of baked brownies out of the pan for easier cutting once cooled. You can also grease the pan instead if you would prefer.

STEP TWO: Prepare the brownie batter according to the box directions.

Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes away clean.

Allow the brownies to cool completely.

PRO TIP:

Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your brownies as the suggested baking time approaches.

brownie batter poured into a baking dish

STEP THREE: Once the brownies have cooled, lift the brownies out of the pan with the paper sling.

STEP FOUR: Slice three rows diagonally, then slice alternating diagonals to make triangles.

PRO TIP:

The brownies must be completely cooled before slicing. Brownies will crumble if they are too warm when cut.

slice brownies into diagonally slices to make triangles on a wooden board

STEP FIVE: Insert the broken candy cane into the bottom of the tree for the tree trunk.

broken candy cane place into the bottom of the brownie tree

For The Buttercream Frosting

STEP ONE: Beat the butter and vegetable shortening for one minute.

Use a medium bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high.

butter and vegetable shortening blended in a bowl

STEP TWO: Add the clear vanilla and almond extract and continue mixing until well incorporated.

STEP THREE: Lower the mixer speed to low.

Add the powdered sugar a half cup at a time, alternating with the heavy cream.

Once all the powdered sugar and cream have been added, increase the mixer speed to high and mix until smooth.

vanilla, almond extract, and powdered sugar blended in a bowl

STEP FOUR: Add the green food coloring and continue mixing until the color is even and no green streaks remain.

green coloring added to the vanilla mixture in a bowl

STEP FIVE: Fill either a decorator’s bag fitted with a star tip or a Ziploc with a small corner of the bag snipped off with the green frosting.

Decorating The Trees

STEP ONE: Starting at the top tip of the triangle, hold the decorator’s bag about a quarter inch above the brownie.

Using even, slow, steady pressure, squeeze the decorator’s bag in a zigzag pattern from the tip to the bottom of the brownie.

using ziploc bag frost the brownie on a wooden board

STEP TWO: Place a candy star at the top tip of the tree.

Decorate the rest of the tree with candy confetti or nonpareils.

candy star and candy confetti placed on the tree

How To Serve

These adorable treats would be perfect, along with an ice-cold glass of creamy eggnog with a sprinkle of nutmeg and cinnamon on top.

Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream to your plate for the full winter wonderland experience.

These cute Christmas tree brownies would make the perfect addition to any Christmas dessert table during the holiday season.

Add them along with our Christmas pinwheels and reindeer pretzels.

Craving more chocolatey brownies? Our cheesecake brownies and Rolo brownies are two more decadent recipes to add to your recipe box.

MORE BROWNIE RECIPES

Dessert Bars

Peanut Butter Brownies

Dessert Bars

Coconut Brownies

Storing These Christmas Tree Brownies

Here’s your guide to storing, making ahead, and reheating these festive treats:

MAKE AHEAD: You can bake the brownies and let them cool completely.

Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.

Alternatively, you can freeze the brownies without any toppings or decorations for up to a month.

When ready to serve, thaw them at room temperature for a few hours.

ON THE COUNTER: Store any leftovers of these chocolate brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for three days.

IN THE FRIDGE: This delicious brownie recipe can also be stored in the refrigerator for five days.

IN THE FREEZER: You can freeze the un-decorated trees for up to two months.

Allow the brownie trees to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before decorating.

Why We Love This Recipe

FESTIVE AND FUN: These brownies are a delightful way to infuse holiday spirit into your dessert. With their festive decorations and vibrant colors, they make for a visually appealing and fun addition to your Christmas celebrations.

DECADENT TEXTURE: These brownies are the ultimate in fudgy goodness. They have a rich, dense texture that’s deeply chocolatey and indulgent, making them a true treat for chocolate lovers.

GREAT FOR GIFTING: These brownies are not only delicious but also make fantastic homemade gifts. Package them in festive boxes or wrap them with a ribbon, and you have a thoughtful and delightful holiday present.

There’s no denying that Christmas is a time for indulging in sweet treats, and these rich Christmas brownies are certainly no exception! The chocolate fudge brownies create a perfect base for festive frosting and sprinkles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze these homemade brownies?

You can definitely freeze this easy recipe, but we do recommend waiting to decorate them until you are ready to serve. They can be kept in the freezer for up to three months.

Can I use store-bought frosting in place of the homemade one?

If you are looking for a quick shortcut for this simple recipe to save time, you can use store-bought frosting on top of these brownies and tint it with green food coloring.

Can I add chocolate chips or nuts to these rich brownies?

These festive Christmas tree brownies would be delicious with either chocolate chips or nuts mixed in.

More Recipes You’ll Love

Christmas Brownies

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This holiday season, these festive Christmas brownies with their chocolate base, creamy icing, and sprinkles will delight family and friends.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 35

Total Time 1 25

Servings

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Ingredients

Brownies

18.3 ounces brownie mix, prepared according to box directions
18 mini candy canes, hook removed (or 9 regular size candy canes, hook removed and broken in half)

Buttercream frosting

¼ cup salted sweet cream butter, softened
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
½ teaspoon clear vanilla flavoring
¼ teaspoon almond extract
2 cups powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream
4 to 6 drops forest green food color, depending on how dark green you want
12 candy star decorations, optional decoration
Multi-colored candy confetti, optional decoration
nonpareils, optional decoration

Instructions

Brownies

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch baking dish with a parchment paper “sling”. Spray the pan with baker’s spray (Baker’s Joy or generic version). Set it aside.
Prepare the brownie batter according to the box directions. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes away clean. Allow the brownies to cool completely.
Once the brownies have cooled, lift the brownies out of the pan with the paper sling.
Slice three rows diagonally, then slice alternating diagonals to make triangles.
Insert the broken candy cane into the bottom of the tree for the tree trunk.

Buttercream Frosting

Using a medium-sized mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high, beat the butter and vegetable shortening for 1 minute.
Add the clear vanilla and almond extract and continue mixing until well incorporated.
Lower the mixer speed to low, and add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, alternating with the heavy cream. Once all the powdered sugar and cream have been added, increase the mixer speed to high and mix until smooth.
Add the green food coloring and continue mixing until the color is even and no green streaks remain.
Fill either a decorator's bag fitted with a star tip, or a Ziploc with a small corner snipped off.

Decorating The Trees

Starting at the top tip of the triangle, hold the decorator’s bag about a ¼ inch above the brownie. Using even, slow, steady pressure, squeeze the decorator’s bag in a zigzag pattern from the tip to the bottom of the brownie.
Place a candy star at the top tip of the tree. Decorate the rest of the tree with candy confetti or nonpareils.

Notes

Lining the pan with parchment paper will allow you to lift the entire rectangle of baked brownies out of the pan for easier cutting once cooled. You can also grease the pan instead if you would prefer.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your brownies as the suggested baking time approaches.
The brownies must be completely cooled before slicing. Brownies will crumble if they are too warm when cut.

Nutrition

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

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Layne Kangas Marketing
Rhadonda Sedgwick Creative Director
Sian Cox Photographer
Lexus Monroe Editorial Assistant
Teresia Shrum Recipe Developer

Christmas Brownies

Christmas Brownies Ingredients

Substitutions And Additions

How To Make This Christmas Brownies Recipe

How To Serve

Peanut Butter Brownies

Coconut Brownies

Storing These Christmas Tree Brownies

Why We Love This Recipe

Frequently Asked Questions

More Recipes You’ll Love