Name: Christmas Tree Brownies
Cook time: 40 min
Ingredients: ¾ cup unsalted butter (or 1½ sticks); 6 oz unsweetened baking chocolate; 3 eggs room temperature; 1¾ cup granulated sugar; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 cup all-purpose flour; ¼ tsp sea salt; 2 tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature); ¾ cup powdered sugar; 1-1½ tbsp heavy cream; dash of vanilla extract; green food coloring; sprinkles (to garnish); candy canes (for tree trunks)

Festive Christmas Tree Brownies

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These festive Christmas tree brownies are such a fun & festive holiday dessert! Plus they’re super easy & my kids LOVED them. I took my favorite Best Homemade Fudgy Brownies and turned them into Christmas trees. Topped them with icing, sprinkles, and a candy cane for the trunk. If you prefer, you can totally used boxed brownies. I highly suggest Ghiradelli if you do. However, if you want the most delicious homemade brownies, MAKE THESE!

What you need to make the festive Christmas tree brownies + substitutions:

Unsalted butter- You can use salted as well but I always go for unsalted in baking. If you use salted, you can still keep the salt ratio in the blondies the same!
Unsweetened baking chocolate- You want to make sure the chocolate is unsweetened! You’re adding a lot of sugar to the recipe, so you want the chocolate flavor and richness but you don’t want the sweetness. So just make sure your chocolate says unsweetened.
Granulated sugar- The granulated sugar gives it the perfect sweetness. It seems like a lot because it is, but I promise it makes the brownies insane!
Eggs- Eggs help bind a recipe and really help give it taste and texture. Best if used at room temperature, but will work fine if they aren’t.
Vanilla extract- No baked good recipe is complete without vanilla extract in my opinion. It’s key!
All-purpose flour- I typically bake with all-purpose flour. Almond and coconut flour do not have the same measurements so they will not work in this recipe. However, gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour should work just fine. Make sure to find one with xantham gum, I love Bob’s Red Mill, but any should do.
Sea salt- Salt is key in a baked good, because it really helps to bring out the flavor in the brownies!

Tips for making them:

To get a clean line when cutting the festive Christmas tree brownies, use a plastic knife and the brownies won’t stick! It’s the best brownie tip ever!
When mixing the sugar, eggs, and vanilla, make sure you do it on high for 5 minutes. You want the mixture to get light in color and fluff up. I promise this makes a huge difference in the brownies.

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Christmas Tree Brownies

These Christmas tree brownies are such a fun & festive holiday dessert! Plus they're super easy & my kids LOVED them. I took my favorite Best Homemade Fudgy Brownies and turned them into Christmas trees. Topped them with icing, sprinkles, and a candy cane for the trunk. If you prefer, you can totally used boxed brownies. I highly suggest Ghiradelli if you do. However, if you want the most delicious homemade brownies, MAKE THESE!

Cook Time40 mins

Course: Dessert

Keyword: brownies, christmas, dessert, easy dessert, festive, fudgy, trees

Servings: trees

Equipment

8×8 baking pan

Ingredients

For the brownies:

¾ cup unsalted butter or 1½ sticks
6 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
3 eggs room temperature
1¾ cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp sea salt

For the icing:

2 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
¾ cup powdered sugar
1-1½ tbsp heavy cream
dash of vanilla extract
green food coloring

To assemble:

sprinkles to garnish
candy canes for tree trunks

Instructions

For the brownies:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
In a small pot, melt together butter and chocolate on low heat. Stir constantly. Once fully melted, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, add eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract to a medium mixing bowl. Beat on high for about 5 minutes until mixture becomes pale white and fluffs up a bit.
Slowly add the chocolate mixture to the bowl with the egg and sugar mixture while mixing at the same time. Mix until fully incorporated.
Add in the flour and sea salt and mix one last time until just incorporated.
Pour into a greased and lined 8×8 baking pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes. I cook mine closer to 40 minutes for extra fudgy. Remove from oven and let cool completely before any next steps.

For the icing:

In a small mixing bowl, cream together all icing ingredients, except the food coloring, until the right consistency. Start with 1 tbsp of heavy cream and then add the additional ½ tbsp. Then add in your green food coloring if using.

To assemble:

Once your brownies are totally cooled, slice into trees. TIP: Use a plastic knife so your brownies don't stick. I cut my brownies in half and then made triangles out of each of the halves. I had some edges leftover and just kept those for enjoying too!
Then, put your icing in a piping bag or a ziploc with a hole cut into the side. Ice each brownie tree and then add sprinkles on top. Lastly, break pieces of candy cane and use them as trunks. Enjoy!!

Notes

For Storing: Store in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days.

For Freezing: Slice and freeze in a freezer bag before icing them for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter and enjoy! You won’t even know it was frozen!