Desserts

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 minutes
Course: Dessert
Keyword: brownies, christmas, dessert, easy dessert, festive, fudgy, trees
Servings: 8 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
  • 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!
 

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