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.
If you love these, you may also love:
- Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Soft Gingerbread Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
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!
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
- 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!