Get ready to infuse your holiday season with irresistible charm and sweetness with these utterly adorable Christmas Tree Brownies! Imagine delightful, chocolatey brownie triangles, elegantly frosted and adorned with festive sprinkles, standing proudly on your dessert table. What makes these even better? They’re surprisingly simple to create, thanks to the convenience of a box mix and a can of frosting. While designed to spark joy in the hearts of children, don’t be surprised when adults find themselves reaching for “just one more.” For those who adore a refreshing twist, consider using a peppermint brownie recipe as your base for an extra festive flair.
Delightful Christmas Tree Brownies: The Ultimate Holiday Treat
Transform your holiday dessert spread into a winter wonderland with these enchanting Christmas Tree Brownies. Their festive shape and vibrant decorations are guaranteed to gather compliments and smiles, making them the perfect centerpiece for any festive gathering. Whether you’re hosting a grand Christmas feast or a cozy family get-together, these charming treats are sure to be a memorable highlight.
Gather Your Ingredients: Simple Supplies for Festive Brownies
Creating these delightful Christmas brownies doesn’t require a specialty store run. We’re leaning on the convenience of a good old box brownie mix, which means you’ll also need the basic ingredients listed on its packaging (usually eggs, oil, and water). Beyond that, a few simple decorative elements are all it takes to bring these sweet trees to life. It’s a wonderful project for both seasoned bakers and beginners alike, ensuring a stress-free holiday baking experience.
- 18 oz box brownie mix: Your preferred brand will work perfectly. Remember to check the back of the box for additional wet ingredients like eggs, vegetable oil, and water.
- 16 oz can white frosting: A convenient shortcut for beautiful decorations. You can also make your own buttercream if you prefer.
- Blue and green liquid food coloring: To create vibrant, festive frosting colors reminiscent of Christmas trees and winter skies. Gel food coloring also works well for more intense hues.
- Decorative sprinkles and nonpareils: Essential for adding sparkle and texture to your brownie trees. Think classic red and green, silver, gold, or mixed holiday blends.
- Small star sprinkles: The perfect finishing touch for the top of your edible Christmas trees. Gold or silver stars look especially magical.
- Candy canes or pretzel sticks: These will serve as the sturdy, edible trunks for your brownie trees. Candy canes add a minty crunch, while pretzel sticks offer a salty contrast.
Essential Baking Tools for Your Christmas Tree Brownies Project
Having the right tools at hand makes any baking project smoother and more enjoyable, especially when crafting detailed holiday treats. These simple kitchen items will ensure you can execute each step of the Christmas Tree Brownie recipe with ease and precision, leading to perfectly shaped and decorated results.
- Square baking pan: An 8×8 or 9×9 inch pan is ideal for baking brownies that will yield well-proportioned tree shapes.
- Aluminum foil: A game-changer for easy removal of your baked brownies from the pan, making cutting a breeze.
- Chef’s knife: A sharp knife is crucial for clean, precise cuts when shaping your brownie triangles.
- Cutting board: Provides a stable and clean surface for cutting your brownies into perfect tree shapes.
- Mixing bowls: For preparing your brownie batter and separating and coloring your frosting.
- Spatula or whisk: For mixing the brownie batter according to package directions.
- Measuring cups and spoons: For any additional ingredients required by your brownie mix.
- Piping bags or zipper-lock bags: For neatly applying frosting and creating decorative details.
Pro Kitchen Tips for Perfect Holiday Brownies
Achieving bakery-quality Christmas Tree Brownies at home is simpler than you might think, especially with a few clever tricks up your sleeve. These kitchen tips are designed to help you bake, cut, and decorate your brownies flawlessly, ensuring a delightful and mess-free experience from start to finish. From ensuring easy brownie removal to achieving crisp, clean cuts and beautiful frosting, these pointers will elevate your holiday baking.
- Lining the baking pan: Always line your square baking pan with aluminum foil, allowing extra foil to extend over the edges. Lightly spray the foil with cooking spray. These foil “handles” will allow you to easily lift the entire slab of baked brownies out of the pan once cooled, preventing sticking and crumbling.
- Achieving clean cuts: Brownies can be notoriously sticky. To get perfect, clean triangle shapes, run your knife blade under hot tap water and wipe it clean between each cut. For exceptionally sticky brownies, or if you prefer a firmer texture for cutting, refrigerate the baked and cooled brownies for a few hours before shaping them. A chilled brownie cuts much more neatly.
- Don’t overmix: When preparing your brownie mix, follow the package instructions precisely. Overmixing can lead to tougher, less fudgy brownies. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
- Even baking: For consistent brownie texture and to ensure even cutting, make sure your brownie batter is spread evenly in the prepared baking pan before baking.
- Cool completely: Patience is key! Ensure your brownies are completely cool before attempting to lift them out of the pan or cut them. Warm brownies will crumble and be difficult to shape.
How to Craft Your Festive Christmas Tree Brownies Step-by-Step
Transforming a simple pan of brownies into a forest of festive Christmas trees is an enjoyable process that promises a delightful outcome. Follow these easy steps to bake, cut, and decorate your way to a stunning holiday dessert. Each stage is designed to be straightforward, allowing for a fun and creative baking experience for the whole family.
- Prepare and Bake the Brownies: Begin by mixing your chosen box brownie mix according to the instructions provided on the back of the package. Pour the batter into your foil-lined square baking pan and bake as directed. Once baked, allow the brownies to cool in the pan for about five minutes. Then, using the foil handles, carefully lift the entire brownie slab out onto a wire rack. Let it cool completely to room temperature before proceeding. This step is crucial for easy and clean cutting.
- Shape into Triangles: Once the brownies are completely cool, gently remove them from the foil. Place the brownie slab on a cutting board. To achieve uniform tree shapes, we recommend cutting out paper triangles measuring approximately 2.5 inches wide at the base and 2.5 inches tall to use as a guide. Carefully cut the brownies into these triangle shapes. You can maximize your yield by cutting the brownie slab into rows, then cutting each rectangle diagonally to form two triangles.
NOTE: This suggested triangle measurement is ideal for an 8×8 inch baking pan. If you’re using a 9×9 inch pan, you might need to slightly adjust the dimensions of your paper template to optimize the number of brownie trees you can cut.
- Add the Trunks: Prepare the “trunks” for your Christmas trees. Snap candy canes into roughly 1.5-inch long pieces. Alternatively, you can use pretzel sticks; if using these, consider pressing two side-by-side into each brownie base to give a slightly thicker, more stable trunk, as they are generally smaller. Gently press the broken end of each candy cane piece (or pretzel sticks) into the bottom center of each brownie triangle. This creates the charming tree trunk effect.
- Prepare the Frosting: Divide your can of white frosting into three separate small bowls. Tint two of these bowls with liquid food coloring: one with blue and one with green. You can use different shades of green for variety. Leave the third bowl white, or tint it a light contrasting color like yellow or red if desired for accents. Spoon each color of frosting into separate sandwich-sized zipper bags. Seal the bags, pushing the frosting towards one corner, then snip off a tiny bit of the corner to create a small piping hole. This makeshift piping bag allows for easy and controlled frosting application.
- Decorate Your Trees: Now for the most fun part! Use your prepared frosting bags to pipe decorative patterns onto your brownie trees. You can create zigzags, swirls, or simple lines to mimic garlands. While the frosting is still wet, liberally apply various decorative sprinkles, nonpareils, and small star sprinkles to complete your Christmas tree masterpieces. Place a star sprinkle at the very top of each tree for that classic touch.
Once decorated, allow the icing to set for a bit before handling or serving the brownies. This will help prevent smudges and ensure your festive designs stay intact. Both kids and adults will adore these whimsical and delicious holiday treats. They’re perfect for holiday parties, school events, or as a special snack for Christmas movie nights!
More Festive Christmas Recipes to Enjoy
Looking for more ways to sweeten up your holiday season? From classic candies to delightful cookies, these recipes are perfect for sharing with family and friends or simply indulging in the festive spirit. Explore a variety of tastes and textures that will add sparkle to your Christmas celebrations.
- Saltine Toffee: An incredibly addictive and easy-to-make sweet and salty treat.
- Chocolate Turtles: A decadent combination of pecans, caramel, and chocolate that’s always a holiday favorite.
- Gingerbread Cookies: The quintessential holiday cookie, perfect for decorating and gifting.
- Homemade Peanut Brittle: A crunchy, nutty candy that’s surprisingly simple to master.
- Candy Cane Pretzel Sticks: A delightful mix of salty and sweet, coated in white chocolate and crushed candy canes.
- Candy Cane Jello Shots: A fun and spirited treat for adult holiday gatherings.
Christmas Tree Brownies
Rating: 5/5 from 7 votes
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Watch a video demonstration for these Christmas Tree Brownies: View Video
Ingredients
- 18 oz box brownie mix plus ingredients on box
- 16 oz can white frosting
- Blue and green liquid food coloring
- Decorative sprinkles and nonpareils
- Small star sprinkles
- Candy canes or pretzel sticks
Things You’ll Need
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Square baking pan
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Aluminum foil
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Chef’s knife
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Cutting board
Before You Begin
- It’s best to line your baking pan with aluminum foil then spray it with cooking spray. Allow excess foil to hang over the edges of the pan. This will give you handles to lift the brownies out with.
- If your brownies are sticky, run the knife blade under hot tape water in between each cut. If you are still having trouble, refrigerate the brownies for a few hours to make them easier to cut.
Instructions
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Mix and bake brownies in a square pan according to the instructions on the back of the box. Allow them to completely cool about five minutes in the pan then lift out with foil handles. Allow to cool completely.
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Remove brownies from the foil and cut into triangles. We cut out paper triangles measuring 2.5 inches wide at the base and 2.5 inches tall.
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Snap the candy canes into 1.5″ long pieces, or you can use pretzel sticks. If you do use pretzels, use two side by side since they are small. Press the broken end of the candy cane into the bottom of the brownie triangles.
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Separate the frosting into three separate bowls. Tint two of the bowls of frosting with food coloring (blue and green). Fill sandwich sized zipper bags with each color of frosting. Seal and snip off the corner of each bag to make a piping hole.
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Decorate the brownies with the colored frostings and various sprinkles and stars.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 tree | Calories: 346 cal | Carbohydrates: 59 g | Protein: 2 g | Fat: 11 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Sodium: 194 mg | Potassium: 13 mg | Sugar: 45 g | Calcium: 1 mg | Iron: 1 mg
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The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.