Description
These Christmas Tree Brownies are an easy and festive holiday dessert made with rich, fudgy brownies, creamy green vanilla frosting, colorful Christmas sprinkles, and mini candy cane trunks. Perfect for Christmas parties, family gatherings, and holiday baking with kids, these adorable brownie trees are simple to prepare using boxed brownie mix and a few everyday ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 box brownie mix, plus the ingredients recommended on the package
- 1 extra egg yolk
- 1 container white vanilla frosting
- Green food coloring, as needed
- Christmas sprinkles, as needed
- 10 mini candy canes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to the temperature recommended on the brownie mix package.
- Line a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving extra paper hanging over the sides for easy removal.
- Prepare the brownie mix according to the package directions, adding one extra egg yolk. Mix gently until just combined without overmixing.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.
- Bake on the middle oven rack according to the package directions. Check a few minutes before the minimum recommended baking time. Insert a toothpick into the center; it should have a few moist streaks of batter.
- Remove the brownies from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack. After a few minutes, transfer the pan to the refrigerator to finish cooling.
- While the brownies cool, mix the white vanilla frosting with green food coloring until you reach your desired shade.
- Once the brownies are completely cool, lift them out of the pan using the parchment paper. Trim the outer edges if desired.
- Cut the brownie slab into triangles. For smaller trees, cut the brownies into three long strips, divide each strip into three squares, and cut each square diagonally. For larger trees, cut the slab in half and create four triangles from each half using a zigzag cutting pattern.
- Transfer the green frosting to a piping bag fitted with your preferred tip. Pipe frosting in a zigzag pattern over each brownie triangle.
- Decorate with assorted Christmas sprinkles while the frosting is still soft.
- Break off the curved tops of the mini candy canes and press the straight pieces into the bottom of each brownie triangle to create the tree trunks.
- Arrange the finished Christmas Tree Brownies on a serving platter and enjoy!
Notes
- Use a 9-by-9-inch baking pan, preferably a light metal pan, for even baking.
- Follow the brownie mix package instructions for the required ingredients and baking temperature.
- Add one extra egg yolk to make the brownies richer.
- Avoid overmixing the brownie batter to maintain a soft, fudgy texture.
- Do not cut the brownies until they are completely cooled. Refrigerating them helps create cleaner cuts.
- For approximately 18 smaller trees, cut the brownie slab into three strips and then into triangles. For larger trees, make approximately 8 trees.
- Use a piping bag or a resealable plastic bag with one corner snipped off to decorate the brownies.
- Adjust the frosting thickness and piping tip to create different Christmas tree designs.
- Decorate with mini chocolate candies, crushed candy canes, or colored sprinkles for extra variety.
- Pretzel rods can replace mini candy canes for the tree trunks.
- For the scone pan method, grease the pan, fill the openings evenly, and reduce the baking time by approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Check frequently to avoid overbaking.
- Store decorated brownies in an airtight container according to the frosting manufacturer’s storage instructions.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 brownie tree (approximately 10 g as listed in the reference recipe)
- Calories: 194 kcal
- Sugar: 29 g
- Sodium: 85 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Fiber: Not available
- Protein: 0.02 g
- Cholesterol: 1 mg