Christmas Tree Brownies
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Christmas tree brownies made with rich chocolate brownies and sweet buttercream frosting are the perfect holiday treat!
We grew up loving Little Debbie Christmas tree brownies during the holidays and since I haven’t seen them in the store this year I knew we needed to make our own! Serve these with other fun desserts like M&M Christmas cookies and puppy chow!
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Christmas Tree Brownies
Christmas Tree Brownie Ingredients
- Sugar – White granulated sugar and light brown sugar.
- Vanilla – Real vanilla extract.
- Salt – Kosher table salt. Skip this if you use salted butter.
- Eggs – Large eggs and egg yolks.
- Butter – Unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, skip adding salt to the recipe.
- Chocolate chips – Semisweet chocolate chips or morsels.
- Oil – Vegetable oil. I typically use olive oil, but any vegetable oil will work.
- Flour – All purpose flour. Do not use self rising flour.
- Cocoa powder – 100% cacao unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Butter cream frosting – Butter, sugar, vanilla, milk, food coloring.
- Toppings – Mini M&M’s, holiday sprinkles, holiday mini chips.
How do you make Christmas tree brownies? (step-by-step)
⭐ First, in a large mixing bowl combine sugars, vanilla, salt, eggs, and yolks. In a separate smaller bowl melt together butter and chocolate. Whisk oil into chocolate and add chocolate mixture to sugar mixture.
⭐ Then, gently fold flour and cocoa into chocolate sugar mixture until fully combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
⭐ Next, when brownies are completely cooled whip butter until fluffy add vanilla, and carefully beat in powdered sugar in small increments. Add food coloring and use a star tip to pipe frosting on brownies.
⭐ Finally, decorate with mini M&M’s, sprinkles, and other candies.
Preparation
Can you make Christmas tree brownies ahead of time?
You can make the brownies a day or two in advance. Store covered in a cool dry place, or in the refrigerator if longer.
What kind of icing for Christmas tree brownies recipe?
This recipe calls for a basic buttercream frosting, but we also love this cream cheese frosting recipe!
Can I use canned frosting?
If you want to prep these faster you can use canned white frosting with green food coloring. For best results, whisk in a half cup of confectioners sugar to make it stiff enough for piping.
Storage and leftovers
How long do Christmas tree brownies last?
Leftovers will last a day or two kept at room temp in a sealed container or 3 – 4 days in the refrigerator.
Can you freeze brownies?
If you want to freeze Christmas tree brownies, it works best if done before adding the icing. Allow the brownies to cool, then slice and place in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper in-between to keep them from sticking.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter. Add icing and sprinkles after thawing.
Tips, tricks, and frequently asked questions
🎉 Use a white and blue color palate to make a Hanukah bush!
🍫 Stir in a half cup of mini chocolate chips to the batter before baking for a double chocolate brownie.
🧀 Top with cream cheese icing instead of buttercream for a chocolate cheesecake vibe.
🔪 Use a plastic knife to cut brownies cleanly!
What to eat with Christmas tree brownies (serving suggestions)
These are perfect for a holiday party served alongside stuffed mushrooms, an antipasto platter, and a classic cheeseball! Oreo truffles and s’mores dip are also great options!
More delicious Christmas inspired desserts
- Christmas tree cookies
- Christmas tree cupcakes
- Hot cocoa muddy buddies
- Peppermint hot mocha
- Sugar cookie peppermint sticks
- Rice krispies coal treats
Other awesome brownie recipes
- Grinch brownies
- Cosmic brownies
- Strawberry Brownies with Cake Mix
- Snickers stuffed brownies
- Nutella brownies
- Peppermint brownies
- See all our easy brownie recipes!
Tools we love
- Springform pan – You could use a regular pan, but springform makes it much easier to remove the cake.
- Electric mixer – A hand or stand mixer will work, but electric is definitely the way to go with this recipe.
How to Make Christmas Tree Brownies
Christmas Tree Brownies
Ingredients
BROWNIES
- pan release
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, plus 2 yolks
- 1 stick unsalted butter melted (8 ounces)
- 8 ounces chocolate chips semisweet
- 1/2 cup oil vegetable
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- 4 sticks unsalted butter softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon real vanilla extract
- 1-4 tablespoons whole milk
- food coloring green
DECORATIONS
- Mini M&Ms
- Holiday sprinkles
- Holiday mini chips
Instructions
BROWNIES
- Coat the inside of a 9 inch springform pan with cake release. (Link to our favorite pan release recipe in notes below).
- In a large mixing bowl combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, whole eggs and yolks.
- In a microwave safe bowl melt the butter and chocolate together in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Whisk vegetable oil into the chocolate mixture.
- Pour the chocolate mixture into the sugar mixture and mix until fully combined. Gently fold in the flour and cocoa.
- Pour the brownie batter into the springform and bake at 350° F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 35 minutes). Remove from the oven, run a knife around the edge to loosen, and allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes of cool time, remove the springform edge and continue to let the brownies cool completely.
BUTTERCREAM
- In a large mixing bowl whip the butter until fluffy. Add vanilla extract, and begin beating in powdered sugar in small increments.
- When all sugar is incorporated, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the frosting is a pipeable consistency, (usually about 3-4 tablespoons total). Add in your food coloring until you reach your desired shade of green.
- Cut the cooled brownies into 8 even triangle shaped slices (try using a plastic knife for clean slices). Pipe frosting with a star tip, then decorate as desired.
Notes
- If you don't have a star tip you can use a sandwich bag with the end snipped off.
- You can flavor the buttercream by using your favorite coffee creamer instead of milk. I love using the peppermint mocha flavor for my butter cream.
- You can use a double boiler to melt the butter and chocolate if you wish.
- Link to pan release recipe: PAN RELEASE
Nutrition
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I have a love/hate relationship with Little Debbie Christmas Tree Brownies. I LOVE the shape and the festiveness, but I hate the fake, preservative filled flavor. These delightful Christmas Brownies are so perfect! All the nostalgia and all the feels…NONE of the fake flavors! These are delicious and festive. Love these!
Eeeek! I made these for a Christmas party and they were a HIT! Everyone thought they were so cute. Thank you!
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing christmas tree brownies recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!
It’s such a good idea!.. The children were delighted 😉 This recipe will definitely be in my collection 🙂 Thank you!