Christmas Tree Brownies are rich, fudgy chocolate brownies decorated to look like little Christmas trees — a festive and fun holiday treat that’s easy to make and perfect for sharing.
With only a few days left until Christmas, these brownies are a quick last-minute bake that still looks impressive. I finally made them for an early combined Christmas and birthday celebration with my cousin — and they were a hit.
They’re quicker and simpler than they look. The base is a classic fudgy brownie baked in a larger pan so you can cut big tree-shaped pieces. I adapted my reliable brownie recipe to fill a 9″ x 13″ tin; the result is gooey, rich brownies every time.
After baking and cooling the brownies, the fun part is the decoration. Make a simple vanilla buttercream and tint it green for the tree foliage. Pipe the icing onto triangle-shaped brownie pieces to give each piece the look of a Christmas tree.
Decorate the trees with small colorful candies — mini M&Ms, smarties, or any small, bright sweets work well as tree lights. Break candy canes and use the curved ends as trunks, or simply press a small stick into the base of each tree for a trunk effect.
You can add festive sprinkles or a small gold star at the top of each tree for a finishing touch. If you prefer smaller servings, slice the brownies into thirds before cutting the tree shapes; I cut mine in half and then shaped trees from each half, yielding large, generous pieces.
These brownies are a straightforward festive bake: bake a fudgy brownie, prepare a green buttercream, cut the brownies into triangle “trees,” pipe the icing, and add colorful candies. They’re quick to make and look delightful on a holiday dessert table.
Christmas Tree Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 and ½ Cups Dark Chocolate (270g)
- 1 Cup and 3 Tbsp. Butter (250g)
- 3 Large Eggs
- ½ Cup Sugar (100g)
- ¾ Cup Brown Sugar (130g)
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour (240g)
- ½ Cup Cocoa (47.5g)
- ¾ Cup Chocolate Chips (135g)
Christmas Tree Topping;
- ¼ Cup Butter, Softened (55g)
- 2 Cups Icing Sugar (240g)
- 2 Tbsp. Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup M&Ms (200g)
- 5-7 Drops Green Food Colouring
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a 9″x13″ baking tin with baking paper.
-
Melt the butter and dark chocolate together until smooth.
-
Whisk the eggs with the sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until the mixture lightens to a golden colour.
-
Stir the melted chocolate and butter into the egg mixture until combined.
-
Fold in the flour, cocoa and chocolate chips, then spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
-
Bake for 20–25 minutes. The edges and top should be set while the center still has some moist crumbs when tested with a skewer, but it should not be wet.
-
Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan before slicing.
Icing;
-
While the brownies cool, make the buttercream icing.
-
Beat the softened butter with vanilla, milk and icing sugar until smooth and creamy.
-
Add green food colouring a few drops at a time until you reach the desired shade of green.
-
Transfer the icing to a piping bag and snip a small corner or fit a small tip for piping.
Christmas Trees;
-
Slice the cooled brownies lengthwise down the middle.
-
Cut each half into triangular pieces to form tree shapes — you should get around 10–12 pieces depending on size.
-
Starting at the tip of each triangle, pipe the green icing in layers to resemble tree branches.
-
Press small candies onto the icing as decorations and add a small candy cane piece or stick at the base for a trunk. Serve and enjoy.
Nutrition
