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Christmas Brownies
Christmas brownies are yummy chocolate brownies cut into triangles and decorated like adorable Christmas trees.
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Give one of your favorite desserts a festive upgrade with these Christmas Brownies! They’re the perfect way to kick-start your holiday season.
MORE RECIPES: Cosmic Brownies | Chocolate Brownie Cake | Christmas Pinwheels
The holiday season is upon us, so it’s time to start making joyful desserts! Everyone knows that brownies are a classic for a reason. These Christmas Brownies are the perfect addition to your holiday baking.
These decadent Christmas Brownies, cut into triangles and decorated like adorable Christmas trees, are ideal for your holiday party, cookie exchange, or your new Christmas Eve treat to leave out for Santa! Let your holiday guests share their creativity by setting out the candy star decorations and candy confetti for decorating the Christmas Brownies, and let each guest decorate their own tree. It’s sure to be a hit!
Christmas Brownies are the ideal sweet treat to have on your holiday dessert table to get you into the holiday spirit. They’re easy to make and are certain to bring a smile to everyone's face.
Christmas Brownies Ingredients
- Brownie mix
- Candy canes - 18 mini candy canes (or 9 regular-size candy canes)
- Butter - salted sweet cream butter,
- Shortening - vegetable shortening
- Vanilla - clear vanilla flavoring
- Almond extract
- Sugar - powdered sugar
- Heavy cream
- Food color - forest green food color
- Candy star decorations - optional decoration
- Candy confetti - Multi-colored candy confetti, optional decoration
- Nonpareils - optional decoration
When baking your Christmas Brownies, if you line your pan with parchment paper you’ll be able to lift your entire rectangle of brownies out of the pan, making it easier to cut after it’s cooled. You want to make sure that your brownie is completely cooled before cutting them into triangles. If they’re too warm, your brownie will crumble.
Piping frosting on your Christmas Brownies is simple and fun. Don’t have a decorator’s bag? Don’t worry! You can use a ziplock freezer bag by cutting a small hole in one of the corners to use as a decorator’s bag. You don’t want to use a bag that’s too thin because it will pop as you put pressure on the bag when piping your frosting onto the Christmas Brownies.
Like every Christmas tree, these Christmas Brownies need decorations. While we recommend having candy star decorations and candy confetti, you can also use Mini M&Ms, your favorite sprinkles, or any other small candy to decorate!
How to Make Christmas Brownies
Brownies
FIRST STEP: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9-inch baking dish with a parchment paper “sling”. Spray the pan with baker’s spray (Baker’s Joy or generic version). Set it aside.
SECOND STEP: Prepare the brownie batter according to the box directions. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes away clean. Allow the brownies to cool completely.
THIRD STEP: Once the brownies have cooled, lift the brownies out of the pan with the paper sling.
FOURTH STEP: Slice three rows diagonally, then slice alternating diagonals to make triangles.
FIFTH STEP: Insert the broken candy cane into the bottom of the tree for the tree trunk.
Buttercream Frosting
SIXTH STEP: Using a medium-sized mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high, beat the butter and vegetable shortening for 1 minute.
SEVENTH STEP: Add the clear vanilla and almond extract and continue mixing until well incorporated.
EIGHTH STEP: Lower the mixer speed to low, and add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, alternating with the heavy cream. Once all the powdered sugar and cream have been added, increase the mixer speed to high and mix until smooth.
NINTH STEP: Add the green food coloring and continue mixing until the color is even and no green streaks remain.
TENTH STEP: Fill either a decorator's bag fitted with a star tip or a Ziploc with a small corner snipped off.
Decorating The Trees
ELEVENTH STEP: Starting at the top tip of the triangle, hold the decorator’s bag about a ¼ inch above the brownie. Using even, slow, steady pressure, squeeze the decorator’s bag in a zigzag pattern from the tip to the bottom of the brownie.
TWELFTH STEP: Place a candy star at the top tip of the tree. Decorate the rest of the tree with candy confetti or nonpareils.
How do you know when the brownies are done?
The center of your brownies will look undercooked when they’re done. Your brownie will continue to cook while you lay it out to cool, so you want to remove it before the center is fully cooked and the brownies are dried out.
Can I use store-bought frosting?
If you are looking for a quick shortcut for this simple recipe to save time, you can use store-bought frosting instead of homemade frosting on top of these brownies. Simply tint it with green food coloring.
What can I add to these brownies?
These festive Christmas tree brownies would be delicious with chocolate chips or nuts mixed in.
How to Store Christmas Brownies
IN THE FRIDGE: Christmas Brownies can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Store leftover recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.
IN THE FREEZER: Undecorated Christmas Brownies can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Allow the brownies to thaw in the refrigerator before decorating and serving.
Christmas Brownies
Christmas brownies are yummy chocolate brownies cut into triangles and decorated like adorable Christmas trees.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 12
Ingredients
Brownies
- 18.3 ounces brownie mix prepared according to box directions
- 18 mini candy canes hook removed (or 9 regular size candy canes, hook removed and broken in half)
Buttercream frosting
- ¼ cup salted sweet cream butter softened
- 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- ½ teaspoon clear vanilla flavoring
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 4 to 6 drops of forest green food color depending on how dark green you want
- 12 candy star decorations optional decoration
- Multi-colored candy confetti optional decoration
- nonpareils optional decoration
Instructions
Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9-inch baking dish with a parchment paper “sling”. Spray the pan with baker’s spray (Baker’s Joy or generic version). Set it aside.
- Prepare the brownie batter according to the box directions. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes away clean. Allow the brownies to cool completely.
- Once the brownies have cooled, lift the brownies out of the pan with the paper sling.
- Slice three rows diagonally, then slice alternating diagonals to make triangles.
- Insert the broken candy cane into the bottom of the tree for the tree trunk.
Buttercream Frosting
- Using a medium-sized mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high, beat the butter and vegetable shortening for 1 minute.
- Add the clear vanilla and almond extract and continue mixing until well incorporated.
- Lower the mixer speed to low, and add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, alternating with the heavy cream. Once all the powdered sugar and cream have been added, increase the mixer speed to high and mix until smooth.
- Add the green food coloring and continue mixing until the color is even and no green streaks remain.
- ill either a decorator's bag fitted with a star tip or a Ziploc with a small corner snipped off.
Decorating The Trees
- Starting at the top tip of the triangle, hold the decorator’s bag about a ¼ inch above the brownie. Using even, slow, steady pressure, squeeze the decorator’s bag in a zigzag pattern from the tip to the bottom of the brownie.
- Place a candy star at the top tip of the tree. Decorate the rest of the tree with candy confetti or nonpareils.
Nutrition
Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 158mg | Potassium: 4mg | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 155IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg
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