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Home » Baking » Christmas Tree Brownies

Published: November 20, 2017 Last Modified: March 29, 2019 By Sara 19 Comments

Christmas Tree Brownies

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Christmas Tree Brownies | Christmas Brownies | Holiday Brownies | Christmas Tree Dessert

These Christmas tree brownies are an easy and adorable treat that’s the perfect addition to any holiday gathering. Kids and adults alike will love these Christmas brownies!

Christmas Tree Brownies | Christmas Brownies | Holiday Brownies | Christmas Tree Dessert

Christmas Tree Brownies on a serving plate.

The holidays are almost here, and I’m celebrating with these fun and festive Christmas tree brownies! People can’t help but smile when they see these colorful treats, and the best part is, these brownies taste as good as they look! We’ve got homemade brownies, green tinted frosting, candy canes and rainbow sprinkles, all hallmarks of an awesome holiday recipe. Best of all, these Christmas brownies are actually super easy to make, and the brownies only use a single bowl.

Holiday Brownies made to look like Christmas trees.

How to make christmas tree brownies

The brownie base for this recipe is my all time favorite way to make brownies. These brownies are perfect in my opinion, they’re fudgy with a crackly top and are absolutely loaded with chocolate flavor. You’ll need a handful of ingredients to prepare these brownies, like chocolate chips, butter and Eggland’s Best eggs.  I choose Eggland’s Best eggs for my holiday recipes because they are more nutritious than ordinary eggs. Eggland’s Best eggs have six times more Vitamin D, 10 times more Vitamin E, double the omega-3s, and more than double Vitamin B12. I love that I can get more vitamins into my family this way. Eggland’s Best eggs also have 25% less saturated fat than regular eggs, always important when you’re trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. These eggs taste great, and they even stay fresh longer than standard eggs! You can learn more about the nutritional benefits of Eggland’s Best eggs on their website.

Ingredients for Christmas brownies including chocolate chips, eggs and candy canes.

Tips for cooking with Eggland’s Best Eggs

  • When it comes to baking, it’s best to use your Eggland’s Best eggs at room temperature. Adding cold eggs to batters such as these brownies can sometimes re-harden the butter and chocolate, which makes the batter appear curdled and can sometimes affect the texture of the final product.
  • Your Eggland’s Best eggs should be added one at a time to the brownie batter. Be sure to mix thoroughly before adding the next egg. Adding the eggs slowly allows for the batter to thicken and emulsify between additions and makes for a better brownie.
  • I find that it’s best to use a whisk to mix the eggs into this batter, it does a great job with incorporating the eggs quickly and efficiently.

Brownie batter in a bowl.

I bake my brownies in a 9″x13″ pan for this recipe. You’ll end up with a slab of brownie that’s perfect for cutting into triangles to make Christmas trees. The brownies will be easier to cut if you chill them first. You will have a few leftover scraps as you cut your brownies into tree shapes, my kids wait impatiently to snatch those up!

A sheet of baked brownies.

You can make your brownie trees as big or as small as you like; I typically cut my trees so that they’re about 3 inches long. To make the tree trunk, you’ll simply snap off the crooked end of mini candy canes and insert them into the bottom of the brownies.

Unfrosted Christmas Tree Brownies with candy cane stems.

After that, you’re ready to decorate! You can either make your own buttercream frosting, or buy a can of frosting for this part. During the holidays many stores sell frosting that’s already dyed green, you can pick that up, or add some food color to a can of white frosting. I’ve also included a simple buttercream recipe below. I use a piping bag with a closed star tip to pipe the Christmas tree design. If you don’t have a piping bag, simply load some frosting into a gallon sized resealable bag and snip one of the corners to create a makeshift piping bag. I like the design that the star tip provides, but if you pipe straight from a resealable bag it will still look festive!

Christmas Brownies topped with green frosting and colored sprinkles.

The final step in the process is the decorations. I add a gold star sprinkle at the top of each tree, these sprinkles are sold at most major craft stores and online. If you can’t find the stars, a little silver ball sprinkle would also look like. I like the multicolored rainbow sprinkles to represent holiday lights, but you can really use whatever sprinkles you prefer, get creative here!

Make Ahead Instructions

If you’d like to prepare these Christmas brownies in advance, you can bake the brownies, cut them into shapes, and freeze them for up to one month before you plan to use them. Simply thaw the brownies, add the decorations and you’re ready to go. These brownies can also be fully prepared and decorated, then stored in the fridge in a covered container for up to one day before you plan to serve them.

These Christmas tree sweets made with Eggland’s Best eggs make what could be an ordinary brownie into something extraordinary. Be sure to check out the Eggland’s Best website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more information about their products, great recipe ideas and more!

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Christmas Tree Brownies Video


Christmas Tree Brownies
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5 from 7 votes

Christmas Tree Brownies

These Christmas tree brownies are an easy and adorable treat that's the perfect addition to any holiday gathering. Kids and adults alike will love these Christmas brownies!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 16
Calories 257kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

For the brownies:

  • cooking spray
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 Eggland's Best eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour

For the decorations:

  • 16 small candy canes
  • 16 gold star sprinkles or candies
  • 1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles
  • 2 cups green frosting homemade or store bought, a basic homemade frosting recipe is provided in the notes section

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9"x13" pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.
  • Place the butter and chocolate chips into a large bowl. Melt in microwave - heat for 30 second intervals and stir between each interval until butter and chocolate are melted and thoroughly combined.
  • Stir in the sugar, then stir in the eggs, one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. 
  • Stir in the vanilla extract. Gently fold in the salt and flour.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out clean.
  • Cool the brownies to room temperature, then chill for at least 30 minutes.
  • Using the edges of the foil, remove the slab of brownie from the pan. Using a sharp knife, cut the brownies into 16 triangles.
  • Snap the curved parts off the candy canes and insert the straight parts of the candy canes into the bottom of the brownies.
  • Place the frosting in a piping bag fitted with a plain or star tip, or resealable plastic bag with the tip snipped off. Pipe approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons of frosting onto each brownie.
  • Place a star sprinkle at the top of each brownie, then add rainbow sprinkles all over each brownie.
  • Serve, or store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to one day.

Notes

Basic Buttercream Recipe:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened. 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2-3 tablespoons milk or cream, green food coloring gel.
Beat butter with a mixer until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Turn mixer to low speed and gradually add powdered sugar. Add vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of milk or cream, beat until smooth and creamy. You can add more powdered sugar if you desire a thicker consistency, or add more milk for a thinner consistency. Add green food coloring until desired shade is reached.

Nutrition

Calories: 257kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 68mg | Potassium: 101mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 245IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1.4mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @DinnerAtTheZoo or tag #dinneratthezoo!

This festive Christmas tree brownies recipe has been sponsored by Eggland’s Best. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Dinner at the Zoo possible!

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Filed Under: Baking, Christmas

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    Comments

    1. Natalie says

      December 5, 2017 at 10:41 pm

      This is so cute! Perfect for Christmas, I can’t wait to try it!

      Reply
    2. Myrah Duque says

      November 24, 2017 at 8:34 am

      5 stars
      This is such an amazing idea. So delicious, easy and colorful.

      Reply
    3. Kiwi says

      November 21, 2017 at 7:32 am

      Arent these freaking cute! I love them and they look adorable!

      Reply
    4. Toni | Boulder Locavore says

      November 20, 2017 at 9:06 pm

      5 stars
      These are so adorable!! Perfect holiday treats!

      Reply
    5. travel blogger says

      November 20, 2017 at 7:23 pm

      My son will love to make these! What a fun idea for Christmas! I love to make fun, festive treats like this that my kiddo can help make.

      Reply
    6. Kita Bryant says

      November 20, 2017 at 5:45 pm

      My kids would go nuts over these. I would help them with making them lol!

      Reply
    7. Beeb Ashcroft says

      November 20, 2017 at 5:44 pm

      My husband and I would love to make these. We don’t have any kids but we still adore treats like this.

      Reply
    8. Wendy Polisi says

      November 20, 2017 at 5:41 pm

      Those are so cute and look SO simple. I will definitely be making some of these for Christmas !

      Reply
    9. Monica says

      November 20, 2017 at 5:29 pm

      5 stars
      These photos are so beautiful! And your holiday treats look like perfection.

      Reply
    10. Jocelyn @ Hip Mama's Place says

      November 20, 2017 at 5:14 pm

      You can also wrap these individually and give them away to family as a lovely treat for Christmas! I think it’s awesome and it’s easy to make!

      Reply
    11. Carol Cassara says

      November 20, 2017 at 5:13 pm

      Looks like brownies are in these season! It’s awesome because they’re easy to make and they’re a hit with the family! It’s so nice that you made these into Christmas trees!

      Reply
    12. Brianne says

      November 20, 2017 at 4:56 pm

      What a great idea, these looks super festive and yummy! I am so making these for my kiddies!

      Reply
    13. Liz Mays says

      November 20, 2017 at 4:47 pm

      Oh how cute are these! Making some Christmas tree brownies for my family would be really nice. They definitely sound good.

      Reply
    14. Catherine Sargent says

      November 20, 2017 at 3:36 pm

      These brownies looks so festive and yummy. I will have to make some for my son and his buddies

      Reply
    15. AnnMarie John says

      November 20, 2017 at 3:14 pm

      There’s nothing better than brownies that are shaped like Christmas trees! Love how you decorated this one! It’s a lovely treat!

      Reply
    16. Maureen says

      November 20, 2017 at 3:09 pm

      This is an easy enough holiday recipe idea for a treat. I love the idea of making Christmas tree brownies for our Christmas eve family time!

      Reply
    17. Christie Cronan says

      November 20, 2017 at 2:36 pm

      5 stars
      I need to make up a big batch of these for our Christmas dinner. I think everyone is going to love them!

      Reply
    18. Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says

      November 20, 2017 at 2:20 pm

      5 stars
      Those are the cutest brownies ever! This is exactly the kind of thing I love to make when the holidays roll around.

      Reply
    19. robin rue says

      November 20, 2017 at 2:12 pm

      I posted the same brownies on my site today! I guess great minds think alike 🙂

      Reply

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