These festive Christmas tree brownies will brighten up your holiday table. They are easy to make and fun to decorate. To keep things simple, we start with a box of brownie mix, which makes a delicious fudgy brownie. Then, we top it with green frosting and color sprinkles.
If you’re feeling adventurous, add some crushed candy canes or drizzle some melted white chocolate for extra flavor and texture. These are perfect for your next holiday party or even a gift exchange idea.
Ingredients to make Christmas Tree Brownies
You’ll need a handful of simple ingredients to create these festive Christmas tree brownies. Consider this your shopping list to gather all of the ingredients and gather your tools. Getting everything together upfront makes life easier.
- Brownie mix, prepared batter
- Heavy whipping cream
- White chocolate chips
- Green food coloring
- Candy-coated mini chocolate chips
Tools
- 9×13-inch baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Medium microwave-safe bowl
- Spatula
- Sharp knife or cookie cutters
How To Make Christmas Tree Brownies Step-by-Step
Step 1: Preheat and Prepare the baking dish. The details of this step will vary depending on the brownie mix you bought. However, the one thing consistent here is that you want to line the baking dish with parchment paper and leave some overhang on the sides for easy lifting later.
Step 2: Bake the Brownies. Follow the instructions for your brownies and bake the brownies. While the brownies are baking and cooling, you can move on to step 3.
Step 3: Make the Frosting. Pour the heavy whipping cream into a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high for 60-90 seconds, or until hot. When you remove the bowl from the microwave, be careful because it will be hot.
Add the white chocolate chips to the cream and stir until smooth and thoroughly melted.
Step 4: Make it green. Stir in green food coloring to your desired shade. Start by adding just a bit and stirring, and then add more until you get the green color that you love. I think of it as Grinch Green.
Step 5: Frost the Brownies. Pour the green frosting over the cooled brownies and spread it evenly using a spatula.
Step 6: Decorate the brownies. Sprinkle candy-coated mini chocolate chips all over the frosting. YOu want to do this step while the frosting is still soft so that the sprinkles set as the frosting stiffens.
Step 7: Set the Frosting. Place the frosted brownies in the refrigerator for about 1 hour, or until the frosting is completely set.
Step 8: Cut into Christmas Trees. Lift the brownies out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang.
Use a sharp knife to cut the brownies into three long strips, then cut each strip into triangles to create Christmas tree shapes. Alternatively, use cookie cutters for more precise shapes.
Tips for Success
Use a sharp knife dipped in warm water to make cleaner and smoother cuts. This works well as a hot tip when cutting melted chocolate or ganache because a warm knife prevents the frosting from sticking to the blade. This makes for smoother and cleaner cuts.
How to Do It:
- Fill a tall glass or bowl with hot water.
- Dip the blade of your knife into the water and let it heat for a few seconds.
- Wipe the knife dry with a clean towel before making each cut.
- Repeat the process, dipping and drying the knife between cuts to maintain smooth and precise edges.
Use a cookie cutter. Consider cutting the brownies with a Christmas Tree Cookie cutter to make life super simple.
Make the frosting vibrant. We recommend gel food coloring because the colors pop better and are more vibrant. Another pro for gel food coloring is that it doesn’t water down the frosting and make it runny.
Make the brownies unique. If you want to add a bit of extra holiday flair, consider using our recipe for pumpkin brownies. However, if you do use this recipe don’t put the chocolate chips on top.
Christmas Tree Brownies
Brighten up your holiday table with these festive Christmas Tree Brownies! Fudgy brownies topped with green frosting and colorful candy sprinkles make the perfect sweet treat for holiday parties or gifts.
Ingredients
- 1 box brownie mix, batter prepared according to package directions
- 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 12 ounce bag white chocolate chips
- Green food coloring
- Candy coated mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to the baking temperature indicated on the box of brownie mix.
- Prepare a 9x13-inch baking pan by lining it with parchment paper, leaving overhang along the sides to make it easier to lift the brownies out of the pan after baking.
- Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared baking pan, then bake according to the package directions. Remove from the oven and cool the brownies to room temperature in the pan.
- Pour the heavy cream into a medium microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave on high for 60-90 seconds until hot. Add the white chocolate chips and stir until completely melted, then mix in green food coloring until your desired color is reached.
- Pour the frosting over the brownies and spread out evenly. Sprinkle the candy-coated mini chocolate chips all over top of the frosting.
- Place the pan of frosted brownies in the refrigerator to chill until the frosting is completely set; about 1 hour.
- Once set, lift the brownies out of the pan. Use a sharp knife to cut the sheet of brownies longways across into three strips. Cut each strip into triangles to resemble Christmas trees.
Notes
- Use cookie cutters for precise Christmas tree shapes, or a sharp knife for a rustic look.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or refrigerate for longer freshness.