Description
Celebrate the holiday season with these festive Christmas Tree Brownies, featuring rich, fudgy chocolate brownies cut into tree shapes and decorated with vibrant green frosting, pretzel stick trunks, and colorful sprinkles for a fun and delicious holiday treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Brownie Batter
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream
- 6-12 drops green food coloring
Decorations
- 1 cup pretzel sticks (for trunks)
- 1/4 cup rainbow confetti sprinkles
- 2 tablespoons yellow star sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper to ensure easy removal of the brownies.
- Make Brownie Batter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Gradually add the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder, whisking to incorporate well. Fold in the chocolate chips gently to distribute them evenly.
- Bake Brownies: Pour the brownie batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, indicating the brownies are perfectly baked.
- Let Cool: Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan. This step is important to ensure the brownies firm up and are easier to cut without crumbling.
- Cut into Triangles: Once cooled, lift the brownies out using the parchment paper. Cut the brownies into 3 long rectangles, then cut each rectangle into triangular shapes that resemble Christmas trees.
- Make Frosting: Using a stand mixer, cream the softened butter until fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy cream until the frosting reaches a smooth, spreadable consistency. Add green food coloring drop by drop until you achieve the desired holiday green shade.
- Frost Brownies: Pipe the green frosting in a zig-zag pattern over each brownie triangle to create the look of Christmas tree branches.
- Decorate: Place pretzel sticks at the base of each triangle to serve as tree trunks. Sprinkle rainbow confetti and yellow star sprinkles over the frosting to add festive, colorful decorations that mimic lights and stars.
Notes
- Use parchment paper for easy removal of brownies from the pan.
- Allow brownies to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting.
- Adjust green food coloring quantity to get the preferred shade for frosting.
- Substitute pretzel sticks with small cookie sticks if preferred.
- Store frosted brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
