Description
Celebrate the holiday season with these festive Christmas Tree Brownies, featuring rich chocolate brownies cut into tree shapes and decorated with green buttercream frosting, pretzel stick trunks, and colorful sprinkles for a fun and delicious treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Brownies
- 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 and prepare pan: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure easy removal of the brownies.
- Make brownie batter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined. Gradually whisk in cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder until just incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips gently to distribute evenly.
- Bake the brownies: Spread the 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 or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the brownies: Remove the pan from the oven and allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before lifting them out to avoid breaking.
- Cut into tree shapes: Cut the cooled brownies into 3 long rectangles. Then, cut each rectangle into triangular shapes resembling Christmas trees for a festive presentation.
- Prepare green frosting: In a stand mixer, beat the softened butter until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Slowly add 2 to 4 tablespoons of heavy cream to reach a smooth, spreadable consistency. Mix in green food coloring drop by drop until you achieve your desired shade of green.
- Decorate the brownies: Using a piping bag or spatula, pipe or spread the green frosting in a zig-zag pattern on each brownie triangle to mimic the look of Christmas tree branches.
- Add finishing touches: Place pretzel sticks at the base of each brownie triangle to serve as trunks. Sprinkle rainbow confetti sprinkles and yellow star sprinkles on top to complete the festive decoration.
Notes
- Ensure brownies are completely cooled before frosting to prevent melting.
- You can substitute pretzel sticks with thin cookies or graham cracker sticks for the tree trunks.
- Adjust green food coloring gradually to avoid overly intense coloring.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free baking mix.
