Take your holiday baking game to the next level with these adorable Christmas Tree Brownies!! Fudgy brownies are made into adorable Christmas trees that are a festive holiday treat!
8brownies
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 40 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour
Ingredients
Brownies
1cupgranulated sugar
1cupbrown sugar
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
½teaspoonsalt
2large eggs plus 2 yolks at room temperature
1stick8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
8ouncessemisweet chocolate chips
½cupvegetable oil
1 ¼cupsall-purpose flour
¼cupcocoa powder
Buttercream Frosting
4sticks of unsalted buttersoftened
6cupspowdered sugar
½teaspoonvanilla extract
1-4tablespoonsmilk or coffee creamer
Green food coloring
Toppings
Mini M&MsHoliday sprinkles or star sprinkles, Holiday mini chips
Instructions
For the brownies:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch round springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, use a wooden spoon to combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, whole eggs and yolks. Mix well until the beaten eggs are incorporated and the sugars are mixed well.
In a microwave safe bowl melt butter and chocolate together in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth, stirring between each interval.
Whisk the vegetable oil into the chocolate mixture.
Pour the chocolate mixture into the sugar mixture and mix until fully combined.
Gently fold in the flour and cocoa.
Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean about 35 minutes.
Remove from the oven, run a knife around the edge and let cool for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes remove the springform edge and continue to let the brownies cool completely.
Cool brownies completely before icing them. When brownies have cooled, cut them into 8 wedge shapes, which will be our Christmas trees. (Think about slicing a pizza into triangles, except these are brownies. A plastic knife works perfect for cutting.
For the buttercream frosting
In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, OR using a hand mixer, whip the butter until light and fluffy.
Add the vanilla extract, then add the powdered sugar, a little bit at a time, mixing between each addition.
Add in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until the frosting is a consistency good for piping onto the brownies. You'll need about 3-4 tablespoons of milk.
Add green food coloring until you reach your desired shade of green.
Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a star tip.
Starting at the top of the tree, start piping on the frosting, filling the space with stars to fill the tree.
Decorate your trees with mini M&Ms, sprinkles, mini chocolate chips or candies. I placed a yellow candy at the top of each tree as the star but of course, you can decorate these however you like..
If you don't have a star tip you can use a zip lock bag with the end snipped off.
You can flavor the buttercream by using your favorite coffee creamer instead of milk. I love using the peppermint mocha flavor for my butter cream.
You can use a double boiler to melt the butter and chocolate if you wish.
Store these brownies in an airtight container for 3 days or the refrigerator for 4 days.
Notes
If you don't have a star tip you can use a zip lock bag with the end snipped off.
You can flavor the buttercream by using your favorite coffee creamer instead of milk. I love using the peppermint mocha flavor for my butter cream.
You can use a double boiler to melt the butter and chocolate if you wish.
Store these brownies in an airtight container for 3 days or the refrigerator for 4 days.