This Christmas Tree Brownies recipe turns a basic box of brownie mix into a beautifully festive forest of decorated Christmas tree treats. It is so quick and easy to bake a batch of this rich and fudgy, decadent dessert and then have fun transforming an ordinary brownie into something extraordinary for your holiday dessert.
Best Baked-From-A-Box Christmas Tree Brownies
Christmas Tree Brownies are the best way to upgrade a simple chocolate snack into an extra special and festively decorated holiday dessert. This recipe easily combines 3 simple ingredients with a box of brownie mix to create a super soft, moist brownie base that is perfect for cutting into triangles and decorating with green frosting that glistens with sprinkles, colorful candy, and stars. Your dessert table will be merry and bright with a platter of the cutest Christmas brownies all dressed up as holiday trees!
These brownies are the best dressed, not only because they taste delicious, but also because they do double duty as delightful dessert and cheerful decor. While it’s always fun for kids to trim their trees with tasty toppings, this edible Christmas craft is a perfect family activity, because let’s be honest, even adults love playing with their food, especially when spreading finger-licking frosting!
Why We Love This Christmas Tree Brownies Recipe
- Quick and easy to make using a box of brownie mix.
- Delicious dessert that is festively decorated.
- Colorful, cheery, and bright, these trees taste as good as they look.
- Fun to make and decorate with kids or the whole family.
- Easy to customize with your favorite candy.
- Perfect treat for a holiday party, cookie exchange, Christmas dessert platter, or an afternoon snack.
Ingredients / Shopping List
- Box fudge brownie mix: Do not use a double fudge brownie mix, or it will be very difficult to cut the brownies into shapes.
- Vegetable oil: Canola or grapeseed oil can be used instead.
- Eggs
- Lemon-lime soda: You can use any lemon lime soda or club soda.
- Mini candy canes
- Powdered sugar
- Salted butter, softened: Try with unsalted butter, but add some salt if the sweetness is too overpowering.
- Heavy cream: If you don’t have heavy cream, you can add half and half or milk, but don’t use as much because it will make the frosting thinner.
- Green food coloring
- Optional Toppings: Festive sprinkles, star candies, mini M&Ms
Substitutions and Additions
- Frosting: You can buy a can of green frosting if you do not have time to prepare your own or add some green food color to a can of white frosting.
- Tasty Toppings: Feel free to decorate your trees with your favorite toppings. Get creative with crushed candy canes, mini chocolate chips, skittles, spiced red hots or non pareils. You can even pipe on mint flavored frosting.
- Tree Trunk: You can use a pretzel stick for the tree trunk instead of the candy cane.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Mixing bowls and tools
- Hand or stand mixer
- Measuring tools
- 9×13 inch baking pan or half sheet pan
- Piping bag and tip
SEE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BELOW
How to Make the Recipe
This recipe easily combines 3 simple ingredients with a box of brownie mix to create a super soft, moist brownie base that is perfect for cutting into triangles and decorating with festive candy. It’s always fun to trim your tree!
- Mix together the brownie mix, vegetable oil, eggs, and soda.
Pro-Tip: Make sure your eggs are room temperature. Adding cold eggs to batters such as these brownies can sometimes affect the texture of the final product.
- Pour brownie mixture into baking pan and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-17 minutes.
Pro-Tip: It’s best to line your baking pan with parchment paper and allow excess paper to hang over the edges of the pan for easy removal. This will give you handles to lift out the brownies. - Cool baked brownies on the countertop and place in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
Pro-Tip: Make sure you refrigerate the brownies for at least 1-2 hours until completely cool. This will make them easier to cut into tree shapes. - Remove the curved sides of the candy canes and set aside the straight parts.
- Beat together the powdered sugar, butter, and heavy cream with a mixer until smooth.
- Stir in green food coloring.
Pro Tip: I used 6 drops, but feel free to use as much as you like according to your desired color. - Remove cooled brownies from baking pan by lifting the parchment paper.
- Cut brownies into triangles.
Pro Tip: You can use a tree shaped cookie cutter or sharp knife. - Insert the straight piece of candy cane into the bottom of the brownie triangle to make a tree trunk.
- Pipe green frosting onto the trees and top with desired sprinkles and candy.
- Enjoy!
Storage Tips
- To Store: You can store these brownies at room temperature for about 3-4 days. Make sure they are covered or in an airtight container. They will also last in the refrigerator for another week if wrapped tightly.
- To Freeze: Feel free to freeze your brownies for up to 3 months and enjoy some Christmas tree treats after Christmas!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’d like to prepare these Christmas Tree Brownies in advance, you can bake the brownies, cut them into shapes, and freeze them for up to 3 months before you plan to eat them. Simply thaw the brownies, decorate them, and serve. These brownies can also be fully prepared and decorated, then stored in the fridge in a covered container for up to a week.
Brownies can be a little tricky because they can overcook and be impossible to eat, or they can be really gooey and impossible to cleanly shape into the Christmas trees. When baking, I look for the side of the brownie to be set, but the middle to still be a little soft. These brownies will benefit slightly from being more cooked than less cooked, but be careful not to overdo it. A toothpick should come up with a few moist crumbs, but you shouldn’t see raw dough. The refrigeration time, after baking, will help them set and be easier to cut.
If you don’t have a piping bag or piping tips, you can use a good-quality zipper plastic bag. Put the frosting inside the baggie, remove the air, and seal it. Cut out a small piece of the corner of the bag to make a tiny hole. Then squeeze your frosting out of the baggie using that hole to make the garlands of the Christmas tree.
Other Easy Christmas Dessert Recipes
- Grinch Punch
- Christmas Tree Brownie Cups
- Christmas Red Velvet Poke Cake
- Oreo Balls
- Gingerbread Kiss Cookies
- The Best Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipe
- Peanut Butter Penguins
- Strawberry Santas
- Candy Cane Dip
Christmas Tree Brownies
Ingredients
For the Brownie:
- 15.25 ounce box fudge brownie mix
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tbsp lemon-lime soda
- 10-12 mini candy canes
For the Frosting:
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 5 tbsp salted butter softened
- 2 tsp heavy cream
- Green food coloring
Optional Toppings:
- Festive sprinkles
- 10-12 star candies
- Mini M&Ms
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9X13 inch baking pan or half sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Mix the fudge brownie mix, vegetable oil, eggs, and Sprite soda together until completely combined.
- Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake in the oven for 15-17 minutes or until the sides have set and a toothpick comes out nearly clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Then set it in the refrigerator to cool completely, about 1-2 hours.
- In the meantime, snap all the curved sides of the candy canes off and set aside the straight part of the candy canes.
- Use a mixer to beat together the powdered sugar, salted butter, and heavy cream until smooth.
- Stir in as much green food coloring as you’d like until you have reached your desired color (I used about 6 drops).
- Once the brownies are done cooling, use the parchment paper to remove the brownies from the baking pan.
- Use a tree shaped cookie cutter or sharp knife to cut the brownie into triangle pieces.
- Take the straight parts of the candy canes and push them into the bottoms of the brownie triangle pieces to make candy cane tree trunks.
- Use a piping bag and desired tip to decorate the Christmas trees with the green frosting. Top with desired festive sprinkles, star candies, and M&Ms.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: You can store these brownies at room temperature for about 3-4 days. Make sure they are covered or in an airtight container. They will also last in the refrigerator for another week if wrapped tightly.
- To Freeze: Feel free to freeze your brownies for up to 3 months and enjoy some Christmas tree treats after Christmas!
- Make sure your eggs are room temperature. Adding cold eggs to batters such as these brownies can sometimes affect the texture of the final product.
- It’s best to line your baking pan with parchment paper and allow excess paper to hang over the edges of the pan for easy removal. This will give you handles to lift out the brownies.
- Make sure you refrigerate the brownies for at least 1-2 hours until completely cool. This will make them easier to cut into tree shapes.
My grandson has celiac disease. Would this work with a gluten free brownie mix? Thanks!!
I don’t see why it wouldn’t work just fine!! I would just follow the directions on the box of the brownie mix and not use our add ins.