Santa Hat Brownies

Santa Hat Brownies are a cute Christmas dessert made with a box of brownie mix and decorated with a fresh fruit and whipped cream hat. Quick and easy to make, they're the perfect bite-size sweet treat for holiday parties and cookie platters.

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This easy Christmas recipe for Santa Hat Brownies can be made in minutes using a box of dark chocolate brownie mix combined with eggs, butter, and milk.

Bake your batter in mini muffin tins, pipe a circle of whipped cream onto each base, then top them with strawberries and decorate with a dollop of Cool Whip and some sprinkles.

About Santa Hat Brownie Bites

Santa Hat Strawberry Brownies are a festive and fun holiday dessert, easily made from a box mix plus a few additional kitchen staple ingredients.

These sweet treats are the cutest, most adorable baked brownie bites that sit below strawberry Santa hats; they’re the perfect Christmas party food in a bite-sized package.

Our Santa hat dessert is as delicious as it is delightful; it’s one of my favorite holiday recipes because the bottom can be baked in a mini muffin tin, a baking pan and cut into squares or circles with a round cutter, or made even easier by buying pre-made brownie bites.

Brownie Santa hats are the best way to turn a basic box of brownies and some strawberries into cute finger food for Christmas.

Why We Love This Santa Hat Brownies Recipe

Quick and easy to make.
Uses a handful of simple ingredients.
Santa hat strawberries sitting on top of a brownie are the best chocolate strawberry dessert.
Fun to make and decorate with kids.
Perfect sweet treat for Christmas parties, cookie platters, potlucks, or holiday celebrations.

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Ingredients for Santa Hat Brownies

Dark chocolate brownie mix: You can use your favorite brand or type of brownie mix or your own recipe to make them from scratch.
Eggs
Salted butter: You can substitute unsalted butter and a pinch of salt if you prefer.
Whole milk: You can use lower fat milk if you wish, or even water for a dairy-free alternative, but it may change the richness of the brownies slightly.
Strawberries
Whipped cream
Sprinkles or clear sanding sugar (optional garnish)

Substitutions and Additions

Bake Without Butter: You can use vegetable or canola oil instead of butter for similar results, although the brownies may not be as rich.
Swap the Canned Spray: The easiest way to make these chocolate brownie Santa hats is with the canned whipped cream that you can just spray on. However, you can also use a piping bag and tip to pipe on whipped topping from the tub, or a vanilla, buttercream, or cream cheese frosting instead.
Make With Mix-Ins: Feel free to add your favorite mix-ins to the brownie batter. Add a cup of mini chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips for some added chocolatey flavor. You can also add chopped walnuts, almonds or pecans to create some crunch and flavor.

Recommended Tools

Mini muffin tins
Cooking spray
Mixing bowl
Mixing tools
Measuring tools
Cutting board
Paring knife

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How to Make Santa Hat Brownies

Make The Brownies: Mix together the brownie mix, eggs, butter, and milk until smooth. Pour the brownie batter into mini muffin tins, about ¾ full.
Bake The Brownies: Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-18 minutes. Completely cool before removing them from the tins.
De-Stem The Strawberries: Cut off the strawberry stems and the tops of each strawberry.
Pro Tip: You want the strawberries to have a flat surface that allows them to “stand”.
Assemble: Pipe a whipped cream circle around the top edge of each brownie and place a strawberry on top. Add a small dollop of whipped topping to the tip and sprinkle with sprinkles or clear sanding sugar.
Serve: Serve and enjoy!

Tips for Making Santa Hat brownies

Canned whipped cream does tend to deflate relatively quickly. If you will be making these ahead of time or want a more sturdy and longer-lasting option, you can use a tub of whipped topping, a piping bag, and 1M Wilton tip instead.
Want to add a sweet surprise to each treat? You can place about ½ teaspoon of strawberry jam into the center of the whipped cream circle before topping it with the strawberry.

How to Store Santa Hat Brownies

Due to the nature of the whipped cream and strawberries, these Santa Hat Brownies are best prepared just before serving.

To Store: If you would like to make the brownies ahead of time they can be stored for 2-3 days at room temperature in an airtight container, after they have cooled. You can keep them for up to a week in the refrigerator.
The strawberries and whipped cream should be stored in the refrigerator and, if you have leftovers of your decorated Santa Hat Brownies, you can store them in an airtight container as well. The strawberries will keep for about 2-3 days but the whipped cream will likely lose its shape long before that.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I remove my brownies from the tin?

You can remove the brownies from the tin by gently swiveling them back and forth in the tin until they come loose. Use a spatula or plastic knife to loosen the edges only if absolutely necessary.

Do I have to bake my brownies in a muffin tin?

Nope! You can make the brownies in a regular 9×13-inch baking pan, allow them to cool completely, and then either cut them into small, strawberry-sized squares or use a round cookie cutter to cut out discs. Decorate them the same way and you will still have adorable, delicious Santa Hat Brownies.

Can I use a tub of Cool Whip or frosting for these Santa hats?

Yes, you can use a piping bag and tip to create the base and top of the hats with whipped topping, or a vanilla or cream cheese frosting. This may be sturdier and longer lasting than the whipped cream from a can and also allows you more freedom with the design if you want it.

top shot of Santa hat brownies with sprinkles

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