Christmas Tree Brownies - Festive Holiday Treats Your Family Will Love

Name: Christmas Tree Brownies Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 200 g unsalted butter; 200 g dark chocolate; 4 medium eggs; 275 g caster sugar; 100 g plain flour; 50 g cocoa powder; 100 g milk chocolate chips; 100 g white chocolate chips; 10 candy canes; 100 g unsalted butter; 200 g icing sugar; Green food colouring; Sprinkles; Sweets (such as M&Ms for stars)

There’s something truly festive and fun about turning a classic treat into a holiday centerpiece — that’s exactly what this Christmas Tree Brownies Recipe does. These rich, fudgy brownies shaped and decorated like Christmas trees always bring a smile, whether you’re baking with kids or surprising friends at a holiday party.

The image shows several triangular chocolate brownies arranged on a white marbled surface. Each brownie has one layer of dark brown cake topped with a thick layer of bright green frosting shaped like a zigzag Christmas tree. The frosting is decorated with small, round, colorful candy balls in shades of pink, purple, blue, red, yellow, green, and orange. Sticking out from the base of each brownie is a small candy cane with white, pink, and green stripes, acting as the tree trunk. Additional colorful candy balls are scattered around the brownies on the white marbled surface. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients & Why They Work
Make It Your Way
Step-by-Step: How I Make Christmas Tree Brownies Recipe
Top Tip
How to Serve Christmas Tree Brownies Recipe
Make Ahead and Storage
Frequently Asked Questions:
Final Thoughts
Christmas Tree Brownies Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

I honestly can’t get enough of how these Christmas tree brownies combine rich chocolatey goodness with playful holiday vibes. It’s not just the taste — it’s the fun of shaping, decorating, and sharing these adorable brownies that really makes this recipe a winner.

Festive fun meets delicious: These brownies look like holiday trees but taste like your favorite rich chocolate treat.
Simple yet impressive: Basic ingredients come together to create a showstopping dessert with minimal fuss.
Customizable decorations: You can add sprinkles, candies, or even icing designs to make each brownie unique.
Great for gifting or parties: These brownies hold up well and make adorable edible gifts or festive party treats.

A woman's hand is holding a triangular brownie piece shaped like a Christmas tree, with a pink and white striped candy stick at the bottom as the trunk. The brownie has two layers: the dark brown, textured base and a thick swirl of smooth, bright green frosting on top, decorated with small, shiny, round candy balls in colors like pink, orange, purple, blue, and yellow. In the background, more brownies with the same decoration are placed on a white marbled surface, along with blurred gingerbread men and soft warm lights in the background. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Ingredients & Why They Work

Each ingredient in this Christmas Tree Brownies Recipe plays an important role: the butter and chocolate create that rich, fudgy texture, the eggs and sugar lend structure and sweetness, while the flour and cocoa powder balance the flavor and density. Plus, those chocolate chips add delightful pockets of melty goodness throughout.

Flat lay of a small block of unsalted butter, a roughly chopped dark chocolate bar, four whole medium eggs with clean shells, a simple white ceramic bowl filled with caster sugar, a small white bowl holding plain flour, a small white bowl with cocoa powder, a small white bowl overflowing with milk chocolate chips, a small white bowl with white chocolate chips, several straight candy cane sticks with their curved tops snapped off, a small white bowl filled with unsalted butter for buttercream, a small white bowl containing icing sugar, a small white bowl with vibrant green food colouring liquid, assorted colorful sprinkles scattered neatly, assorted small sweets arranged artfully, all ingredients carefully arranged with perfect symmetry, placed on a clean white marble surface, soft natural light, photo taken with an iPhone, professional food photography style, fresh ingredients, white ceramic bowls, no bottles, no duplicates, no utensils, no packaging --ar 2:3 --v 7 --p m7354615311229779997

Unsalted butter: Melting it with chocolate gives the brownies that silky, dense consistency we love in fudgy brownies.
Dark chocolate: Provides deep cocoa richness; choose good quality for the best flavor.
Eggs: They add structure and help trap air for a light mousse-like batter before baking.
Caster sugar: Dissolves quickly for even sweetness and helps achieve that soft, tender crumb.
Plain flour: The backbone that holds everything together without making brownies cakey.
Cocoa powder: Intensifies the chocolate flavor and adds depth.
Milk and white chocolate chips: For little bursts of sweetness and melt-in-your-mouth moments throughout the brownies.
Candy canes: Serve as the whimsical “tree trunks” and add festive crunch.
Unsalted butter (for icing): Creamy base for the buttercream that you’ll tint and pipe for decoration.
Icing sugar: Sweetens and thickens the buttercream for piping designs.
Green food coloring: To turn your buttercream into vibrant green “tree” frosting.
Sprinkles and sweets: Decorate and personalize each brownie tree however you like.

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Note: You'll find the complete list of ingredients, along with their exact measurements, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Make It Your Way

I love experimenting with the decorations—sometimes I'll swap the star topping with little gold edible pearls or add crushed peppermint for a minty twist. Feel free to adapt this Christmas Tree Brownies Recipe to fit your style or what you have on hand; it's a perfect canvas for your holiday creativity!

Variation: Once, I used white chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate for a sweeter, creamier burst, and it was a big hit with my kids who prefer less bitter chocolate.
Diet-friendly tweaks: You can try gluten-free flour blends to keep these brownies gluten-free, though the texture gets a little different but still delicious.
Seasonal touches: Consider swapping candy canes for pretzel sticks or add a sprinkle of edible glitter for extra festive sparkle.

Step-by-Step: How I Make Christmas Tree Brownies Recipe

Step 1: Melt Chocolate and Butter Together

I start by gently melting the unsalted butter and dark chocolate together, usually over a bain-marie or in short bursts in the microwave to prevent burning. Then I set this aside to cool—this step is key because if your chocolate mix is too hot when you add it to the eggs, it can scramble them.

Step 2: Whisk Eggs and Sugar for Airy Batter

Next up, I use an electric whisk to beat the eggs and caster sugar until the mixture is pale, mousse-like, and noticeably increased in volume. You’ll see ribbons form when you lift the whisk—this means there’s plenty of air trapped, which gives your brownies a surprisingly light texture despite their fudginess.

Step 3: Fold in Chocolate and Dry Ingredients Carefully

Pouring that cooled chocolate mixture onto your fluffy egg base and folding gently is where patience really pays off. You want to keep as much air in the batter as possible. Then, sift the cocoa powder and flour on top and fold again just until combined.

Step 4: Add Chocolate Chips and Bake

Fold in your milk and white chocolate chips last, then pour the batter into a parchment-lined 9-inch square tin. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (160°C fan) for about 25-30 minutes. The edges should be set with a slight wobble in the center—this ensures your brownies stay fudgy and not dry.

Step 5: Shape and Decorate Your Christmas Trees

Once cooled, I slice the brownies into tree shapes by halving the tray, then cutting each half into triangles. Snack on the offcuts—they’re perfect! Then carefully press candy canes into the brownie base to act as trunks. I whip up a simple green buttercream, pipe zigzags on each brownie, and go wild with sprinkles and sweets to finish off that festive look.

Top Tip

From experience, the success of this Christmas Tree Brownies Recipe depends largely on whisking the eggs and sugar well and gently folding instead of stirring your batter. I learned the hard way—overmixing the batter made my brownies denser and less magical. Keep it light and delicate!

Whisking to perfection: Don’t rush the eggs and sugar whisking; patience here means fluffier brownies.
Folding gently: Use a spatula to fold the chocolate and flour into the batter slowly, preserving air pockets.
Watch your bake time: Keep an eye starting at 25 minutes; your oven might vary, and fudgy brownies are worth it.
Cooling fully: Let brownies cool completely before decorating or cutting to avoid crumbling or messy frosting.

How to Serve Christmas Tree Brownies Recipe

Christmas Tree Brownies - Serving Suggestion

Garnishes

I like to garnish my brownies with colorful sprinkles because they add a cheerful pop that makes each brownie look like it’s dressed up ready for the holidays. Tiny candy pearls, crushed candy canes, or even edible glitter work beautifully too — choose what makes you happiest!

Side Dishes

These brownies are perfect alongside a warm cup of spiced hot chocolate or mulled cider. For a party, I sometimes pair them with light vanilla whipped cream or mint-infused cream cheese dip to balance the richness.

Creative Ways to Present

Try arranging the Christmas tree brownies on a festive platter with some pine sprigs or small ornaments around them for a charming holiday centerpiece. Wrapping each brownie individually in cellophane tied with twine also makes for a lovely edible gift presentation.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

I always store leftover brownies in an airtight container on the counter, and they stay moist and fudgy for up to a week. If your kitchen’s warm, you might want to keep them in the fridge, but bring them back to room temperature before serving.

Freezing

Yes, you can freeze these! I cut them into tree shapes first, then wrap individually in plastic wrap and pop in a freezer-safe bag. When I want a treat, I just thaw them at room temperature for a couple of hours — frosting stays tasty and the texture remains just right.

Reheating

If you want to warm a brownie slightly, I gently microwave it for 10-15 seconds — just enough to soften the chocolate chips without melting the frosting all over. This little trick makes the chocolate extra gooey and delightful!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I make the brownies gluten-free?

Absolutely! You can substitute the plain flour for a gluten-free flour blend. Just ensure it contains xanthan gum or add a binding agent to mimic the texture of regular flour. Keep an eye on baking time as gluten-free flours might affect it slightly.

How do I keep the icing from sliding off the brownies?

Make sure your brownies are completely cooled before frosting. If they're warm, the buttercream will melt and slide off. Also, pipe the buttercream on gently without overloading the brownies with too much icing at once.

Can I use other shapes besides Christmas trees?

Definitely! While the Christmas tree shape is festive, you can cut brownies into stars, snowflakes, or any holiday shapes you like. Using cookie cutters can make this easier and more precise.

Can I prepare these brownies ahead of time?

Yes, you can bake the brownies a day or two in advance, store them in an airtight container at room temperature, and decorate them on the day you plan to serve for the freshest look and texture.

Final Thoughts

This Christmas Tree Brownies Recipe brings together the best of both worlds: the cozy, comforting richness of homemade brownies with the playful, joyful spirit of the holidays. I always find making these brownies sparks a little extra joy in the kitchen, and I hope you’ll love making and sharing them just as much. So grab your apron and candy canes — your festive baking adventure awaits!