Brownie Christmas Trees are a simple, festive treat made from boxed brownie mix, ready-made frosting, sprinkles, and candy canes. You can prepare this dessert in about 20 minutes.
The Best Christmas Brownies
These Brownie Christmas Trees are chewy brownies topped with green vanilla frosting and festive sprinkles, using a peppermint candy cane as the tree trunk. They’re an ideal last-minute dessert for classroom parties, family gatherings, or holiday cookie exchanges.
With just six ingredients and minimal effort, you get a playful, crowd-pleasing treat that looks adorable and tastes delicious.
Rebecca’s Recipe Review
Taste: Sweet vanilla frosting, minty peppermint, and rich chocolate brownies.
Texture: Soft, slightly cake-like brownies with smooth icing and crunchy decorations.
Ease: 2/10 — quick and simple using store-bought components.
Pros: Fast, family-friendly, and customizable with sprinkles and candy cane varieties.
Cons: None notable.
Would I Make This Again? Yes — kids love decorating these, and it’s fun to offer several sprinkle and candy cane options for variety.
Ingredients for Christmas Tree Brownies
This recipe keeps things simple — most ingredients are store-bought for speed and convenience.
- Boxed brownie mix — choose your favorite brand (18 oz. box suggested).
- Ingredients called for on the box — usually oil, water, and eggs.
- One extra egg yolk — for a chewier brownie texture.
- White frosting — store-bought tub or homemade vanilla buttercream.
- Green food coloring — to tint the frosting (or buy pre-tinted frosting).
- Festive sprinkles — for tree decorations.
- Candy canes — cut into short pieces to use as tree trunks.
How to Make These Christmas Tree Brownies
- Preheat the oven to the temperature listed on your brownie mix box.
- Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
- Whisk together the boxed brownie mix, the ingredients the box calls for, and one extra egg yolk. Mix just until the flour disappears; do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake according to the box directions. Check a few minutes early to avoid overbaking — a toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the brownies cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. For cleaner cuts, chill them briefly in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Stir green food coloring into the white frosting until you reach the desired shade.
- Trim the brownie edges and cut into triangles. For 18 small trees, cut into three long strips and then into triangles; for 8 larger trees, cut the pan in half and slice triangles from each half.
- Pipe or spread the green frosting on each triangle, add sprinkles, and insert a short piece of candy cane at the base as the stem.
Rebecca’s Tips
- For fudgy brownies: use room-temperature eggs and butter (if required), stir minimally, and avoid overbaking.
- Brownies slice more cleanly when fully chilled — pop them in the freezer for a short time if needed.
- Use parchment paper (or foil) to ensure the entire pan lifts out easily; avoid relying on cooking spray for this recipe.
- Mix batter by hand with a whisk and spatula to prevent overworking the flour — stop when the dry streaks disappear.
- Light metal pans tend to yield chewier brownies, but glass pans work fine if that’s what you have.
- How much frosting you use is up to you — fully frosted brownies will be sweeter, while a thinner layer keeps the balance of chocolate and icing.
How to Store Christmas Brownies
Store the decorated brownie trees in the refrigerator for up to one week, or freeze them for up to three months.
More Holiday Dessert Ideas
- Peppermint Brownie Mix Cookies — brownie mix cookies dipped in melted Andes mints and topped with candy cane pieces.
- Easy Christmas Funfetti Bread — quick bread made with pantry staples and sprinkles.
- Chocolate Crockpot Candy — simple slow-cooker candy with chocolate and nuts.
- Melted Snowman Cookies — decorated with royal icing, marshmallows, and mini candies.
- Hot Chocolate Muddy Buddies — a sweet snack mix made with hot cocoa mix, marshmallow cream, and cereal.
Brownie Christmas Trees
Equipment
- 9×9 baking pan
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 (18 oz.) box brownie mix + ingredients called for on the box (usually oil, eggs, and water)
- 1 additional egg yolk
- 1 (16 oz.) tub vanilla frosting
- Green food coloring
- Sprinkles
- Candy canes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to the temperature recommended on the brownie mix box.
- Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the boxed mix, the ingredients the box calls for, and one extra egg yolk. Stir only until the flour disappears.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake according to box directions. Check a few minutes before the minimum time to avoid overbaking.
- Cool the brownies in the pan on a wire rack. Chill briefly if you plan to cut them neatly.
- While cooling, tint the white frosting with green food coloring.
- Remove brownies from the pan, trim edges, and cut into triangles. For 18 small trees cut into three long strips then into triangles; for 8 large trees, cut the pan in half and slice triangles from each half.
- Decorate each triangle with green frosting and sprinkles, then insert a short piece of candy cane at the bottom as the trunk.
Notes
- Nutritional information is estimated for the smaller trees.
- Storage: Refrigerate up to one week or freeze up to three months.
- To make fudgier brownies: use room-temperature ingredients, mix minimally, and remove from the oven before fully set.
- Cut brownies only when fully cooled; chilling or briefly freezing helps achieve cleaner slices.
- Use parchment or foil to lift the entire brownie slab from the pan — nonstick spray is not recommended for easy removal.
- Mix batter by hand to avoid overworking; stop when dry streaks disappear.
- Metal pans often produce chewier brownies, but glass pans are acceptable.
- You can fully frost each triangle if you prefer a sweeter, more decorative look.
Nutrition
| Carbohydrates: 22 g
| Protein: 2 g
| Fat: 4 g
| Sugar: 14 g
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