This recipe for Christmas Tree Brownies started as a way to make holiday baking a bit more interactive and a lot more festive. I first made these the year my daughter was four and wanted to help with everything in the kitchen. The simple brownie base is rich and fudgy with deep chocolate flavor, while the piped icing lets kids experiment with patterns and colors. The result is dessert that tastes like a classic treat but looks like a holiday project, bringing everyone to the table for a few fun minutes of decorating together.

What makes these brownies special is the mix of texture and ritual. The brownies bake dense and moist so the tree shapes hold up when cut with a cookie cutter, and the basic powdered sugar icing dries just enough to keep sprinkles in place while remaining soft to bite through. Decorating becomes the memorable part: piping zigzags, adding strands of silver and gold, and laughing at the unexpected creations. Over the years this became our annual tradition, and friends now ask me for the recipe so they can make it with their kids too.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: 3/4 cup. Use a spoon-and-level method for accuracy. The flour provides structure so the tree shapes hold, but keeping it to 3/4 cup keeps the brownies fudgy rather than cakey.
• Cocoa powder: 3/4 cup unsweetened. I prefer Dutch-processed for a deeper chocolate color and smoother flavor, but natural cocoa works fine. Sift if it is lumpy for a uniform batter.
• Kosher salt: 3/4 teaspoon. Salt balances the sweetness and enhances the chocolate; use kosher or fine sea salt.
• Unsalted butter: 15 tablespoons, melted. Real butter gives the best texture and flavor. If using salted butter, reduce added salt slightly.
• Sugar: 1 1/2 cups granulated. Sugar keeps the brownies moist and contributes to that classic crackly top when mixed properly with butter and eggs.
• Vanilla extract: 2 teaspoons. Pure vanilla adds warm aromatic notes that complement the cocoa.
• Eggs: 3 large. Eggs provide structure and richness; room temperature eggs incorporate more evenly into the batter.
• Powdered sugar: 1 cup for icing. Sifted powdered sugar results in a silky frosting that pipes smoothly from a bag.
• Milk: 1 to 2 tablespoons for icing. Start with 1 tablespoon and add more to reach piping consistency; whole milk or 2 percent work best.
• Green food coloring: a few drops. I try to use dye-free or natural coloring when possible for a gentler color and taste.
• Holiday sprinkles: Use a variety of shapes and colors for visual interest. Add them right after piping so they stick to the icing.

Instructions

Preheat and prepare: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with parchment, leaving a little overhang for easy removal. Grease the pan lightly with butter or nonstick spray so the parchment adheres. This prevents sticking and helps you lift the cooled slab out cleanly. Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl whisk together 3/4 cup flour, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Sifting or whisking removes lumps and distributes the salt evenly. Set aside while you make the wet mix so you maintain momentum without overmixing later. Combine wet ingredients: In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, combine 15 tablespoons melted unsalted butter with 1 1/2 cups sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat briefly to combine and dissolve most of the sugar. Add the 3 large eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until glossy. Room temperature eggs incorporate better, creating a smoother batter and a thin crackled top after baking. Incorporate dry into wet: With the mixer on low, add the dry mixture gradually and mix until just combined. Overmixing will develop gluten and lead to cakier brownies. Scrape the bowl with a spatula and fold a final time by hand to ensure even distribution. Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake at 325 degrees F for about 30 minutes. The center should look set and a toothpick inserted near the middle will come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. Remove from the oven and allow the slab to cool completely in the pan for clean cutting. Cut shapes and prepare icing: Once cool, lift the slab using the parchment overhang and place on a cutting board. Use a tree-shaped cookie cutter to cut shapes; start at the edges and cut close together to maximize yield. For the icing, whisk 1 cup powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon milk to start. Split the icing into two bowls, tint one with green food coloring until you reach the desired shade, and transfer each to small ziplock bags for piping. Test the flow on a plate and snip a small hole in the corner for control. Decorate: Pipe alternating zigzags of green and white across each tree. Immediately press sprinkles into the still-wet icing. Let the decorated trees sit at room temperature until the icing sets, about 20 to 30 minutes, or refrigerate briefly to speed up the process.

Storage Tips

Store decorated trees in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. If you need longer storage, place them in a single layer in the refrigerator for up to five days; allow chilled brownies to come to room temperature before serving for the best texture. For freezer storage, place the decorated treats in a single layer on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer to a freezer-safe container with parchment layers in between to prevent sticking. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight wrapped loosely, and bring to room temperature before serving so the frosting softens slightly.

Ingredient Substitutions

To make dairy-free versions, swap the butter for plant-based stick margarine measured cup for cup; coconut oil will also work but expect a slight coconut flavor. For a vegan adaptation, use a commercial egg replacer or a flax egg equivalent (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water per egg) but know the texture will be slightly different and a bit more cake-like. To reduce sugar a little, try substituting half the granulated sugar with coconut sugar, though the top texture may change. Use gluten-free 1-to-1 flour blend to make a gluten-free batch, but rest the batter briefly before baking to hydrate the flours evenly.

Serving Suggestions

Arrange the trees on a platter with a dusting of powdered sugar to simulate snow, and add small edible gold stars for the treetops for a festive touch. Pair with hot chocolate or mulled wine for winter gatherings, or serve alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream to balance the dense chocolate. These are perfect for holiday cookie exchanges, classroom parties, or as homemade gifts when wrapped individually in cellophane with a ribbon.

Cultural Background

Cutting baked goods into holiday shapes is a longstanding tradition in many Western cultures where Christmas tree imagery symbolizes winter celebrations. Brownies themselves are an American classic, invented in the United States in the late 19th century as a portable, chocolatey treat. Combining familiar brownie texture with holiday shapes and decorations brings together the comfort of heritage baking with the playful, decorative spirit of the season.

Seasonal Adaptations

For a winter citrus twist, add 1 teaspoon of orange zest to the batter to brighten the chocolate. In colder months swap sprinkles for crushed peppermint candies for a classic seasonal flavor. For a spring or Easter-themed variation, use pastel-colored icings and egg-shaped sprinkles instead of trees. The basic method adapts easily across holidays by changing shapes and decoration palettes.

Meal Prep Tips

Make the brownie slab up to three days ahead and keep it wrapped in the refrigerator, then cut and decorate on the day you plan to serve. Alternatively, bake and freeze undecorated brownie slabs up to three months; thaw completely and then cut and decorate. Keep all decoration supplies ready in a small tray and assign each family member a station to speed up the process during gatherings. Use labeled ziplock bags for different colors of icing to avoid cross-contamination when decorating with kids.

These tree-shaped brownies are more than a dessert; they are a tiny holiday production that creates memories and fills your kitchen with warmth. Encourage creativity, keep a towel handy, and savor both the process and the treats with people you love.