Easy Christmas Tree Brownies

Who doesn’t love a rich gooey brownie? These brownies are simple to whip up and they can be easily decorated by adults and children alike. Christmas brownies are a snap to make, you can cut the brownies to make 8 large trees or 18 smaller iced Christmas trees!

At Ajpal, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

Frosted Tree Brownies

My Christmas brownies are easy to customize, perfect for parties and cookie exchanges, and bring instant holiday magic to any dessert table.

How To Make Christmas Tree Brownies

First assemble the following ingredients:

• Boxed brownie mix and ingredients recommended – Using a boxed brownie mix creates a rich, fudgy base that’s quick, reliable, and perfect for cutting into sturdy Christmas tree shapes.
• Egg yolk – Adding an extra egg yolk boosts richness and chewiness, giving the brownies a more decadent, bakery-style texture.
• Green buttercream frosting – Green buttercream frosting acts as the “pine needles,” adding creamy sweetness while giving the brownies their festive Christmas tree look.
• Sprinkles – Colorful sprinkles decorate the trees like ornaments, adding crunch, sparkle, and extra holiday cheer.
• Candy canes – Candy canes serve as the tree trunks, adding a peppermint snap and making the brownies easy to hold and serve.

Steps to Make Christmas Tree Decorated Brownies

Prep

Preheat the oven to the temperature recommended on the box of brownies mix. Prepare a 9X9 baking pan (preferably a light metal pan) by lining it with parchment paper. You want to leave extra parchment paper over the edges so that you may easily remove the whole pan of brownies later.

Mix Batter

Use a whisk to stir together the ingredients recommended on the box of brownies and 1 egg yolk. (If this is too challenging, then use a spatula). We don’t want to over-mix, so mix just until the flour disappears.

Bake

Bake the brownies on the middle rack in your oven.

Cool

Check the brownies a few minutes before the minimum time recommended on the box. You do not want to over bake them. Insert a toothpick to test doneness. Leave the brownies in the pan and place it on a cooling rack. After a few minutes, move the pan into the fridge. Remove the brownies from the pan. Trim off outer edges. Cool completely.

Cut into 18 Trees

Cut the brownies into 3 long strips. Then cut the strips into triangles – this will make 3 rows with 6 triangles each. (Cut 3 equal squares from each strip, then cut the squares in half on the diagonal.)  They will be small trees.

Cut into 8 Trees

If you want large trees, you can get 8. Cut the brownies in half down the middle. You will be able to cut 4 equal size triangles from each half. (It is like a zig-zag pattern.) It will only work if you trim a little off of each end, at an angle.

Decorate

Dye your frosting green and create a swaggered design across the front of the trees decorate with sprinkles and a candy cane as the base.

Tips to Perfect Christmas Tree Brownies

Use a fudgy brownie mix or recipe rather than cakey brownies so the trees hold together when cut.

Line your pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang, to easily lift the brownies out for neat slicing.

Let brownies cool completely (or chill) before cutting—warm brownies will crumble and lose their shape.

Trim the edges first, then cut brownies into even rectangles before slicing into triangle tree shapes.

Use a sharp knife wiped clean between cuts for crisp edges and professional-looking trees.

Save brownie scraps to make brownie bites, trifles, or ice cream mix-ins—nothing goes to waste.

Tint buttercream a deep green, since lighter shades fade visually once spread on dark brownies.

Use a small offset spatula or piping bag to frost in short strokes for a realistic “pine needle” texture. Frost just before decorating so sprinkles and candy stick without sliding off.

Add sprinkles sparingly—too many can weigh down the frosting and blur the tree shape. Press candy canes in gently to avoid cracking the brownies.

Chill frosted brownies for 10–15 minutes to set the buttercream before serving or packaging.

Store brownies in a single layer or with parchment between layers to protect the decorations.

For gifting, wrap individually in cellophane bags to keep frosting intact and festive.

Festive Tree Brownie FAQs

Make sure that your eggs are at room temperature. And if you have a recipe that calls for butter, that should be room temperature as well. Only stir the batter the bare minimum. And don’t over bake!

To keep these brownies as dense as possible we really don’t want to over-mix the batter. So, it is better to mix the batter by hand using a whisk and then a spatula if needed, just until the flour disappears.

Yes, you want to make sure that the brownies are very well cooled. You may even want to put them in the freezer for a bit, depending on the denseness of your brownies.

For this recipe it is really important that the whole pan of brownies removes well. If you don’t have parchment paper, you could use tin foil.

I recommend a light metal dish for these brownies because that will produce chewier brownies, but I’m sure it will be fine to use a glass baking dish.

Other Christmas Treats You’ll Love

If you’re looking for more delicious easy Christmas treat ideas, please check out more of our favorites:

Best Easy Sprinkle Cookies

Melted Snowman Cookies

Easy Gingerbread Truffles

The Best Easy Russian Tea Cakes

Andes Stuffed Cookies

Cranberry Bars

Best Chocolate Truffles

Best Gingerbread Cookies

You can find the rest of our Christmas cookie (and treats) at our Christmas Cookies page.