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Why These Cosmic Christmas Tree Brownies Are a Holiday Must-Have

There’s something truly special about holiday baking, and these Christmas Tree Brownies stand out as a festive favorite. They combine rich, decadent flavors with an irresistibly charming presentation, making them a perfect centerpiece or delightful addition to any seasonal spread. Here’s why you’ll fall in love with them:

1. Fudgy Brownie Base: At the heart of these delightful treats is our incredibly popular, TikTok-viral cosmic brownie recipe. Boasting over 500 five-star reviews, this recipe guarantees a super rich, intensely fudgy brownie experience that forms the perfect foundation. We then elevate it with a smooth white chocolate ganache, tinted vibrant green, and adorned with playful rainbow chip sprinkles that mimic colorful ornaments. It’s a nostalgic nod to Little Debbie’s iconic Christmas tree brownies, but with an unparalleled homemade flavor and texture.
2. Effortless Cutting & Shaping: Forget the hassle of intricate cookie cutters! Our method for creating these adorable tree shapes is surprisingly simple. By following our clear photo references and cutting a standard 9×13 inch pan into precise triangles, you can easily yield 24 perfect, bite-sized brownie trees. This technique not only saves time but also ensures uniform and picture-perfect results, making holiday prep a breeze.
3. Perfect for Holiday Platters: These bite-sized brownie trees are a fantastic way to add variety and a vibrant touch of color to your holiday cookie platters. Their festive shape and delightful sprinkles make them incredibly appealing, especially for gatherings with family and friends. They’re small enough for a quick treat but packed with enough flavor to leave a lasting impression, ensuring they’ll be the first to disappear from the dessert table!

Key Ingredient Notes & Tips for Your Festive Brownies

Crafting the perfect Christmas Tree Brownies begins with understanding your ingredients. While this guide provides essential notes, for an even more extensive deep dive into our original cosmic brownie recipe, you can refer to our full recipe here.

• Homemade or Boxed Brownies: While you’re absolutely welcome to use your favorite boxed brownie mix for a quicker route, we highly recommend our from-scratch recipe for copycat cosmic brownies, detailed below in the recipe card. This homemade base is renowned for its unparalleled fudginess and rich chocolate flavor, making every bite truly special. If using a boxed mix, choose a good quality one that yields fudgy rather than cakey brownies.
• White Chocolate Chips: To achieve that iconic vibrant green topping, we create a rich white chocolate ganache using white chocolate chips, heavy cream, and food coloring. It’s crucial to note that not all white chocolate chips are created equal. Due to varying fat contents, different brands can perform quite differently when forming a ganache. We’ve rigorously tested various brands and found that Ghiradelli and Kroger “Private Selection” brands yield excellent results, both in taste and in setting into a firm, sliceable ganache. Nestle brand works adequately but tends to be a bit softer and less firm. If you opt for boxed brownies and prefer a shortcut for the topping, you can warm a can of vanilla frosting, stir in green food coloring, and pour it over the cooled brownies.
• Green Food Coloring: The type of food coloring you use significantly impacts the vibrancy and depth of your green ganache. We strongly recommend using gel-based food coloring over liquid varieties. Gel food coloring is much more concentrated, meaning you’ll need less to achieve a deep, rich green, and it’s less likely to introduce excess liquid that can cause the white chocolate to seize or become grainy. You can often find popular gel food coloring brands like Betty Crocker at most grocery stores (we’ve even found it at Aldi), or quality options like Wilton gel coloring available on Amazon or at craft stores.
• Rainbow Chip Sprinkles: These colorful sprinkles are essential for achieving the classic “cosmic” look that makes these brownies so distinctive and fun. They act as the perfect little “ornaments” on your Christmas trees. You can easily purchase them online via Amazon, or often find them in the baking aisle of craft stores. A helpful tip: Pillsbury has also recently introduced a brownie mix that conveniently includes a packet of rainbow chip sprinkles, offering a great and affordable option found in most major grocery stores!

Make it gluten-free! For those with dietary restrictions, these brownies can easily be made gluten-free. Simply substitute the all-purpose flour in our homemade recipe with your favorite gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour. Our top recommendation is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, which yields a fantastic texture comparable to traditional brownies.

Step 1: Prepare the Fudgy Brownie Base

The journey to perfect Cosmic Christmas Tree Brownies begins with a stellar brownie base. Whether you choose our homemade recipe or a trusted boxed mix, attention to detail here ensures maximum fudginess. For our from-scratch recipe, you’ll melt butter with sugars, then carefully incorporate eggs, vanilla, and dry ingredients. A key tip for perfect results and effortless removal is to both grease and line your 9×13 inch pan with a parchment paper “sling.” This simple trick allows you to easily lift the entire baked brownie slab out of the pan, making the subsequent cutting process incredibly clean and simple. Remember not to overmix the batter to maintain that coveted fudgy texture.

Step 2: Decorate with Green Ganache & Chill

Once your brownies are baked and completely cooled, it’s time to bring them to life with their festive green topping! Prepare the white chocolate ganache by gently heating heavy cream and pouring it over white chocolate chips, allowing it to sit briefly before stirring until smooth and glossy. Once smooth, add your gel-based green food coloring until you achieve your desired shade. Promptly pour the vibrant green ganache over the cooled brownie slab, using a spatula or offset spreader to create an even layer. Immediately after spreading, generously shower the ganache with rainbow chip sprinkles – these will become your colorful “ornaments.” The final crucial step is to refrigerate the brownies for 1-2 hours (or even faster in the freezer) until the ganache is fully firm. This ensures a clean cut and prevents any messy smearing when shaping your trees.

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Step 3: Cut into Festive Triangles

Once your brownies are thoroughly chilled and the ganache is firm, it’s time for the magical transformation into Christmas trees! First, run a thin knife along the edges of the brownie slab that are not covered by the parchment paper sling. Then, carefully use the parchment sling to lift the entire brownie slab out of the pan and place it on a cutting board. This step is crucial for achieving clean, straight cuts without the pan’s edges getting in the way. Follow these precise instructions and refer to the photos below for visual guidance on how to cut your brownie slab:

1. Use a large, sharp, straight-edged knife. Begin by cutting the brownie slab in half horizontally. Then, cut each half into half again, creating four equal rectangular sections. This creates a good starting grid for your triangles.
2. Starting with the bottom quadrant (or any section), begin to cut into triangles. The key to maintaining clean edges and preventing the ganache from smearing or sticking to your knife is to wipe the knife clean on a warm, wet cloth in between each cut, or whenever you notice any residue building up. Precision here ensures beautiful, distinct tree shapes.
3. Continue this process until all sections of the brownies are cut. From a 9×13 inch pan, you should yield approximately 24 perfectly shaped brownie trees. Don’t worry about the small edge pieces that don’t quite form a perfect triangle – these are the chef’s treat, perfect for snacking while you work!

Make them mini! For an even more adorable and snackable version, especially for our 2023 Christmas Series, you can easily adapt the cutting method. Instead of cutting into 4 main sections, cut your brownie slab into 6 equal sections. Then, proceed to cut each of these smaller sections into mini triangles, as demonstrated in my Instagram video. This yields even more tiny, delightful Christmas tree brownies!

Tips & Tricks for Perfect Christmas Tree Brownies

Achieving bakery-quality Christmas Tree Brownies is easy with a few simple tricks up your sleeve:

• Opt for a Light-Colored Metal Pan & Avoid Overbaking: The type of baking pan you use significantly affects the outcome of your brownies. Light-colored metal pans distribute heat more evenly than dark metal or glass pans, reducing the risk of overbaking. Overbaking is the arch-nemesis of a fudgy brownie, leading to a dry, crumbly, and potentially bitter texture. To ensure your brownies retain their irresistible fudginess, start checking for doneness around the 24-minute mark by inserting a toothpick into the center – it should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter. Alternatively, gently shake the pan; if the center no longer jiggles, they’re likely done. Pull them out of the oven a little early if you prefer them extra fudgy!
• Refrigerate to Set the Ganache Properly: White chocolate ganache can sometimes be a bit trickier to set perfectly compared to dark chocolate. We’ve meticulously tested 11 batches of this ganache to ensure a flawless consistency, so trust the process! After you’ve beautifully decorated your brownies with the green ganache and sprinkles, it is absolutely crucial to chill them in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours. This chilling period allows the ganache to firm up completely, which is essential for clean, precise cuts. Immediately after removing from the fridge, the ganache might feel a tad tacky, but it will firm up nicely as it comes to a cool room temperature.
• Never Skip the Parchment Paper Sling! This is perhaps the most vital tip for achieving professional-looking brownie trees. Lining your 9×13 inch pan with a parchment paper sling – where the parchment extends up two sides of the pan – is a game-changer. It allows you to effortlessly lift the entire baked and chilled brownie slab out of the pan. Trying to cut the brownies directly in the pan will inevitably lead to uneven cuts and messy edges, as the pan’s walls obstruct a clean knife stroke. The parchment sling ensures you can use a long, straight knife for smooth, precise cuts.
• Clean Your Knife Between Cuts: For those picture-perfect, sharp edges, make it a habit to wipe your knife clean with a warm, damp cloth between each cut. This prevents any sticky ganache or brownie crumbs from transferring and smearing onto the next piece, ensuring every single Christmas tree brownie looks pristine and irresistible.

Frequently Asked Questions: