These easy Christmas Brownies are a charming holiday treat that taste even better than they look! Plus they make an easy and fun family activity for the holiday season.
Give the gift of Christmas cheer with these adorable Christmas Brownies, decorated to look like little Christmas presents! This fun and festive recipe is as easy as it gets - no skills required.
These Christmas Brownies are:
- A fun treat that the whole family will love!
- Decorated to look like holiday presents.
- Super quick and easy to make.
- Perfect for an easy holiday dessert.
Helpful Tips
Don't frost warm brownies!
Trust me on this one. Make sure to cool the brownies completely before adding the cream cheese frosting and decorating them. If the brownies are warm, that frosting will melt.
Cheat with store bought frosting.
I made my own cream cheese frosting for this recipe. But you can use any store bought frosting you like for a quicker recipe.
Add more decorations!
Add festive sprinkles, mini vegan marshmallows, or crushed candy canes to give the brownies an even more festive look.
Variations
Add nuts
Try adding chopped walnuts or pecans to the brownie batter for a bit of crunch.
Change the mix-ins
Use your favorite holiday-themed mix-ins like white chocolate chips, caramel chips or peanut butter chips instead of regular semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Peppermint Brownies
For a peppermint twist, add a teaspoon of peppermint extract to the cream cheese frosting.
Add chocolate chips
For an extra chocolatey treat, fold some semi-sweet chocolate chips into the brownie batter.
More Holiday Ideas
If you love these Christmas Brownies, be sure to check out these other delicious ideas:
- 85 Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Easy Mint Brownies
- Best Vegetarian Christmas Recipes
- 56 Festive Christmas Cocktails
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
For the Brownies:
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional
For Decorating:
- 2 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
- Red cookie icing
Instructions
For the Brownies:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9" x 13" baking pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl or in a pot on the stove. Once melted, add the sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract. Stir until well combined. Let it cool slightly if it's very hot.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. The mixture should be smooth and well blended.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Avoid overmixing. If you're using chocolate chips, fold them in at this stage.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (not wet batter).
- Allow the brownies to cool in the pan on a wire rack before cutting them into 12 squares, and beginning to decorate!
To Decorate the Christmas Present Brownies:
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Add powdered sugar and whisk until you have a soft cream cheese frosting.
- Spread the cream cheese frosting over the brownies in a thin even layer.
- Using the red cookie icing, add a vertical line to each brownie. (See pictures for help!)
- Add a horizontal line across each brownie.
- Draw the bow shape onto each brownie, so each one looks like a little Christmas present!
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