Description
Celebrate the holiday season with festive Christmas Brownies, featuring chewy homemade brownies cut into holiday shapes and topped with colorful, piped buttercream frosting and festive decorations. These treats are perfect for holiday parties, gift-giving, or a fun family baking activity.
Ingredients
Brownies
- Double batch of Best Chewy Brownies ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla extract, salt, baking powder)
Buttercream Frosting
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Milk or cream
- Gel food coloring (various colors as desired)
Decorations
- Festive sprinkles
- Mini M&Ms or other edible decorations
Instructions
- Make the Brownies: Prepare a double batch of the Best Chewy Brownies by doubling all ingredients from the original recipe. Pour the batter into a 9 by 13-inch metal baking pan lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake according to the original instructions, adding 3 to 5 minutes to the bake time. Allow the brownies to cool completely and chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours or overnight to firm up.
- Make the Buttercream: Prepare the Best Ever Buttercream Frosting following the original recipe. Divide the buttercream into separate bowls and tint each with gel food coloring as desired. Transfer the colored buttercream into disposable piping bags fitted with preferred piping tips.
- Cut Out the Brownies: Carefully remove the cooled slab of brownies from the baking pan, leaving the parchment paper or foil underneath. Use a tall metal cookie cutter to cut out Christmas shapes, spacing them as closely as possible. Gently slide an offset spatula or paring knife beneath each cut brownie shape to release it from the parchment paper or foil. Press the brownie shapes out of the cookie cutter using your fingers, ensuring they are cold for easier removal.
- Decorate the Christmas Brownies: Pipe the colored buttercream frosting onto each brownie shape using the piping bags. Immediately add festive sprinkles, mini M&Ms, or other edible decorations while the frosting is still soft. Allow the buttercream to set slightly before serving, or store the decorated brownies in an airtight container to keep them fresh and prevent drying.
Notes
- Store decorated Christmas Brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days to prevent drying out, especially at the cut edges.
- For freezing, freeze unfrosted brownies either as a whole slab or individual cut shapes. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to one month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for a few hours at room temperature before frosting and serving.
- The buttercream frosting colors can be customized to match any holiday theme or preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 brownie (approx. 60g)
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 25g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
