Christmas Tree Brownie Bites
Christmas Tree Brownie Bites are the perfect holiday treats for kids and adults alike. These delicious bites are festive, adorable to look at, and delicious too! Make these a family activity and have some fun in the kitchen together!
Tis the season for Holiday Cookie Platters! We love including the Best Ever Snickerdoodle Cookies, Soft and Chewy Gingersnap Cookies, the Peppermint Mocha Cookies, and some Easy Homemade Toffee!
Brownie Bites
Y’all! These were so fun to make! I’m not a crafty person by nature, but give me some food and I’m going to have a go at it. It’s amazing what you can do when you dance around your kitchen to holiday tunes.
Most importantly, these little bites are really really good! I used my recipe for Triple Chocolate Brownies, which is hard to screw up; trust me. They’re moist and fudgy, and we’re totally obsessed. Then we top them with some simple powdered sugar icing.
Lastly, and the star of the show, are the almond bark Christmas trees. Start with pretzel rods, and then use melted almond bark to design your very own miniature trees. The bark sets up super fast, so you don’t have to wait long to assemble the bites.
More detailed instructions below!
Why we love these Christmas Tree Brownie Bites:
- FUN TO MAKE – These sweet little brownie bites are super fun to make! Get the kiddos together and have a decorating party.
- DELICIOUS – We love the combo of the fudgey brownie base, the simple icing, and the almond bark pretzels. One of these is never enough!
- SHOW-STOPPER TREATS – Make these brownie bites for your holiday parties and be prepared for requests for the recipe!
Ingredients Notes:
- Brownie Recipe – I used three types of chocolate for these brownies – semisweet chocolate baking bar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and dark chocolate chips. So much chocolate! 😀
- Powdered Sugar Icing – Just a little melted butter, vanilla extract, milk, and some powdered sugar. I recommend sifting your powdered sugar for a smooth icing.
- Almond Bark Pretzels – A combo of pretzel sticks and almond bark, with a few drops of food coloring plus sprinkles of your choice!
How to make Christmas Tree Brownie Bites:
Step 1
Make the brownie batter. Follow the best brownie recipe for these fun treats! You can use the stovetop or the microwave to melt your chocolate.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8×8 pan with parchment paper.
- In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and chocolate together until creamy. Let cool slightly.
- Transfer the chocolate mixture to a mixing bowl, and add the sugars. Mix well. Then add the beaten eggs and vanilla and mix again.
- To the mixing bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and chocolate chips. Mix again.
- Pour the batter into the pan that is prepared with parchment paper, smoothing to all sides of the pan. Add a few extra chocolate chips to the top of the brownie batter.
- Bake the brownies for approximately 28 – 32 minutes at 350 degrees, or until done to your liking.
- Remove brownies from oven, let sit for about 10 minutes, and then remove the brownies to a cooling rack, using the parchment paper to carefully lift them out.
Step 2
Slice. Once cool, slice them into 25 even squares (as pictured below). Place the brownie squares on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
Step 3
Make the icing. Sift your powdered sugar, and add the remaining ingredients – the melted butter, vanilla, and milk. Stir very well to combine.
Pro-Tip: If the icing consistency is off, you can easily adjust it. Add more powdered sugar if it’s too thin. Add more milk (just a drop at a time) if it’s too thick.
Step 4
Prep almond bark trees. Melt the almond bark in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second increments until smooth and creamy. Add a few drops of green food coloring and mix well. Spoon the mixture into a small bag and clip off the tip (just the very end).
Add the pretzel sticks to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving space in between. Squeeze the bag of almond bark to make the tree, starting about one inch above the pretzel, working in a side-to-side movement to form the branches. Then immediately add the sprinkles to the tree (before the almond bark hardens).
Let the trees sit until the almond bark sets up. You can speed this up by placing the baking sheet in the freezer.
Step 5
Assemble. Spread the brownie bites apart on a baking sheet. Add a spoonful of the icing, and then press the pretzel stick tree into the middle of the brownie bite.
Add a sprinkle of powdered sugar all over the trees. I use a sifter to do this.
Recipe FAQs:
Yes, you can make the brownie bites and freeze them in an airtight container. The trees are also easy to make ahead and freeze. I suggest making the icing a day in advance and storing on your countertop.
Admittedly, these are hard to store but you can place them on a baking sheet and cover them in several pieces of foil. Or you can wait to add the trees until your party or gathering.
Yes, you can store the baked brownies and the tree pretzels separately. Thaw, make frosting, and assemble treats later.
These are pretty adaptable. While we LOVE the brownies as the base, you could try using another type of dessert like a pan of blondies, some soft cookies, or a muffin.
Yes, instead of making homemade brownies, you can use store-bought instead.
Other Holiday Treats:
Are you planning a holiday party this year? Going to a cookie exchange? I have SO MANY ideas for you to try. Let’s bake!
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Christmas Tree Brownie Bites
Ingredients
For the brownies:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter – melted
- 4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped – I use Baker's brand
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 large eggs – at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened baking cocoa – I use Hershey's brand
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- a sprinkle of kosher salt – add after baking
For the icing:
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter – melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 Tablespoons milk
- 3 cups powdered sugar – or use enough for a nice consistency
For the trees:
- 25 small pretzel sticks
- 6 oz. almond bark
- food coloring
- sprinkles
Instructions
Make the brownies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8×8 pan by placing parchment paper in pan so that it hangs over the edges by a few inches.
- Melt butter in medium sauce pan. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until melted. Let cool slightly.¾ cup unsalted butter, 4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
- Transfer the chocolate mixture to a mixing bowl, and add the sugars. Mix well. Then add vanilla and eggs and mix again.½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 3 large eggs
- Add dry ingredients to mixing bowl – the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Mix well. Then add the dark chocolate chips.¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup unsweetened baking cocoa, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- Pour brownie batter into square pan, smoothing it so that it is level.
- Bake for approximately 28-32 minutes, or until until you're liking. We like ours on the gooey side.
- Let brownies cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing brownies to cooling rack, using parchment paper edges to remove.
- When cool, slice into 25 equal squares.
Make the icing.
- Sift your powdered sugar, and add with remaining ingredients – the melted butter, vanilla, and milk. Stir very well to combine.3 cups powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 3 Tablespoons milk
- If the icing consistency is off, you can easily adjust it. Add more powdered sugar if it’s too thin. Add more milk (just a drop at a time) if it’s too thick.
Make the trees.
- Melt the almond bark in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second increments until smooth and creamy. Add a few drops of green food coloring and mix well. Spoon the mixture into a small bag and clip off the tip.6 oz. almond bark, food coloring
- Add the pretzel sticks to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving space in between. Squeeze the bag of almond bark to make the tree, starting about one inch above the pretzel, working in a side-to-side movement to form the branches. Then immediately add the sprinkles to the tree.25 small pretzel sticks, sprinkles
- Let the trees sit until the almond bark sets up. You can speed this up by placing the baking sheet in the freezer.
Assemble.
- Spread the brownie bites apart on a baking sheet. Add a spoonful of the icing, and then press the pretzel stick tree into the middle of the brownie bite.
- Add a sprinkle of powdered sugar all over the trees. I use a sifter to do this.
Notes
- These are hard to store assembled, but you can place them on a baking sheet and cover them in several pieces of foil. Or you can wait to add the trees until your party or gathering.
- While we LOVE the brownies as the base, you could try using another type of dessert like a pan of blondies, some soft cookies, or a muffin.
I altered the recipe a bit to make these brownies vegan, for my grand daughter, which wasn’t necessary since she didn’t eat them. But I’ve had the brownies before (the non-vegan version) and they are delicious. Make those instead! I made a huge mess while making the Christmas trees because I didn’t seal the back of the bag of melted almond bark (be sure to do that), and my technique was pretty wild, but to be honest I loved the look of the scribbled design of the trees. Seems you can be creative with the bark! Just know that they will break more easily too. I will make these again because they’re so tasty and festive. Don’t be afraid to try and fail a bit. It’s part of the fun!
They looked beautiful, Jackie! 🙂
Loved these! Took them for my class party at school, and they were a hit! The little trees were the star of the show, and tasty too. The brownies were better than boxed ones, and very moist and chocolatey. Will 100% make again.
They looked so pretty, Abigail! Thanks for making them!! 🙂
These brownies were amazing! I took them to a family Christmas get-together and they were a huge hit. I made them a couple days in advance and they were still moist and tasted fresh on the day of. People didn’t believe me when I told them how easy the trees were to make! I will definitely be making these again!
Yay! They really are simple to make. Thanks so much for giving these a try, Brynn!
These are the cutest AND they taste awesome. Because of time, we used a box brownie mix , but they were so easy to make and look so cute on a platter!!
Hi Mary! I’m so glad you tried these (even if you used boxed brownies)! Try my homemade version next because they are 10/10! 🙂