Celebrate the holiday season with these adorable Christmas-themed brownies! They transform a classic, fudgy brownie base into a festive treat with simple white and pink buttercream frosting, topped with sprinkles.
These Santa Hat brownies are the perfect, merry treat to sweeten your holiday celebrations!
Why You’ll Love These Holiday Brownies
An instant festive transformation – Elevate a standard brownie into a show-stopping holiday dessert. With just a simple brownie base and colored buttercream frosting, these charming Christmas brownies will bring a wave of holiday cheer to any table.
Easily customizable – use a box of brownie mix for added convenience, gluten-free flour to cater to food allergies, add extra mix-ins like chopped nuts, or swap the pink food coloring for red.
Make ahead – Both the baked brownie base as well as the frosting can be made a few days in advance, ready to decorate and serve just before the party guests arrive!
Santa Hat Brownies Ingredients
Brownie batter
- ½ cup unsalted butter, browned
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup all purpose flour
Frosting
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- Pink Food Dye
Want more holiday treats? Check these out:
- Chocolate Peppermint Shake
- Cute Chocolate Candy Cane Hearts
- Mini Peppermint Candy Cane Cheesecakes
- Easy Christmas Crinkle Cookies With Cake Mix
How To Make Christmas Themed Brownies
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
In a bowl, combine ½ cup browned unsalted butter and 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, stirring until melted and smooth.
Mix in 1 cup of white granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt.
Add 3 eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Sift in ½ cup cocoa powder and ½ cup all-purpose flour.
Fold until just combined, being careful not to overmix the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
Let the brownies cool completely before removing from the pan.
Cut the 8×8 cooled brownie slab in half horizontally.
Cut each half into triangles to create the shape of brownie Santa hats.
In a bowl, beat ¾ cup softened unsalted butter and 8 ounces softened cream cheese until smooth and fluffy.
Gradually add 5 cups of powdered sugar.
Beat until fully incorporated.
Separate some of the white frosting and then take the rest and mix in pink food dye until the desired color is reached.
Transfer the frosting into 2 piping bags, snipping a hole in the end of both, making the pink bag’s hole slightly larger than the white frosting bag.
Pipe white frosting along the base of each brownie triangle and a small dollop at the top to resemble Santa hat trim and pom-pom.
Next, fill the middle with the pink frosting.
Top with holiday sprinkles and serve the frosted Santa hat brownies. Enjoy!
Storage Instructions For Santa Hat Brownies
To keep your Christmas brownies fresh and festive, follow these simple storage tips:
Room Temperature
Store these Christmas-themed brownies in an airtight container for 1-2 days for the best texture.
In The Fridge
Refrigerate these holiday brownies in an airtight container for up to a week. Allow them to come to room temperature before serving again.
Leftover buttercream frosting should be stored in an airtight container or secured piping bag in the fridge for up to 1-2 weeks. Give the stored buttercream a good stir before using again.
Freezing
It’s best to freeze these brownies unfrosted. Unfrosted brownies should be wrapped with plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and will last for up to 2-3 months.
Thaw the frozen unfrosted brownies in the fridge or on the countertop and then decorate with fresh buttercream frosting.
More delicious Christmas treats await—see them here:
- 10 Easy Crockpot Christmas Candy Recipes
- 50 Easy Kids Christmas Treats For School
- 21+ Best Easy SOFT Christmas Cookies
- 19 Christmas Punch Recipes & Party Drinks For Kids
Santa Hat Brownies
Equipment
- 9×9 Baking Pan
- Parchment paper
- Piping Bags
Ingredients
Brownie batter
- ½ cup unsalted butter browned
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup all purpose flour
Frosting
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- Pink Food Dye
Instructions
Brownie Batter
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, combine ½ cup browned unsalted butter and 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, stirring until melted and smooth.
- Mix in 1 cup of white granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Add 3 eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Sift in ½ cup cocoa powder and ½ cup all-purpose flour.
- Fold until just combined, being careful not to overmix the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Let the brownies cool completely before removing from the pan.
- Cut the 8×8 cooled brownie slab in half horizontally.
- Cut each half into triangles to create the shape of brownie Santa hats.
Frosting
- In a bowl, beat ¾ cup softened unsalted butter and 8 ounces softened cream cheese until smooth and fluffy.
- Gradually add 5 cups of powdered sugar.
- Beat until fully incorporated.
- Separate some of the white frosting and then take the rest and mix in pink food dye until the desired color is reached.
- Transfer the frosting into 2 piping bags, snipping a hole in the end of both, making the pink bag’s hole slightly larger than the white frosting bag.
- Pipe white frosting along the base of each brownie triangle and a small dollop at the top to resemble Santa hat trim and pom-pom.
- Next, fill the middle with the pink frosting.
- Top with holiday sprinkles and serve the frosted Santa hat brownies. Enjoy!
Notes
Storage Instructions
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for 1–2 days.
- Fridge: Keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week; bring to room temperature before serving.
- Buttercream frosting: Store in an airtight container or piping bag in the fridge for 1–2 weeks; stir before using.
- Freezing (unfrosted): Wrap in plastic and store in an airtight container or freezer bag for 2–3 months; thaw before frosting.
