These homemade Christmas Tree Cosmic Brownies are rich, fudgy, and so much better than the store-bought ones. Cut into festive tree shapes and topped with ganache and rainbow chocolate chips, they’re the perfect holiday treat.
Cosmic Brownie Christmas Trees
These copycat cosmic brownies take the classic Little Debbie treat to a whole new level, by adding a festive holiday twist to all that fudgy, chewy goodness. Made totally from scratch, they’re ultra-rich brownies that are cut into adorable Christmas tree shapes. Though the way they look may remind you of the store-bought version, let’s face it, nothing beats homemade brownies fresh out of the oven.
Once cooled, each tree is topped with a smooth layer of green ganache and sprinkled with rainbow chocolate chips, for a festive finishing touch. Perfect for holiday parties, dessert trays, or just a fun kitchen project with the kids, these brownies are a sweet and fun way to celebrate the season. For other fun Christmas tree-inspired treats, check out these Christmas Tree Cinnamon Rolls and these Christmas Tree Meringues.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Homemade goodness – They’re made from scratch and taste way better than store-bought.
- Festive presentation – The cute little Christmas tree design adds a little fun to the holiday table.
- Delicious topping – The ganache topping adds extra delicious chocolate goodness to the brownies.
- Great for sharing – Perfect for holiday parties or as a sweet gift for friends and family.
- Kid-friendly fun – Baking these brownies can be a fun activity to do with kids during the holiday season.
Ingredients to Make Christmas Tree Brownies
For the Brownies
- Sugar – We used a combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar to add the perfect amount of sweetness.
- Vanilla extract – Give them a nice warm flavor.
- Large eggs – Binds the ingredients and helps them to rise.
- Melted butter – Adds moisture and makes the brownies fudgy.
- Semisweet chocolate chips – Make the brownies moist and fudgy.
- Vegetable oil – Keeps the brownies soft and moist.
- All-purpose flour – Gives the brownies structure and helps them hold their shape.
- Cocoa powder – Adds an extra deep chocolate flavor to the batter.
For the Ganache Topping
- Butter – Adds richness and helps create a smooth texture.
- Sweetened condensed milk – Makes the ganache creamy and sweet.
- Green candy melts – Gives them a fun color and sweet flavor.
- Rainbow chocolate chips – Add a colorful, crunchy touch on top.
How to Make Homemade Comic Brownie Christmas Trees
Step One: Combine Butter and Chocolate Chips
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl combine the ½ cup of butter and chocolate chips.
Step Two: Melt Until Smooth
- Melt in the microwave in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth.
Step Three: Add the Sugars
- To the chocolate add your sugars.
Step Four: Add the Remaining Wet Ingredients
- Add, the vanilla, eggs, cocoa powder and oil. Stir until combined.
Step Five: Add the Flour, Bake, and Cool
- Mix in the flour and stir until combined. You may see small lumps and that is okay.
- Spread the brownie batter into the pan.
- Bake them until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
Step Six: Make the Ganache
- To a small sauce pan add your 4 tablespoons of butter, sweetened condensed milk and candy melts.
- Over low heat stir until all is melted and smooth.
Step Seven: Add the Ganache Topping
- Remove the brownies from the oven and top with the ganache and spread over the brownies.
- Quickly top with the rainbow chips then set them aside to cool completely.
Step Eight: Cut Into Trees
- Once cool you can take your Christmas tree cookie cutter and begin to cut out trees and serve!
How To Store Leftovers
Room temperature – Store the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. This keeps them fresh and fudgy.
Refrigerator – If you want to extend their freshness, you can keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Just keep in mind that they will get a good bit firmer when chilled.
Freezing Copycat Comic Brownies
If you’d like to freeze them for later, just wrap the brownies individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, simply thaw them at room temperature for a couple of hours.
Variations and Add-ins
- Different shapes – You can use cookie cutters to create various holiday shapes, like stars or candy canes, for a fun twist.
- Flavor – Add a teaspoon of peppermint extract for a minty flavor or orange zest for a citrus flavor.
- Nuts – Mix in chopped nuts, like walnuts or pecans, for added crunch.
- Chocolate drizzle – Drizzle melted white or dark chocolate over the top for an extra special touch.
- Holiday sprinkles – If you can’t find rainbow chocolate chips. Use festive holiday-themed sprinkles instead of rainbow chocolate chips to enhance the festive look.
FAQs
Yes! You can bake the brownies a day or two in advance. Just store them in an airtight container until you’re ready to serve.
Line your baking dish with parchment paper and lightly grease it. This will make it easy to lift the brownies out once they’re cooled.
Absolutely! You can use white chocolate or other colored candy melts if you prefer. Just melt them in the same way and pour them over the brownies.
Feel free to swap out the semisweet chocolate chips for milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or even white chocolate chips.
If your ganache is too thick, you can add a little more sweetened condensed milk or a splash of milk to thin it out.
More Fun Christmas Recipes
- Reindeer Krispies Treats
- Grinch Truffles
- Christmas Tree Meringues
- Santa Nutter Butter Cookies
- Melted Snowman Bark
- Candy Cane Danishes
- Christmas Wreath Cookies
Cosmic Brownies Christmas Trees
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs plus 2 yolks
- ½ cup butter melted
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
Ganache:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 10 ounces green candy melts
- ¼ cup rainbow chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl microwave safe bowl combine the ½ cup of butter and chocolate chips.½ cup butter, 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- Melt in the microwave in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth.
- To the chocolate add your sugars, vanilla, eggs, cocoa powder and oil.1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 large eggs plus 2 yolks, ¼ cup cocoa powder, ½ cup vegetable oil
- Stir until combined.
- Stir in the flour.1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- Spread the brownie batter into the pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the ganache.
- To a small sauce pan add your 4 tablespoons of butter, sweetened condensed milk and candy melts.4 tablespoons butter, ½ cup sweetened condensed milk, 10 ounces green candy melts
- Over low heat stir until all melted and smooth.
- Remove the brownies from the oven and top with the ganache and spread over the brownies.
- Quickly top with the rainbow chips.¼ cup rainbow chocolate chips
- Set aside to cool completely.
- Once cool you can take your Christmas tree cookie cutter and begin to cut out trees and set aside.
- Serve!
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