Description

These festive Christmas Brownies with Chocolate Frosting are rich, fudgy, and topped with a creamy chocolate frosting adorned with holiday-themed sprinkles, nuts, and crushed candy canes. Perfect for sharing during the holidays, this recipe yields moist and chocolaty brownies with a delightful decorative finish that brings holiday cheer to any dessert table.

Ingredients

Scale

Brownie Ingredients

1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (65g) unsweetened cocoa powder
2 large eggs (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour (or gluten-free blend for GF option)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (90g) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Chocolate Frosting Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (180g) powdered sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2–3 tablespoons heavy cream (or plant-based cream for dairy-free)

Decoration

Chopped walnuts or pecans
Crushed candy canes
Holiday-themed sprinkles
White chocolate chips or melted chocolate drizzle

Instructions

Prepare Your Ingredients and Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease or line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper to ensure easy removal. Gather and measure all ingredients prior to beginning for smooth assembly.
Make the Brownie Batter: Melt the butter gently over low heat or in the microwave, then whisk in the granulated sugar and unsweetened cocoa powder until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract thoroughly. Fold in the flour and salt, mixing gently just until combined to avoid overworking the batter. Stir in the semi-sweet chocolate chips evenly throughout the batter.
Bake the Brownies: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, taking care not to overbake so the brownies retain a fudgy texture.
Prepare the Chocolate Frosting: While the brownies cool completely, whisk together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, softened butter, and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream until the mixture is creamy and spreadable. Add additional cream by the teaspoon as needed to achieve the perfect frosting thickness for easy spreading.
Frost and Decorate: Once the brownies have cooled completely, spread the frosting evenly over the top. Decorate with holiday-themed sprinkles, chopped walnuts or pecans, crushed candy canes, and optionally white chocolate chips or melted chocolate drizzle to create a festive presentation.

Notes

To make the brownies gluten-free, use a certified gluten-free flour blend instead of all-purpose flour.
For a dairy-free version, substitute butter with a vegan margarine and use plant-based cream for the frosting.
Do not overbake the brownies; removing them when a toothpick has moist crumbs will keep them fudgy and moist.
Ensure brownies are completely cooled before frosting to prevent melting or sliding of the frosting.
Chilling the brownies for 30 minutes after frosting can make cutting cleaner and easier.
Decorations can be customized to fit other holiday themes or personal preferences.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: Christmas brownies, chocolate frosting, holiday dessert, fudgy brownies, festive brownies, holiday baking, chocolate dessert