I couldn’t resist a little festive bake the weekend before Christmas. These Christmas tree brownies make the cutest gift or would be great as part of a dessert selection for a buffet over the festive period!
What I love so much about this recipe is that it’s SO simple, literally a one bowl recipe, no fancy ingredients and super cute! A thick fudgey brownie (which I’ve made vegan friendly), it’s so easy to make things vegan now without compromising taste or flavour and without the need of fancy replacements. I’ve used coconut oil in the brownie mixture which can easily be substituted for unsalted butter, vegan block butter or olive oil. The other plant based ingredient I’ve used is unsweetened almond milk, again you can use any milk suitable to you, dairy or non dairy.
I topped each brownie with a creamy buttercream made from vegan block butter Naturli. You can use normal unsalted butter if preferred. It’s essential to use block butter for the buttercream in order to get that fluffy creamy buttercream, if you use a spreadable alternative it will be too soft!
I topped the buttercream with cute Christmas sprinkles. I LOVE Christmas sprinkles, every year in the supermarket I can’t help my self buying all the festive sprinkles and I also love the gold glitter sprays. This is the perfect project to get creative and great for getting kids involved too!
I used chopped pieces of candy canes for the stalks of my Christmas trees, but chocolate fingers would also work or anything of the same size and shape if you can’t get hold of any.
I’d love to see your festive pictures if you make this recipe, so don’t forget to tag me in your photos on instagram or facebook!
Christmas tree brownies
16
servings10
minutes35
minutes228
kcalChristmas tree brownies, vegan friendly!
Ingredients
100g dark chocolate (70%)
100g coconut oil*
250ml unsweetened almond milk
100g light muscovado sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
50g cocoa powder
150g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
BUTTERCREAM-
75g vegan block butter*
150g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp green food colouring
Christmas sprinkles
3 candy canes*
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180°c. Grease and line an 8×8 inch baking tin.
- Break the chocolate into a microwave safe bowl, along with the coconut oil and gently melt in the microwave. Add to a large bowl and add the milk and whisk together.
- Add the sugar and vanilla extract and whisk again until combined, followed by the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Mix together until a thick batter forms.
- Spoon into prepared tin and bake for 35mins. Leave to cool for 5 mins in the tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the buttercream add the softened butter to a bowl and beat with a electric whisk until paled and creamy add the powdered sugar and vanilla, then beat again until thick. Finally add the food colour to your desired strength, whipping until combined. Set aside.
- Once the brownies are cool, cut in half then cut each half into 8 triangles.
- Chop the straight part of each candy cane into 3-4cm pieces and push into the base of the triangles.
- Add the buttercream to a piping bag with a 1D nozzle attached (or use a sandwich bag with the end snipped) and pipe a zig zag down each one.
- Finally top with festive sprinkles and enjoy!
Notes
- *coconut oil can be subbed for vegan block butter, olive oil or unsalted butter
- *For the buttercream you must use a block butter not spread. Unsalted butter can be used for non vegan.
- *candy canes can be subbed for chocolate fingers