Description
Delightfully festive Santa Hat Brownies combine rich, fudgy chocolate brownies with fresh strawberries and creamy vanilla frosting to create a fun and delicious holiday treat. These brownies are baked to perfection, then decorated to resemble Santa hats, making them perfect for Christmas parties or gifting.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
Decorations
- 1/2 cup vanilla frosting (store-bought or homemade)
- 9 fresh strawberries, stems removed
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
- Whisk Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, and vegetable oil for 2 minutes until well combined.
- Add Water and Vanilla: Whisk in the water and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- Combine with Dry Ingredients: Gradually whisk the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined.
- Melt Chocolate Chips: Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until fully melted, about 60 seconds total.
- Mix Melted Chocolate: Whisk the melted chocolate into the brownie batter until smooth. Then gently fold in the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.
- Bake: Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Remove the brownies from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack.
- Assemble the Santa Hats: Once cooled, cut the brownies into 9 squares. Pipe a small circle of vanilla frosting on top of each brownie. Place a strawberry, stem side down, on top of the frosting to resemble a Santa hat. Pipe a small dollop of frosting on the tip of each strawberry to complete the hat.
Notes
- Make sure not to overbake the brownies to keep them fudgy.
- You can use homemade vanilla frosting for a fresher taste.
- Fresh strawberries should be firm and ripe for the best presentation.
- The melted chocolate folded into the batter adds extra richness to the brownies.
- The parchment paper makes it easier to lift the brownies out of the pan for cutting and decorating.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50-55 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
