Christmas Tree Brownies (gluten & dairy free)
My gluten and dairy free christmas tree brownies are festive, fudgy and delicious, made by baking brownies in a circular cake tin and cutting them into triangles. They are decorated with green buttercream, sprinkles and candy canes. If you do make this recipe I’d love to see, don’t forget to tag me in your photos over on social media!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which butter do you use for the the buttercream?
I use the Stork ‘perfect for baking’ 250g gold packet butter which is naturally dairy free and available in most major UK supermarkets. If you can’t get hold of this butter, it’s always best to use a hard dairy free butter block instead of a soft spread for a dairy free buttercream as soft spreads can sometimes cause the mixture to curdle.
How long will the brownies last?
My christmas tree brownies will last in airtight container for up to 4 days.
Which candy canes do you use the tree trunks?
For this recipe I use mini candy canes from Amazon which you can purchase by clicking here however any candy canes would work.
Which flour do you use to make the brownies?
For this recipe, and the majority of my bakes, I use the FREEE Gluten Free Plain Flour which works really well in gluten free baking. I also add xanthan gum as this helps to bind the brownies together and prevents them from crumbling.
Which size cake tin do you use for this recipe?
For this recipe I use a 20cm round cake tin.
Which gluten free sprinkles do you use?
Any sprinkles that don’t contain wheat/gluten or milk would work. I use the Dr Oekter Christmas Cake Sprinkles.
Christmas Tree brownies
Ingredients
For the brownies
- 75 g cocoa powder
- 185 g dairy free butter (melted)
- 300 g caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 120 g gluten free plain flour
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 150 g dairy free chocolate
For the decoration
- 100 g dairy free butter block
- 200 g icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon green food colouring
- 1 teaspoon dairy free milk
- Gluten free sprinkles
- 8 candy canes
Instructions
For the brownies
- Pre heat the oven to 180°C and grease and line a 20cm circular cake tin.
- Add your cocoa powder, caster sugar and melted dairy free butter to a bowl and mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl beat your 3 eggs. Gradually add the beaten eggs to the chocolate mixture and stir well.
- Next, add your gluten free flour and xanthan gum to the mixture and stir until fully combined.
- Stir through your chunks of chocolate and then pour the mixture into your cake tin.
- Bake for around 30-40 minutes (See notes for more details on baking times).
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin. I prefer to leave my brownies in the fridge for a couple of hours before removing and cutting. The fridge helps the brownies become even more fudgy and delicious.
Decorations
- Once the brownies are fully set, remove from the tin and cut them into 8 triangular slices (as if you were slicing a cake).
- Make the buttercream. Add the dairy free butter to a large bowl and beat until creamy. Gradually add the icing sugar, continuing to beat until fully combined and creamy. Add the green food colouring and splash of milk and beat again until combined.
- Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag and pipe onto the brownies. Press a candy cane into the base of the brownies and decorate with sprinkles.
Notes
I absolutely love seeing what you’ve created, so if you do make this recipe (or any other recipe from my website) don’t forget to tag me over on my social media pages @glutenfreealice and use the hashtag #glutenfreealice