Description
Welcome to a delightful recipe that will light up your holiday table—Santa’s Delight Brownies. These charming treats feature a rich brownie base, a creamy topping, and fresh strawberries arranged to look like festive Santa hats. Not only are they visually striking, but these brownies also bring a perfect balance of sweet and chocolatey flavors to spark the festive spirit.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 18 oz package brownie mix (e.g., Ghirardelli Double Chocolate or similar)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup cooled coffee or water
- 2 large eggs
- 24 medium strawberries
- 1 8 oz frozen whipped topping, thawed
- 1 8 oz container spreadable cream cheese, softened
- 1/2–1 cup powdered sugar (adjust to taste)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare for Baking Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (177°C). Either spray a 24-cup mini muffin pan with baking spray or line it with mini paper holiday liners for a festive touch. This preparation ensures easy release of the brownies after baking.
- Mix the Batter In a medium-sized mixing bowl, blend the brownie mix, vegetable oil, cooled coffee (or water), and eggs using an electric mixer until the mixture is fully incorporated. The coffee adds a deep, rich flavor to the brownies, but it can be substituted with water if desired.
- Bake Use a small scoop to evenly distribute the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. A toothpick inserted should come out with moist crumbs when they are perfectly baked. Allow the mini brownies to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
- Prepare the Topping While the brownies cool, prepare the topping by whipping together the thawed whipped topping, softened cream cheese, powdered sugar (starting with 1/2 cup and adjusting according to taste), and vanilla extract until the mixture is fluffy and fully combined. Chill in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble the brownies.
- Assemble the Brownies After hulling the strawberries and trimming their tips, begin assembly. Pipe the cream topping onto each brownie using a piping bag fitted with a small star tip. Place a strawberry upside down on each, and add a dot of cream on top to complete the “Santa hat”. Chill the brownies for at least 2 hours to set them perfectly.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes