Santa Hat Brownies are the cutest little holiday bites. The perfect dessert and fun to make too! Vegan and gluten free friendly recipe.
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How cute are these Santa hat brownies?!
This is something I saw on Pinterest years and years ago and it’s finally coming to life for me.
I’m so excited about them!
Why You Should Make Them
The best christmas desserts are fun to make and get you in the holiday spirit. These Santa brownies do just that.
They’re festive and easy to get the kids involved too.
Oh, and they’re made a little healthier than your average christmas dessert recipes.
Brownie Bite Ingredients
- flaxseed meal – we’re using flaxseed eggs to replace the eggs in this recipe to make it egg-free and vegan friendly.
- dark chocolate chips – I always opt for adding melted chocolate to my brownie batters. Makes them rich and fudgy!
- almond butter or cashew butter – the nut butter also creates a riche batter without having to add eggs or extra oil.
- oil – just a 1/4 cup.
- coconut sugar – granulated sugar here is best for this recipe. Make sure you add some sugar or the brownies will turn out bitter.
- vanilla extract – always a good addition for brownies.
- gluten free baking flour – I used a 1:1 gluten free baking flour but you can also use a whole wheat white flour or all-purpose flour if you don’t need these gluten free.
- unsweetened cocoa powder – for a rich, chocolate-y taste.
- baking soda & salt – just a tiny bit for the right rise and salt for balancing flavor.
- non-dairy milk – just a couple of tablespoons to help thin out the batter.
For the Frosting
You can make your own frosting or store bought. You don’t need actually need too much here but if you’d like to make your own, all you need is:
- 1/2 cup unsalted plant-based butter (to keep vegan friendly)
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups powdered sugar
Oh, and strawberries of course! California Giant grows the best strawberries and they make the Santa hat. They’re the star ingredient of this cute Christmas dessert.
You’ll also need a 24-cup mini muffin pan for the perfect sized brownie bites.
First Make the Brownies
- Preheat oven to 325ºF and lightly grease 24-cup mini muffin pan; set aside.
- Make Flax Egg. In a small bowl combine flaxseed meal with water and set aside for 5 minutes. This is your “egg”. Note: If you don’t need this recipe to be egg-free, you can sub with 2 large eggs.
- Melt chocolate. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips, stirring until smooth. Microwave tip: melt on 50% power in 30 second increments, stirring until smooth. Set aside and let cool slightly.
- Begin mixing batter. In a large bowl, mix together almond butter with oil and sugar until fully combined. Add in melted chocolate and vanilla extract until smooth. Add in flaxseed “eggs” until combined – mixture will get thicker at this point.
- Add Dry Ingredients. Gently add in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, stirring until smooth, adding milk at the end. Note: batter is thick and fudge-y.
- Distribute in muffin pan. Using small cookie scoop, evenly distribute batter into mini muffin pan, filling 3/4 way full (any more and you’ll over flow the tops).
- Bake brownie bites. Bake at 325ºF for 8-10 minutes (mine took 9 – test for wet batter with toothpick).
TIP: Allow brownies to cool completely before carefully removing from pan (I used a butter knife to gently lift).
Prepare the Strawberries
While the brownies are cooling, prepare the strawberries by washing, drying and cutting off green tops. You’ll need 24 large strawberries.
Make sure the strawberries are dry so they don’t slide when placing on top of the frosting.
Tips for Picking Strawberries
- Look for fresh green caps
- They should be plump in appearance
- Have a natural sheen
- Bright red color
- Larger strawberries are best for these brownie bites
Make the Frosting
In a medium bowl using electric mixer, cream butter until smooth then carefully add powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until combined. Taste test for desired sweetness after 1 cup.
It’s best to use an electric mixer here to cream the butter.
If you’d rather go the store-bought route, that’s fine too! You could even use a cream cheese frosting if you’d like. I just wouldn’t recommend whipped cream because it won’t hold its texture.
Whatever kind of frosting you choose, be sure to put the frosting into a piping bag (or a plastic storage bag with tip cut) so you can easily go around the top of the brownie bite.
Assemble the Santa Hat Brownies
Using a piping bag, pipe the frosting around the edge of brownie, or you can also pipe the entire top of the brownie.
After you’ve added a frosting to all of the brownie bites, place the cut strawberry on top of frosting, top down, then pipe a dot of frosting on tip of strawberry to create the top of the hat.
How to Store
You’ll want to keep these refrigerated until it’s time to eat.
And if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container if possible and enjoy within three days.
They really are so fun to make! And kids love them too.
More Holiday Desserts
Let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a comment and rating below! It helps others learn more about the recipe too! Xx Ashley
Santa Hat Brownies
Ingredients
Brownies
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal + ⅓ cup water
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips,
- ¾ cup creamy cashew butter, make sure it's well mixed + smooth
- ¼ cup avocado oil, or light olive oil
- ½ cup coconut sugar or granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup all-purpose 1:1 gluten free baking flour
- ¼ cup + 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
Strawberry Hats
- 2 (16 ounce) containers California Giant Strawberries
Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted plant-based butter, vegan friendly
- 1 ½ – 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF and lightly grease 24-cup mini muffin pan; set aside.
- Make Flax Egg: In a small bowl combine flaxseed meal with water and set aside for 5 minutes.
- Melt chocolate: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips, stirring until smooth. Or melt on 50% power in 30 second increments, stirring until smooth. Set aside and let cool slightly.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together cashew butter with oil and sugar until fully combined. Add in melted chocolate and vanilla extract until smooth. Add in flaxseed "eggs" until combined – mixture will get thicker at this point.
- Add dry ingredients: Gently add in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, stirring until smooth, adding milk at the end until batter is thick and fudge-y.
- Scoop dough: Using small cookie scoop, evenly distribute batter into mini muffin pan, filling 3/4 way full (any more and you'll over flow the tops).
- Bake brownie bites for 8-10 minutes (mine took 9 – test for wet batter with toothpick). Allow brownies to cool completely before carefully removing from pan (I used a butter knife to gently lift).
- Prepare strawberries: While the brownies are cooling, wash and dry strawberries, then cut off green tops. You'll need 24 large strawberries.
- Make the frosting: In a medium bowl using electric mixer, cream butter until smooth then carefully add powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until combined. Taste test for desired sweetness after 1 cup.
- Assemble Santa Hat Brownies: Using piping bag, pipe the frosting around the edge of brownie (option to pipe the entire brownie). Place strawberry on top of frosting, top down, then pipe a dot of frosting on tip of strawberry to create the top of the hat. Continue this process until all of the santa hats have been created.
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