Description
Cute and festive chocolate reindeer brownies that kids and adults will love! These wonderful Christmas brownies are made with all real ingredients, are gluten-free, and are mostly refined sugar-free. They make the best holiday dessert to bring to parties.
Ingredients
Scale
For the brownies
- 1/2 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour – you can also use regular all-purpose flour.
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder – unsweetened
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder – only use 1/4 teaspoon if you are using regular flour.
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup neutral oil ( such as avocado oil or grapeseed oil) or melted butter.
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips – optional
For decorating
- 1 cup chocolate frosting
- 16 mini pretzels
- 16 googly eyes – or candy eyeballs
- 8 red M&Ms
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch cake pan, or 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray to prevent sticking. You can also line it with parchment paper cut to fit the pan you are using. This also makes it easier to remove the brownies from the pan later.
- In a medium-sized bowl mix the flour with the cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate medium-sized bowl, combine the oil, sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla. Then mix in the eggs.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well to combine. Then fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. Until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out mostly clean with only a few wet crumbs on it. Place the brownies, in the pan onto a cooling rack to cool for at least 30 minutes.
- Then cut the brownies into 8 even size triangles. You can also cut them smaller but you will need more decorating supplies. I found it easier to turn the brownies onto a cutting board to cut them but you can also cut them right in the pan and lift them out.
- Frost each brownie with some of the chocolate frosting, then add 2 pretzels for antlers, 2 googly eyes, and a red M&M for the nose to each brownie to turn them into reindeer. Enjoy!
Notes
- To make these brownies fudgier, use butter instead of oil.
- You can leave out frosting the brownies and just add a dab of frosting on the back of each of the decorations to make them stick to the brownies if you prefer.
- You can find edible googly eyes on Amazon, or at most craft stores. M&M’S and pretzels can easily be found at most grocery stores.
- You can store these brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to 3 days. Then decorate when you are ready to enjoy them.
- To freeze brownies: freeze them undecorated and wrapped in plastic wrap in a freezer-friendly container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight and decorate when you are ready to serve them.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Healthy Desserts
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
