Santa Hat Brownies – Easy Decorated Christmas Brownies

These adorable Santa Hat Brownies are a fun and festive Christmas dessert made with rich, fudgy chocolate brownies, bright red icing, and fluffy-looking white frosting! The brownies are cut into triangles and decorated to look just like Santa Claus’s famous red hat, complete with white frosting around the bottom and a little white pom-pom at the top.

If you’re looking for an easy Christmas treat that looks beautiful on a holiday dessert table, these Santa Hat Brownies are perfect! They’re simple to decorate, require no special cookie cutters, and can be made with homemade brownies or your favorite boxed brownie mix.

The combination of chewy chocolate brownies and sweet vanilla icing makes these little Santa hats absolutely delicious. They’re perfect for Christmas parties, holiday cookie trays, classroom celebrations, Christmas Eve gatherings, and festive family baking.

Best of all, these cute Christmas brownies are easy enough for beginners and make a wonderful holiday baking activity!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 25–30 minutes
Cooling Time: 1 hour
Total Time: Approximately 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 12 brownies

Why You’ll Love These Santa Hat Brownies

Easy Christmas dessert: Simple ingredients and easy decorating.
Rich and fudgy: Homemade chocolate brownies create a delicious base.
Adorable Santa hats: Triangle-shaped brownies are decorated with red and white icing.
No special cookie cutters: A sharp knife is all you need.
Perfect for holiday parties: These festive brownies look beautiful on Christmas dessert trays.
Fun for kids: A wonderful Christmas baking and decorating activity.

Ingredients

For the Brownies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

For the Santa Hat Decorations

1 1/2 cups vanilla buttercream frosting
Red gel food coloring
White buttercream frosting, reserved from the amount above

How to Make Santa Hat Brownies

Step 1: Preheat the Oven

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a little extra parchment hanging over the sides.

Lightly grease the parchment paper and set aside.

Step 2: Prepare the Brownie Batter

In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter and granulated sugar.

Whisk until smooth.

Add the eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until well combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined.

Avoid overmixing the batter.

Step 3: Bake the Brownies

Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan.

Spread evenly with a spatula.

Bake for approximately 25–30 minutes, or until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Remove from the oven and allow the brownies to cool completely.

Step 4: Cut the Brownies into Triangles

Once the brownies are completely cool, carefully lift them out of the pan using the parchment paper.

Place the brownies on a cutting board.

Using a sharp knife, cut the brownies into triangular shapes to resemble Santa hats.

For approximately 12 brownies, cut the brownie slab into three equal strips, then cut each strip into alternating triangles. Some edge pieces may be smaller.

The pointed end of each triangle will become the top of Santa’s hat, while the wide bottom will be decorated with white frosting to create the fluffy fur trim.

Step 5: Prepare the Red Icing

Place approximately 1 cup of vanilla buttercream frosting into a mixing bowl.

Add red gel food coloring and stir until the frosting reaches a bright Christmas red color.

Transfer the red frosting to a piping bag fitted with a small round decorating tip.

Place the remaining white frosting into a separate piping bag fitted with a small star tip.

Step 6: Decorate the Santa Hats

Pipe the red frosting onto the center of each triangle-shaped brownie.

Start near the pointed top and work your way toward the wider bottom, filling in the triangular shape with red icing.

Use a small spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth the frosting if desired.

Leave a little space along the bottom edge for the white fur trim.

Step 7: Add the White Fur Trim

Using the white frosting, pipe a thick, fluffy-looking border across the wide bottom of each brownie triangle.

Small piped stars or rounded dollops create a beautiful textured appearance that resembles the fluffy white trim on Santa’s hat.

Step 8: Add the White Pom-Pom

Pipe a generous dollop of white frosting onto the pointed tip of each brownie.

This creates the adorable white pom-pom at the top of Santa’s hat.

Step 9: Serve

Allow the frosting to set slightly before transferring the brownies to a serving platter.

Arrange the Santa Hat Brownies on a festive Christmas tray and enjoy!

Tips for Making the Best Santa Hat Brownies

Cool the brownies completely. Warm brownies are difficult to cut neatly and may cause the frosting to melt.

Use a sharp knife. A large, sharp knife makes it easier to create clean triangle shapes.

Chill before cutting. Refrigerating the cooled brownies for 20–30 minutes helps them hold their shape.

Use gel food coloring. Red gel food coloring creates a vibrant Christmas red without making the frosting too thin.

Use a piping bag. Piping bags make it easy to create neat red hats and fluffy white trim.

Keep the frosting thick. A thicker buttercream holds its shape better when decorating.

Make the white trim textured. Small piped stars or dots create a beautiful fluffy appearance.

How to Cut Brownies into Santa Hat Shapes

One of the easiest things about these Santa Hat Brownies is that you don’t need any special decorating tools or cookie cutters.

Simply bake a square pan of brownies and allow them to cool completely.

Remove the brownies from the pan and place them on a cutting board.

Cut the brownies into strips, then slice each strip diagonally into triangular pieces.

Each triangle becomes a miniature Santa hat.

The pointed end represents the top of the hat, while the wider bottom creates the perfect space for the white frosting trim.

Once decorated with bright red icing and fluffy white frosting, the simple brownie triangles transform into adorable Christmas treats.

Easy Santa Hat Brownie Decorating Ideas

These brownies are adorable with red and white icing, but there are several ways to make them extra festive.

Classic Santa Hat Brownies

Use bright red icing for the center of the hat, thick white frosting across the bottom, and a large white pom-pom at the top.

Sparkling Santa Hat Brownies

Sprinkle a little red sanding sugar over the red frosting for a beautiful sparkling finish.

Extra Fluffy Santa Hats

Use a star piping tip to create rows of small white frosting stars across the bottom of each brownie.

Chocolate Santa Hat Brownies

Add a thin layer of chocolate frosting beneath the red icing for an extra-rich chocolate flavor.

Mini Santa Hat Brownies

Cut the brownies into smaller triangles to create adorable bite-sized Christmas treats.

Can You Use Boxed Brownie Mix?

Absolutely!

If you’re short on time, your favorite boxed brownie mix works perfectly for these Santa Hat Brownies.

Prepare the brownie batter according to the package instructions and bake in a square pan.

Allow the brownies to cool completely before cutting them into triangles.

Decorate with red and white icing as directed.

Using a boxed brownie mix is a wonderful shortcut for busy holiday baking days.

How to Store Santa Hat Brownies

Store the decorated brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days when using a shelf-stable buttercream frosting.

For longer storage, refrigerate the brownies for up to 5 days.

Arrange the brownies in a single layer whenever possible to protect the frosting decorations.

If refrigerated, allow the brownies to sit at room temperature for approximately 15 minutes before serving for the best texture.

Can You Make Santa Hat Brownies Ahead of Time?

Yes!

These brownies are a wonderful make-ahead Christmas dessert.

Bake the brownies one or two days in advance and store them in an airtight container.

When you’re ready to decorate, cut the brownies into triangles and pipe on the red and white frosting.

For the prettiest presentation, decorate the brownies the day you plan to serve them.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make Santa Hat Brownies?

Bake a pan of chocolate brownies, allow them to cool, and cut them into triangles. Decorate the triangles with red icing, white frosting along the bottom, and a white frosting pom-pom at the pointed top.

Can I use store-bought frosting?

Yes! Store-bought vanilla frosting works well for this recipe. Tint a portion red and leave the remaining frosting white.

What kind of food coloring is best?

Red gel food coloring is recommended because it creates a vibrant color without thinning the frosting.

How do you keep brownies from crumbling when cutting?

Allow the brownies to cool completely and refrigerate them briefly before cutting. Use a sharp knife and wipe the blade between cuts.

Can I use a boxed brownie mix?

Absolutely! A boxed brownie mix is a convenient shortcut and works beautifully for these decorated Christmas brownies.

Do Santa Hat Brownies need to be refrigerated?

Brownies decorated with shelf-stable buttercream can be kept at room temperature for a short period. If using cream cheese frosting or another perishable frosting, refrigerate the brownies.

Can Santa Hat Brownies be frozen?

Yes! The undecorated brownies can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw completely before adding the red and white frosting.

More Easy Christmas Treats

If you love these adorable Santa Hat Brownies, try some of these other festive holiday desserts:

Christmas Tree Brownies
Reindeer Brownies
Melted Snowman Cookies
Rudolph Cupcakes
Rudolph Noses Chocolate Pretzels
Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies
Christmas M&M Brittle
Decorated Snowman Brownies

The Perfect Easy Christmas Brownies

These Santa Hat Brownies are a fun, festive, and delicious way to celebrate the holiday season.

With their rich chocolate flavor, adorable triangle shape, bright red icing, fluffy white frosting trim, and cute white pom-poms, they’re a beautiful addition to any Christmas dessert table.

Whether you’re making them for a Christmas party, holiday cookie exchange, classroom celebration, or a cozy afternoon of Christmas baking, these easy decorated brownies are sure to bring a little extra holiday cheer!