Gingerbread Christmas Brownies with Eggnog Buttercream Recipe

Gingerbread Christmas Brownies with Eggnog Buttercream Recipe

Festive Christmas brownies strike the perfect balance between fudgy and chewy with a crackled top, rich chocolate flavor, and warm gingerbread spices. And for the icing on the cake, they're decorated with an easy 5-minute eggnog buttercream and holiday sprinkles!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Christmas Brownies, Christmas Brownies Recipe, Gingerbread Brownies, Holiday Brownies, Xmas Brownies

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 25

Cool Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 278kcal

Author Faith Gorsky

Ingredients

Gingerbread Brownies:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or avocado oil or canola oil
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
10 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (10 tablespoons is about 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder optional
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 ounces 85% dark chocolate melted

Eggnog Buttercream:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
30 tablespoons powdered sugar (30 tablespoons is about 1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons)
1 1/2 tablespoons eggnog or heavy whipping cream

Other:

Christmas sprinkles

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Gingerbread Brownies:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper so it hangs over all 4 sides.
Heat the butter in the microwave or a double boiler until very hot. Add the white sugar and brown sugar, and whisk until well-combined (about 2 minutes). Whisk in the vanilla, eggs, and egg yolk until smooth. Add the cocoa powder, flour, salt, instant espresso powder, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and black pepper, and stir just until combined, being careful not to over-mix. Stir in the melted chocolate.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Bake until the brownies are set along the outside and have puffed, about 25 to 30 minutes. Be careful not to over-bake. Cool to room temperature.

For the Eggnog Buttercream:

Once the brownies are cool, make the buttercream.
Add all ingredients to a large bowl and use a handheld electric mixer to beat until smooth and creamy. Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with whatever tip you like.

To Decorate the Brownies:

Cut the brownies into 16 pieces. Pipe a rosette of eggnog buttercream on top of each piece, and then decorate with festive sprinkles. Serve.

Notes

Storage: To store these frosted brownies, arrange them in a single layer in an airtight container. You can keep them covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, and after that move them to the fridge for up to 3 days more. Or you can freeze these brownies for up to 3 months.

Nutrition