These festive Santa Hats are made with prepared brownie mix, fresh strawberries and homemade vanilla buttercream.
We're only a few weeks away from Christmas and I just had to share these adorable Santa Hats with you. If baking isn't your forte, but you love to get into the holiday spirit, these Santa Hats make the perfect, tasty holiday treat.
Personally, I can survive without ever having to bake anything at all, but my family does love their sweets every now and then. Baking is too much of a science for me; which is why most of my dessert recipes are super simple to make.
These Santa Hats are so easy to make that the kids will love to help too!
Equipment Needed
- 11x7 Brownie Pan
- Mixing Bowl
- Mixing Spoon
- Handheld Electric Mixer
- 2" Round Cookie Cutter
- Plastic Sandwich Bag or Piping Bag
If you don't have a cookie cutter, a standard size shot glass will work as well. Since I don't usually decorate with a piping bag I use a sandwich bag.
Add the buttercream to the bag; then make a small cut on one corner so the buttercream can come out.
You're not technically decorating and just need a small dollop of cream so this works beautifully without spending money on equipment you may not need.
Ingredients Needed
- Box Brownie Mix
- Water
- Canola Oil
- Egg
- Cooking Spray
- Fresh Strawberries
- Softened Butter
- Confectioners Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Milk
We love our brownies extra chocolatey so I get Supreme Triple Chunk Brownie Mix. It's loaded with extra chunks of chocolate and is always super moist. However, you can use your favorite brand or make your favorite homemade brownie mix.
How do you make Santa Hats?
Each box may have different ingredients or measurements so follow the box instructions when preparing the brownies.
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Add the box brownie mix and required additional ingredients (usually egg, oil and water) to a bowl and mix well.
Spray an 11x7 baking pan with cooking spray; then add the brownie batter and bake 26-31 minutes until done as instructed. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely; approximately 1 hour.
While the brownies are cooling, add the butter, sugar, vanilla and milk to a bowl; then blend until smooth with an electric mixer. Keep refrigerated until ready to assemble the Santa Hats.
Next, rinse the strawberries under cold water to remove any debris, dry on paper towels; then cut off the green stem so the strawberry can sit flat.
Using the 2-inch cookie cutter, cut 12 circles out of the brownies; placing them on a serving platter. You'll be left with the crispy edges, but you can save those to pick on later!
Add the buttercream to a piping bag; then place a dollop of cream on top of the brownie. Next, add the strawberry wide part down; then add a small dollop of cream on top of the strawberry to form the "pom pom" part of the Santa Hat.
Repeat for all; then keep refrigerated until ready to serve. You can make these brownie santa hats up to 24 hours before serving. Not only are these Santa Hats adorably cute, they are super delicious! Chocolate + Strawberries always make the tastiest combination. ~Enjoy!
VISIT THE RECIPE INDEX TO SEARCH FOR MORE RECIPES BY CATEGORY.
More Christmas Dessert Recipes
- Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Christmas Crack
- Hot Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- Gingerbread Muffins
- Christmas Tree Cupcakes
- Peppermint Layer Cake
- Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Bark
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Santa Hats
Equipment
- 11x7 Brownie Pan
- 2-Inch Round Cookie Cutter
- Plastic Sandwich Bag or Piping Bag
Ingredients
For the Santa Hats
- 1- (18-ounce) box brownie mix
- ¼ cup water
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- 1 large egg
- cooking spray
- 12 fresh strawberries
- prepared vanilla buttercream
For the Vanilla Buttercream
- 5 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cup confectioners sugar
- 3 teaspoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Santa Hats
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add the box brownie mix and required additional ingredients (usually egg, oil and water) to a bowl and mix well.
- Spray an 11x7 baking pan with cooking spray; then add the brownie batter and bake 26-31 minutes until done as instructed. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely; approximately 1 hour.
- Rinse the strawberries under cold water to remove any debris, dry on paper towels; then cut off the green stem so the strawberry can sit flat.
- Using the 2-inch cookie cutter, cut 12 circles out of the brownies; placing them on a serving platter.
- Add the buttercream to a piping bag; then place a dollop of cream on top of the brownie. Next, add the strawberry wide part down on top of the cream; then add a small dollop of cream on top of the strawberry to form the "pom pom" part of the Santa Hat.
- Repeat for all; then keep refrigerated until ready to serve. You can make these up to 24 hours before serving.
For the Vanilla Buttercream
- While the brownies are cooling, add the butter, sugar, vanilla and milk to a bowl; then blend until smooth with an electric mixer. Keep refrigerated until ready to assemble the Santa Hats.
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