These Viral Pinecone Brownies are perfect for your next holiday party and so much fun to make! This recipe is gluten-free and also offers options to make them dairy free & egg free as well. Plus there's an option to add your favorite protein powder for a fun & festive protein treat, too!
There's nothing I love more during the holiday season than baking! It's so much fun to turn on a holiday playlist & whip up tasty treats for friends & family that you know they will just love. These brownie pine cones have become one of my favorite bakes for holiday parties because they are pretty easy to make but offer a really impressive presentation. I also love adding protein powder into the brownie mix because it's a great way to sneak in a little extra protein while still enjoying a delicious treat.
If you're looking for more healthy holiday dessert recipes, you might enjoy this Edible Protein Sugar Cookie Dough, this Hot Chocolate Protein Pudding or these Hot Chocolate Protein Cookies.
If protein isn't your thing & you just want some festive Christmas treats to share, try these Paleo Gingerbread Cookies or these Paleo Cutout Cookies instead.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It is fun! Pine cone brownies are a fun way to celebrate the holiday season & a great treat to bake with friends or family.
- It is simple. While this recipe does take a bit of time to get the brownies looking like real pinecones, it requires few ingredients & is otherwise easy to make.
- It is delicious. The perfect holiday treat to bake for brownie lovers, pinecone brownies are fudgy and delicious!
Pinecone Brownie Ingredients & Tested Substitutions
Boxed Brownie Mix. To keep it simple, I made this with my favorite gluten free boxed brownie mix from Simple Mills but you may use whatever brand of gluten free brownie mix you prefer.
Eggs. My boxed mix called for 2 large eggs. I also tested this recipe using dairy free yogurt in place of the eggs for a vegan friendly version. I recommend using Forager plain dairy free yogurt to substitute the eggs.
Butter or Oil. My boxed mix called for grass fed butter but I also tested this recipe using dairy free butter & avocado oil. Both work well but I will note that the oil did make the brownies a touch oily so I would recommend using slightly less oil than the amount suggested. Simple Mills boxed mix suggested ⅓ cup so I would do about 2 tablespoon LESS than that.
Chocolate Chips or Chocolate Bar. You'll need to melt the chocolate so it is up to you whether you'd like to use chocolate chips or a chocolate bar. Both with work.
Almond Slices or Gluten Free Cornflakes. I tested this recipe using both sliced almonds and cornflakes. I found the cornflakes to be a little more sturdy & easier to work with, but if you're a fan of nuts and chocolate the almonds are truly the way to go.
Chocolate Protein Powder. I used Rise Chocolate Almond protein powder which was absolutely delicious. PRETTYDELISH30 will save you 30% on your first order!
Powdered Sugar. You will need powdered sugar or powdered monk fruit for dusting the pinecones.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- I found Simple Mills gluten free brownie mix to be the best option and preparing it using dairy free yogurt & avocado oil instead of eggs & butter made the brownies a little bit easier to work with. They're a bit softer so they mold into the pinecone shape easier and it's also a bit easier to push the sliced almonds or cornflakes into the sides.
- If you follow the above method, opt for a bit less oil than recommended. I used ⅓ cup the first time I tested per the box instructions and I found that while the texture was super fudgy and delicious, the brownies were a bit oily. I'd recommend using about 2 tablespoon less than ⅓ cup.
- If the brownies are a bit crumbly when you're trying to shape them into pine cone shapes, I found that if you add a smidge of oil it helps them stick together better. The only time I ran into this issue was when I prepared the mix with butter & egg. You can also shape them and stick them in the fridge for a few minutes to ensure they hold their shape, just don't put them in there for too long or it will be too difficult to add the cornflakes or almonds. Ideally you want the brownies to be at room temperature for best results.
- Melt some peanut butter in the microwave & drizzle it over the brownies before adding melted chocolate for the most delicious chocolate peanut butter option!
Pinecone Brownies Step by Step Instructions
1. Prepare the pan. Preheat oven to 325F or according to the instructions on your box mix & line an 8x8 brownie pan with parchment paper.
2. Prepare the brownie mix. Follow the instructions on the box for preparing the brownies. If you're using the suggested mix from Simple Mills and would like to substitute the eggs & butter, you may use ⅓ cup of plain dairy free yogurt and about 2 tablespoon less than ⅓ cup of avocado oil (see notes in post for more detail)
3. Bake. Bake the brownies according to package instructions, about 25-30 minutes. When the brownies have finished baking, allow them to cool to room temperature before attempting to mold them into pine cone shapes.
4. Shape the brownie pinecone. Break up the baked brownies into a large bowl. Using your hands, shape them gently into pinecone shapes so the bottoms are large and the taper into almost a point at the top and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Be sure there are no burnt bits or crisp edge pieces in the pinecones as you won't be able to stick the almonds or cornflakes into them very well.
5. Add the almonds or cornflakes. Gently push sliced almonds or cornflakes into the sides of the brownie pinecone in rows from bottom to top.
6. Melt the chocolate. Using a double boiler or simply using the microwave, melt the chocolate. Drizzle the chocolate mixture over top of the pine cones until they are completely covered in chocolate.
7. Let the chocolate set & decorate. Place the brownies in the fridge to allow the chocolate to set for about 30 minutes or until chocolate is completely set. Dust with powdered sugar & enjoy!
How to Store Pinecone Brownies
Store the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
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Did you have a chance to make this recipe? If so, please leave me a 5 star rating and review below. I always love and appreciate hearing from you!
Gluten-Free Pinecone Brownies (DF, Egg Free Option, Protein Option)
Ingredients
- 1 box gluten free brownie mix I used Simple Mills
Ingredients Needed to Prepare Simple Mills Brownie Mix
- 2 large eggs or ⅓ cup plain dairy free yogurt
- 6 tablespoon butter or ⅓ cup minus 2 tablespoon avocado oil
- 3 tablespoon water
For Decoration
- 2-3 chocolate bars melted
- gluten free cornflakes or almond slices
- powdered sugar or powdered monk fruit
Instructions
- Prepare the pan. Preheat oven to 325F or according to the instructions on your box mix & line an 8x8 brownie pan with parchment paper.
- Prepare the brownie mix. Follow the instructions on the box for preparing the brownies. If you're using the suggested mix from Simple Mills and would like to substitute the eggs & butter, you may use ⅓ cup of plain dairy free yogurt and about 2 tablespoon less than ⅓ cup of avocado oil (see notes in post for more detail)
- Bake. Bake the brownies according to package instructions, about 25-30 minutes. When the brownies have finished baking, allow them to cool to room temperature before attempting to mold them into pine cone shapes.
- Shape the brownie pinecone. Break up the baked brownies into a large bowl. Using your hands, shape them gently into pinecone shapes so the bottoms are large and the taper into almost a point at the top and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Be sure there are no burnt bits or crisp edge pieces in the pinecones as you won't be able to stick the almonds or cornflakes into them very well.
- Add the almonds or cornflakes. Gently push sliced almonds or cornflakes into the sides of the brownie pinecone in rows from bottom to top.
- Melt the chocolate. Using a double boiler or simply using the microwave, melt the chocolate. Drizzle the chocolate mixture over top of the pine cones until they are completely covered in chocolate.
- Let the chocolate set & decorate. Place the brownies in the fridge to allow the chocolate to set for about 30 minutes or until chocolate is completely set. Dust with powdered sugar & enjoy!
Notes
Expert Tips & Tricks
- I found Simple Mills gluten free brownie mix to be the best option and preparing it using dairy free yogurt & avocado oil instead of eggs & butter made the brownies a little bit easier to work with. They're a bit softer so they mold into the pinecone shape easier and it's also a bit easier to push the sliced almonds or cornflakes into the sides.
- If you follow the above method, opt for a bit less oil than recommended. I used ⅓ cup the first time I tested per the box instructions and I found that while the texture was super fudgy and delicious, the brownies were a bit oily. I'd recommend using about 2 tablespoon less than ⅓ cup.
- If the brownies are a bit crumbly when you're trying to shape them into pine cone shapes, I found that if you add a smidge of oil it helps them stick together better. The only time I ran into this issue was when I prepared the mix with butter & egg. You can also shape them and stick them in the fridge for a few minutes to ensure they hold their shape, just don't put them in there for too long or it will be too difficult to add the cornflakes or almonds. Ideally you want the brownies to be at room temperature for best results.
- Melt some peanut butter in the microwave & drizzle it over the brownies before adding melted chocolate for the most delicious chocolate peanut butter option!
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