Description

These Viral Pine Cone Brownies combine gluten-free, grain-free brownie bites shaped like pine cones, adorned with almond slices that mimic pine cone scales. The brownies are coated with rich melted chocolate and dusted with powdered sugar for a festive, frosted look. Perfect for holiday gatherings or a fun dessert treat, these brownies offer a gooey, chocolatey center with a crunchy texture from sliced almonds or cereal flakes.

Ingredients

Scale

Brownie Base

1 box gluten-free/grain-free brownie mix (such as Simple Mills) and ingredients required by the mix
1 cup sliced almonds (or substitute cereal flakes)

Chocolate Coating

9 oz chocolate chips
1 tsp coconut oil

Garnish

Powdered sugar or powdered monk fruit

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Prepare Brownie Mix: Follow the instructions on your gluten-free/grain-free brownie mix package carefully to prepare the batter. Bake the brownies ensuring not to overbake, so they remain somewhat gooey and easy to work with in the center.
Cool Slightly: Let the baked brownies cool down for about 10 minutes. They should be cool enough to handle but still soft and pliable.
Shape Pine Cones: Using your hands, carefully shape the brownie mixture into approximately 12 cone shapes, mimicking the form of cake pops.
Apply Almond Scales: Gently press the sliced almonds (or cereal flakes) into and around the cones to create the appearance of pine cone scales. Handle carefully as the shapes are fragile.
Freeze Pine Cones: Place the shaped and decorated pine cones on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Freeze them for 30 minutes to firm up before coating.
Melt Chocolate Coating: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips together with the coconut oil in 30-second increments, stirring between each until smooth. Alternatively, melt using a double boiler.
Coat Pine Cones: Remove the pine cones from the freezer and carefully dip or spoon the melted chocolate over each cone, fully coating them. Return the chocolate-coated pine cones to the parchment paper to let the chocolate set.
Garnish and Serve: Once set, sprinkle powdered sugar or powdered monk fruit over the top to create a frosted effect. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Every brownie mix behaves differently. The results may vary depending on the mix brand and ingredients.
If your melted chocolate is too thick for coating, add more coconut oil gradually to thin it out.
Semi-sweet or dark chocolate work better for coating than milk chocolate.
If the brownie mixture is crumbly, adding some chocolate or cream cheese frosting can help bind it together for shaping.