The Christmas season brings cheer, joy, gift giving, and of course SWEETS! Today we’re going to make some deliciously simple pinecone cookies.
These brownie cookies can be made with a simple box mix and done with or without the cream cheese filling. If you are looking for the perfect holiday treat to share with family and friends this is it!
Also impress them with your crafty skills when turning this simple brownie batter and cereal pieces into a beautiful replica of a pinecone.
Let me show you how to make these pinecone cookies.
Equipment & Ingredients
To make these pinecone cookies you will need these ingredients:
- Brownie Box Mix
- Sour Cream
- Cream Cheese
- Vinegar
- Vanilla Extract
- Kit Kat Cereal ( or Kellogg’s Chocos)
- Melted Chocolate
- Powdered Sugar
As for the equipment, the list is much shorter! You will just need:
- Mixing Bowls
- Hand Mixer
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
Make the Brownie Batter
To start this recipe, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Also prepare a baking dish with baking spray or wipe down with oil, then set aside.
In a mixing bowl, follow the directions on your box mix to whip up the brownie batter. Then transfer this into the set aside baking dish and place in the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. This time can vary due to difference in oven temperature.
Once the brownies are done let cool for 15-20 minutes.
Cream Cheese Filling
While the brownies are baking, make the cream cheese filling. This simple filling is what I use for all my no bake cheesecake desserts and it never fails me. Super smooth and creamy, without all the hours of baking in the oven!
To make this filling add the sour cream, cream cheese, vanilla and vinegar in a bowl. Use a hand mixer to blend everything together until smooth and combined.
Then add in the powdered sugar to sweeten this delicious filling, blending once more until combined. Place this mixture in a piping bag or Ziploc bag for use later.
Molding the Brownies
Now we are getting to crafty part. TIme to get a little dirty to make these pinecone cookies. Use clean hands to break the baked brownie into crumbs and pieces.
Remove any hard pieces such as the crusts make from baking. Continue breaking apart until everything is crumby. If while breaking, the brownies are still really hot that you couldn’t hold them for longer than 5 seconds then let sit and cool for another 10 minutes, after crumbled.
Now prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take a handful of the brownie crumbs and use your hands to press it together and mold into a pinecone shape. Before shaping, squish the brownies back in forth between your hands. You will notice the brown color the brownies were as crumbles will begin to turn a darker brown while packing it together.
Once you have shaped them into pinecone cookies, lay each on the parchment paper, pressing the bottom so they stand up straight. Place these in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Creating the Pinecone Cookies
After removing from the fridge, take a small knife and cut down the center of each brownie cone. Remove the brownie but save to put back on top and seal close later.
Once you have create a nice hole, use the cheesecake filled piping bag to pipe it into the hole filling as much as you can. Do not over fill, so the ceeam cheese doesn’t come out later when assembling.
Place the brownie piece back on top and mold the pinecone cookies closed.
Now we are going to stick the kit kat cereal all the way around the brownie cone. To help the kit kit pieces stick, use some melted chocolate and dip each piece into it before pressing into the side of the brownie.
Start from the bottom of the brownie cone and fill the cereal all the way around. Repeat layers of this on top of each other until you reach the top of the pinecone cookie. you will probably notice some space in between even after completing all the layers. This is where you want to go in with more chocolate covered pieces and press into the sides filling any unwanted spaces.
This is a tedious process, but definitely worth the beauty and deliciousness of the final result!
Toppings & Enjoy!
Before we get to topping these pinecone cookies, my favorite part, be sure to refrigerate these for at least 20 minutes. This helps the chocolate harden and keep all the cereal pieces in place when you pick these up and/or serve them.
Use a sifter and a generous amount of powdered sugar and dust all over the top of the pinecone cookies. This gives these cookies their signature look and make them look just like pinecones under winter snow.
Not only do they look good but they taste good too, especially with the cream cheese center! I hope you enjoyed these pinecone cookies and shared this with your family or friends.
Be sure to share this recipe with those you love and leave any alterations you may have made in the comments. Or any other cool filling ideas to pack these delicious pinecone cookies with!
Pinecone Christmas Cookies
Course: DessertDifficulty: Medium6
servings35
minutes40
minutesDeliciously sweet and festive, pinecone Christmas cookies. These holiday treats are made of a thick brownie base with a cream cheese filled and crunchy chocolate cereal outer layer. These could not be finished without a dusting of powdered sugar for that winter snow look!
Ingredients
1 Box Brownie Mix + ingredients
- Filling
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sour cream
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon white vinegar
1/3 cup powdered sugar
- Topping
Kit Kat Cereal or (Kellogg's Chocos Cereal)
Powdered Sugar, for dusting
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a baking dish with baking spray.
- In a mixing bowl add the brownie mix and ingredients needed on the box. Whisk together until combined. Pour this batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- While that bakes, in a separate mixing bowl add the cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla and vinegar. Blend with a hand mixer until smooth.
- Then add the powdered sugar and blend once more until creamy. Set aside.
- When the brownies are done, allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Use your hands to break the brownies apart until it becomes a texture you can mold into a shape. Remove any hard pieces such as the edges of the brownie crust.
- Take a large handful of brownie and press into the shape of a pinecone. Place these on a baking sheet, then refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Once cooled completely, cut down into the center top of the pinecone brownie. Create a well and remove the brownie top. Pour in some of the cream cheese filling and then place the brownie piece back on top, molding closed. (Do not fill with too much filling, you don't want it to ooze from the side of the pinecone.
- Now place cereal pieces all the way around the brownie, pressing into its sides starting from the bottom to the top. After the first layer around, be sure to place the first piece in between two of the pieces from the layer before to get the perfect pinecone look.
- This process is a bit tedious, but worth it to make the final product look just right. Repeat with the rest of the brownie cookies.
- Dust each pinecone cookie with powdered sugar to give the effect of snow.
- Serve and enjoy!
