Sugar Cone Christmas Trees capture all the magic of the season, and they’re so easy to make! Sugar ice cream cones are decorated with green frosting and sprinkles to look like Christmas trees and stuffed with holiday favorite candies!
I love doing this fun activity when the holiday season rolls around. Oh, sure, I make the standard cookies and quick breads, but I really love to get creative with my treats, too. That’s why I love making these cute stuffed Christmas trees.
SUGAR CONE CHRISTMAS TREES
This Christmas trees with sugar cones recipe ticks all the holiday boxes. It’s adorable. A great activity for kids. It’s sweet and delicious. It’s full of candy.
Really, it has everything you’d ever want in a holiday treat. It’s also easy to make, which is a huge bonus during the holidays. You can whip these up quickly and get back to enjoying your family and friends!
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Quick and Easy: It only takes a few steps and about 30 minutes to make this fun dessert.
- Super Festive: These little Christmas trees are super festive and really capture the magic of the season.
- Great Party Snacks: There are excellent snacks to serve at your next holiday party.
- Candy: They’re loaded with candy! Everyone loves candy during the holidays.
Ingredients
It only takes a few simple ingredients to make this super easy and sweet treat. You’ll find everything you need easily at your local grocery store.
- Sugar Cones: The base of the tree.
- Buttercream Frosting: I make my own rich frosting with powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, milk, and green food coloring gel.
- Cookies: To make the base of the tree.
- Tree Filling: Stuff your tree with red and green mints and M&Ms.
- Tree Decorations: Star sprinkles and Christmas sprinkles make the topper and lights for the trees.
HOW TO MAKE SUGAR CONE CHRISTMAS TREES
These festive Christmas trees with sugar cones are super easy to make, and they only take a few simple steps. Check out the recipe card at the end of the post for more detailed instructions.
Step 1: Make the Buttercream Frosting
Combine the buttercream frosting ingredients and beat well until they become creamy and reach frosting consistency. Add green food coloring until you reach your desired color.
Step 2: Fill and Frost
Fill your cones with candies and place a sugar cookie on top to hold the candy in place. Gently flip the whole thing over and set it on wax paper or a paper plate so the candies stay in the cones.
Pipe frosting with a piping bag around the base of the cones, and then continue piping until you cover the outside of the cones with frosting. This will give you that classic pine tree look.
Step 3: Decorate
Top each Christmas cone with a star sprinkle, and then place Christmas sprinkles all over the cones – just like decorating a tree!
Substitutions and Variations for Sugar Cone Christmas Trees
The great thing about this recipe is that each person can make their own tree with whatever kind of decorations they’d like. Here are some great ideas to switch things up.
- Use any of your favorite cookies to make this recipe, so long as they can accommodate the bottom of the cone.
- Any small store-bought candy decorations or Christmas treats will work to fill your Christmas cones.
- You can also buy store-bought frosting if that works better for you.
- Add these to gingerbread houses as decorations with some candy canes added too.
- Take a small envelope and add some money to it, a gift certificate or a check, roll it up and put it inside the cone.
Equipment
You’ll only need a few simple items to make these trees.
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Hand mixer (if you have one)
- Pastry bag with star tip
Storage for Sugar Cone Christmas Cookies
You can store these in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to a week.
Expert Tips
Even recipes as easy as this one have little tricks that you can do to make them even better. Check these out!
- A star tip is best for creating a texture that resembles a pine tree.
- Press your sprinkles firmly into the frosting but be careful not to lose the texture of the frosting.
FAQ
If you have questions about these trees, then look below. This FAQ answers the most commonly asked questions about them.
In addition to what I used in the recipe, you can use any of your favorite small candies.
Absolutely. The best part is that you can make them a day or two before and then serve them at your holiday party.
More Christmas Recipes
If you’re looking for more Christmas-themed goodies, I’ve got you covered.
Sugar Cone Christmas Trees
Equipment
- Hand mixer Spoon works too!
Ingredients
- 8 sugar cones
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract –
- 2-3 tablespoon milk
- Green food coloring gel
- 8 cookies I used chocolate chip
- 8 green mints
- 8 red mints
- 2 cups M&Ms
- 8 star sprinkles for tops of trees
- Variety of Christmas sprinkles to decorate trees
Instructions
- To prepare frosting, in a medium mixing bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar together.
- Add 2 tablespoons of milk and vanilla. Beat well.
- If it is too thick, add more milk. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
- Add green food coloring gel to frosting until desired color is reached.
- Transfer frosting to a large pastry bag with a star-shaped tip.
- Fill each cone with two mints and ¼ cup M&Ms.
- Place a cookie over top to hold the candy in. Next, gently flip it over so the candy remains inside the cone.
- Pipe frosting around the base of each sugar cone, securing each to a cookie.
- Continuing adding frosting around each cone until they are covered entirely.
- Add sprinkles to each tree to decorate them.
- Top each tree with a star sprinkle.
Notes
- A star tip is best for creating a texture that resembles a pine tree.
- Press your sprinkles firmly into the frosting but be careful not to lose the texture of the frosting.
Nutrition
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