More Decorating, Less Baking! This Christmas Buttercream Board is the Perfect Holiday Shortcut!

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A Christmas buttercream board is perfect when the thought of making a cake from scratch fills you with dread, but you still want that show-stopping holiday dessert moment. This gorgeous Christmas tree is made from creamy, delicious frosting surrounded by all your favorite holiday candies and cookies.

A rectangular wooden tray holds various snacks forming a Christmas tree shape, with cookies, pretzels, and candies. A hand reaches to pick a cookie. Christmas-themed decorations surround the tray.

There is no baking required, just a container of frosting and some store-bought treats. Some of us are more excited by frosting swirls and sprinkles than the actual baking process!

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This recipe is all about the joy of decorating: pipe on the green frosting, arrange your favorite store-bought cookies and candies, and let your creativity run wild. And this isn’t just a Christmas treat – you can quickly adapt this concept to any holiday or occasion.

So get ready to impress your guests with this effortless and festive dessert board, and leave the holiday baking to someone else! In this post, I’ll share all the tips, tricks, and insider secrets you need to create your own stunning buttercream masterpiece.

Are you looking for more simple Christmas treats? Try air-fried Christmas cookies, decorated sugar wafers, or classic Watergate salad.

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🥘Ingredient Notes

For exact amounts needed see the recipe card below

  • Vanilla or cream cheese frosting: I like to use store-bought to keep things simple, but if you’re feeling ambitious, go ahead and make your favorite homemade recipe! 
  • Green gel food coloring
  • Mini M&Ms: for the star and ornaments.
  • Christmas sprinkles
  • Hershey’s candy bar: for the tree trunk.
  • Snacks for dipping into the frosting: Like graham crackers, donuts, cookies, pretzels.
  • Assorted candy
Assorted toppings and ingredients for a dessert bar including cream cheese frosting, vanilla wafers, white chocolate chips, donuts, mini M&Ms, cookies, cinnamon rolls, graham crackers, and more.

🥣How to Make a Christmas Buttercream Board

  1. Mix your frosting and green food coloring until you’ve reached your desired green shade of Christmas tree.
  2. Put your frosting into a piping bag with a large star tip or any decorative tip you like. Let it chill in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to firm up a bit.
  3. Start by piping the outline of a Christmas tree onto the center of a large serving tray or board. Then, fill it in with more frosting. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect – that’s part of the charm! 
  4. Use your yellow M&Ms to create a star at the top of your tree. You can also use yellow frosting if you prefer. Then, arrange your Hershey’s bar pieces to make a tree trunk.
  5. Arrange your donuts, cookies, pretzels, graham crackers, and other goodies around the tree on the board. I like to create a “snowy” ground with peppermints, white chocolate chips, and powdered donuts.
  6. Finally, fill in any gaps with M&Ms, gummy bears, or your favorite Christmas candy.
A white bowl containing smooth, brightly colored green icing on a marble surface.
Mix frosting and green food coloring.
Wooden tray with a green triangle design made of small decorative icing swirls placed in the center. .
Pipe the outline of a Christmas tree.
A wooden tray displaying a Christmas tree shape made with green rosettes and topped with a yellow star, all created from small candies.
Add yellow M&Ms to create a star.
A rectangular wooden tray with a Christmas tree made of green frosting, candies, and marshmallows. The tree is topped with a yellow candy star and surrounded by white marshmallows at the base.
Create a tree trunk and add the candies.

🍴Serving Ideas

This festive dessert platter is perfect for all holiday gatherings – from family movie nights to big Christmas parties. Kids will love picking out their favorite snacks and treats. Combine it with a Holiday Wreath Charcuterie Board!

And this Christmas buttercream board isn’t just for dessert! It also makes a fantastic centerpiece for your holiday brunch or afternoon tea. Imagine sipping on a cozy cup of hot cocoa while nibbling on a frosting-covered donut- it’s holiday bliss!

💭How to Store

The buttercream board itself doesn’t store. Store-bought frosting should stay fresh on the board for about 4 hours at room temperature. If you’re using homemade frosting, I recommend keeping the board in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it. 

If you want to save any leftover frosting, scoop it into an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to a week. You can use it to make another mini buttercream board or as a fun dip for fresh fruit. 

If you have any dippers that haven’t been frosted yet (like cookies or pretzels), you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

A festive Christmas-themed snack board with a tree made of green frosted cookies and an assortment of other treats, including cookies, pretzels, graham crackers, candy, and pastries, arranged around it.

⭐Tips

Be sure to check out the step by step instructions

  • I recommend assembling the board on the day you plan to serve it. That way, everything will be fresh and look its best.
  • How many people this Christmas tree board serves depends on the size of your board and how hungry your guests are. As a general rule of thumb, a large board (about 18×24 inches) can serve around 12 people.
  • If you’re not confident in your piping skills, don’t stress! You can always use a spatula or butter knife to spread the frosting into a tree shape. It’ll taste just as delicious. 
  • Want to add some extra sparkle to your board? Try dusting your frosted tree with edible glitter or sprinkles. It’ll look like a magical winter wonderland.
  • If you’re serving a crowd, consider making a few smaller buttercream boards instead of one giant one. That way, everyone can reach the snacks easily, and you won’t have to worry about the frosting getting smudged. 
  • Make sure you include some savory options! Pretzels and crackers are great for balancing out all the frosting sweetness.
  • Finally, have fun with it! This Christmas buttercream board is all about spreading joy and getting creative. Put your unique spin on it – your family and friends will love it no matter what.

⭐Did You Make This? Leave a Star Rating!

A festive charcuterie board features a tree made of green icing, surrounded by various cookies, pretzels, candies, crackers, and powdered donuts. Red and yellow stars are also present for decoration.
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Christmas Buttercream Board

Published By Anne
Skip the baking and embrace the decorating! This Christmas Tree Buttercream Board is easy, festive & perfect for anyone who wants to create a showstopping centerpiece!
Prep Time20 minutes
Chill Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Servings: 8
Print Save Rate Pin

Ingredients
 

  • 1 tub Vanilla or cream cheese frosting
  • Green gel food coloring
  • Yellow mini M&Ms for the star
  • Mini M&Ms for the ornaments
  • Christmas sprinkles
  • Hershey's chocolate bar for the tree trunk
  • Snacks for dipping into the frosting such graham crackers, donuts, cookies, pretzels
  • Christmas candy or snacks of choice

Instructions

  • Mix frosting and green food coloring until you get a shade of green you like.
    Green gel food coloring
  • Add frosting to a piping bag with a large star tip or decorative tip of your choice and chill in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
    1 tub Vanilla or cream cheese frosting
  • When ready to style your board, start by piping the outline of a Christmas tree onto the center of a large serving tray or board.
  • Fill the tree in with the frosting.
  • Use the yellow M&Ms to create a star. If you prefer, you can also use yellow frosting to make the star.
    Yellow mini M&Ms
  • Create a tree trunk with the Hershey bar pieces.
    Hershey's chocolate bar for the tree trunk
  • Arrange the donuts, cookies, pretzels, graham crackers, and other dipping items around the tree on the board. I used peppermints, white chocolate chips, and powdered donuts to create a “snowy” ground underneath the tree.
    Snacks for dipping into the frosting such
  • Fill in any gaps with M&M’s, gummy bears, or Christmas candy.
    Mini M&Ms, Christmas candy or snacks of choice, Christmas sprinkles

Notes

  • I recommend assembling the board on the day you plan to serve it. That way, everything will be fresh and look its best.
  • How many people this Christmas tree board serves depends on the size of your board and how hungry your guests are. As a general rule of thumb, a large board (about 18×24 inches) can serve around 12 people.
  • If you’re not confident in your piping skills, don’t stress! You can always use a spatula or butter knife to spread the frosting into a tree shape. It’ll taste just as delicious. 
  • Make sure you include some savory options! Pretzels and crackers are great for balancing out all the frosting sweetness.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 108mg | Potassium: 20mg | Sugar: 36g | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Nutrition facts are estimates.

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A holiday-themed dessert platter arranged on a wooden tray, featuring cookies, pretzels, candies, and a green Christmas tree-shaped cake, surrounded by red poinsettias and festive decorations.
anne

Hi, I’m Anne!

I love to cook and I want to share my recipes with you. I believe cooking should be approachable and fun, not a chore. I want to make simple recipes using everyday ingredients that you can make again and again, whether it is for a busy weeknight, a summer cookout or a special dessert. Read more...

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