Pin It My daughter came home from school with a drawing of a Christmas tree made entirely from chocolate, and I thought she'd lost her mind until she explained it was something her friend's mum had made for a holiday party. The simplicity of it stuck with me—just stacked chocolate bars, a drizzle, and some sprinkles—but there was something magical about turning a grocery store impulse buy into something that looked like it belonged in a fancy bakery. We made them together that weekend, and I realized these little towers weren't just treats; they were an excuse to have messy, chocolatey fun without any real pressure.
I brought these to an office potluck expecting polite nods, but three colleagues asked for the recipe before I'd even set the platter down. What surprised me was that people weren't just eating them—they were picking them up to admire first, turning them around to catch the light on the drizzle, and asking if they were too pretty to eat. That moment taught me that sometimes the most memorable dishes are the ones that feel like little edible gifts.
Ingredients
- 24 mini Kinder chocolate bars: These are the backbone of your trees, and their individual wrapping makes them easy to count and stack without melting in your hands, but honestly, any mini chocolate bar works beautifully if Kinder isn't available.
- 150 g dark or milk chocolate, chopped: This is your drizzle; I use dark chocolate for a sophisticated look, but milk chocolate feels more festive and approachable for family gatherings.
- 1 tsp coconut oil: Optional but worth it—it makes the melted chocolate flow more smoothly from a spoon and prevents that grainy texture that happens when chocolate doesn't have enough fat.
- 3 tbsp festive sprinkles or edible glitter: This is where personality happens; use whatever matches your table, your mood, or your kitchen aesthetic.
- 8 mini chocolate stars or candy stars: The tree topper that makes it official, though you could use a single larger chocolate piece or even a crushed candy cane for a different effect.
Instructions
- Set up your workspace:
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and unwrap all your chocolate bars—this prep work takes two minutes but saves you from frantically unwrapping while chocolate is melting and dripping.
- Stack your trees:
- For each tree, place one whole Kinder bar as your base, break the next bar in half and overlap the pieces slightly to form a rough triangle above it, then add another whole or half bar on top for height. The stacking doesn't need to be perfect; slightly wonky trees look more charming and homemade.
- Melt the chocolate:
- Either use a double boiler method—setting a heatproof bowl over a pot of gently simmering water—or microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each burst until completely smooth. The double boiler is more forgiving if you're new to this.
- Drizzle generously:
- Using a spoon or piping bag, let the melted chocolate flow over and around your stacked bars to create that branch-like, forested effect; the drizzle should be thick enough to coat but thin enough to flow, not thick globs that hide the chocolate underneath.
- Decorate while warm:
- Sprinkle your chosen toppings immediately while the chocolate is still slightly tacky, then crown each tree with a chocolate or candy star before everything sets. This is the moment where kids' chaotic energy becomes an asset.
- Chill to set:
- Transfer to the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes; you want the chocolate firm enough to hold everything together but not so cold that the chocolate becomes brittle.
Pin It My partner's sister, who claims she doesn't cook, insisted on making these for her neighbourhood Christmas exchange, and they were the first thing to disappear from the table. She called me afterwards laughing, saying she'd been nervous about bringing something homemade, but these proved that fancy doesn't require a complicated recipe—just intention and a willingness to try something small.
Why These Work for Last-Minute Celebrations
The beauty of this recipe is that there's no baking, no chemistry that can go wrong, and no precision required beyond unwrapping chocolate bars. You can literally pull this together on a Tuesday evening and have impressive-looking desserts sitting in your fridge by Wednesday morning. The time investment is minimal enough that even if you're adding these to an already-packed holiday schedule, they never feel like a burden.
Playing with Flavour and Presentation
While the classic version is beautiful as-is, I've experimented with white chocolate drizzle over dark chocolate trees for contrast, and once I swapped the sprinkles for crushed pistachios and a touch of edible gold for a more elegant gathering. The recipe is forgiving enough that you can treat it as a template rather than a strict instruction—swap chocolate types, play with colours, use whatever toppings make your kitchen feel festive.
Making These with Helpers
If you're involving kids or reluctant kitchen helpers, assign them specific tasks: one person unwraps and counts the chocolate bars, another arranges them on the tray, and someone else is in charge of sprinkling and topping once the chocolate goes down. This way, everyone has ownership of the final result, and the whole project feels collaborative rather than one person doing all the work while others watch. The stacking is forgiving enough that even very small hands can be trusted with it.
- Let kids decorate first before you drizzle the chocolate—they can sprinkle the toppings in patterns or shapes before you commit everything in chocolate.
- Have parchment paper as a protective barrier so spilled chocolate and sprinkles aren't a disaster.
- Keep a damp cloth nearby for quick chocolate cleanup so the mess never feels overwhelming.
Pin It These chocolate trees are proof that the most memorable food doesn't require hours at the stove or ingredients you can't pronounce. They're the kind of recipe that becomes your thing once you make it once—simple enough to repeat without thinking, but special enough that people still ask you to bring them to gatherings.
Recipe FAQs
- → How do I melt the chocolate smoothly?
Melt chocolate gently over simmering water or in short microwave bursts, stirring frequently to avoid burning and achieve a smooth drizzle.
- → Can I use other chocolate bars instead of Kinder?
Yes, mini chocolate bars of similar size work well to create stacked shapes with the drizzle topping.
- → What decorations complement the chocolate stacks?
Festive sprinkles, edible glitter, and mini chocolate or candy stars enhance the seasonal look and add a playful touch.
- → How long should the chocolate drizzle set before serving?
Chill the stacks in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes until the drizzle firms up for easy handling and serving.
- → Is this treat suitable for vegetarian diets?
Yes, all ingredients used such as milk chocolate and sprinkles are vegetarian-friendly.