Save There's something magical about December mornings when the kitchen fills with the smell of melting chocolate and the sound of kids arguing over who gets to place the star on top. These little chocolate trees came to life one afternoon when I realized I had a pile of Kinder bars leftover from a holiday gift swap and absolutely no inspiration for what to do with them. My nephew wandered in asking if we could "make something that looks like Christmas," and within minutes we'd stacked our first wobbly tower and drizzled it with chocolate. What started as a quiet afternoon turned into the kind of cooking moment you don't forget—pure, uncomplicated joy.
I made these for my office Secret Santa exchange last year, and I watched them disappear within an hour. Someone actually asked for the recipe, which never happens with store-bought treats. That's when I realized these little trees weren't just candy—they were a conversation starter, a reason for people to pause and say something kind to each other.
Ingredients
- 24 mini Kinder chocolate bars: These are the backbone of your trees, and their creamy hazelnut centers make them taste far better than their simple appearance suggests. You can swap them for any mini chocolate bar you love, though Kinder's rectangular shape stacks beautifully.
- 150 g dark or milk chocolate, chopped: This is your drizzle, your binding agent, your finishing touch. Dark chocolate feels more sophisticated, but milk chocolate looks cozier and nostalgic.
- 1 tsp coconut oil (optional): This tiny addition keeps your chocolate from seizing and flows like silk from a spoon. It's the difference between a smooth drizzle and one that looks chunky and reluctant.
- 3 tbsp festive sprinkles or edible glitter: The moment these hit the wet chocolate is when your trees go from simple to celebratory. Use the finest sprinkles you can find—they stick better and look less juvenile.
- 8 mini chocolate stars or candy stars: These are your crowning moment, the final detail that tells everyone this was made with intention.
Instructions
- Prepare your stage:
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set it somewhere you won't accidentally nudge it. This is your workspace, your gallery.
- Unwrap and imagine:
- Unwrap all your Kinder bars and look at them for a moment. Stack one whole bar as your base, then break a second one in half and lean the pieces against it like a triangle, then place another whole bar on top for height. It won't look perfect, and that's exactly right.
- Arrange with intention:
- Place each stacked formation on the parchment paper, spacing them so they're not touching. You're creating eight little chocolate sculptures, each one slightly different from the last.
- Melt with patience:
- Chop your chocolate finely and place it in a heatproof bowl with the coconut oil. Either set it over a pot of gently simmering water (don't let it touch the water) or melt it in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring after each one. The microwave route is faster, but the water bath feels more ceremonial. Either way, stir until it's smooth and glossy.
- Drizzle like you mean it:
- Using a spoon or piping bag, drizzle the warm chocolate generously over each tree stack. Make it look like branches, like icicles, like you weren't afraid to be generous. This is not the moment for restraint.
- Decorate immediately:
- While the chocolate is still wet and forgiving, scatter sprinkles over each tree and crown it with a star. You have maybe thirty seconds before it starts to set, so move with purpose but without panic.
- Chill and wait:
- Slide the tray into the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes. This is when your chocolate firms up and your trees become solid little gifts.
- Serve with pride:
- Remove them from the fridge and eat them chilled for maximum crunch, or let them sit at room temperature if you prefer chocolate that melts more slowly on your tongue.
Save My favorite memory is watching my mom take a bite of one of these at a family gathering, close her eyes, and say, "You made this?" As if I'd done something remarkable, when really I'd just stacked some chocolate bars and drizzled more chocolate on top. But maybe that's the whole point—sometimes the simplest things, made with your own hands and served with a little thought, become the things people remember.
The Art of the Stack
The stacking part is where personality comes in. You could follow a recipe and stack them identically, like little soldiers, but the trees that really sing are the ones where each bar leans at a slightly different angle, where the proportions are a little off-kilter. A friend of mine stacks hers with the biggest bar at the bottom and smallest at the top, almost like a traditional tree shape. Another person just creates a loose, abstract tower. There's no wrong way, which is kind of the entire appeal of this recipe.
Chocolate Choices and Why They Matter
I've made these with milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and even white chocolate, and each version tells a different story. Dark chocolate makes them feel sophisticated and grown-up, like something you'd serve at a dinner party. Milk chocolate is warm and nostalgic, the flavor of childhood holidays. White chocolate is a little unexpected and always makes people do a double-take. Choose based on your mood, or make a batch of each and see which one disappears first.
Beyond Christmas
Yes, these are festive and wintery, but I've made them for birthday parties with pastel sprinkles and edible pearls, for baby showers with pale pink chocolate, even for a friend's divorce party with bright rainbow colors and the most rebellious energy we could muster. They're a template, really—a simple canvas for whatever you're celebrating or processing. The structure stays the same, but the meaning shifts with your mood and the moment. Keep some Kinder bars on hand for year-round moments that could use a little magic.
- They freeze beautifully for up to three weeks, so you can make them ahead and still feel like you've done something fresh.
- A single tree makes a perfect single-serve gift tucked into a small box with tissue paper.
- If you're making a big batch, unwrap everything first and set up an assembly line—it's meditative and you'll be done before you know it.
Save These little trees are proof that you don't need complicated techniques or obscure ingredients to make something that delights people. Just chocolate, imagination, and permission to make something a little bit imperfect and entirely your own.
Recipe Questions & Answers
- → What type of chocolate works best for the drizzle?
Both dark and milk chocolates melt well for drizzling; adding a bit of coconut oil helps create a smooth, shiny finish.
- → Can other chocolate bars be used instead of Kinder bars?
Yes, any mini chocolate bars with similar size and shape can be stacked to create the tree forms.
- → How long should the chocolate stacks chill before serving?
Chill the stacks for 10–15 minutes to let the drizzle set firmly before serving.
- → Are these stacks suitable to prepare with children?
Absolutely, children will enjoy stacking the bars and decorating with sprinkles and stars under supervision.
- → How should these treats be stored?
Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to one week to maintain freshness.