Little Debbie Christmas tree cakes were like THE snack of my childhood. Every December, my mom would buy those boxes and hide them in the pantry, thinking we wouldn’t find them. We always found them. And honestly, I’ve been obsessed with them ever since—so much so that I decided to try making homemade Christmas tree cakes myself.
Spoiler alert: my first attempt was a disaster. Complete disaster. I somehow managed to make cake that tasted like cardboard covered in frosting that was too sweet and also somehow grainy? My husband took one bite and said “it’s… interesting” which is married-person code for “this is bad but I love you.”
But I kept trying because I’m stubborn like that, and after five batches (my coworkers were very happy test subjects), I finally cracked the code on this copycat Little Debbie Christmas tree cakes recipe. And honestly? They might be better than the store-bought ones. Don’t tell Little Debbie I said that.
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Why Make Homemade Christmas Tree Cakes
Here’s the thing—I know you can just buy these at literally any grocery store for like $3 a box. I’m not saying you SHOULD make them from scratch. I’m just saying that if you want to impress people at a holiday party or feel like a domestic goddess for approximately 45 minutes, this Christmas tree cakes recipe is the way to do it.
Plus, homemade means you can control the sweetness level. The store-bought ones are SWEET. Like, my-teeth-hurt-sweet. These easy Christmas tree cakes are still sweet but not diabetic-coma sweet. You know?
Also, there’s something satisfying about making something that looks store-bought but isn’t. It’s like a magic trick but edible. My friend Jessica about lost her mind when I told her these were homemade. She thought I was lying until I showed her the dirty mixing bowls in my sink.
My Journey to the Best Christmas Tree Cake Recipe
After that first cardboard incident, I did what any reasonable person would do—I stress-baked five more batches over two weeks. My kitchen smelled permanently like vanilla and Christmas. My neighbors probably thought I’d opened a bakery.
The breakthrough came when I realized the cake needs to be MOIST. Like, almost too moist. The store-bought ones have this tender, almost spongy texture that I couldn’t get right until I added sour cream to the batter. Game changer. Also, oil instead of all butter. I know, I know, butter is life, but for these festive Christmas treats, you need that oil moisture.
And the frosting. Oh man, the frosting gave me so much trouble. Too thin and it slides off. Too thick and it looks lumpy and weird. I finally figured out that you need to do a thin crumb coat first, freeze it for like 15 minutes, THEN do the final coat. Professional bakers are probably like “duh” but I had to learn this the hard way.
Ingredients for These Christmas Snack Cakes
Alright, here’s what you need for this Little Debbie cake recipe. Most of it you probably already have:
For the cake:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup sour cream (not the low-fat kind)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Green food coloring (get the gel kind, not liquid)
For the vanilla filling:
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the chocolate coating:
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or vegetable oil
- Green and red sprinkles (the tiny ones, not those giant decorating ones)
Shopping note: Don’t cheap out on the chocolate. I tried using those weird off-brand chocolate chips once and they tasted like wax. Ghirardelli or Nessan Toll House work great. Also, gel food coloring is worth the extra $2 because liquid food coloring makes the batter weird and runny.
How to Make These Holiday Cake Recipes
Step 1: Make the Tree-Shaped Cakes
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper—don’t skip this or you’ll be scraping cake off the pan for hours (been there).
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, mix oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Add the wet to the dry and mix just until combined. Don’t overmix or your cakes will be tough.
Now here’s where it gets fun—add green food coloring. I use maybe 10-15 drops of gel coloring to get that signature tree green. It’ll look weird at first, kind of alien-green, but it bakes to a prettier shade.
Pour into your prepared pan and bake for 18-20 minutes. Mine are usually done at 19 minutes but ovens vary so check with a toothpick. Cool completely—this is important for the next steps.
Step 2: Cut Out Tree Shapes
Once your cake is totally cool, use a tree-shaped cookie cutter to cut out shapes. I use a 3-inch cutter and get about 16-18 trees per pan. You’ll have scraps—don’t throw them away! Eat them. They’re baker’s tax.
If you don’t have a tree cutter, you can make a template from cardboard and cut around it with a knife. Takes longer but works fine.
Step 3: Make the Filling
Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until fluffy. It should be thick enough to spread but not so thick that it tears your cake.
This vanilla Christmas tree cake filling is honestly so good I could eat it with a spoon. Sometimes I do. No judgment.
Step 4: Assemble the Cakes
Slice each tree in half horizontally—this is terrifying the first time because you’re worried about breaking them, but go slow with a serrated knife and you’ll be fine. I only broke like three out of eighteen on my first attempt.
Spread filling on the bottom half, put the top half back on. Press gently. Put them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. This makes the chocolate coating way easier.
Step 5: Chocolate Coating Time
Melt chocolate chips with oil in the microwave—30 second intervals, stirring between, until smooth. Don’t overheat or it’ll seize up and you’ll cry. Ask me how I know.
Take your frozen cakes out. Working one at a time, dip each tree into the chocolate, letting excess drip off. Place back on parchment. Immediately sprinkle with those red and green sprinkles before chocolate sets.
Let them sit at room temperature until chocolate hardens, maybe 20-30 minutes.
Tips for Perfect Homemade Snack Cakes
Freeze before dipping. I cannot stress this enough. Frozen cakes don’t fall apart when you dip them in chocolate. Room temp cakes dissolve into chocolate soup. Voice of experience here.
Use parchment paper everywhere. Makes cleanup so much easier and nothing sticks.
Don’t overmix the batter. Overmixed cake is tough cake. Mix just until you don’t see dry flour anymore.
Add oil to the chocolate. This makes it thinner and easier to coat evenly. Coconut oil makes it set up shinier but vegetable oil works too.
Make extra. These disappear FAST. I made 18 and they were gone in two days. My family has no chill.
Why These Are Better Than Store-Bought
Look, I love the original Little Debbie Christmas tree cakes. They’re nostalgic and perfect and I’ll never stop buying them. But these homemade versions are fresher, less aggressively sweet, and you can actually taste the vanilla and cream cheese filling instead of just sugar.
Plus you can customize them. Want dark chocolate coating? Go for it. Prefer white chocolate? Sure. Want to add peppermint extract to the filling? Weird but okay. The world is your oyster. Or your Christmas tree cake.
Storage for These Christmas Baking Ideas
These copycat snack cakes keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. The chocolate coating might lose its shine after day 2 but they still taste good. You can also refrigerate them if your kitchen is warm, but let them come to room temp before eating or the chocolate gets hard and weird.
They also freeze beautifully for up to 2 months. Wrap individually in plastic wrap, then put in a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature for an hour before eating.
Final Thoughts on This Chocolate Christmas Tree Cakes Recipe
Making these homemade Christmas tree cakes has become one of my favorite holiday traditions. Yeah, they’re more work than buying them at the store. But there’s something really satisfying about making something iconic from scratch and having it actually turn out good.
My kids lose their minds over these every year. My mom asked me to bring them to Christmas dinner instead of pie (which is high praise from my mom who’s a pie snob). And honestly, watching people bite into one and realize it’s homemade never gets old.
Are they perfect? No. Some of my trees are lopsided. Some have too many sprinkles and some not enough. But that’s the charm of homemade—they don’t have to be factory-perfect to be delicious.
Let me know if you make these! And seriously, if you have any tips or tricks for making them even better, drop them in the comments because I’m always trying to improve my technique. 🎄🍫
