The holidays always bring back so many sweet memories for me, and some of the best ones involve those iconic Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes. There’s just something about that little tree, right? I wanted to capture that nostalgic feeling in a homemade cookie, and let me tell you, these Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake Cookies do just that!
They’re soft, buttery, and filled with that unmistakable creamy goodness. Making them always gets me in the festive spirit, and I know they’ll bring a smile to your face too.
Why You’ll Love This Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake Cookies
- These cookies are incredibly soft and tender, with a perfect buttery flavor that melts in your mouth.
- The creamy vanilla buttercream filling tastes just like the original, bringing back all those childhood memories.
- They’re so fun to decorate! You get to play with sprinkles and piping, making each cookie a little work of art.
- They’re a total crowd-pleaser, perfect for holiday parties, cookie exchanges, or just a cozy night in.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- All-purpose flour: This is our base! Don’t substitute with self-rising flour, as it contains leavening agents we’re adding separately.
- Salt: A little bit of salt enhances all the other flavors. Don’t skip it!
- Baking powder: This helps our cookies get that lovely soft texture. Make sure yours isn’t expired!
- Unsalted butter (for cookies and buttercream): Always use unsalted so you can control the salt content. Make sure it’s at room temperature for both the cookies and the buttercream for the best creamy texture.
- Sugar: Regular granulated sugar for the cookies, and confectioner’s sugar (also known as powdered sugar) for the buttercream.
- Egg: Make sure your egg is at room temperature! It helps everything emulsify better for a smoother dough.
- Vanilla extract: Use a good quality pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Red food gel: Gel coloring is best for vibrant colors without adding too much liquid to your frosting.
- Green sugar sprinkles: These are essential for that classic Christmas tree look!
- Heavy whipping cream: This helps make your buttercream extra smooth and creamy.
How to Make Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake Cookies Step by Step
First things first, let’s get our dry ingredients ready for the cookie dough. Grab a medium-sized bowl and whisk together your flour, salt, and baking powder. This ensures everything is evenly distributed, so you don’t end up with a pocket of salt in one cookie!
Now, for the magic in your mixer! In a stand mixer, or with your hand mixer, you’ll cream together the room temperature butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy. This usually takes about two minutes. Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl often to make sure everything gets mixed in. Then, add in your room temperature egg and vanilla, mixing again until it’s all smooth. This is where the flavor really starts to build!
Finally, add your dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix until a soft dough forms and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Don’t overmix! Once combined, roll the dough out between two pieces of parchment paper to about 1/4 inch thick. This step is super important for even baking. Pop it onto a cookie sheet and into the fridge for at least two hours, or even overnight. Chilling the dough helps prevent spreading and makes it easier to cut those beautiful shapes.
My Top Tips for Success
- I always make sure my butter and egg are at room temperature. It really makes a difference in the texture of both the cookie dough and the buttercream.
- Don’t skip chilling the dough! Trust me on this one; it prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven and helps them hold their shape.
- When baking, watch for just lightly golden edges. These cookies are meant to be soft, so you don’t want to overbake them.
- For the buttercream, gradually add the heavy cream until you reach your desired consistency. You want it smooth and pipeable, not too stiff or too runny.
- Use gel food coloring for the red buttercream. It gives a much more vibrant color without thinning out the frosting.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before you even think about decorating. Warm cookies will just melt your beautiful buttercream!
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overmixing the dough: This can lead to tough cookies. Mix until just combined.
- Not chilling the dough enough: Your cookies will spread too much and lose their shape, especially the delicate tree cutouts. Make sure it’s firm!
- Overbaking the cookies: They’ll be dry and hard instead of soft and tender. Pull them out when the edges are just barely golden.
- Decorating warm cookies: The buttercream will melt and slide right off. Always wait until they are completely cool.
- Using too much liquid food coloring: This can thin out your buttercream too much. Opt for gel food coloring for vibrant hues.
How to Store Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake Cookies
- Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerated: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Freezer (Unfrosted Cookies): Place cooled, unfrosted cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before frosting.
- Freezer (Frosted Cookies): Freeze individual frosted cookies on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer to an airtight container with parchment paper between layers for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these cookies ahead of time?
Yes, absolutely! You can prepare the cookie dough and chill it in the fridge for up to two days before baking. You can also bake the cookies and freeze them unfrosted for up to three months.
What if I don’t have a 5-inch circle or 2-inch tree cookie cutter?
You can use any size circle cutter you have, just adjust baking time as needed. For the tree cutout, you could try a smaller knife to carefully cut the shape, though a cutter will give the cleanest look.
Why did my cookies spread too much?
This is usually due to the dough not being chilled enough, or your butter being too soft. Ensure your dough is firm before cutting and baking.
Can I use a different frosting?
While this recipe focuses on recreating the classic Little Debbie flavor with buttercream, you could experiment. However, the texture and taste might be different from the original inspiration.
How do I get the red stripes to look perfect?
Practice makes perfect! Use a small round piping tip and apply even pressure as you pipe the lines. Don’t worry if they’re not absolutely perfect; they’ll still taste amazing!
I hope these Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake Cookies bring a little extra sparkle and sweetness to your holiday season! They truly are a joy to make and even more fun to eat. If you give them a try, please let me know how they turn out!
PrintLittle Debbie Christmas Tree Cake Cookies
Soft, buttery vanilla cookies filled with creamy buttercream and festive sprinkles, just like the classic Christmas Tree Cakes!
- Prep Time: 45
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 175
- Yield: 12-15 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1⁄4 tsp. salt
- 1⁄4 tsp. baking powder
- 1⁄2 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- red food gel
- green sugar sprinkles
- Vanilla Buttercream Filling
- 3⁄4 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 1⁄2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1⁄4 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 -5Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
- 1 -2drops red food gel
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a medium-sized bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the butter and the sugar for about 2 minutes until light, fluffy, and creamy.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you mix.
- Add the egg and vanilla to the creamed mixture.
- Continue to mix and scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything combines evenly.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
- Mix until a soft dough forms and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for a few seconds longer to ensure everything is combined evenly.
- Roll the cookie dough out between two pieces of parchment paper to about 1/4 inch thick.
- Place the rolled dough onto a cookie sheet.
- Transfer the cookie sheet with the dough to the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Use a 5-inch circle cookie cutter to cut out as many circles as you can from the chilled dough.
- Use a 2-inch tree cookie cutter to cut out a tree shape in the center of half of the cut-out cookies.
- Place each cookie on a cookie sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are just lightly golden brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before decorating.
- To make the buttercream, cream together 3/4 cups room temperature butter and 3 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or with an electric mixer.
- Slowly add 3-5 tablespoons of heavy cream until the mixture is nice and smooth.
- Add 1/4 tsp salt and 1 tsp vanilla extract to the buttercream and continue to mix.
- Remove about 1/4 cup of the buttercream and dye it red with 1-2 drops of red food gel.
- Place both the white and red buttercreams into separate piping bags.
- Once the cookies have cooled completely, pipe a layer of white buttercream on the flat bottom side of a full (uncut) cookie.
- Use the red buttercream to pipe the classic Little Debbie tree cake stripes on top of the white buttercream.
- Top with green sugar sprinkles.
- Place a cookie with the center tree cut out on top, centered over the filled cookie.
- Repeat this step for each cookie until all are assembled.
Notes
Ensure all dairy ingredients are at room temperature for the best cookie dough and buttercream texture.
Chill the cookie dough for the full duration to prevent spreading and maintain sharp cut-out shapes.
Do not overbake the cookies; they should be soft, not crispy.
Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting to prevent the buttercream from melting.
