Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake Balls
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Christmas Tree Cake Balls are a fun twist on everyone’s favorite holiday treat! Made with just 5 simple ingredients, the no-bake treats are easy to make and have all the delicious flavor of Little Debbie snack cakes in every bite.
The holiday season is coming up quickly, and that means spending more time in the kitchen to whip up sweet goodies for parties, bake sales, and to give as gifts. Thankfully, these Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake Balls are quick, easy, and always a huge hit.
Look for more easy cake balls and truffles for your holiday party? Consider these rum cookie balls, sugar cookie truffles, or peanut butter balls with rice krispies.
Ingredients
This section includes ingredient notes and substitution options. Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Christmas Tree Snack Cakes — A delicious Little Debbie snack cake that comes in festive tree shapes, made with layers of vanilla cake with a cream filling and decorated with white frosting, green sprinkles, and a drizzle of red icing.
- Cream Cheese — Soften the cream cheese to room temperature to make mixing easier. This combines with the cakes to make more of a traditional truffle-type filling and it helps make the dough a little less sweet.
- Almond Bark — You can use white candy melts if you can’t find almond bark at the grocery store.
- Red Candy Melts — Used to add red “garland” to the treats, just like you see on the classic holiday snack cakes. You could also use almond back with a little bit of red gel food coloring.
- Green Sugar Sprinkles — Also called sanding sugar, this is a large crystal sugar used in decorating baked goods. You could also use edible glitter for a fun twist.
Equipment Needed to Make Christmas Cake Truffles
When you’ve gathered your ingredients, here are the kitchen tools and supplies you’ll need to make the cake balls:
- baking sheet
- parchment paper or wax paper
- large mixing bowl
- electric mixer (either a hand mixer or stand mixer would work)
How to Make Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake Balls
This section shows you how to make the recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions. For the full printable recipe, see the recipe card below.
Step 1: Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or wax paper and set it aside.
Step 2: Place trees and softened cream cheese to a large bowl and beat together until well combined.
Step 3: Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Place the balls on the lined sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Step 4: Once the balls have chilled, melt the almond bark in the microwave according to the package directions. Use a fork or dipping tool to dip each truffle into the melted candy coating. chocolate. Gently tap on the side of the bowl to shake off any excess chocolate, and return the truffles to the lined baking sheet.
Step 5: Immediately top cake balls with a pinch of green sprinkles before the chocolate sets.
Step 6: Heat the red candy melts in the microwave in 30-second increments until melted and smooth. Spoon into a piping bag or a freezer bag with the tip cut off. Drizzle over the truffles.
Step 7: Let the truffles sit at room temperature or place in the fridge for 10 minutes to allow the white chocolate coating to set up. Serve or store in the refrigerator.
Storage and Freezing
Refrigerator: Store Little Debbie cake balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Place wax paper between layers to prevent them from sticking together.
Freezer: For long-term storage, place the Christmas cake balls in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. You can also freeze the uncoated cake balls (without the chocolate covering) for up to 3 months and dip in melted chocolate once they’re thawed.
Recipe Tips
- Use a small cookie scoop to make your cake balls evenly sized.
- Don’t skip out on chilling the dough. It helps the balls stay together when dipping in the melted chocolate and also helps the chocolate set faster.
- Sometimes Christmas tree cakes can be difficult to find in December, so if you’re having trouble, grab some Zebra cakes instead. They’re very similar and will work well as a replacement.
Additions and Variations
- Swap out the toppings. Instead of sprinkles and red chocolate drizzle, top these Christmas tree cake truffles with crushed peppermint candies! You can crush some candy canes yourself or buy crushed peppermint in the baking aisle during the holiday season.
- Use chocolate cakes. The Little Debbie Chocolate Christmas tree cakes are also delicious in this recipe. You can coat them with white chocolate or milk chocolate.
- Add sticks to make cake pops. Want to turn these into cake pops? Simply insert cake pop sticks before dipping.
- Ramp up the vanilla flavor. Add up to a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the dough before mixing to get even more vanilla flavor in every one of your Little Debbie Christmas tree cake truffles.
Little Debbie Cake Balls FAQ
Absolutely. Any vanilla snack cake with cream filling should do the trick. Chocolate snack cakes are delicious turned into cake balls, too.
Yes, they’re perfect for making ahead. Just make sure you keep them refrigerated if you’re serving or gifting them within the week or freeze them if you’re making them well in advance of the holidays.
Almond bark or candy melts work best because they’re thin and smooth when heated and set up quickly. If you use chocolate chips or another type of melting chocolate, you may need to add a tablespoon or so of coconut oil or paramount crystals to get it thin and smooth enough for dipping.
Make sure you chill the dough thoroughly before dipping the truffles in the melted chocolate. Chilling the balls helps them hold together during the coating process. If you notice them start to fall apart place them back in the refrigerator to chill longer.
More Favorite Christmas No Bake Desserts
Looking for more cake balls, truffles, and sweet treats? Try one of these tasty favorites:
- Biscoff Truffles — Made with just four ingredients, you’ll love the flavor of the warm spices from the Biscoff cookies and and cookie butter. Yum!
- No Bake Brownie Truffles — They’re a hit at any party. You can decorate them in different colors of sprinkles to suit any holiday, but they’re great coated with crushed nuts, crushed peppermint, or even coconut.
- Christmas Popcorn Balls — The sweet and salty flavor of these popcorn balls is irresistible. They disappear fast!
- Homemade Peanut Butter Buckeyes — Creamy peanut butter combines with rich chocolate in this classic no-bake treat.
Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake Balls
Ingredients
- 10 Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes 2 boxes
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 16 ounces vanilla almond bark
- 1 cup red candy melts
- green sugar sprinkles
Instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat to combine softened cream cheese and Christmas tree cakes.
- Scoop out the dough and roll into 1-inch balls. Place balls on the lined cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or overnight).
- Melt white almond bark in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until melted and smooth (or as per package instructions).
- Use a fork or dipping tool to dip chilled truffles into the melted candy coating. Gently tap on the side of the bowl to allow any excess coating to drip off, then return the dipped balls to the lined baking sheet.
- Immediately top each truffle with a pinch of green sprinkles.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, heat red candy melts in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Spoon into a piping bag or freezer baggie and snip off a tiny bit of the corner. Drizzle the red chocolate over the truffles.
- Allow the truffles to set fully before serving or storing (about 10 minutes in the refrigerator).
Notes
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 week. Place a sheet of parchment or wax paper between layers so the truffles do not stick together. For longer storage, freeze for up to 2 months.
- Prep ahead: Make the truffles ahead of time and freeze them for up to 3 months before thawing in the refrigerator and then dipping in the chocolate.
- Chocolate: The chocolate Little Debbie Christmas Tree variety would work, too!
Nutrition
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