Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake
This Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake has Christmas Tree Cakes mixed into the cheesecake batter and layered into the cheesecake. It's topped with a delicious white chocolate ganache, red frosting, and green sanding sugar. It's the perfect Christmas dessert if you're looking to try something new this year.
Last year I jumped on the Little Debbie Christmas Tree Dip and the family loved it so much I had to make more delicious Christmas tree cake desserts.
At first, I was going to add some crushed cakes for a crust, but I can imagine it being it being just a mushy crust. Just my opinion, of course, you're more than welcome to try it if you want. I opted for Golden Oreos with butter and Christmas nonpareils.
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Ingredients
There are quite a few ingredients needed for this Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake. I didn't grab photos unfortunately, but I'm happy to share what they are and link to any recommended ingredients that I like to use.
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for quantities.
Cheesecake Crust
- Golden Oreos - You can use any flavor Oreo you prefer or even shortbread cookies would work.
- butter - I like to use salted butter. The melted butter binds the cookie crumbs together.
- Christmas nonpareils - You can omit these if you don't have them on hand or replace them with Christmas sprinkles or green sanding sugar.
Christmas Tree Cheesecake
- cream cheese - I like to use full-fat cream cheese and always make sure it's softened before starting your cheesecake batter.
- granulated sugar - also known as white sugar.
- Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes - These are seasonal so you can always substitute them with the zebra cakes if they're out of season.
- flour - all-purpose flour helps make the cheesecake more dense and firmer.
- vanilla extract - use your favorite store-bought or homemade vanilla extract.
- eggs - use large eggs for my recipes unless another size is specified.
- sour cream - full-fat sour cream helps keep the cheesecake dense but also adds a creaminess and a tangy flavor.
- heavy cream - heavy whipping cream will thin out the batter slightly and make it more of a pourable consistency.
Topping
- white chocolate baking chocolate - This is used with the heavy cream to make a ganache for the top of the cheesecake. You can use white chocolate chips if that's all you have.
- heavy cream - This is needed to make the ganache topping.
- store-bought red frosting - I used a Betty Crocker cookie icing.
- green sanding sugar - This isn't necessary but helps make the cheesecake resemble the Christmas tree cakes.
- homemade whipped cream - you can use store-bought whipping topping
How to Make Christmas Tree Cheesecake
Christmas Tree Cake Cheesecake is the typical cheesecake when it comes to the steps for the crust, cheesecake, ganache, and whipped cream. There are many steps to making most cheesecakes, with basque cheesecake being the exception.
Let's start with the golden cookie crust and work our way up the cheesecake.
Step 1: Add the crushed Oreos with the Oreo filling still in them, melted butter, and festive sprinkles in a large bowl. Mix until the butter has coated the crumbs.
Step 2: Press the crumbs into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan that's been lined with a 3-inch wide parchment paper on the sides. Place in fridge to firm up.
Step 3: Beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth.
Step 4: Add 4 Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes, sugar, and flour. Beat until well combined.
Step 5: Add in the vanilla extract and then the eggs one at a time. Beat in each egg just until combined and scrape down the bowl before adding the next egg.
Step 6: Add in the sour cream and heavy whipping cream. Mix until just incorporated.
Step 7: Add half of the cheesecake batter on top of the cookie crust.
Step 8: Add 6 whole Christmas tree cakes on top of the cheesecake batter.
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Step 9: Carefully spoon the remaining cheesecake batter on top of the cakes. Pouring the batter will move the cakes and push them deeper. Be sure to cover all of the cakes.
Place in a water bath similar to the one in image 9. Fill the outer pan with about 1 to 1 ½ inches of warm water.
Step 10: Bake the cheesecake for 50 to 60 minutes. The batter is pretty thick and baked at a higher temperature so it doesn't take as long as a creamier cheesecake.
Step 11: While the cheesecake is cooling, microwave the white baking chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals until smooth and creamy.
Step 12: Place the white chocolate ganache in the fridge and stir every 10 minutes for a total of 40 minutes. This will give your ganache a spreadable consistency.
Step 13: Spread the white chocolate ganache on top of the cheesecake. Sprinkle with green sanding sugar and add wavy lines of red frosting on top. Place in the fridge to let it sit up before serving.
TIP: After you've added all of the cheesecake batter to the prepared pan, give it several taps on the counter to remove any trapped air bubbles that may have formed from adding layers to the cheesecake.
Substitutions
I've given a few substitutions higher up in the post, but I'll also drop them here to see as well.
- Golden Oreos - instead of Golden Oreos, you can use your favorite flavor Oreo or a buttery shortbread cookie.
- Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes - Chocolate Christmas Tree Cakes or Zebra Cakes will also work in this recipe.
- Sour Cream - You can substitute the sour cream with plain full-fat Greek yogurt.
- White Baking Chocolate - You can use white chocolate chips in a pinch but the times for setting up will be different since you're working with an ingredient that's meant to hold its shape.
- Sanding Sugar - This can be omitted or any sort of sanding sugar or sprinkle can be used instead.
- Red Frosting - You could also make your own frosting or red ganache like I did in this Vampire Bite Cake for the recipe.
Equipment You May Need
Here's a quick checklist of the equipment you're going to need to make this cheesecake recipe happen.
- hand mixer
- 9-inch springform pan
- parchment paper - You can just cut out strips of parchment paper for the sides of the pan, but I prefer to just buy the 3-inch wide precut strips.
- cheesecake water bath pan - This can be replaced with two layers of heavy duty tin foil or a regular cake pan that's slightly larger than the springform pan.
- food processor - This is to chop up the Oreos into a fine crumb with the filling still in the cookies. You can use a storage bag and a rolling pin, but a lot of the filling will get stuck on the sides of the storage bag.
- large mixing bowl - my favorites are these large anchor hocking glass bowls.
- silicone spatula
- piping tip - I used the Wilton 1M piping tip for the whipped cream.
- piping bag - I like to use the 16-inch disposable piping bags.
Storage
Store the cheesecake in an airtight container or wrapped well with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To freeze the Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake, leave the toppings off and let the cheesecake cool in the fridge overnight. You can leave the cheesecake in the springform to help protect it or remove it and place it in a freezer-safe container.
If you're keeping it in the pan, wrap the cheesecake in 2 layers of plastic wrap, letting the plastic wrap touch the cheesecake surface. This will ensure it is sealed well. I like to wrap the cheesecake in a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil as well.
If you're removing the cheesecake from the pan, place it on a plate and tightly wrap it in the two layers of plastic wrap making sure to press it against the top of the cheesecake. Place in a freezer-safe container.
Once the cheesecake is wrapped, place it in the freezer and freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to enjoy your Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake, remove it from the freezer and place it in the fridge to thaw overnight. Slice and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! As the days pass, the cake will become a little more soggy, but for the first couple of days the Christmas Tree Cakes will be just like you unwrapped them and took a bite.
Yes! You can freeze it after it's cooled overnight and thaw it in the fridge overnight the night before you want to serve it.
Absolutely! I would recommend the Chocolate Christmas Tree Cakes or Zebra Cakes.
More Christmas Desserts
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
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Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ cups Golden Oreos 18 Oreos
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 tablespoon Christmas nonpareils
Cheesecake
- 28 ounces (3 ½ 8-ounce blocks) cream cheese room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 10 Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes divided
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup full-fat sour cream
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
Ganache Topping
- 4 ounces white baking chocolate chopped
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ to 1 tablespoon green sanding sugar
- Red store-bought cookie frosting
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray the sides and bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick baking spray. Place a 9-inch parchment paper circle in the bottom of the pan and a 3-inch wide strip of parchment paper against the sides of the pan.
- Add the Oreo cookies with the filling in them to a food processor. Pulse until the cookies are fine crumbs.
- Add the melted butter and continue to pulse until the butter has coated all of the crumbs.
- Pour the crumbs into the prepared springform pan. Begin to press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan firmly and evenly.
- Once the crust is packed, place it in the fridge to set while working on the cheesecake batter.
Cheesecake
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add in the sugar, flour, and 4 of the Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes. Beat with the hand mixer until well combined. The Little Debbie Cakes will be worked in but the red and white frosting top will still be in chunks. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and continue to mix if there are any remaining bits that need mixed in.
- Add in the vanilla extract and then the eggs one at a time and beat just until each egg is worked into the batter. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl before adding the next egg.
- Add the sour cream and heavy whipping cream. Mix just until they’re combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir in any remaining bits.
- Wrap the outside of the springform pan with 2 layers of heavy-duty tin foil or place the springform pan inside a slightly larger pan.
- Pour half of the cheesecake batter into the prepared pan(s).
- Place 6 Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes on top of the batter.
- Spoon the remaining cheesecake batter on top of the cakes. If you pour the batter on top, it will move the Christmas Tree Cakes and they’ll no longer be in the center of the cheesecake.
- Give the cheesecake several taps on the counter to remove the air bubbles.
- Fill a larger pan with about 1 to 1 ½ inches of warm water and place the tin foil wrapped or double panned cheesecake into the pan filled with the warm water.
- Place the cheesecake in the preheated oven and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour until the edges of the cheesecake are set and the center slightly jiggles like jell-o when the pan is wiggled back and forth. If the center looks like wet batter, continue to bake the cheesecake until the center is set like gelatin.
- Once done, leave the cheesecake in the oven, turn the oven off, and leave the door slightly ajar until the cheesecake has cooled to room temperature.
- While the cheesecake is cooling to room temperature, work on the topping.
Ganache Topping
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, add the chopped white baking chocolate and the heavy whipping cream. Microwave in 30-second intervals and stir after each interval until the white chocolate is completely melted and smooth. It should be completely melted after 1 minute in the microwave.
- Place in the fridge for 40 minutes and be sure to stir the ganache topping every 10 minutes.
- Once the cheesecake is cooled and the ganache is set up, spread it on top of the cheesecake using an angled spatula.
- Sprinkle the green sanding sugar all over the top of the white chocolate ganache.
- Using the store-bought red frosting, pipe wavy lines on the top of the cheesecake to resemble the Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes.
- Place the cheesecake in the fridge and allow to chill overnight to set up.
Whipped Cream
- Before serving the cheesecake, add the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar to a large mixing bowl. Beat using a hand mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Turn the mixer up to high and continue to beat until the whipped cream forms stiff peaks.
- Place the whipped cream in a piping bag fitted with a 1M piping tip. Pipe tall swirls of whipped cream all along the top edges of the cheesecake.
- Store in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 5 days. The cakes in the middle of the cheesecake will slowly begin to become soggy and break down as the days go on.
Notes
Thaw the cheesecake overnight in the fridge before serving.
Nutrition
(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.)
I made a similar cheesecake with another recipe that I always use for all my cheesecakes and my trees kept floating to the top. Definitely going to try your recipe next Christmas instead since it looks like you didn’t have that issue! Lol
Aw that is great, I hope you enjoy it and it turns out great like ours did!
Do you think this recipe could be done in a 13x9, and just cut it into squares?
Thank you, love your recipes!
Merry Christmas!
So if you baked in a 9x13 pan you would of course need to adjust the baking time. Just cook the cheesecake until it is set. Then you would easily slice and serve.