Little Debbie Christmas Tree Dip is a festive sweet treat made with Christmas Tree Cakes, cream cheese, Cool Whip, and vanilla. This Christmas tree cake dip costs about $0.62 per serving and comes together quickly for an easy holiday dessert.
If you grew up with Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes, this dip tastes just like them in scoopable form. It takes about 10 minutes to make with no baking, and I love serving it with vanilla wafers, pretzels, or fruit when I need an easy dessert for a holiday gathering.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
- Five cakes and a few fridge staples -No baking, no special equipment beyond a hand mixer.
- Ready in 10 minutes – Make it right before the party or the night before.
- Built for a crowd – One bowl serves about 12 and works as a dessert or a party appetizer.
After years of making recipes for my family, I’ve learned that a good dessert dip should have the right balance of creaminess and flavor without requiring complicated steps. This recipe keeps the ingredient list simple while letting the Christmas Tree Cakes provide the familiar flavor and texture.
If you love Little Debbie Christmas trees, also try Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake Ice cream Recipe and Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake.
Ingredients
- Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes. One box has 5 cakes, which is exactly what the dip needs. If you want a whole cake standing on top, grab a second box.
- Cream Cheese. Let it soften completely on the counter. Once the Cool Whip goes in you can’t beat the dip anymore, so any cream cheese lumps left now stay in the finished dip.
- Vanilla Extract. Rounds out the vanilla cake flavor.
- Milk. A splash thins the dip to an easy scooping consistency. Any milk works; add a little more if you like it thinner.
- Cool Whip. Thaw it in the fridge first so it folds in smoothly. Regular or light whipped topping both work.
- Christmas Sprinkles. Optional, but red and green sprinkles on top make it look party ready. Smaller sprinkles look best.
Jump to the recipe for the full ingredient amounts.
How to Make Christmas Tree Cake Dip
Step 1. Chop the Christmas Tree Cakes into small pieces and add them to a large bowl with the softened cream cheese, milk, and vanilla.
Step 2. Beat with a hand mixer until mostly smooth. You’ll still see small bits of cake — that’s what you want.
Step 3. Gently fold in the thawed Cool Whip with a spatula until no streaks remain. Folding by hand keeps the dip light and fluffy.
Step 4. Chill until ready to serve, then top with sprinkles and a whole Christmas Tree Cake right before serving.
Expert Tips
- Want it smoother? Blend the cakes, cream cheese, milk, and vanilla in a food processor, then fold in the Cool Whip by hand.
- Want more cake flavor? Add an extra cake or two if you want a stronger cake flavor.
- Too thick? Stir in milk a tablespoon at a time until it’s easy to scoop.
Can’t find Christmas Tree Cakes?
They sell out fast in December. Here’s what works instead:
- Homemade Christmas Tree Cakes – Our copycat Christmas Tree Cakes work when the stores are cleaned out.
- Little Debbie Fancy White cakes – A reader favorite; add extra red and green sprinkles for the holiday look.
- Zebra Cakes – Same creamy filling with a fun chocolate stripe.
- Chocolate Christmas Tree Cakes – If the vanilla ones are gone, the chocolate version makes a rich chocolate dip.
- Tip: Christmas Tree Cakes freeze well in the box, so grab a few extra boxes in November when they first hit shelves.
Serving Suggestions
- Pretzels – You can use any type you prefer. We used sticks but twists would be delicious too.
- Vanilla wafers – We love adding vanilla wafers to the cookie tray. They taste amazing with the dip.
- Animal crackers – This is a classic cookie that dips perfectly.
- Graham crackers – You can use plain graham crackers or even get the cinnamon sugar ones.
- Fruit – Strawberries and apple slices and other fresh fruit are really good with this dip.
- Cookies – Ideas include chocolate chip, ginger snap, gingerbread cookies, shortbread cookies, and sugar cookies.
For a party: Don’t leave the dip out for more than 2 hours. It’s made with cream cheese and whipped topping, so put it back in the fridge between rounds if the party runs long.
Storage
- Refrigerator – Store covered in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days. Give it a quick stir before serving.
- Make ahead – Make it up to 1 day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Wait to add the sprinkles and cake topper until right before serving so the colors don’t bleed.
- Freezing – I don’t recommend freezing it. The whipped topping gets watery and grainy once thawed.
FAQ
Yes. A stand mixer with the paddle attachment works the same way. A food processor works too: pulse the cakes, cream cheese, milk, and vanilla until smooth, then fold in the Cool Whip by hand.
Yes. This recipe can easily be doubled for a larger gathering. Use a larger mixing bowl so you have plenty of room to combine everything without making a mess.
No. Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes contain wheat, so this recipe is not gluten-free as written. Check the labels on all ingredients if you need to accommodate a specific dietary restriction.
More Little Debbie Inspired Desserts
After you make this Christmas dip, come back and leave a rating and comment. I love hearing from you!
Little Debbie Christmas Tree Dip
Ingredients
- 5 Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes
- 8 oz Cream Cheese softened
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 8 oz Cool Whip
- ⅓ cup Milk
- Christmas Sprinkles optional
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- Chop the Christmas Tree Cakes into small pieces and add them to a large bowl with the softened cream cheese, milk, and vanilla.
- Beat with a hand mixer until mostly smooth. You'll still see small bits of cake but that's what you want.
- Gently fold in the thawed Cool Whip with a spatula until no streaks remain. Folding by hand keeps the dip light and fluffy.
- Chill until ready to serve, then top with sprinkles and a whole Christmas Tree Cake right before serving.
- Add your favorite dippers and enjoy.
Recipe Video
Can this be frozen?
After more testing, we don’t recommend freezing this dip. The whipped topping turns watery and grainy once it thaws. It keeps 3–4 days in the fridge instead.
Can you make the Christmas tree cake dip up the day before an it be ok
Yes, just refrigerate it and it should be fine.
Thank you for this amazing recipe! I made this last Christmas, and everyone raved about it! Planning on making it again this year. In our town the Christmas tree Debbie’s tend to get bought out quite quickly with all of the recipes you can make with them and local bakers purchasing them for their goods. I bought the square “Fancy White” cakes and they work just the same. Just sprinkle some Christmas sprinkles in or on top of the dip. We served ours with vanilla wafers. This dip is great for days after as well. Enjoy!
This tastes nothing like the cake. It needs half the cream cheese and cool whip that are neutralizing the cake flavor coming through. It just ends up being a sweet dip.
Hey Cyndi – Thank you for your feedback. It is definitely a rich and sweet dip!