Description
These Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake Cookies are festive, soft sugar cookies decorated with a smooth buttercream frosting, red stripes, and green sugar sprinkles, perfect for holiday celebrations. They combine the nostalgic flavors of classic sugar cookies with a delightful frosting that mimics the iconic mini Christmas tree cakes.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 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
Decoration and Buttercream Frosting
- Red food gel (for coloring)
- Green sugar sprinkles
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 – 5 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 1 – 2 drops red food gel (for frosting color)
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set this mixture aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture is light, fluffy, and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Add the egg and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and continue mixing. Scrape down the bowl to ensure thorough mixing.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until a soft dough forms and starts to pull away from the bowl’s sides. Scrape down and mix a few seconds more to fully combine.
- Chill Dough: Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about 1/4 inch thickness. Transfer the rolled dough on the parchment to a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to chill.
- Cut Cookie Shapes: Using a 5-inch circle cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as possible. For half of the cookies, use a 2-inch tree cookie cutter to cut a tree shape in the center.
- Bake Cookies: Arrange cookies on a baking sheet spaced about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are just lightly golden. Allow them to cool completely before decorating.
- Make Buttercream Frosting: With a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or an electric mixer, cream together the butter and confectioner’s sugar, gradually adding heavy cream until smooth. Mix in salt and vanilla. Optionally, add a few drops of white food coloring for brightness.
- Color Red Frosting: Remove about 1/4 cup of the buttercream and tint it red using red food gel. Place both white and red frostings into separate piping bags.
- Assemble and Decorate Cookies: Pipe a layer of white buttercream onto the bottom of a full cookie. Using the red buttercream, pipe the classic Little Debbie tree cake stripes. Sprinkle green sugar over the red stripes, then top with a tree-cutout cookie, centering it carefully. Repeat for all cookies.
- Serve and Enjoy: Let the decorated cookies set if needed, then enjoy these festive and delicious treats!
Notes
- Chilling the dough is crucial to keep the cookies from spreading during baking and to achieve the best texture.
- Make sure the butter and egg are at room temperature for easier mixing and better texture.
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant colors that won’t thin the frostings.
- Cookies should be completely cooled before frosting to prevent melting.
- Store decorated cookies in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days to maintain freshness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Christmas cookies, sugar cookies, buttercream frosting, holiday desserts, festive treats, Little Debbie inspired
