Name: Christmas Tree Cupcake Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ¾ cup butter room temperature; 1 ½ cups granulated sugar; ½ cup vegetable oil; 3 teaspoons vanilla extract; 4 large eggs; 1 ¼ cups whole milk; 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour; 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ cup butter room temperature; 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 3 cups powdered sugar; 10 Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes; 2 tablespoons milk; Red gel food coloring (quantity as needed); Green sanding sugar (for decorating)

Nothing screams holiday cheer quite like a batch of these festive treats. This Christmas Tree Cupcake Recipe combines soft, buttery cupcakes with a creamy, dreamy frosting studded with Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes—making every bite feel like a celebration.

A light yellow cupcake sits in a white paper liner on a white marbled surface covered with a white cloth that has red, green, and silver dots. The cupcake has one thick layer of smooth, pale cream-colored frosting piped in soft, high swirls on top. Thin red syrup lines are drizzled vertically over the frosting, and small green sugar sprinkles are scattered across the top. Other similar cupcakes are softly visible in the background. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients & Why They Work
Make It Your Way
Step-by-Step: How I Make Christmas Tree Cupcake Recipe
Top Tip
How to Serve Christmas Tree Cupcake Recipe
Make Ahead and Storage
Frequently Asked Questions:
Final Thoughts
Christmas Tree Cupcake Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

I’ve made a lot of holiday cupcakes over the years, but this Christmas Tree Cupcake Recipe holds a special place in my kitchen. The creative twist of using Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes right into the frosting makes the flavor pop in a way that’s unexpected but absolutely delightful.

Unique Frosting: The crushed Christmas Tree Cakes mixed into the cream cheese frosting add incredible texture and holiday flavor.
Perfect Presentation: The tall swirl of green frosting topped with red drizzle and sanding sugar instantly captures the festive spirit.
Moist Cupcakes: The buttery, slightly golden cupcakes bake up moist with just the right crumb—no dry bites here.
Make-Ahead Friendly: You can prep these a day or two in advance, keeping them fresh and delicious with simple fridge storage.

The image shows a close-up of a yellow vanilla cupcake with soft and fluffy texture at the bottom layer. On top, there is a large swirl of light pink creamy frosting with a smooth and airy texture. The frosting is decorated with thin drizzles of bright red syrup and small green specks sprinkled lightly over it. The cupcake is placed in a white paper liner on a silver serving tray with more similar cupcakes blurred in the background, all sitting on a white marbled surface. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Ingredients & Why They Work

Each ingredient in this Christmas Tree Cupcake Recipe plays a crucial role in balancing texture and flavor, so don't skimp or substitute without care. Here's why these ingredients shine together.

Flat lay of a small mound of pale yellow room-temperature butter, two heaping white ceramic bowls—one filled with fine white granulated sugar, the other with light beige all-purpose flour, four large brown eggs with clean shells arranged symmetrically, a small white bowl of creamy whole milk, a small white bowl with clear vegetable oil, a small white bowl containing smooth cream cheese, a small white bowl of powdered sugar piled high, a neat stack of ten fresh Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes without packaging, a small white bowl filled with bright green sanding sugar, and a small white bowl holding vivid red gel food coloring, all ingredients fresh and natural, perfectly balanced and symmetrical, placed on a clean white marble surface, soft natural light, photo taken with an iPhone, professional food photography style, fresh ingredients, white ceramic bowls, no bottles, no duplicates, no utensils, no packaging --ar 2:3 --v 7 --p m7354615311229779997

Butter: Provides richness and helps with the cupcake’s tender crumb.
Granulated Sugar: Sweetens and assists in the creaming process for fluffy cupcakes.
Vegetable Oil: Keeps the cupcakes moist and soft for days.
Vanilla Extract: Adds warm, comforting aroma and depth to the flavor.
Eggs: Bind ingredients and incorporate air, essential for cupcake lift.
Whole Milk: Offers richness and moisture balance in the batter.
All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of your cupcakes; the correct amount ensures perfect texture.
Baking Powder: Leavens the cupcakes, giving them a light texture.
Salt: Enhances overall flavors and balances sweetness.
Cream Cheese: Makes the frosting luxuriously tangy and smooth.
Powdered Sugar: Sweetens the frosting without graininess.
Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes: The secret star—crushed into the frosting for extra holiday flair.
Milk (for frosting): Adjusts the frosting’s consistency for piping and drizzle.
Green Sanding Sugar: Adds sparkle and festive crunch on top.

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Note: You'll find the complete list of ingredients, along with their exact measurements, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Make It Your Way

One of the things I love about this Christmas Tree Cupcake Recipe is how easy it is to adapt. Whether you want to swap flavors or make it allergy-friendly, you have options.

Variation: I once experimented by adding peppermint extract to the frosting instead of vanilla. It gave the cupcakes a refreshing wintery vibe that guests adored.
Dairy-Free Option: Try substituting the butter and cream cheese with vegan alternatives—just expect a slight difference in frosting texture.
Colorful Twist: Feel free to swap the red food coloring drizzle for gold or silver edible glitter for a shimmer effect.

Step-by-Step: How I Make Christmas Tree Cupcake Recipe

Step 1: Creaming the Butter and Sugar

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and lining your pans with paper liners. Then, get your stand mixer or hand mixer ready and beat the butter with sugar until that glorious fluffy texture forms. This step is key to light, tender cupcakes, so don’t rush it—it usually takes about 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed.

Step 2: Adding the Wet Ingredients

Next up, add your eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Mix everything until it’s fully combined and smooth. Adding the oil alongside the butter keeps the cupcakes tender and moist, so trust the recipe on this one.

Step 3: Incorporate the Milk

Pour in the whole milk and mix. The batter might look a little curdled at this point—that’s completely normal. The acid in the milk reacting with baking powder creates those lovely light bubbles that’ll puff up your cupcakes.

Step 4: Mixing Dry Ingredients

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt before adding them to the wet mix. To avoid overmixing (which can make cupcakes tough), start beating on low speed just until most of the flour is incorporated, then bump up the speed to medium briefly to finish. Your batter should be smooth and thick but scoopable.

Step 5: Baking the Cupcakes

Spoon the batter into the liners filling them half to two-thirds full—too much and they’ll spill over, too little and they won't rise properly. Bake for 14–16 minutes. Watch for the edges to turn lightly golden and use the toothpick test—insert one in the center, and if it comes out clean or with a few crumbs, you’re good.

Step 6: Making the Cream Cheese Frosting

While cupcakes cool on a rack, whip together the butter, cream cheese, and salt until silky smooth. Don’t skip room temperature ingredients here—cold butter makes clumps. Then add vanilla and powdered sugar, mixing gently on low speed to avoid a sugar cloud in your kitchen.

Step 7: Folding in Crushed Christmas Tree Cakes

This is the fun part—throw your Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes into a food processor and pulse until they’re finely crumbled or almost creamy. Add the crumbs to your frosting and mix until smooth. If you don’t have a food processor, a hand mixer works too, but expect tiny lumps and a bit chunkier texture.

Step 8: Color and Decorate

Reserve about half a cup of the frosting to mix with milk and red food coloring—this will be your festive drizzle. Fit the rest of the frosting into a piping bag with a large star nozzle and pipe tall swirls on each cupcake. Then cut a tiny hole in the red frosting bag and drizzle over the green swirl like holiday lights. Finish with a sprinkle of green sanding sugar for sparkle.

Top Tip

From my experience baking these cupcakes, it’s worth paying special attention to the frosting consistency and the piping step. A few tricks can turn your cupcakes from great to truly show-stopping.

Room Temperature Ingredients: Don’t rush the frosting step—cold butter or cream cheese won’t whip up smooth, and you’ll end up with lumps.
Food Processor Love: Crushing the Little Debbie cakes into a creamy consistency is key. I noticed chunkier bits didn’t spread as evenly and looked less polished.
Pipe with Confidence: Use a large star tip for a pretty swirl, but if your frosting has bits, a round tip can help prevent clogging and keep your swirl flawless.
Drizzle Control: When piping the red drizzle, use a gentle back-and-forth motion with light pressure. Too much drizzle can overpower or look messy.

How to Serve Christmas Tree Cupcake Recipe

Christmas Tree Cupcakes - Serving Suggestion

Garnishes

I stick to green sanding sugar because it adds just the right sparkle and a little crunch on top. Sometimes I like to toss on a few mini edible pearls to mimic ornaments—it looks adorable and tastes great.

Side Dishes

These cupcakes are a sweet ending, so I usually pair them with lighter, festive drinks like eggnog or spiced cider. For savory sides, a simple cheese board with crackers balances out the sugar perfectly during a holiday gathering.

Creative Ways to Present

One time, I created a cupcake "Christmas tree" stand by stacking them on a tiered platter, placing larger cupcakes at the base and smaller ones on top to form a giant cone shape. It was a smashing hit at a party and made the cupcakes the centerpiece!

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Because the frosting has cream cheese, I always keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. They stay fresh for up to a week, and the cupcakes maintain their moisture without drying out.

Freezing

Freezing works well if you want to prep ahead! I freeze un-frosted cupcakes individually wrapped, and fridge the frosting separately. When ready to serve, thaw both, then frost and decorate. Freezing fully frosted cupcakes is trickier due to the texture change in cream cheese.

Reheating

Since these are cakes, I typically enjoy them cold or at room temperature. If you want them slightly warmed, I gently microwave for 8–10 seconds—but never more, so the frosting doesn’t melt.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I use another type of cake in the frosting instead of Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes?

Absolutely! While the Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes add a unique flavor and texture, you can experiment with other holiday-themed snack cakes or even crumbled gingerbread for a twist. Just keep in mind that the flavor will vary based on your choice.

How do I prevent the frosting from being too thin or too thick for piping?

If your frosting feels too thick, add a teaspoon of milk at a time until it reaches a smooth, pipeable consistency. If it’s too thin, gradually add more powdered sugar. Room temperature ingredients help get the right texture from the start.

Can I make this recipe gluten-free?

You sure can! Just swap the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free blend that’s meant for baking cupcakes. Make sure your gluten-free blend includes xanthan gum for structure. The texture will be slightly different, but still delicious.

How far in advance can I make these cupcakes?

These cupcakes can be baked up to 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge once frosted because of the cream cheese. For longer storage, freeze the cupcakes unfrosted up to 3 months and frost when ready to serve.

Final Thoughts

This Christmas Tree Cupcake Recipe is one of those feel-good desserts that brings warmth and joy, not just from the festive look but from the delicious flavors layered together. I hope you get the chance to make these for your holiday table—friends and family will be asking for the recipe, just like I did when I first stumbled upon this gem!