Christmas Tree Cake Dip (Little Debbie Copycat)
By Emily Carter ·
Published
Quick answer
Beat 8 ounces of softened cream cheese with 1 cup of whipped cottage cheese until smooth, then fold in 5 crumbled Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes and 1 cup of whipped topping. Chill 30 minutes, top with green sprinkles and serve cold with vanilla wafers, graham crackers or sugar cookies for dipping. One batch makes about 2 cups, around 4 g of protein per serving from label values.
Christmas Tree Cake Dip turns the snack cake everyone hunts for in December into a cold, fluffy dip that takes ten minutes and one bowl. It tastes like vanilla cake and sweet cream, with a little tang from the cottage cheese, and it disappears fast next to a plate of cookies.
Why you’ll love it
- Ten minutes of work, no baking, and it looks like you planned it for weeks.
- About 4 g of protein per serving from label values, thanks to the whipped cottage cheese.
- Uses the exact snack cakes from the store shelf, so the flavor is the one people already love.
- Kid friendly and party friendly, with dippers for every taste.
- Make it up to two days ahead, then sprinkle and serve.
Ingredient notes
Christmas Tree Cakes: the flavor of the whole dip. Five cakes give the right balance of vanilla cake and sweet coating. Crumble them small so every scoop gets cake in it.
Cottage cheese: the quiet protein ingredient. Whipped smooth in a blender, it disappears into the dip and adds about 24 g of protein per cup from standard labels. It also keeps the dip lighter than an all cream cheese version.
Cream cheese: the body of the dip. Full fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature, beats smooth and holds the dip together. Cold cream cheese leaves lumps that no amount of mixing fixes.
Whipped topping: the lightness. It folds in last and keeps the dip fluffy instead of dense. Thaw it fully in the fridge before using it.
Vanilla and sprinkles: the finish. Vanilla rounds out the cake flavor, and green sprinkles on top are what make the bowl look like Christmas.
The whip first rule that makes or breaks it
One rule decides this dip, and it is about the cottage cheese. Whip it in a blender until it is completely smooth before it goes anywhere near the bowl. Cottage cheese straight from the tub has curds, and hand mixing will not break them down. A blender takes about 30 seconds and turns it into a thick, smooth cream that disappears into the dip. Skip that step and every scoop has little white curds in it. The second rule is the chill. Thirty minutes in the fridge lets the dip firm up and the flavors settle, so it scoops cleanly onto a cookie instead of sliding off. Serve it straight from the bowl and it works, but chilled it tastes like you meant it.
Variations
- Chocolate tree dip: swap in chocolate snack cakes and use chocolate sprinkles for a cocoa version of the same dip.
- Peppermint crunch: fold in 2 tablespoons of crushed candy canes with the cake and top with more crushed candy.
- Strawberry swirl: fold in 2 tablespoons of strawberry jam at the end with just two turns of the spatula, so it ripples through.
- Mini cups: spoon the dip into small cups and top each with one mini cookie for individual party servings.
What we learned testing it
- Whipped cottage cheese beat plain cottage cheese clearly in the side by side test. The plain version had visible curds, while the whipped version tasted like a bakery frosting.
- Five snack cakes was the sweet spot. Four cakes tasted mostly like cream cheese, and six made the dip too sweet and too thick to scoop.
- Chilling 30 minutes beat serving right away. The chilled dip held its shape on a cookie, while the fresh dip slid off.
Read how we test recipes.
Christmas Tree Cake Dip (Little Debbie Copycat)
Makes about 2 cups dip (8 servings) · 45 min total · Easy
Ingredients
Equipment
Mixing bowl · Hand mixer · Spatula · Serving bowl
Instructions
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Beat the cream cheese and cottage cheese smooth
Add the softened cream cheese and the whipped cottage cheese to a mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes until completely smooth, with no lumps left. The cottage cheese must be whipped smooth first, or the dip will have small curds in it.
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Fold in the snack cakes and whipped topping
Crumble the Christmas Tree Cakes into the bowl, breaking them into small pieces with your hands. Add the whipped topping and vanilla, then fold everything together gently with a spatula until the cake pieces are spread through the dip. Keep a few green sprinkles in the mix for color.
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Chill the dip until firm
Spoon the dip into a serving bowl and smooth the top. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes so the flavors settle and the dip firms up enough to scoop. A longer chill, up to 4 hours, only makes it better.
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Top with sprinkles and serve cold
Scatter green sprinkles over the top just before serving so they stay bright. Set the bowl on a platter surrounded by vanilla wafers, graham crackers or sugar cookies and serve cold. The dip holds its shape for about 2 hours on a party table.
Notes
- Whip the cottage cheese in a blender first. Straight from the tub it has curds, and no amount of hand mixing will make the dip smooth.
- Use full fat cream cheese and full fat cottage cheese. Low fat versions make a thinner dip that slides off the cookies.
- Add the sprinkles on top at serving time. Sprinkles stirred in early bleed green into the dip overnight.
- Keep the dip cold until serving. It is a cream cheese dip, so it softens fast in a warm room.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition information is being calculated.
Substitutions
- Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes
- Use any vanilla snack cake with a white coating, about 5 cakes. Plain vanilla cupcakes with white frosting also work, though the dip will be a little less sweet.
- Cottage cheese
- Use an extra 8 ounces of cream cheese instead. The dip will be richer and a little heavier, and the protein per serving drops to about 2 g.
- Whipped topping
- Use 1 cup of softly whipped heavy cream instead. Whip it to soft peaks so the dip stays light, and serve the same day.
Storage and make-ahead
Store the dip covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Stir it gently before serving again and add fresh sprinkles on top. Do not freeze it, since the cream cheese turns grainy after thawing.
Frequently asked questions
What is Christmas tree cake dip made of?
It is cream cheese and whipped cottage cheese beaten smooth, folded with crumbled Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes and whipped topping, then chilled and topped with green sprinkles. It tastes like vanilla cake frosting you can scoop.
Do I have to use cottage cheese in this dip?
No, but it is the trick that makes this version lighter and higher in protein. Use an extra 8 ounces of cream cheese instead if you prefer, and expect a richer dip with about 2 g of protein per serving.
Can I make Christmas tree cake dip ahead of time?
Yes, make it up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Add the sprinkles on top just before serving so they stay bright, and stir gently if the top looks dry.
What should I serve with Christmas tree cake dip?
Vanilla wafers, graham crackers and sugar cookies are the best dippers, since they are sturdy and sweet. Pretzels also work if you like a salty crunch with the sweet dip.
How much protein is in this dip?
These are label based estimates, not lab tested numbers, and they vary by brand. The batch carries about 33 g of protein in total, around 4 g per serving across 8 servings, mostly from the cottage cheese. Check your labels for your exact numbers.
