Christmas Tree Cake Balls from Snack Cakes

Christmas tree cake balls start with two 8.6 oz boxes of vanilla Christmas tree snack cakes, 10 cakes in all, the striped ones that show up in stores every December. You mash them with cream cheese, roll them small, dip them in white chocolate and finish with red stripes and a pinch of green sugar. There is no oven involved, only five ingredients, and one batch gives you about 30 cake balls for cookie trays, school parties or a dessert table.

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What goes into Christmas tree cake balls

• 10 vanilla Christmas tree snack cakes, unwrapped (two 8.6 oz boxes, any brand)
• 1 block (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 20 oz white chocolate melting wafers
• 6 oz red candy melts
• 1 tbsp green sanding sugar

That is the whole shopping list. The snack cakes bring the sponge, the creamy filling and the icing all at once, so there is nothing else to add for sweetness or flavor. The cream cheese turns the crumbs into a dough that holds a round shape.

Why the freezer does most of the work

The most common complaint with cake balls is that they fall apart in the warm chocolate, leaving crumbs floating in the bowl and a lumpy coat on the ball. That happens when the centers are soft. The 30 minutes in the freezer after rolling is what prevents it. A firm, cold ball holds together on the fork and lets the extra coating slide off cleanly.

The recipe’s own tip takes that one step further: dip only a few balls at a time and leave the rest in the freezer until you are ready for them. If you pull all 30 out at once, the last ones will have softened by the time you reach them. Working in small groups keeps every ball firm and the white coating smooth from the first to the last.

Mash everything, icing and all

It is tempting to scrape off the icing or squeeze out the filling, but leave it all in. The filling and icing are part of what makes the mixture moist enough to roll. Make sure the cream cheese is truly softened before you start. Cold cream cheese leaves white streaks and little lumps, and you want the mixture fully blended into one even color before you shape it.

If you are filling a holiday cookie tray, our Christmas crack with pretzels adds a salty, crunchy piece next to these cake balls.

How to make them

• Mash the snack cakes, filling and icing included, with the cream cheese until fully blended.
• Roll the mixture into 1 inch balls, set them on a parchment lined sheet and freeze for 30 minutes.
• Melt the white chocolate wafers. Dip each ball, let the extra drip off, then set it back on the parchment.
• Melt the red candy melts and drizzle zigzag stripes over the balls, then sprinkle with green sugar right away.
• Chill until set, about 20 minutes.

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A few notes on dipping and decorating

Keep the balls at 1 inch. That size is what gets you about 30 from the batch, and it also matters for dipping: a smaller ball is easier to cover in one dunk and less likely to slip off the fork. When you lift each one out, give the fork a few gentle taps on the rim of the bowl so the extra white chocolate drips back in. Too much coating pools at the base and leaves a flat foot on the parchment.

The red stripes are where the snack cake look comes back. Zigzag the melted red candy melts across a few balls, then add the green sanding sugar immediately, before the red sets. If you wait and stripe the whole tray first, the sugar will bounce off instead of sticking. Doing small groups here, the same way you did with the dipping, keeps the sugar in place.

Setting them out for the holidays

After the final 20 minute chill, the coating should be firm and glossy. Lift the cake balls off the parchment and arrange them on a platter, in mini paper cups or in a tin for gifting. They look at home next to sugar cookies and fudge, and the red and green colors match a Christmas table without any extra decorating. Wait until the white coating no longer looks wet before you move them, so the red stripes and the green sugar stay exactly where you put them.

Planning the timing is simple. Count on about 45 minutes of hands-on work, plus roughly an hour of freezing and chilling. That makes them easy to finish in an afternoon before a party.

If you love the flavor of those striped snack cakes, our Christmas tree cake dip with sprinkles uses the same idea in a scoopable form. For more holiday sweets, try the Christmas cherry cream cheese dip or the red velvet trifle cups for a crowd .

Questions about these cake balls

Do I need to take off the icing and filling first?

No. Mash the snack cakes whole, filling and icing included. They add moisture and sweetness and help the mixture hold together with the cream cheese.

Does the brand of snack cake matter?

Any brand of vanilla Christmas tree snack cakes works. You need 10 cakes, which is two 8.6 oz boxes.

Why add the green sugar right after the red drizzle?

The sugar needs wet candy melt to cling to. Once the red stripes set, it will not stick, so sprinkle each ball as soon as it is striped.

My balls got soft while I was dipping. What now?

Work with fewer at once. The recipe’s tip is to dip only a few balls at a time and keep the rest in the freezer, so each ball you pick up is still firm and the coating goes on smooth instead of lumpy.

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Written and edited by The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team

The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team writes and edits the recipes on Foodie Yummy: classic American potluck salads, holiday sides and easy comfort food, with a few low-carb options. Every recipe lists exact quantities, numbered steps and a printable recipe card, plus notes on swaps, storage and make-ahead timing. Spot a problem with a recipe? Tell us through the contact page and we will correct it. About us