Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake
Recipe by:This Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake has a creamy cheesecake filling with whole Little Debbie Christmas tree cakes baked right in the center, with a vanilla wafer crust.
Ingredients
Cookie Crust
- 65 (244 g) Vanilla wafer cookies 2 cups of crumbs
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) salted butter melted
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
Cheesecake Filling
- 24 ounces (672 g) full fat cream cheese 3 eight-ounce blocks, room temperature
- 1 ⅓ cups (266 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons (7 ml) lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons (17 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 6 Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces (224 g) cream cheese room temperature
- 4 tablespoons (57 g) butter room temperature
- 4 cups (480 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- Red gel food coloring
- Green sprinkles
Instructions
Cookie Crust
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Wrap a 9-inch springform pan with an 18-inch piece of heavy-duty foil, working carefully to make sure there are no cracks or openings in the first 2 inches of the foil sides.
- Place the vanilla wafer cookies into a food processor and pulse them until they are fine crumbs. If you do not have a food processor, place them in a large resealable plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin or mallet.65 Vanilla wafer cookies
- Add the sugar to the food processor and pulse to mix it in, then slowly add the butter. Mix until fully combined and the texture of wet sand.6 tablespoons salted butter, ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Using a flat-bottomed measuring cup or glass, press the crumb mixture into the bottom and sides of a springform pan.
- Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325°F. (165°C).
- Before the crust has cooled, check to see if the sides have fallen or cracked. While it is still warm you can use a cup to press the crust back into place. Cool completely.
Christmas Cake Cheesecake
- Beat the cream cheese on medium speed for 1 minute. Add sugar and resume on medium speed until it is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.24 ounces full fat cream cheese , 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
- Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, and lemon juice and mix in at low speed until combined. Then stir in the flour.¼ cup sour cream , 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Add one egg at a time, beating on low speed in between each addition. Scrape the bowl before adding the next egg.4 eggs
- Pour half of the cheesecake batter over the cooled crust and use a spoon or spatula to smooth the batter.
- Press the Christmas tree cakes into the cheesecake batter, placing them in a circle with the point towards the center.6 Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes
- Pour the remaining batter over the trees.
- Place the cheesecake pan into a large roasting pan. Carefully fill the pan 1-inch full with boiling water, being careful to not splash any water onto the cheesecake.
- Bake at 325°F (165°C) and continue cooking for 65-75 minutes, or until the cheesecake is a little jiggly in the center but fully set on the outside.
- Turn the oven off and crack open the oven door, allowing the cheesecake to cool for 1 hour without moving it from the oven.
- Remove from the oven. Run a knife around the edge of the pan so that the cheesecake does not stick. Place plastic wrap over the top of the cheesecake and transfer to the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Place the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl and beat until smooth, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed.8 ounces cream cheese, 4 tablespoons butter
- Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until the powdered sugar is fully mixed in. Then increase to medium-high speed and continue beating for 2-3 minutes, until fluffy.4 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Use an offset spatula to spread half of the frosting onto the completely cooled cheesecake.
- Add red food coloring to the remaining frosting, then transfer it to a piping bag with a medium circle tip
- Pipe the red frosting onto the cheesecake in wavy lines, then sprinkle the green sanding sugar over the top of the cake.Red gel food coloring, Green sprinkles
Notes
Tips:
- Once the cream cheese is fluffy, keep your mixer on low speed and be careful not to overmix.
- If you aren't comfortable with a water bath, simply place a pan of boiling water on the rack underneath your cheesecake. That will add the moisture needed to your oven.
- The temperature of fully baked cheesecake is 150°F (65°C). You can use an instant thermometer to check doneness.
- Don't stress is your cheesecake cracks! You are covering it with frosting so no one will know!
- Wrap tightly with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
- To freeze the cheesecake, wrap it with a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving.
Equipment
Nutrition
Calories: 905kcal | Carbohydrates: 115g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 159mg | Sodium: 497mg | Potassium: 162mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 109g | Vitamin A: 1416IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 0.4mg
The nutritional facts provided are only estimates. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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