Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake: A Viral Sensation

Published on December 12th, 2023
Updated on March 22nd, 2024

ALL THE DETAILS ABOUT THE CHEESECAKE INSPIRED BY THE LITTLE DEBBIE HOLIDAY SNACK CAKES

It has been said that a photo is worth a thousand words, and one BBQ restaurant in South Carolina has learned it’s worth 25,000 likes (and counting!). Family-owned Sweet Caroline’s posted a photo on Facebook of its seasonal Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake on November 1. It quickly went viral.

Many bakeries like The Cheesecake Girl and food bloggers have their own versions of Little Debbie cheesecakes. However, it’s Sweet Caroline’s that has the entire Internet going crazy for its whimsical Christmas tree cheesecakes. The small town restaurant isn’t sharing their Little Debbie cheesecake recipe. Read on to learn what is in this famous Christmas dessert.

Read More: Christmas Desserts to Try in 2023

What is the Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake?

The Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake is a holiday cheesecake based on McKee Foods’ Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes. The Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake was invented by baker Paula Nance. Nance worked with Sweet Caroline’s manager Steven Brousseau at the now shuttered Grumpy Brothers. Grumpy Brothers was a nearby burger joint known for its burgers and cupcakes that closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Nance and Brousseau now work at Sweet Caroline’s in tiny McConnells, South Caroline. The smokehouse has been making this Christmas cheesecake since 2022. The BBQ restaurant’s Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake became a viral social media sensation in late 2023. The cake went viral after Brousseau posted a photo of the red, white, and green cheesecake and announced its return on Facebook. 

The $45 Christmas cheesecake is cut into 12 slices that resemble Little Debbie Christmas Tree snack cakes. The Christmas cheesecake comes in original and chocolate cheesecake. It is one of several of the restaurant’s cheesecake flavors that change weekly. The Christmas cheesecake is available until New Year’s.

The Crust

There is no crust on Sweet Caroline’s Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake. There is a super tiny crumb base that forms the foundation of this popular holiday cheesecake.

The Filling

Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecakes are mixed into Sweet Caroline’s cheesecake batter. Invented in 1985, Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecakes are individually-wrapped scalloped tree-shaped cakes.

These tri-layer yellow cakes have two golden cake layers and one layer of white creme filling. The hand-held cakes are enrobed in white frosting and decorated with red stripes and green sugar sprinkles.

The Topping

Sweet Caroline’s Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake is topped with white icing. Each slice is hand decorated with squiggly lines of red icing that resemble Christmas tree garland. It is topped with flecks of green sugar sprinkles. 

The cheesecake’s decorated slices closely resemble that of the popular boxed Christmas tree shaped snack cakes.

The Cheesecake Girl’s Christmas Tree Cheesecake

One of the most popular Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecakes is that made by The Cheesecake Girl. Since 2016, Cheesecake Girl Samantha Strange has been making some of the most creative cheesecakes ever in Hilliard, Ohio. While Sweet Caroline’s doesn’t ship its famous Little Debbie cheesecake, The Cheesecake Girl does via Goldbelly. 

The Cheesecake Girl’s Christmas Tree Cheesecake starts with the bakery’s signature buttery shortbread crust. It’s topped with a massive slab of creamy, dreamy cheesecake made with milk, cream, sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla. 

This cute cheesecake includes a middle layer of Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes. The colorful cheesecake is frosted with buttercream, drizzles with red icing, and topped with red, white, and green sprinkles.

Read More: What is Christmas PieCaken?

Have a cheerful cheesy Christmas. It’s a piece of (cheese)cake ordering cheesecakes and mini cheesecakes like Christmas Tree Cheesecake and Christmas Desserts from Goldbelly, which are shipping nationwide this holiday season!