Keto Christmas Tree Cakes
Published December 9, 2023 • Updated February 24, 2026
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My homemade keto Christmas tree cakes are a low-carb copycat of Little Debbie's holiday classic, with soft cake layers, sugar-free Swiss meringue filling, and a white chocolate coating at just 3g net carbs.
The original Little Debbie version packs 32g of carbs per cake. Mine come in at only 3g net carbs. I took the same approach I used for my keto Hostess cupcakes: break down a childhood favorite and rebuild it without the sugar. These have layers of spongy cake surrounding a light, airy Swiss meringue filling, all wrapped in a white chocolate shell.
I remember these cakes from my childhood like it was yesterday. Let’s go back to December 1990.
The school cafeteria buzzes with the usual chatter as my best friend Rachelle opens her brown paper lunch bag to pull out the crown jewel of her midday feast: a Little Debbie snack cake. Like a beacon of Christmas magic, the chatter at the table stops as we dart our hungry eyes to the tiny cake shaped like a festive tree. My eyes widen as my friend unveils this seasonal treasure and sinks her teeth into the soft, tender cake. For a brief moment, I envied her.
Rachelle always had a Little Debbie snack cake in her lunch bag. My mom told me they contained too much sugar. Twenty years later, I realized she was right. Each original cake has 32g of carbohydrates.
I build these in three layers. First, a soft cake base from a boxed mix (I’ve tested four different brands and landed on Duncan Hines as my favorite). Second, a sugar-free Swiss meringue buttercream that’s light and airy, not dense like a standard frosting. Third, a white chocolate coating that sets firm in the fridge. The filling is the part I’m proudest of. It holds its shape between the layers without squishing out when you bite in.
One thing I’ve learned from making these multiple times: freeze the assembled cakes for 20-30 minutes before dipping. The filling stays firm and the chocolate goes on smooth without pulling the cake apart. If you’re into holiday baking, my Christmas tree cookies, yule log, and sugar cookies all pair well with these on a dessert platter.
For other cake-based treats, my vanilla birthday cake and strawberry shortcake are in regular rotation at my house.
Macros for this recipe were calculated based on the brands of ingredients used in the recipe card and reflect only half of the cake used since roughly half of the cake is discarded.
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Keto Cake Ingredients
1 box keto cake mix -
ingredients to make cake as listed on box (3 eggs, 1/2 cup water, 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
-
2 quarter sheet pans
-
3 inch tree cookie cutter
Sugar Free Swiss Meringue Buttercream Ingredients
-
4 egg whites
-
3/4 cup sugar free sweetener
-
1/4 teaspoon salt
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1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
-
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-
instant read thermometer
Candy Coating Ingredients
-
7 oz sugar-free white chocolate chips
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1 tablespoon coconut oil
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red food coloring
-
green sprinkles
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Mix cake batter
Prepare keto cake batter according to package instructions with ingredients needed to make the cake batter. For this recipe, I used Ducan Hines Yellow Keto Cake Mix along with 3 eggs, 1/2 cup water and 3 tablespoons coconut oil.
Pour cake batter into baking sheets
Spray two quarter sheet baking pans with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Add roughly equal amounts of cake batter to both sheet pans, smoothing the batter out to fill the entire pan and to ensure even baking and a uniform cake.
Bake the cake
Bake the cake according to the recommended temperature on the back of the box. For this recipe (using King Arthur Keto Cake mix), I bake the cakes at 375 °F for 10-12 minutes. Let cake cool for 1-2 minutes after removing from the oven. Slide a knife around the edges to loosen the cake the sides. Either remove the cake and transfer to a wire rack after 5 minutes to cool completely or let cool completely in the sheet pans.
Swiss meringue filling: mix ingredients
Pour an inch of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Select a heat proof, glass bowl that will fit over the saucepan without the bottom submerging into the boiling water. Add egg whites, sweetener and salt to the bowl and mix until combined.
- 4 egg whites
- 3/4 cup sugar free sweetener (measures cup for cup with sugar & will dissolve)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Swiss meringue filling: heat meringue
Place the bowl over the saucepan ensuring the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the mixing bowl. Stir mixture with a spatula until the sweetener dissolves and the mixture reaches a temperature of 160 °F (about 5 minutes).
Whip to stiff peaks
Carefully remove the bowl from heat. Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, whisk on medium high speed until stiff peaks form. They will be glossy. This can take up to 10 minutes.
Make it a buttercream frosting
Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter at a time making sure to mix in thoroughly after each addition. After all the butter is incorporated, add vanilla extract and beat on low until incorporated.
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cut out trees
Using a cookie cutter, cut out as many trees as possible from each sheet cake. Start at one end and work to the other alternating between punching the tree upright and upside down. (see video)
Slice trees in the middle
Using a serrated knife, slice each tree through the middle to reveal two trees from each.
Pipe or spread the frosting
Add frosting to a piping bag and pipe or spread 2-3 tablespoons of frosting on one of the tree halves. Top with the other half to form a sandwich. Repeat with remaining trees.
Melt white chocolate
In a small bowl, melt white chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between until melted and thin & running in consistency.
- 7 oz sugar-free white chocolate
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Coat the snack cakes
Dip the sides of each tree into the melted chocolate. Let excess chocolate run off over the bowl of chocolate to collect and save. Place tree on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining trees. Use a spoon to pour melted chocolate over the top of each cake to completely coat. Before chocolate dries, sprinkle with green sprinkles and pipe red frosting lines over the top. Using a spatula, carefully transfer the cakes to a parchment lined tray. Place in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes or until chocolate is set.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these dairy-free?
I've had a few readers try this with Miyoko's dairy-free butter and it works. The double boiler part is just heating the egg whites, so the butter swap happens after everything cools to room temp. Miyoko's has a higher fat content than most dairy-free options, which helps the buttercream hold its structure. I'd freeze the assembled cakes for 20-30 minutes before dipping to make sure the filling stays firm through the coating process.
How can I get a green coating without food dye?
I've experimented with adding matcha powder to the melted white chocolate. Start with 1/2 teaspoon per 7 oz of chocolate and adjust from there. It gives a natural green tint and a subtle earthy flavor that works well with the sweet filling. I personally prefer the matcha route because the color is closer to the original tree design. If matcha isn't your thing, beet powder creates a pink coating for a different look.
Can I freeze these before or after coating?
Both work, but I prefer freezing after full assembly. I wrap each one individually in plastic wrap, then store in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. When I'm ready to eat one, I pull it out and let it sit at room temp for about 10 minutes. The texture holds up well. I also freeze the assembled but uncoated cakes for 20-30 minutes before the dipping step itself, which makes the coating process much cleaner.
What white chocolate chips work best for the coating?
I've tried a few brands. My go-to is ChocZero white chocolate chips because they melt smooth and set firm in the fridge. Lily's white chocolate chips also work, though I find them slightly thicker when melted. Bake Believe (Walmart's brand) is a budget option that performs well for coating. Whichever you use, add about 1 tablespoon of coconut oil per 7 oz to thin it out for easier dipping.
How do I get an even white chocolate coating without bare spots?
I dip the sides first, let the excess drip back into the bowl, then set the cake on a wire rack and spoon chocolate over the top. The key is working quickly while the chocolate is still warm and fluid. If it starts to thicken, I microwave it in 10-second bursts. I also make sure my cakes are cold from that 20-30 minute freeze so the chocolate sets faster on contact, which prevents dripping and pooling at the base.
Can I make these without a boxed cake mix?
I've made a from-scratch version using almond flour as the base. My vanilla birthday cake recipe works well as a starting point. Spread the batter thin across two quarter sheet pans and reduce the bake time (check at 8-10 minutes since the layer is thin). The texture is slightly denser than the boxed mix version, but it holds up fine for cutting into tree shapes and sandwiching with the filling.
Can I make a chocolate version with this recipe?
I've done this with a chocolate boxed mix and it's great. For the filling, I fold 5 oz of melted sugar-free dark chocolate into the finished Swiss meringue buttercream. Coat the outside with sugar-free dark or milk chocolate instead of white. The rest of the process stays the same. My family actually prefers the chocolate version, though I think both are worth making.
How can I make sugar-free green sprinkles?
I take about 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar-free sweetener (like allulose or Swerve granular) and add a few drops of green food coloring. I mix until the granules are evenly dyed, then spread them out on a plate to dry for a few minutes before sprinkling over the wet chocolate coating.
Made a double batch this weekend and froze half before the white chocolate coating. Pulled them out three days later, thawed, then dipped, and the coating actually set cleaner than it did on the fresh ones. The Swiss meringue survived the freeze without weeping at all, which I genuinely wasn't sure about going in. Now I'm doing it that way every single time.
Meringue holding through a hard freeze was my concern too. Cold base, cleaner coat. Makes sense. Trying this order next batch.
Swapped the vanilla for almond extract on a whim and now I can't go back. The texture was already right, but almond tastes so much closer to the actual Little Debbie that I had to sit with it for a second. One more tip: 20 minutes in the freezer before cutting with the tree cutter. Edges come out sharp and you lose way less cake between cuts.
Almond extract makes sense actually. That fake vanilla in Little Debbie is closer to almond anyway. And 20 minutes before the cutter - I need to try that. Mine always lose more edge than I want.
My daughter thought I'd ordered these from somewhere. She kept poking at the filling asking what made the inside so light, and I had to explain the Swiss meringue steps. Never used a double boiler before this and it went fine.
That filling throws people off, it doesn't read as frosting at all. First double boiler going smoothly? Half my readers skip that step entirely.
My whole family went dairy-free a couple years back, and I've been staring at this recipe wanting to make it but unsure about the swiss meringue filling. Substituting 1.5 cups of butter is a lot to swap out and I've had mixed results with dairy-free butters in baked goods. I've used Miyoko's in regular buttercream frostings and it works okay, but I've never tried it in something where you're actually heating the egg whites over a double boiler first. Does the butter affect how stiff the filling gets? I'm mostly worried about it being too soft to hold between the cake layers without everything sliding around, especially since the white chocolate coating is locking it all in. Have you (or anyone else) tried making the filling with a dairy-free butter and had it work out?
The double boiler part is just to heat the egg whites - the butter goes in after it cools down to room temp, so that step works the same either way. Miyoko's is a solid choice, better than most dairy-free options for frosting. Freeze the assembled cakes 20-30 min before dipping and the filling won't budge.
Thank you sooo much for this recipe!, my 4 yr old is autistic and doesn't understand that they are seasonal, so I used this recipe just in case she didn't want to try them, I didn't want them to go to waste, but instead of the white chocolate chips, I used sugar free white melting wafers, I definitely didn't trust myself making the heated swiss meringue so made faux swiss meringue buttercream, they came out so delicious, Christmas all year round now!!! :)
The melting wafers are actually easier to work with than tempering chocolate, smart call. And yeah, the faux buttercream is way less finicky if you're not into the whole double boiler thing. Christmas year round sounds right to me.
Carcinogenic food coloring isn't very kid friendly. Try to find a natural food source for the coloring in your recipe. Even if it tastes like cranberry or pomegranate, that would be more kid friendly and it would give the little Debbie Christmas cake a full upgrade besides using keto cake mix.
Totally hear you, and I appreciate you caring about what goes into your food 🤍 Everyone approaches keto (and ingredient choices) a little differently, and this version was designed to keep things simple, accessible, and familiar for families who already use these products.
The good news is, you can absolutely swap in natural coloring sources like beet powder, cranberry, or pomegranate if that’s your preference, and it still works great. That’s one of the things I love about recipes, you can always tweak them to fit what feels best for your kitchen.
You just made my wife very happy with this recipe. As we were watching my first thought was about cake pops for the scraps. Then I thought I could make fool or trifle to use the egg yolks. Even putting the cake bits in your keto ice cream. Thanks.
Cake pops from the scraps is such a good call. I always just eat the cutoffs right off the pan, but that's way smarter. The keto ice cream mix-in I'm actually going to try.