Stacked Christmas Tree Cookies are a festive treat made with soft cake mix cookies and buttercream frosting. Decorated with sprinkles and topped with a star, they’re easy to assemble and make a charming addition to any holiday dessert table.
Cute Christmas Tree Cookies
A few years ago, I came across similar stacked Christmas tree cookies on social media, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how adorable they were. I knew I wanted to try making them, but in true Semi Homemade Kitchen style, I wanted a simpler version. That’s where cake mix cookies and my classic buttercream came into play.
The flavors of these cookies remind me of my Polar Bear Face Cookies and Pot of Gold Cookies; soft, sweet, and perfectly balanced with the creamy frosting. For decorations, I used my favorite sprinkles from Dallies, a brand I discovered at Big Lots last Christmas. They add just the right festive touch, and I love how they pop against the green buttercream.
Ingredients
- Yellow cake mix – Forms the base of the soft cookies.
- Eggs – Helps bind the ingredients and adds structure to the cookies.
- Melted butter – Adds richness and flavor while keeping the cookies soft.
- Butter – Creates the base for the buttercream, adding creaminess and a rich texture.
- Powdered sugar – Sweetens the buttercream and provides its smooth, fluffy consistency.
- Vanilla extract – Enhances the flavor of the buttercream.
- Milk – Helps thin the frosting to a consistency for piping.
- Salt – Balances the sweetness of the buttercream.
- Green food coloring – Gives the buttercream its festive Christmas tree appearance.
- Sprinkles – Adds a fun and decorative touch to the cookies.
- Star-shaped candy or sprinkle – The perfect topper to complete the Christmas tree design.
Making the Cookies
- Prep – Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Make the dough – In a large bowl, mix together the yellow cake mix, eggs, and melted butter until a smooth dough forms.
- Scoop and bake – Portion the dough into three sizes: 1 teaspoon, 2 teaspoons, and 3 teaspoons. Roll each portion into balls, ensuring you have an equal number of each size. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving space for spreading. Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until the edges are just set. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets.
- Prepare the buttercream – While the cookies cool, beat the unsalted butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, salt, and green food coloring, mixing until the buttercream is smooth and evenly tinted. Adjust the consistency with more milk as needed.
- Pipe the frosting – Using a star tip, pipe a ring of frosting on top of each large and medium cookie, and pipe a dollop on the smallest cookies.
- Assemble the trees – Stack the cookies by placing the medium cookie on top of the large cookie, and then the small cookie on top of the medium. Gently press down to secure.
- Decorate – Add sprinkles to the frosting for ornaments and finish with a star-shaped candy or sprinkle on the top of each tree.
Variations and Substitutions
Cookie flavors – Swap the yellow cake mix for chocolate, spice, or white cake mix to change up the flavor.
Sugar cookies – Use sugar cookies instead of cake mix cookies for a more traditional cookie base.
Buttercream options – Use tinted cream cheese frosting instead of the vanilla buttercream for a different taste.
Frosting alternatives – Substitute the homemade buttercream with store-bought frosting for an even quicker option.
Tips for Success
- Equal cookie sizes – Make sure you have an equal number of each cookie size (1 teaspoon, 2 teaspoons, and 3 teaspoons) to create complete trees without running out of any size.
- Cool cookies completely – Let the cookies cool fully before frosting to prevent the buttercream from melting.
- Pipe with control – Use a piping bag with a small round or star tip for neat and even frosting rings and dollops. If you don’t have a piping bag, a small Ziploc bag with the corner cut off works too.
- Secure the layers – Press each cookie layer gently onto the frosting to ensure the tree is stable without squishing the frosting out.
- Use room-temperature ingredients – Ensure the butter for the frosting is at room temperature for the smoothest and fluffiest texture.
Storing the Cookies
Store the cookies in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Store the cookies upright to avoid damaging the buttercream and the cookies falling apart.
I don’t recommend freezing the assembled cookies. Undecorated cookies can be frozen for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature before assembling.
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Stacked Christmas Tree Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 (15.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2-4 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- green food coloring
Decorations
- holiday sprinkles
- star-shaped candy or sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, eggs, and melted butter until a smooth dough forms.
- Portion the dough into 1-teaspoon, 2-teaspoon, and 3-teaspoon sizes, rolling each into a ball. Ensure you have the same number of each size.
- Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them apart. Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until the edges are set. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of milk, vanilla extract, salt, and green food coloring until the frosting is smooth and evenly tinted. Adjust the consistency with more milk as needed.
- Pipe a ring of frosting on top of the largest cookies and the medium cookies, then pipe a dollop on the smallest cookies.
- Stack the medium cookie on top of the large cookie, and place the small cookie on top of the medium. Press down gently to secure.
- Decorate the trees with sprinkles and top each with a star-shaped candy or sprinkle.
Notes
- Store the cookies in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Store the cookies upright to avoid damaging the buttercream and the cookies falling apart.
- I don’t recommend freezing the assembled cookies. Undecorated cookies can be frozen for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature before assembling.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is estimated based on automated calculations and should be considered as an approximation. These estimates are provided as a courtesy. Please use your own brand’s nutritional values to verify accuracy.