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Christmas Tree Cake Macarons – Festive, Cute & Delicious

These Christmas Tree Cake Macarons are sweet, festive, and unbelievably delicious—featuring soft almond macaron shells, creamy buttercream filling, and crushed Christmas Tree Snack Cakes for the ultimate holiday flavor. The shells are decorated with green sprinkles, white chocolate drizzle, and a touch of red icing to mimic the famous holiday snack cakes. They’re cute, whimsical, and surprisingly easy when broken down step by step. Perfect for Christmas parties, cookie boxes, festive dessert tables, or edible gifts, these macarons bring holiday fun + bakery perfection together in one adorable bite.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
bake & Decorating & Rest Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 16 macarons
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Macaron Shells
  • 55 g Egg whites
  • 55 g Granulated sugar
  • 70 g Almond flour fine, sifted
  • 63 g Powdered sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon Cream of tartar
Christmas Tree Cake Filling
  • 1 1/2 Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes crumbled
  • 1 stick Unsalted butter softened
  • 2 cups Powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract optional
Decorations
  • 1/2 cup White chocolate melted
  • Red buttercream or royal icing
Green sprinkles
  • Optional: gold stars edible glitter

✨ Kitchen Essentials You’ll Love

Quick picks I trust for better results, faster prep, and easier cleanup.

  • 🍳

    Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet

    View ↗
  • ⚡

    Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 Electric

    View ↗
  • 🔥

    CHEFMAN Digital Air Fryer XL 10L

    View ↗

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Equipment

  • Kitchen scale (very important for macarons)
  • Mixing bowls
  • Electric mixer or hand mixer
  • Fine-mesh sifter
  • Rubber spatula
  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment paper or silicone macaron mat
  • Piping bags
  • Small round piping tip
  • Microwave-safe bowl (for white chocolate)
  • Cooling rack

Method
 

  1. 🔹 PART 1 — MAKE THE MACARON SHELLS
Step 1 — Prepare Baking Sheets
  1. Line baking sheets with parchment or macaron mats.
  2. Set aside.
Step 2 — Sift the Dry Ingredients
  1. Sift almond flour and powdered sugar together twice.
  2. Discard any large bits.
  3. This ensures smooth, perfect shells.
Step 3 — Start the Meringue
  1. Add egg whites to a clean mixing bowl.
  2. Begin whipping on medium speed.
  3. Add cream of tartar.
Step 4 — Add Granulated Sugar Slowly
  1. Once egg whites become foamy, add sugar 1 teaspoon at a time.
  2. Whip until stiff, glossy peaks form.
  3. Mixture should be thick like shaving cream.
Step 5 — Fold Dry Mixture Into Meringue
  1. Add half the almond mixture to the meringue.
  2. Fold gently with a spatula.
  3. Add the remaining mixture.
Step 6 — Macaronage (Very Important)
  1. Press batter along the sides of the bowl, then scoop back together.
  2. Repeat until batter flows like thick lava.
  3. Test: Batter should form ribbons that disappear in 10 seconds.
Step 7 — Pipe the Shells
  1. Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
  2. Pipe small circles onto the baking sheet (about 1.25 inches).
  3. Tap tray on counter to release air bubbles.
Step 8 — Rest the Shells
  1. Let macarons rest 30–45 minutes
  2. until the tops form a dry skin.
  3. Touch lightly — batter should not stick to your finger.
Step 9 — Bake
  1. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).
  2. Bake 12–14 minutes.
  3. Shells should form “feet” and lift easily.
Step 10 — Cool Completely
  1. Allow shells to cool fully before decorating and filling.
  2. 🔹 PART 2 — MAKE THE CHRISTMAS TREE CAKE FILLING
Step 11 — Cream the Butter
  1. Add softened butter to a bowl.
  2. Beat until smooth and fluffy.
Step 12 — Add Powdered Sugar
  1. Add powdered sugar gradually.
  2. Beat until thick and creamy.
Step 13 — Add Cream & Flavor
  1. Add heavy cream.
  2. Add vanilla extract if desired.
  3. Beat until light and pipeable.
Step 14 — Add Crushed Christmas Tree Cakes
  1. Crumble the 1.5 snack cakes into the bowl.
  2. Mix gently with a spatula.
  3. Filling will become thick, creamy, and full of Christmas flavor.
  4. 🔹 PART 3 — ASSEMBLE THE MACARONS
Step 15 — Match Shell Sizes
  1. Pair shells of similar size.
  2. Place one shell from each pair face down.
Step 16 — Pipe the Filling
  1. Add filling to a piping bag.
  2. Pipe a swirl on half the shells.
  3. Press lightly with another shell to create a sandwich.
  4. 🔹 PART 4 — DECORATE LIKE CHRISTMAS TREE CAKES
Step 17 — Melt the White Chocolate
  1. Melt white chocolate in the microwave in 15-second bursts.
  2. Stir until smooth.
Step 18 — Drizzle White Chocolate
  1. Drizzle melted white chocolate across the macarons
  2. just like the classic cakes.
Step 19 — Add Red Icing Stripes
  1. Pipe thin zig-zag lines of red icing on top.
Step 20 — Add Green Sprinkles
  1. Sprinkle green sanding sugar or tiny green sprinkles.
Step 21 — Let Them Set
  1. Let chocolate and icing harden 10–20 minutes.

Notes

🧊 Storage & Maturing (Important for Macarons)
Refrigerator
Store in an airtight container 24 hours to mature.
Best texture after 1 day.
Shelf Life
Eat within 3–4 days.
Freezer
Freeze filled macarons up to 6 weeks.
Thaw in fridge.
🥄 Variations
1. Chocolate Christmas Macarons
Add cocoa powder to shells for chocolate flavor.
2. Peppermint Christmas Tree Macarons
Add peppermint extract to filling.
3. White Chocolate Cranberry Macarons
Fill with white chocolate buttercream + dried cranberries.
4. Sprinkle-Filled Macarons
Mix green and red sprinkles into the shells.
5. Nut-Free Version
Use pumpkin seed flour (not almond).
Texture will differ slightly.
❓ 10 FAQs
1. Why are my macarons hollow?
Overmixed batter or too hot oven.
2. Why did they crack?
Shells didn’t dry long enough.
3. Why no “feet”?
Oven too cool
or
meringue under-whipped.
4. Can I color the shells green?
Yes — add gel food coloring at the meringue stage.
5. Can I skip the snack cakes?
Yes — filling becomes classic vanilla buttercream.
6. Can I use salted butter?
Use unsalted for best balance.
7. Can I use almond meal?
No — must be fine almond flour.
8. Do I need a macaron mat?
No — parchment works.
9. Can kids eat these?
Yes — no alcohol, kid-friendly.
10. Do I have to mature them overnight?
Yes — texture improves dramatically.
🏁 Conclusion
These Christmas Tree Cake Macarons are fun, festive, sweet, and bursting with holiday charm. With soft almond shells, creamy Christmas Tree Cake filling, white chocolate drizzle, and cheerful red-green decorations, they perfectly capture the magic of the season—cute enough for gift boxes and delicious enough for every holiday table. Light, colorful, and packed with nostalgic flavor, they're a guaranteed Christmas showstopper!