If you’re looking for a festive treat for your dessert table, a cocktail party, or a holiday gift, these chocolate covered cheesecake Christmas trees are the perfect choice! Inspired by the glossy food catalogs that flood mailboxes during the holidays, this recipe brings that same luxurious vibe—without the hefty price tag.
While these cheesecake trees may look impressive, they’re actually not too hard make. The recipe does require some planning due to multiple chilling and freezing steps, but the process is straightforward and adaptable. You can keep it easy or go all out with decorations. I’ll admit, this is a longer post, but don’t be intimidated! I’ve included detailed instructions to guide you through each step. It may seem like a lot, but it’s easier than it looks.
Each tree features a creamy, from-scratch cheesecake center dipped in rich chocolate and topped with festive decorations. The best part? That satisfying crunch of chocolate giving way to smooth cheesecake with a pop of red and green inside. A treat as fun to eat as it is to make!
Smooth cheesecake triangles coated in chocolate and decorated to look like festive Christmas trees
Cheesecake Filling
Chocolate Coating
Other supplies needed:
Baking the Cheesecake
Remove the Baked on Parchment Paper
Cutting the Cheesecake into Shapes
Preparing the Triangles for Dipping
Melting the Chocolate
Dipping the Cheesecake Triangles in Chocolate
Decorating the Cheesecake Christmas Trees
You can keep the chocolate-covered cheesecake trees simple or go all out with decorations
Storage
This recipe makes approximately 30 trees (~3 inches tall).
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Below you will find tips and tricks to help achieve the best results possible.
This recipe is perfect for breaking into two easy steps, making it less overwhelming and more enjoyable to prepare:
Day 1: Bake and Chill the Cheesecake
Prepare and bake the cheesecake as directed.
Let it cool completely at room temperature before transferring it to the fridge to chill overnight. Chilling ensures the cheesecake is firm enough for cutting and dipping without falling apart.
Day 2: Shape, Dip, and Decorate
Remove the cheesecake from the fridge and use a sharp knife to cut it into festive tree shapes. Freeze cheesecake trees with sticks inserted.
Melt the chocolate and dip each tree, then place them on parchment paper to set.
Drizzle with extra chocolate and decorate with sprinkles, edible glitter, or crushed candy canes before the chocolate hardens for a festive finish.
Planning this way allows you to tackle the recipe in manageable steps and ensures the cheesecake is perfectly set for dipping and decorating.
Cream cheese – Use full-fat cream cheese at room temperature for the smoothest filling. Cold cream cheese can lead to a lumpy texture, so make sure to let it sit out for about an hour before mixing.
Eggs – Use room temperature eggs as well for a smoothly velvety cheesecake filling.
Stand mixer or hand mixer
9 x 13 baking pan with straight sides
Parchment paper
Food coloring (optional)
Sticks to use for dipping. Longer appetizer skewers work best. You can also use cake pop sticks.
If you want to add a pop of color and a surprise inside your chocolate-covered cheesecake trees, you can easily color the batter with food coloring. For these trees, I used red, green, and plain white cheesecake filling, creating a festive trio of colors.
For coloring, I recommend using powdered food coloring. It takes just a small amount to achieve the desired hue, and I find it works better than liquid food coloring, as it doesn’t alter the batter’s consistency. While this isn’t a sponsored recommendation, I personally prefer the powdered colors from The Sugar Art. They’re a bit pricier, but they last a long time.
Alternatively, you can use gel food coloring, which works just as well. Avoid using liquid food coloring, as it can affect the texture of the batter. Gel colors are available online or at craft supply stores.
Swirling the cheesecake batter to create a marbled effect is easier than it sounds. Start by spooning the different colored batters into the pan, alternating the colors and their placement. You can add the batter randomly, filling the pan until all of it is used.
Once the batter is in the pan, take a butter knife and gently pull it through the batter in a back-and-forth motion. Keep the knife as low as possible in the pan without scratching the bottom. I typically pull the knife vertically once, then horizontally once.
Be careful not to swirl too much, as overmixing will cause the colors to blend together, resulting in a muddy appearance.
The instructions above explain how to cut the cheesecake into trees, but here are some photos to help clarify the process.
First cut the edges to made nice clean rectangle. Next cut the cheesecake into horizontal strips, then slice each strip into individual triangles.
To make dipping easier, insert sticks into the cheesecake shapes and freeze them. Once frozen, dip each tree into the chocolate one at a time, shaking off any excess. Work quickly, as the frozen cheesecake will cause the chocolate to harden fast.
Hold the tree upright until the chocolate begins to set, then carefully lay it down. This will help prevent chocolate from pooling around the bottom of the tree.
For the cleanest look, I recommend keeping the stick in the tree. However, you can also remove it if you prefer. I did a mixture of both for variety. If you remove the stick, you can re-dip the bottom of the tree slightly to cover the stick hole.
Add a Crust: Bake the cheesecake with a crust and then cut and dip the trees the same as above
Flavored Cheesecake: Add extracts like peppermint, almond, or orange to the cheesecake batter for a festive twist.
Different Chocolate Coatings: Use white chocolate, dark chocolate, or colored candy melts to match your holiday theme.
Festive Toppings: Decorate with crushed candy canes, holiday sprinkles, edible glitter, or mini sugar stars.
Shape Alternatives: Instead of triangles, cut the cheesecake into stars, circles, or other festive shapes.
Want more cheesecake recipes? Don’t forget to check out my Cherry Cheesecake recipe.
Review
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