This Store-Bought Christmas Snack Is Nostalgic But Totally Flavorless

Whether you're looking for stocking stuffers or pantry staples, Christmas snacks are out in full force at every grocery store to get you into the holiday spirit. In fact, we tasted and ranked 15 store-bought Christmas snacks based on taste and presentation, looking for festive shapes, packaging, and decorations along with a delicious flavor. We were surprised and disappointed to announce that our least favorite store-bought Christmas snack is none other than the nostalgic Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes.

Of course, the presentation of the Christmas tree shape with white and red icing and green sprinkles is adorable and as festive as any snack on our list. We also enjoyed a moist cake and the delightful crunch from the sprinkles. But it was the flavor, or lack thereof, that landed these nostalgic cakes in last place. These cakes are vanilla with a vanilla cream stuffing, but we could hardly tell since they weren't even that sweet. Furthermore, they were quite messy to eat, as the white frosting was waxy, greasy, and stuck to our fingers.

As kids, we'd readily lick any residual frosting off our fingers as we'd suck the remaining frosting off birthday cake candles. But since the taste is neither sweet nor vanilla-y, frosted fingers are just a sad nuisance. Little Debbie once offered a delightful Christmas-inspired spice cake during the '90s that has since been discontinued. If you're reading this, Little Debbie, it's time for those snack cakes to make a comeback because the Christmas Tree Cakes aren't measuring up.

We realize that given the nostalgia factor of these festive little cakes, our opinion of them is probably controversial. And we found plenty of glowing reviews from customers on social media platforms like Reddit and Facebook, as well as store sites like Walmart that gave them a high score. However, there were certainly other shoppers out there that shared our opinion.

For example, one Redditor wrote that the "icing tastes like wax and the cake is mid at best," while one Facebook review bemoaned that "they leave a film on the roof of my mouth." Along those same lines, another Facebook comment claimed that "they do not taste the way they did 10 years ago." Little Debbie also sells these Christmas Tree Cakes in chocolate, but according to another Reddit user, "the chocolate flavor is so mild it's almost nonexistent."

Not only were the Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes our least favorite Christmas snack from across multiple brands, but they also came in third-to-last place in our ranking of every Little Debbie snack on the market. Oddly enough, our least favorite Little Debbie item on that list just so happens to be a Christmas-inspired snack as well. Suffice it to say, there are far better Little Debbie offerings out there, just as there are far better Christmas snacks to get you into the holiday spirit.