The Ultimate Ranking Of Little Debbie Christmas Snacks

The holidays often bring an array of sweet treats, with pies, puddings, and cakes closing out some epic meals. From pumpkin specialties to chocolate dreams, everyone has a favorite. This year, why not change it up with a few pre-made items? Little Debbie, a well-known snack brand, knows all about sugary desserts. With their extensive knowledge, they brought back their seasonal treats lineup.

I ran to my local store to grab all nine of their holiday items, with options such as a Christmassy version of their famous Nutty Buddy, gingerbread cookies, and of course, their iconic Christmas Trees. Which sweet treat is the best, and which warrants another trip to the store before they sell out? Come with me on a delicious journey through the land of frosting and sugar to determine which Little Debbie seasonal snacks are worth the buy and which ones should be left on the shelf.

Last on this holiday-themed dessert list are Little Debbie Cherry Cordials. These weren't necessarily bad, but they definitely weren't my favorite — not even close.

I don't think I've ever willingly picked a cherry dessert, but what ultimately turned me off from this treat was the smell. The second you open the plastic packaging, you get smacked in the face with fake cherry, and unfortunately, the taste follows suit. It was so overpowering, and so unnatural, as if you're eating a cherry Jolly Rancher or Tootsie Pop. Neither smell nor taste vibed with the concept of a chocolatey snack treat.

Again, though, these weren't all bad. The cherry frosting was soft and creamy, and overall, the bite was tolerable, but the cake was dry, leaving me with no other option but to make this option the ultimate loser. Someone had to be last, and unless you really like cherry, I don't see another clear spot for this one on this list.

Little Debbie powered donuts were always a favorite of mine growing up, so needless to say, I was disappointed as I put the Mini Christmas Tree Cake Donuts in 8th place. I think there was a lot of potential here, but the execution fell short for my palate.

Cutting right to the chase, these were so disappointing because the cake was dry. I mean, really dry. The few donuts I tried bordered on stale, and on my third, I gave up. The outer coating was good, but it was a lot of sugar to take in that wasn't super balanced. There wasn't necessarily a flavor, but if you've ever had a chocolate-covered donut, you know it's not about being a gourmet treat. It's about texture, and without a moist cake inside, I had a hard time appreciating any aspect of this experience.

I almost put these higher, but I can't rank on potential. These were so close to being a solid treat, but there are way better options in this Christmas set.

I'll be honest — I didn't have high hopes for the Little Debbie Christmas Gingerbread Soft Cookies. I love a solid ginger snap, so I felt there was no way this brand could top some of the other favorites out there, like Pepperidge Farm's Gingerman cookies. However, there were some notable aspects to report when it came to these Christmas cookies.

Regarding texture, which is a large part of the ginger cookie experience, these fell somewhere in the middle. Some people like their ginger cookies hard as a rock, while others enjoy a softer experience. These weren't super moist, but they were soft and chewy as advertised.

When it came to flavor, these cookies had a good ginger taste, but it wasn't bold. While they weren't overpowering, they did have clear notes of ginger and that holiday spice you know and love when it comes to a gingerbread and or gingersnap cookie. My only larger critique here was that the icing didn't do much for me. It either needs more flavor or simply more icing on the cookie. Overall, these were fine. That's really all I have to say about them.

If you're a fan of the Cosmic Brownies, then you'll surely be a fan of Little Debbie Christmas Tree Brownies. To be very clear, though, I am not. 

These snacks really aren't my thing, but I can give credit where credit is due. The brownie was chewy, fudgey, and chocolatey, offering a seriously moist texture. It was a little too rich for me, but I can see why people like it. However, I did not love the sprinkles. I can't even describe the flavor to you, but it wasn't chocolate or candy. I'm going to land on processed because there was a weird aftertaste here that pushed these away from the top five.

Be that as it may, these were pretty solid. I know there is a big group of people who love these; my boyfriend being one of them. He ate the entire box within 24 hours of purchase.

Placing 5th, and receiving the most surprising snack award, were the Little Debbie Buttery Vanilla Christmas Mini Muffins. These muffins were the first item on the list that gave me the WOW factor, with taste and texture giving near-perfect results.

Regarding texture, they were very moist and light. No negative notes there at all. Regarding taste, these had strong vanilla notes with some pumpkin-type spices mixed in. I didn't get anything from the sprinkles, but they didn't deter my overall assessment. The flavors here were truly balanced — light and buttery indeed.

Overall, the Christmas Mini Muffins were a solid option on the list. I didn't place these higher because while they were good, they weren't the stars of the show. And when I want a sweet snack or some empty calories, muffins just won't cut it. 

While the mini muffins wowed me, the real shocker on this list came from my first bite of the Little Debbie Snowflake Brownies. What I thought would be a Cosmic Brownie repeat ended up becoming a new favorite!

Like the Christmas Tree Brownie, these were chewy, fudgey, and chocolatey, but for some reason, they also tasted completely different. Yes, it was still super moist and rich, but there was no weird aftertaste. There were also actual notes of real chocolate. The frosting on top might have been the clincher, as the Christmas Tree Brownie was lacking serious flavor.

Compared to some of the other options, the Snowflake Brownies were dramatic in the flavor profile, but they felt way more balanced. I would definitely eat these again and suggest you give them a try if you're a chocolate-lover. Especially if you're looking to try something new in the Little Debbie lineup.

Is there anything more iconic — more Christmas — than a Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake? I think not! Taking the third-place spot is vanilla.

Offering the same coating as the donuts, the flavor here was a lot better, and it was all thanks to the vanilla. There were such prominent notes, just like in the mini muffins, that really sealed the deal for me here and pushed these into the top three. No negative notes regarding taste.

What kept these in third? The same issue as the donuts — a dry cake base. I'm not sure if it's something to do with the vanilla flavoring, but this is the second time the cake wasn't up to my standard. They weren't as dry as the donuts, with that creme layer offering some moisture, but these weren't top two material. Overall, I have no major complaints here. Now I want to try that iconic Little Debbie dessert dip recipe!

Beating out its vanilla counterpart, the Chocolate Christmas Tree Cake takes second place in this holiday treat ranking. And I'm sure you can guess why: The cake.

Unlike the donuts and the vanilla Christmas Tree Cakes, the chocolate option had the ideal texture. The cake was moist and fluffy, which paired perfectly with the snap of the chocolate. The filling was a little bland, but combined with the chocolate cake, the profile did strike a good balance.

Why didn't these place first? I'm sure some of you are going to be upset about it, but I wanted a little more chocolate flavor. I know, I'm being really picky here, but there was depth missing. I know these aren't a Michelin-star dessert, but I think Little Debbie can push the flavor profile. That said, this box didn't stand a chance in my house. These went faster than the Christmas Tree Brownies!

I wanted to be fair here, because these are already my favorite Little Debbie item, but I couldn't seem to put them anywhere else on this list. Taking the first-place spot is the Little Debbie North Pole Nutty Buddy.

My fear was that these wouldn't taste anything like the original, but man, they were perfect. Yes, this option has the white chocolate coating and red striping, but they didn't miss a beat when it came to the nostalgic taste of an original Nutty Buddy. You get the wafer crunch, the light layer of peanut butter creme, and the chocolate coating. I did miss the richer chocolate coating, but the white chocolate was sweet, and a stellar complement to the wafer crunch.

Maybe I'm biased, but when it comes to the tastiest, most balanced snack in the Little Debbie Christmas lineup, I'm going with the North Pole Nutty Buddy. To be fair, there's a reason why the regular version is one of the top three Little Debbie items out there. No matter your preference, get to your local store and grab your favorite(s) before the holiday season ends!

For this taste test, I ran to Walmart and grabbed all nine Little Debbie holiday snacks as they were literally setting up the in-store display. I wasn't risking the chance of missing out on even one of these desserts. For my overall vote, I focused on taste, but texture ended up being a huge factor in my placements. Life is too short for dry cake.