Nilla Holiday Cake Bites Recipe
Nilla Holiday Cake Bites are a festive, bite-sized treat featuring layers of NILLA Wafers spread with raspberry jam, dipped in creamy vanilla candy coating, and decorated for the holidays. These easy-to-make no-bake dessert bites are perfect for parties and holiday gatherings, combining sweet citrus and berry flavors with a crunchy exterior and smooth candy shell.
- Author: Ella
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes (melting and dipping)
- Total Time: 6 hours 25 minutes (including chilling time)
- Yield: 24 cake bites 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Assembly Ingredients
- 36 NILLA Wafers
- 2 Tbsp orange juice
- 1/4 cup raspberry jam
Candy Coating
- 8 oz vanilla candy wafers (about 1–1/2 cups)
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
Decorations
- Assorted decorations (sprinkles, colored sugar, edible glitter, etc.)
- Prepare wafers: Brush the flat sides of 24 NILLA Wafers with orange juice, then evenly spread raspberry jam over them to add a sweet and tangy flavor layer.
- Assemble stacks: On a waxed paper-lined baking sheet, place the remaining 12 wafers with rounded sides up. Top each with two jam-spread wafers, jam side down, creating little sandwich stacks. Refrigerate these stacks for at least 6 hours or overnight to set.
- Melt candy wafers: Following the package instructions, melt the vanilla candy wafers. Stir in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to improve the coating’s fluidity and shine.
- Dip stacks: One at a time, dip the refrigerated wafer stacks into the melted candy wafers, turning to coat all sides evenly. If needed, reheat the candy mixture to keep it smooth and easy to coat. After dipping, place each coated stack back on the baking sheet.
- Add decorations: Immediately decorate the coated cake bites with assorted festive decorations to resemble holiday designs before the candy coating sets.
- Chill to set: Refrigerate the dipped cake bites for 30 minutes or until the candy coating is firm and fully set. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
- Optional substitute: For an alternative coating, melt 2 packages (4 oz each) of white baking chocolate as directed, omitting the vegetable oil, and use this for dipping instead of the candy wafers.
Notes
- Keep the stacked wafers refrigerated until you are ready to dip to prevent them from becoming too soft and falling apart.
- Dip a few cake bites at a time to ensure they remain firm, making the dipping process easier and neater.
- You can customize the decoration with holiday-themed sprinkles or edible glitter to make them festive.
- Store the finished cake bites refrigerated to maintain the candy coating’s firmness and freshness.
Keywords: Nilla wafers, holiday cake bites, raspberry jam, vanilla candy wafers, no bake dessert, festive treats, party appetizer, holiday snacks