14 Trader Joe's Christmas Desserts to Save You Tons of Baking Time

Save yourself the stress of dessert!

Planning a holiday dinner is a massive undertaking, even for those of us who have done it many times before. And while there’s plenty of attention paid to appetizers and the main course, dessert doesn’t always get so lucky. We get it, you’ve already been cooking for days, and the last thing you want to do is whip up another dish. 

Luckily, Trader Joe’s has a plethora of Christmas desserts that will save you hours of baking time, if you so choose. Some treats can be served as is, like Dark Chocolate Covered Peppermint Cremes, while others, such as Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Cakes, need little more than a quick trip to the microwave. No matter what Trader Joe’s Christmas dessert you choose, you can rest assured that the sweet treat will be reasonably priced and taste downright delectable. In fact, many of these options look homemade, so no one even needs to know you went to the grocery store!

Related: 15 Trader Joe's Holiday Items We’re Adding to Our Carts ASAP

Italian Tiramisu

This classic Italian dessert is new to Trader Joe’s. Sold in the freezer section, this treat is a great buy if you want to serve individually plated desserts at your holiday party. Each package comes with two servings of tiramisu, which can be cut into even smaller pieces if desired. This item has a base of ladyfinger biscuits that are soaked in a combination of coffee and Marsala wine, topped with a thick layer of sweetened mascarpone cheese, and finished with a generous dusting of cocoa powder. To serve, simply thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours and enjoy. 

Pretzel Bread Pudding

This item, which you can also find in the freezer section, is easy to make—all you need to do is put it in the microwave for less than a minute. Once it’s done being warmed, flip the cup that it comes in over a plate, and remove the cup after about a minute. The resulting pretzel bread confection is gooey, delicious, salty, sweet, soft bread pudding, and makes for a standout holiday dessert. Go ahead and top this pudding with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a touch of sweetness.

Chocolate Peppermint Loaf & Baking Mix

You can’t beat the winter holiday combo of chocolate and peppermint, and this baking mix nails it. When baked into a holiday treat, the mix becomes rich, moist, and deeply chocolatey, with just the right amount of mint flavor to make your taste buds tingle. While you can bake and serve a stellar chocolate peppermint loaf, you can also use this mix to whip up chocolate peppermint crackle cookies or peppermint s’more cake. The choice is yours!

Holiday Round Challah

If you’re hosting a hanukkah party, this challah is a must. The round loaf is soft, moist, and mildly sweet thanks to a touch of honey, which means it makes for a great treat or snack. Plus, if you have any leftover challah, you can use it to make some ace French toast for breakfast!

Organic Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls

Planning one epic Christmas brunch? Trader Joe’s has your back with these Organic Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls. Topped with tasty vanilla icing, these organic pastries are fluffy and boast some especially epic cinnamon-sugary spirals. Find these rolls in the refrigerator section on your next Trader Joe’s trip.

Dark Chocolate Covered Peppermint Cremes

We know these chocolate-covered treats are good because they’ve been in Trader Joe’s stores for an impressive ten years. For those who have never had a Peppermint Creme, each one has three key components: a sweet, creamy peppermint filling, a smooth dark chocolate coating, and a sprinkle of crushed candy cane pieces on top for a crunch and burst of minty flavor. Add these to your holiday cookie spread, or send guests home with a few for the road.

Related: 15 Trader Joe's Shopping Mistakes You Should Avoid at All Costs

All Butter Sugar Cookie Dough

The holiday season is the perfect time to bake cookies, and every cookie starts with a delicious cookie dough. You can use this new log of sugar cookie dough to make, well, sugar cookies, or you can use it as a base for a slightly more complex cookie, like these Peppermint Checkerboard Cookies or these Pecan Logs. The Trader Joe’s cookie dough is made with only a handful of ingredients and ready-to-bake, making it easy and scrumptious.

Super Chocolatey Gluten Free Chocolate Chunk Cookie Dough

If you follow a gluten-free diet, this is the cookie dough to buy. Instead of using wheat flour to create the dry base of these easy-bake beauties, Trader Joe’s utilizes a mixture that includes rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca starch. This ready-to-bake cookie dough does have chocolate chips in it, so it’s not as versatile as the sugar cookie version, but you can still use it to make other cookies if you’d like.

Belgian Cookie Collection

Rather not spend your day baking? Pick up TJ’s Belgian Cookie Collection. Each packed tin contains a dozen different cookie varieties, including chocolate-enrobed cocoa cream wafers, buttery, chocolate-dipped shortbreads, and more. If you’re heading to a holiday party instead of hosting one, consider bringing this delicious cookie assortment as a gift.

Peppermint Brownies

It's hard to go wrong with brownies, and these bite-sized pastries are the perfect holiday treat. Yes, they are dense and fudgy with an unmistakable rich cocoa taste, but that richness is pleasantly punctuated by cool notes of peppermint, with white chocolate chips floating throughout. There's also a drizzle of snowy white chocolate that tops the brownies, giving them a festive look.

Vegan Gingerbread Loaf

It can be tricky to find a vegan holiday dessert that actually tastes good, but Trader Joe’s has once again nailed it with this gingerbread loaf. Each one has notes of rich brown sugar, hearty molasses, and invigorating ginger, as well as a sugary topping. Serve this after a holiday meal with coffee, and save any leftovers for the following morning. You’d be surprised at how good a slice tastes with a pat of butter or cream cheese, vegan or not.

Mini Chocolate Mousse Desserts

If you’re planning on having a dessert table at your holiday celebration, be sure to include these Mini Chocolate Mousse Desserts. Each Belgian-made confection boasts a buttery shortbread base topped with fluffy, airy chocolate mousse; the mousse is then topped with a delightfully rich dark chocolate ganache; and finally, the ganache is topped with a whimsical smattering of sprinkles that add visual interest and more chocolate. Not planning a big party? These sweet, rich treats also work as an individual dessert. No matter how you serve ‘em, just be sure to let them defrost in the fridge for a few hours before you let your guests dig in.

Related: 13 Aldi Advent Calendars That Are Packed With Holiday Treats

Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Cakes

Pumpkin treats are traditionally enjoyed around Thanksgiving, but this one is a star during the winter holiday season as well. That is, in part, because each confection is a mini Bundt cake, flavored with pumpkin, dates, and brown sugar. As if that wasn’t enough, each one is also smothered in a spectacularly sticky caramel sauce. To prep these babies, all you have to do is place ‘em in the microwave and then dig in! This is another option that’s great if you intend to serve individual desserts this holiday season.

Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies

Consider these an elevated take on gingerbread cookies. Here, two molasses-y gingerbread treats sandwich a delicious layer of sweet vanilla frosting, making this dessert a bit cake-like and seriously festive. Since these cookies look homemade, go ahead and plop them on a platter and take the credit, if you want. No one will know!

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