40 Best Christmas Desserts to Enjoy This Holiday Season
Bake your way through the holidays with these unforgettable sweets.
The holidays are a time to gather with loved ones, reflect on the past year, and of course, indulge in delicious fare. And for many, the weeks leading up to Christmas are packed with parties, work events, and get-togethers. Whether you’re hosting friends and family, or you want to make a thoughtful homemade gift, this list of the best Christmas desserts has something for everyone.
If you’re looking for something classic, you can’t go wrong with a simple sugar cookie or homemade gingerbread treat. However, if you want to pull out all the stops and really wow your guests, you may opt for something like an Orange and Clove Basque Cheesecake or a Chocolate “Salami” (trust us, it’s incredible.) There are even some options that you can whip up last-minute, like snackable Dark Chocolate Coconut Tartlets or Cinnamon Sugar Cookies made with melt-in-your-mouth puff pastry.
Are you drooling yet? Here are the most delicious desserts that are worth celebrating this holiday season.
Caitlin Bensel
Related: 20 Easy Holiday Appetizers You Can Quickly Whip Up
Easy Chocolate Mousse With Croissant Crumbs
Chocolate mousse may seem like a complex dessert to whip up (ha! see what I did there?) but it’s actually quite easy. If you ask us, the buttery croissant crumbs really put this dish over the top, so grab a few from your favorite bakery or café a few days before making this dish.
White Chocolate Pomegranate Cheesecake
Victor Protasio
This Christmas cheesecake is absolutely stunning and will no doubt be the centerpiece dessert at your holiday dinner. Adorning the outer rim of the cake are pomegranate arils, pistachios, and lime zest. For extra elegance, white chocolate is zested atop the middle of the cake, appearing as freshly fallen snow.
Brown Butter Jam Tarts
Fred Hardy
Brown butter is the main event in this sweet holiday dessert recipe. Glazing the tart and enriching the dough, its earthy, slightly sweet taste pairs perfectly with the sweet apricot or strawberry jam filling. Garnish with crunchy almond halves for the ideal nutty companion to brown butter.
Mint Chocolate Cookie Bars
Fred Hardy
There's nothing quite as reminiscent of Christmastime as peppermint. That is why we are breaking out this crave-worthy confection. The base of this three-layer dessert is a soft, fudgy cookie. Next, fluffy and minty buttercream frosting is spooned on into an even layer across the cookie. A rich, dark chocolate ganache tops it all off, making this dessert bar simply immaculate.
Sparkling Gingerbread Star Cookies
Fred Hardy
This Christmas cookie will surely be the star of the dessert table. Wintry spices lead the flavor profile of these gingerbread cookies: Think brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Lemon zest adds a pleasant pop of flavor. After cooling, the cookies are dipped in a sweet glaze and sprinkled with your choice of sparkling sugar that will really make them shimmer.
Sweet Tahini and Date Truffles
Victor Protasio
Looking for an easy Christmas treat? You can whip up these fudgy truffles in less than an hour! A mixture of processed dates, tahini, and almond flour creates the truffles' sweet, fruity center. Then, they are dipped in a melted blend of chocolate and coconut oil. Sprinkle with flaky salt after a final drizzling of chocolate for an ideal balance of flavors.
Gingerbread Latte Whoopie Pie
CAITLIN BENSEL
What could be better than chewy, homemade gingerbread cookies filled with silky espresso cream cheese? These bite-sized delights are perfect when paired with a cup of coffee or tea.
Pistachio and White Chocolate Cookie Bark
Fred Hardy
Cookie meets holiday bark in this charming confection combo. The cookie recipe utilizes bold flavors such as pistachio and orange zest, yet it is grounded in a sugar and vanilla base. Though we garnished with chopped pistachios and freeze-dried raspberries for a holiday flair, feel free to get creative with your topping selections.
Ruffled Cranberry-Almond Milk Pie
Fred Hardy
This gorgeous custard-based pie is made for the holidays with its delicious array of flavors: cinnamon, citrus, almond, and cranberry, just to name a few. The pie's showstopping rosettes are made from phyllo dough, which gives a texture that closely resembles bread pudding. Loosely shape the dough into rosettes to encourage growth.
Peppermint Checkerboard Cookies
Take your standard sugar cookie up a notch with these impressive checkerboard treats. Grab some red food coloring and peppermint extract from the store and make these festive holiday cookies with a batch of homemade hot chocolate.
Chai-Flavored Snowball Cookies
Fred Hardy
There is a flurry of flavors in these adorable snowball cookies. Cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and black pepper create a delightful spiced cookie. A dusting of powdered sugar and pink and green gel food coloring gives this heavenly treat a holiday twist.
Chocolate Ganache Tart
Chocolate lovers, this is the dessert for you. Picture this: a buttery, salty Ritz Cracker crust filled with silky, decadent chocolate, and finished with a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
Ginger Apple Tarte Tatin
Christopher Testani
Gala and Granny Smith apples are baked until soft and caramelized in this elegant tarte Tatin. The best part? Store-bought puff pastry makes this one of the easiest desserts to prepare.
Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies
Antonis Achilleos
You have to try this innovative spin on classic carrot cake. The soft, chewy carrot cake cookies have the perfect amount of sweetness and spice. Plus, they’re filled with a whipped, slightly tangy cream cheese frosting. Absolutely divine!
Chocolate-Hazelnut Swirl Cake
Antonis Achilleos
This marbled chocolate-hazelnut cake is just as beautiful as it is delicious. It’s light and delicate, with the most heavenly crunchy hazelnut topping.
Cherry-Vanilla Bundt Cake
Antonis Achilleos
There’s just something about this vanilla bundt cake that screams "Christmas." The mouthwatering cherry filling tucked into a sugar-dusted cake is what holiday dreams are made of.
Malted Chocolate Brownies
Victor Protasio
These aren’t your typical chocolate brownies. No, these are rich and decadent brownies baked with a generous portion of malted milk balls. You’re gonna need a glass of cold milk for these!
Chocolate Raspberry Skillet Cake
Need a simple dessert that takes almost no time to make? This Chocolate Raspberry Skillet cake requires about 15 minutes of hands-on time, and less than an hour in the oven. Pro tip: Serve this with a heaping scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.
Nectarine Olive Oil Cake
Sometimes a lighter dessert is just what you need after an indulgent holiday meal. Good quality olive oil and stone fruit, like nectarines, are the key to this simple, subtly sweet cake.
Dark Chocolate Coconut Tartlets
Going to a holiday party or potluck? Impress the group with these bite-sized chocolate coconut tartlets. They’re the perfect little sweet treat, and take less than 30 minutes to make.
Chocolate Peppermint Shortbreads
Put your stash of candy canes to good use by making a batch of these chocolate peppermint shortbreads. You've got an unbeatable combination of buttery cocoa-infused shortbread covered in chocolate, along with a sprinkle of crushed peppermint.
No-Bake Chocolate-Peppermint Cookies
A simple no-bake dessert that calls for just seven ingredients? Sign us up! The festive flavors of peppermint and chocolate will surely be a hit amongst your family and friends.
Pine Nut Drops
Here’s another classic Christmas cookie that everyone loves. Spread some holiday cheer by making a double batch and gifting them to your coworkers, neighbors, and friends.
Related: 25 Crowd-Pleasing Christmas Breakfast Ideas
Nutella Cones With Hazelnut Praline
Who says you can only enjoy cones with ice cream? Instead, fill them with Nutella and chopped hazelnuts, and top them with a homemade hazelnut praline for a delicious dessert.
Chocolate Bark With Dried Fruit and Spices
Chocolate bark is another sweet treat that’s perfect for gifting around the holidays. And it’s so fun to make because you can top it with pretty much anything in your pantry. This recipe calls for dried fruit, cinnamon, and cayenne.
The Best Sugar Cookie
Whether you’re gathering your friends for a cookie decorating party, or making Christmas cookies with the family, this is the recipe to use. Making the dough takes 30 minutes and yields 20 delicious cookies. Easy enough, right?
Chocolate Linzer Cookies
There’s a reason why every dessert platter has Linzer cookies on it. They’re elegant, beautiful, and most importantly—they’re easy to devour. Almost any type of jam or marmalade works with these, but we recommend a tart berry variety to pair with the rich chocolate.
Gingerbread Cookies
Nothing beats homemade gingerbread dough, and it’s incredibly easy to make. Use your favorite cookie cutters to make different shapes to decorate! The best part is, your house will smell better than any Christmas candle you’ve ever had.
Chocolate “Salami” With Hazelnuts and Figs
Change things up and make a sweet charcuterie board filled with little nibbles like dried fruit, nuts, and this chocolate “salami.” While it might look like cured meat, this roll of chocolate is so decadent and perfect for sharing.
Salty-Sweet Chunkers
CAITLIN BENSEL
Some may consider these to be “kitchen sink” cookies, and we might have to agree. You haven’t lived until you’ve had a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie with ooey gooey marshmallows and pretzel bits.
Chocolate Pecan Fudge Balls
Here’s another great dessert option if you’re hosting a party or gifting to friends. Fudgy bite-sized chocolate covered in pecans is the perfect way to indulge this holiday season.
Brownie Batter Babka Bites
Need something sweet for Christmas brunch? Don’t pass up these single-serving chocolate babka bites. All you need is store-bought crescent rolls, a muffin pan, and some baking essentials.
Jam Sandwich Cookies
These delicate, buttery jam-filled cookies look like they’re covered in freshly fallen snow. Serve them alongside a variety of Christmas favorites, or a simple bowl of fresh raspberries.
Break and Bake Kitchen Sink Cookies
Want to know the secret to these irresistible kitchen sink cookies? The recipe calls for two extra egg yolks, which makes the dough rich in flavor and texture.
Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
This five-ingredient cookie is anything but ordinary. Frozen puff pastry is transformed into buttery, flaky spiral-shaped cookies that are generously dusted in cinnamon sugar.
Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
There’s something so special and elegant about chocolate-covered strawberries. And they’re perhaps the easiest and most affordable dessert to make. You can even make a platter a day or two before your holiday event for convenience.
Orange and Clove Basque Cheesecake
Prepare to blow your guests' minds with this Basque cheesecake. This isn’t just any ordinary cheesecake—it has an essence of orange and clove, and boasts the most stunning caramelized outer layer.
Related: 11 Delicious Desserts You Won't Believe Are Actually Healthy-ish
Fig and Almond Custard Tart
Looking for a dessert that's not too sweet? This fig and almond custard is just the thing. The recipe is easy to follow and makes use of fresh figs. An apricot glaze rounds out the finished tart for a balanced flavor profile.
Mini S'mores Cookie Cups
Enjoy the heavenly combo of graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate with these bite-sized s’mores cookie cups. It wouldn’t be Christmas without eating a cookie with a Hersey Kiss baked in.
Winter Citrus Pavlova
Greg DuPree
This winter citrus pavlova is an Australian dessert that is full of fresh flavors reminiscent of the warmer months but with a wintery twist. That's thanks to homemade lime curd (you can also use store-bought lime curd if you're in a pinch). The egg whites and plentiful sugar combine to create thick ribbons of meringue that you'll top with whipped cream and citrus.
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