Holiday baking season is the most wonderful time of the year. From Christmas cookies perfect for a holiday cookie box, to festive holiday cakes and chocolate treats to serve after an epic Christmas dinner, I am sharing my 30 most popular and favourite Christmas dessert recipes that go beyond decorated sugar cookies (but of course, sugar cookies included too).
Christmas Cookies
Christmas Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing
Christmas sugar cookies with royal icing are golden brown and crisp on the outside, but soft and tender inside. The best and festive gourmet holiday cookie.
Gingerbread Linzer Cookies with Chocolate Filling
Soft and warmly spiced gingerbread linzer cookies with white chocolate ganache and dusted with confectioners' sugar is a delicious Christmas holiday cookie.
Soft chewy ginger cookies packed with ginger, molasses, and cinnamon spice is the most warm and cozy cookie ever. These holiday cookies stay soft for days.
Classic gingerbread cookies are soft and chewy in the centre but crisp on the edges, and warmly spiced. Decorate with royal icing to complete the look on these festive holiday cookies.
Sweet buttery linzer cookies are a classic Christmas cookie with flaky shortbread and fruit jam. The perfect festive holiday treat that melts in your mouth.
Soft tender chewy chocolate crinkle cookies are a classic Christmas cookie that tastes like a rich fudgy brownie with a crackly crust and coated in powdered sugar.
Soft and Chewy White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Soft and chewy white chocolate cranberry walnut cookies are beyond simple to prepare and make the perfect holiday treat.
Soft and chewy peanut butter blossoms topped with a chocolate kiss are a classic Christmas cookie that is easy to make during the holidays or any time of year.
Sweet and nutty pecan snowball cookies (Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cookies) are little melt-in-your-mouth balls of buttery shortbread with nuts.
Christmas Shortbread Cookie Bites
Funfetti Christmas shortbread cookie bites are little bites of buttery melt-in-your-mouth shortbread packed with festive sprinkles for a fun holiday treat.
Jam-Filled Thumbprint Cookies with Almond Glaze
Soft, buttery, melt-in-your mouth jam-filled thumbprint cookies with almond glaze are the cutest, festive treat to make.
More Christmas Cookies
For more Christmas cookies, browse through my 30 most popular Christmas cookies.
Christmas Cakes
Holiday Yule Log Cake (Bûche de Noël)
Holiday yule log cake (Bûche de Noël) with a chocolate sponge cake, whipped cream filling, and whipped chocolate ganache coating is a Christmas classic.
Gingerbread Bundt Cake with Maple Cinnamon Glaze
This showstopping festive gingerbread bundt cake with maple cinnamon glaze and pecans is moist, soft, and fluffy, and packed with warm holiday spices.
Perfect for the holidays, this super moist and tender, festive yogurt fruitcake is loaded with dried fruits and nuts for a burst of flavour in every bite.
This minty candy cane layered cake is a gorgeous showstopper that might just be too pretty to eat.
Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Twist Bread
Soft and fluffy sourdough cinnamon roll twist bread is buttery and layered with cinnamon sugar. Prep it the night before and freshly bake it right before serving for that fresh out of the oven experience.
Molten chocolate lava cakes are rich and fudgy with a classic gooey chocolate center that flows out like lava. So simple and easy to make.
No one will be able to resist this perfectly sweet and moist, glazed brown sugar bundt cake. Made with Greek yogurt for major decadence and richness.
Double chocolate loaf cake is rich, intensely flavoured, and a total show stopper for any holiday. It is dense and chewy, and it tastes like fudge.
Caramel Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars
Decadent caramel pecan pie cheesecake bars with a graham cracker crust, cheesecake filling, and caramel pecan topping is perfect for Thanksgiving this fall.
Gingerbread Muffins with Vanilla Glaze
Festive gingerbread muffins with vanilla bean glaze are light, airy and fluffy with warm fragrant festive spices and rich molasses. A perfect holiday treat.
Cranberry Sauce Swirl Pound Cake
Leftover cranberry sauce swirl pound cake is moist and tender with swirls of cranberry sauce for a sweet and tangy burst of flavour. So easy and delicious.
Apple Cardamom Cake with Caramel Pecans
Apple cardamom cake with caramel pecan butter frosting is the perfect holiday cake and is made by combining all your favourite fall flavours together.
Easy No Crust Burnt Basque Cheesecake
Easy no crust burnt Basque cheesecake is the easiest one bowl recipe. It is perfectly caramelized on the top and edges and creamy yet firm on the inside.
Cranberry-Apple Cobbler with Biscuits
Sweet and tart cranberry-apple cobbler with biscuits is packed with fresh fruit and a buttery biscuit topping. This holiday favourite is easy to make.
Chocolate Desserts
Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffles
Dark chocolate raspberry truffles is so much easier to make than you might think! It is literally as simple as combining high quality chocolate, cocoa and raspberry jam.
Chocolate and Peppermint Christmas Bark
Chocolate and peppermint Christmas bark is the perfect no bake Christmas dessert to make this holiday season for your family and friends.
Caramel cheesecake brownies are totally indulgent and worth the effort, so toss that prepared brownie mix away and bake this with a few easy ingredients.
Peppermint hot chocolate classifies as dessert, right? This delicious rich hot chocolate is made with crushed candy canes that melt to give a delicious festive peppermint flavour. Top it with whipped cream and more crushed candy canes.
How to Make Ahead and Store Christmas Dessert
You can make or prepare all of these Christmas dessert recipes ahead of time. You can store the cookies at room temperature for a few days and the cakes for about 1-2 days (depending on the recipe). You can also store them in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Confirm storing instructions by checking each recipe.
To reheat any of these desserts and serve them warm as if they just came out of the oven, you can warm them up in a 300F preheated oven for about 5-15 minutes. I would check on it every 5 minutes until warmed through. If heating from frozen, let it thaw first and then reheat.
More Dessert Recipes
- Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
- Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
- White Chocolate Peppermint Gingerbread Cookies
- Baked Jelly Donuts (Sufganiyot)
- Spiced Carrot Muffins
- Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Cookies
- Vanilla Cake Pops from Scratch
- Classic New York Cheesecake
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cookies
- Lemon Loaf with Lemon Glaze
- The Best Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Did You Make Any of These Christmas Dessert Recipes?
Please leave a comment and rating below, and let me know what you thought of this round up of recipes. Be sure to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.
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30 Best Christmas Dessert Recipes
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8-10 servings
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Browse the top 30 most popular best Christmas dessert recipes from cookies to festive cakes and more, there is always room for dessert during the holidays.
Instructions
- Make ahead and store. You can make or prepare all of these Christmas dessert recipes ahead of time. You can store most of them at room temperature for a few days, in the refrigerator for up to one week, and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Check each recipe for exact storage details.
- Reheat: If you would like to reheat any of these desserts and serve them warm, just place the in a 300F preheated oven for 5-10 minutes. If heating from frozen, let it thaw first and then reheat.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 400
Keywords: 30 best christmas dessert recipes, the best christmas dessert, christmas dessert recipes, dessert recipes, christmas recipes, christmas cookies, holiday baking
Jacqueline Debono says
What a fab collection of sweet Christmas ideas! This year our Christmas is going to be really scaled down because of Covid restrictions here in Italy. But I've always wanted to make a Yule log so this is the year to try!
★★★★★
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you! Yes, I think it's going to be scaled down for a lot of people, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy it with all the delicious treats. This is definitely the year to try to make a yule log. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Gunjan says
Oh my gosh! This is an amazing round up. Loved reading every recipe. I have short listed a few to try over next week.
★★★★★
Melanie says
I've bookmarked this list, everything looks delicious!
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you! Enjoy!