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
This gingerbread house recipe with template is easy to make, fun to decorate, and delicious — soft and chewy, yet crunchy and sturdy with crisp edges.
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.
Peppermint snowball cookies are a buttery, nutty, shortbread holiday cookie that is topped with white chocolate and crushed candy canes. So festive!
Soft and Chewy White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Soft and chewy white chocolate cranberry cookies are golden brown with crisp edges, quick and easy, and freeze well — the perfect holiday cookie.
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.
Snickerdoodles are a classic holiday cookie that are soft, puffy, and chewy with crisp edges and a cinnamon-sugar coating. Easy to make and easy to eat.
Thin crispy gingersnaps are a classic holiday cookie loaded with festive spices and molasses flavor. It's a no chill recipe that is quick and easy to make.
Italian rainbow cookies are delicious, colorful, fluffy, and gorgeous, made with three cake layers sandwiched in between jam and covered in chocolate.
These crunchy Almond Florentines are made with sliced almonds, a sticky sweet coating that acts like hardened caramel, and a layer of dark chocolate.
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.
Italian Lemon Drop Cookies (Anginetti) are light, cake-like, classic Italian cookies with citrus flavor throughout. Quick and easy to make in 30 minutes.
No bake gingerbread truffles with white chocolate are easy to make with just 3 simple ingredients including leftover gingersnaps. Perfect for the holidays.
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 classic Christmas dessert.
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.
Cranberry Sauce Swirl Cheesecake
Cranberry sauce swirl cheesecake is creamy, smooth, and indulgent. With a gorgeous red swirl on top, it's the perfect Christmas dessert for your next party.
This fudgy double chocolate loaf cake is delicious, moist, and rich. It's easy to make with a quick one-bowl batter that's ready for the oven in 10 minutes.
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.
Why make pie or brownies when you can have them both at once? These Pecan Pie Brownies are the perfect fall treat for any occasion — rich, sweet, indulgent.
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.
Christmas Pies
Old-fashioned pecan pie is a classic fall dessert with a homemade pie crust and sweet custard filling loaded with crunchy pecans — perfect for Thanksgiving. For such a fancy pie, it is actually embarrassingly easy to make.
Sweet potato pie is warm and cozy, spiced with classic fall flavors, and delicious. Easy to make with cooked sweet potatoes or canned sweet potato puree.
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.
Thanksgiving just isn’t the same without a slice of classic pumpkin pie. There is nothing better than a bite into that flaky crust and smooth pumpkin filling, full of those classic pumpkin spice flavours.
Pecan pie bars are the best and easiest way to enjoy the flavors of pecan pie but with half the effort and in a handheld bite-sized form. One of my favorite Christmas desserts.
Pumpkin mascarpone pie is a warm and cozy holiday dessert that is incredibly easy to make with just minutes of prep work before popping into the oven.
Small batch mini pumpkin pies with a flaky crust, delicious pumpkin pie filling, and cinnamon whipped cream, are perfect for a small Thanksgiving crowd.
Chocolate Desserts
Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffles
Dark chocolate raspberry truffles are so much easier to make than you think. It's as simple as combining quality chocolate, cream, raspberry jam, and cocoa.
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.
Fudgy brownies are rich, sweet, moist, and decadent. Plus, they're easy to make in one bowl (meaning less cleanup!) and ready in about 30 minutes.
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
- 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.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- 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!