I’m a product of the restaurant business, which means that my formative years were spent among yule logs, cheesecakes and endless cannoli (for the office parties). December means dessert, and here are 25 I’m always happy to see. Some are showstoppers for the Christmas table; others, cookies to tuck into tins, and several recipes are thanks to my friend Jackie of Simmer & Sage. Regardless of what kind of baker you are, there’s something here you’ll want to make this holiday season.
25. Christmas Tree Cake Dip
Beat Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes into cream cheese, then stir in whipped topping. Toss chopped Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes and a handful of sprinkles on top. Serve with graham crackers, vanilla wafers, pretzels and strawberries. Like the snack cakes that went into it, this Christmas Tree Cake dip tastes straight out of lunchbox. Whip up this easy dessert in about ten minutes and expect it to disappear before dinner’s even served.
Christmas Tree Cake Dip
Ingredients
Method
- Set aside 1 tree cake for topping.
- Beat remaining cakes and cream cheese until smooth.
- Fold in whipped topping.
- Spread into a serving bowl.
- Chop the reserved cake and sprinkle on top.
- Add sprinkles.
- Chill 1 hour before serving.
24. Cherry Almond Thumbprint Cookies
The cherry filled center paired with a drizzle of icing make these almond scented, buttery thumbprint cookies from Simmer & Sage a holiday favorite. And since they hold their shape so well, these cookies taste and look just as great on day three as they did straight out of the oven! Perfect for Christmas cookie exchanges and trays, these easy cookies are best baked up in a double (or more) batch.
Get the recipe: Cherry Almond Thumbprint Cookies
23. Peanut Butter Buckeyes
These Buckeyes are a Midwest Christmas tradition. They consist of a sweet peanut butter filling that is chilled until firm, then dipped in chocolate. They’re easy to make, and don’t require any baking! They are a classic peanut butter and chocolate candy. These Buckeye Balls are easy to make! They can be made ahead and refrigerated until you’re ready to eat them, or give them away. They would also make a cute addition to Christmas tins you’d like to give to teachers or neighbors! To make them look like the nut that they’re named after, leave a small circle on top of the Buckeye exposed when you dip them in chocolate!
Peanut Butter Buckeyes
Ingredients
Method
- Beat peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
- Beat in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time.
- Roll into 1 inch balls.
- Set on a lined baking sheet.
- Chill 1 hour.
- Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil in 30 second bursts.
- Stick a toothpick in each ball.
- Dip in chocolate, leaving a circle bare on top.
- Smooth over the toothpick hole.
- Chill 30 minutes until set.
22. Cranberry Almond Biscotti
I love these Biscotti! They’re loaded with dried cranberries and almonds and are baked into a log, then sliced and baked again to crisp perfection. To finish, I like to dip one end into white chocolate. It’s a beautiful contrast with the cranberries. These Biscotti are great with a cup of coffee Christmas morning! And because they last for weeks stored in a jar, they make a great homemade gift!
Cranberry Almond Biscotti
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Beat butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Beat in eggs, vanilla, and almond extract.
- Mix in flour mixture.
- Fold in cranberries and almonds.
- Shape into two 10×3 inch logs.
- Bake 25 minutes.
- Cool 15 minutes.
- Lower oven to 325°F.
- Slice logs 1/2 inch thick on a diagonal.
- Lay slices cut side down.
- Bake 10 minutes per side.
- Cool completely.
- Melt white chocolate in 30 second bursts.
- Dip one end of each biscotti.
- Let set on parchment.
21. Mini Gingerbread Bundt Cakes with Lemon Glaze
Proof that smaller-sized treats can still steal the show, these mini gingerbread bundt cakes are full of warm spiced gingerbread flavor with a tangy lemon glaze. Perfect for gifting up (simply set one in a cupcake liner and tie with ribbon), or displaying on a dessert table. Warmly spiced with cinnamon, ginger and molasses, the deep gingerbread flavor is tempered with a tangy lemon glaze that pools in the crevices and drips down the ridges of each mini bundt cake.
Get the recipe: Mini Gingerbread Bundt Cakes with Lemon Glaze
20. Candy Cane Brownies
A fudgy chocolate brownie gets festive with a layer of chocolate ganache and a sprinkle of crushed candy canes when it’s chilled. Cool peppermint crunch atop a chocolatey, rich and dense brownie, these festive fudge squares are the best! Once the brownies are cooled they’re frosted with a luscious chocolate ganache, then topped with plenty of peppermint candy crunch. Perfect for entertaining or gifting! These peppermint brownies make an easy crowd-pleaser because they slice up nicely, travel well and can be stacked in a tin. Perfect for potlucks, office parties and any time you’re entertaining!
Candy Cane Brownies
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper.
- Whisk butter and sugar together.
- Whisk in eggs, vanilla and peppermint extract.
- Stir in flour, cocoa and salt until just combined.
- Spread batter in the pan.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick has moist crumbs.
- Cool completely.
- Heat cream until steaming.
- Pour over chocolate chips, rest 5 minutes, then stir smooth.
- Spread ganache over brownies.
- Chill until set, about 1 hour.
- Sprinkle with candy canes and cut into squares.
19. Raspberry Rugelach
Jackie’s Rugelach with Raspberry Jam. Rugelach are little rolled pastries with a tender cream cheese dough. Jackie’s classic Rugelach recipe features raspberry jam, but you can easily use your favorite flavor of jam or preserve. These Rugelach cookies bake up flaky and golden with sweet, jammy spirals in every bite. Rugelach are a Hanukkah favorite, but they’re perfect for a Christmas cookie tray, too, and if your family celebrates both, these Rugelach are the perfect cookie! TIP: Make Rugelach dough ahead! Make Rugelach dough the day ahead to speed up baking day.
Get the recipe: Raspberry Rugelach
18. Hot Chocolate Poke Cake
This Chocolate Marshmallow Hot Cocoa Cake is like a mug of hot cocoa in cake form! Chocolate cake is poked while still warm and filled for the richest, moist cake, then topped with a fluffy frosting and mini marshmallows, just like a mug of cocoa! Easy one pan chocolate cake that’s perfect for holiday get togethers! Make ahead the night before for an easy dessert to bring to a holiday party or family dinner!
Hot Chocolate Poke Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Bake cake in a 9×13 pan according to the box.
- Cool 15 minutes.
- Poke holes all over with the handle of a wooden spoon.
- Whisk pudding mix, cocoa mix and milk for 2 minutes.
- Pour over cake right away, before it sets.
- Chill 1 hour.
- Spread whipped topping over the cake.
- Top with marshmallows and drizzle with chocolate syrup.
- Chill 1 more hour before serving.
17. Sugar Plum Hand Pies with Honeyed Ricotta
Sugar plums might be the most Christmasy-sounding fruit of all, and Jackie makes use of that fact in these sweet little hand pies. Jackie fills flaky pastry with jammy sugar plums and honeyed ricotta, and bakes it all up nice and golden. Not only are these cute and easy to eat with your hands (no plates and forks to juggle!), they’re the perfect size for a buffet or dessert table. I could see these being very popular at a Christmas open house!
Get the recipe: Sugar Plum Hand Pies with Honeyed Ricotta
16. Peppermint Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate mousse, whipped cream and crushed candy canes. This dessert is rich enough to satisfy after a big meal but also light and airy. The peppermint flavor isn’t too strong and the dark chocolate is delicious. You could make these ahead of time (they keep well in the fridge) and they look elegant in little glasses. Spoon chocolate mousse (dark chocolate and a touch of peppermint folded into whipped cream) into glasses. Top with a swirl of whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed candy canes.
Peppermint Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
Method
- Heat 1/2 cup cream until steaming.
- Pour over chocolate, rest 5 minutes, then stir smooth.
- Cool to room temperature.
- Beat remaining cream, powdered sugar and peppermint to soft peaks.
- Fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the chocolate.
- Gently fold in the rest.
- Spoon into 6 small glasses.
- Chill until set, about 2 hours.
- Top with whipped cream and candy canes.
15. Homemade Cannoli
The one absolute rule for cannoli? Never fill them ahead of time. To keep the shells from getting soggy, leave them empty until right before serving time. Another tradition at Christmas Eve in Italian American households is serving a tray of cannoli for dessert. The crisp, bubbly fried shells are stuffed with sweetened ricotta cheese and mini chocolate chips, and often the ends are dipped in chopped pistachios and the outside is dusted with powdered sugar. Cannoli make a great final touch to your Feast of the Seven Fishes menu.
Homemade Cannoli
Ingredients
Method
- Beat ricotta, powdered sugar, vanilla, and zest until smooth.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Chill in a piping bag.
- Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
- Cut in butter until crumbly.
- Mix in egg and wine to form a dough.
- Knead 2 minutes.
- Wrap and chill 1 hour.
- Heat 2 inches of oil to 360°F.
- Roll dough very thin.
- Cut into 4 inch circles.
- Wrap around cannoli forms.
- Seal the edges with egg white.
- Fry 2 minutes, until golden and bubbly.
- Drain and slide off the forms.
- Cool completely.
- Pipe filling into both ends of each shell.
- Dip the ends in pistachios.
- Dust with powdered sugar.
14. White Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Bundt Cake
The ribbons of raspberry swirl through the tender, buttery cake laced with white chocolate. Slices of this pretty cake have a lovely swirl of red that looks just right served at Christmas. And it’s so nice to have a cake that isn’t chocolate or peppermint-flavored. This cake also tastes just as good with coffee the next morning.
Get the recipe: White Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Bundt Cake
13. Red Velvet Cake Roll
This show stopping dessert couldn’t be easier to make! Thin layers of red velvet sponge cake are rolled when warm to prevent cracking and filled with a light and creamy cream cheese filling. It’s then rolled a second time for the prettiest red and white swirled cake. Beautifully presented on a dessert table and perfect for Christmas and anytime you want to impress! Red velvet cake roll dusted with powdered sugar and ready to serve. This cake roll is easy to make and can be made the day before!
Red Velvet Cake Roll
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line a 10×15 jelly roll pan with greased parchment.
- Beat eggs and sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes.
- Beat in vanilla, vinegar and food coloring.
- Fold in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.
- Spread batter evenly in the pan.
- Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until the top springs back.
- Dust a kitchen towel with powdered sugar.
- Flip warm cake onto the towel and peel off the parchment.
- Roll up cake in the towel from the short end.
- Cool completely, about 1 hour.
- Beat filling ingredients until smooth.
- Unroll cake and spread with filling.
- Roll back up without the towel.
- Chill 2 hours before slicing.
12. Peppermint Mocha Sandwich Cookies
Rich chocolate coffee cookies sandwiched with creamy peppermint buttercream, dipped in chocolate and the edges rolled in crushed candy canes. These are definitely cookies for the peppermint mocha lovers! A little on the fancier side, these would be perfect to bring to a cookie exchange to stand out. And, if you ask me, one of the prettiest cookies to grace a cookie tray!
Get the recipe: Peppermint Mocha Sandwich Cookies
11. Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes
Batter can be prepared ahead and stored in the refrigerator. A longtime menu favorite at restaurants, few desserts are as popular as lava cakes. And for good reason: Cut into one, and warm chocolate oozes from the center. They are a great dessert for a smaller holiday dinner as they only take about 13 minutes to bake in ramekins. For a little Christmas flair, dust with powdered sugar and garnish with raspberries and mint.
Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 425°F.
- Butter four 6 ounce ramekins and dust with cocoa.
- Melt chocolate and butter in 30 second bursts.
- Whisk in powdered sugar.
- Whisk in eggs, yolks, and vanilla.
- Stir in flour and salt.
- Divide into ramekins.
- Set ramekins on a baking sheet.
- Bake 13 to 14 minutes, until edges are firm.
- Rest 1 minute.
- Run a knife around the edges.
- Flip onto plates.
- Dust with powdered sugar and add raspberries and mint.
10. Cherry Bourbon Galette
If you love the idea of a holiday cherry pie but don’t want to go through all of the work, a galette is the perfect answer. Jackie folds her buttery crust around bourbon-spiked cherries and bakes it until bubbling and golden brown. The rich red color of the cherries make it festive all on its own (no need to decorate it any further!). Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it’ll compete with any other fancy holiday dessert!
Get the recipe: Cherry Bourbon Galette
9. Eggnog Bread Pudding
Think of this bread pudding as a delicious homage to eggnog. Instead of enjoying the eggnog as a beverage, soft brioche bread cubes are soaked in a custard made with eggnog, cinnamon and nutmeg, then baked until golden on top and creamy inside. It’s a great way to use up any eggnog you may have left over after a party, and it makes a great Christmas Eve dessert or part of a Christmas morning brunch! Serve warm with extra whipped cream!
Eggnog Bread Pudding
Ingredients
Method
- Grease a 9×13 baking dish.
- Spread bread cubes in the dish.
- Whisk eggnog, eggs, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Pour over bread and press down gently.
- Soak 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until puffed and set in the center.
- Cool 10 minutes.
- Whisk glaze ingredients until smooth.
- Drizzle over the warm bread pudding.
8. French Crème Brûlée
This is Jackie’s recipe for a silky smooth vanilla custard that’s baked until just set and finished with a crackly caramelized crust. Crème Brulee is an easy-to-make-at-home version of a dessert that might otherwise be considered a fancy restaurant dessert. These custards can be made ahead (they will keep for a day or two in the refrigerator), so on Christmas you’ll just need to add the final sugar layer, torch and serve. The best part (besides the custard itself, obviously), is tapping through that glassy, caramelized sugar top with your spoon.
Get the recipe: French Crème Brûlée
7. Christmas Pavlova Wreath
Naturally gluten free, this pavlova makes a beautiful centerpiece for a holiday dessert table. I love the look of the raspberries, strawberries, pomegranate seeds and fresh mint arranged like a Christmas wreath! The outside of the meringue is crisp but the inside is soft and marshmallowy, piled high with whipped cream and fresh berries. This light dessert is just the thing to round out a rich, hearty holiday dinner. Tip: for best results, bake the meringue a day ahead of time and assemble the pavlova just before serving.
Christmas Pavlova Wreath
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 250°F.
- Draw a 9-inch circle on parchment and flip it over on a baking sheet.
- Beat egg whites to soft peaks.
- Add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Beat until stiff and glossy.
- Beat in cornstarch, vinegar and vanilla.
- Spoon large dollops around the circle to form a ring.
- Bake 1 hour.
- Turn off oven and cool inside with the door cracked, 1 hour.
- Whip cream and powdered sugar to soft peaks.
- Spread over the meringue ring.
- Top with berries, pomegranate seeds and mint.
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve right away.
6. Salted Caramel Kentucky Butter Cake
This rich, buttery bundt cake will become a favorite of yours! Jackie’s version of this pound cake includes salted caramel to take it over the top. What’s Kentucky butter cake? This cake gets soaked with a warm butter sauce right in the pan, which makes it super moist. This pound cake is dense and buttery and keeps really well for days! It’s a great cake to have on hand when you’re craving something rich and not chocolate! It’s rich enough to be special but doesn’t call for any decoration (other than baking it in a bundt pan!), so it’s festive looking, but easy to make! It slices up beautifully!
Get the recipe: Salted Caramel Kentucky Butter Cake
5. Cranberry Orange Upside Down Cake
The tartness of the fresh cranberries cuts through the sweetness, while their vibrant hue makes for a gorgeous, festive cake. As it bakes, a thick layer of fresh cranberries will cook down on top of the cake, forming a glossy, jewel red topping. When it’s time to take this cake out of the pan and flip it onto a plate, prepare to be wowed. Not only will your kitchen be filled with the fresh orange scented cake, but you’ll have a show stopping cake that’s perfect for holiday brunches or as a lighter cake post Christmas dinner.
Cranberry Orange Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
- Pour melted butter into the pan.
- Sprinkle with brown sugar.
- Spread cranberries in an even layer.
- Whisk flour, baking powder and salt.
- Beat butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Beat in eggs, orange zest and vanilla.
- Mix in sour cream and orange juice.
- Mix in flour mixture until just combined.
- Spread batter over cranberries.
- Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool 10 minutes.
- Flip onto a serving plate.
4. Holiday Spice Cake
Reminiscent of cakes you might find gracing a grandmother’s sideboard at Christmastime, this simple bundt cake is packed with juicy raisins and classic spices like cinnamon and cloves. Jackie’s holiday spice cake is moist and dense and finished off with a generous snowfall of powdered sugar. It’s also very forgiving, and you can make it ahead and it actually tastes even better the next day! And when this cake is in the oven, nothing will make your house smell more like the holidays!
Get the recipe: Holiday Spice Cake
3. Eggnog Cheesecake
Eggnog and cheesecake are the ultimate holiday duo. With a gingersnap crust and creamy filling made with real eggnog, nutmeg and a splash of rum extract, this eggnog cheesecake is the perfect make ahead dessert for Christmas week. The cheesecake bakes low and slow in a water bath so the top remains smooth and then needs to chill for at least six hours, so it’s the perfect make ahead dessert for a hectic Christmas week. Serve with whipped cream and more nutmeg!
Eggnog Cheesecake
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan in 2 layers of foil.
- Mix crust ingredients and press into the pan.
- Bake 10 minutes.
- Beat cream cheese, sugar and flour until smooth.
- Beat in eggnog, vanilla, rum extract and nutmeg.
- Beat in eggs one at a time on low speed.
- Pour over crust.
- Set pan in a roasting pan and add 1 inch of hot water.
- Bake 60 to 70 minutes, until the center barely jiggles.
- Turn off oven and cool inside with the door cracked, 1 hour.
- Chill at least 6 hours.
- Top with whipped cream and nutmeg.
2. Gingerbread Trifle with Caramel and Bourbon Cream
For the ultimate gingerbread trifle, layer warm gingerbread cake with bourbon whipped cream, crunchy pecans and juicy pomegranate seeds, and top with a drizzle of caramel. Make the cake ahead of time (or use a boxed mix) and this showstopping holiday dessert, served in a glass trifle dish so you can see all the beautiful layers, is ready to go in a flash. Each and every scoop has a little bit of everything, making it a treat people will be talking about long after the holidays are over.
Get the recipe: Gingerbread Trifle with Caramel and Bourbon Cream
1. Yule Log (Bûche de Noël)
Chocolate sponge cake, whipped cream filling, chocolate buttercream “bark” and a dusting of powdered sugar “snow.” Oh, and cranberries and sprigs of rosemary too. Add a twig or two and you’ve got a show-stopping showpiece for the holidays. It’s a little time-consuming, but no other cake has the same “wow” factor. That’s why generations of families have served this yule log cake at Christmas time.
Yule Log (Bûche de Noël)
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line a 10×15 jelly roll pan with greased parchment.
- Beat eggs and sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes.
- Beat in vanilla.
- Fold in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.
- Spread batter evenly in the pan.
- Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until the top springs back.
- Dust a kitchen towel with cocoa powder.
- Flip warm cake onto the towel and peel off the parchment.
- Roll up cake in the towel from the short end.
- Cool completely, about 1 hour.
- Whip filling ingredients to stiff peaks.
- Unroll cake and spread with filling.
- Roll back up without the towel and chill 1 hour.
- Beat frosting ingredients until fluffy.
- Cut a 2-inch piece off one end at an angle.
- Attach it to the side of the log as a branch.
- Cover with frosting.
- Drag a fork through the frosting for bark.
- Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with rosemary and cranberries.
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