Christmas is the perfect excuse to make a dessert that feels a little more special than your usual after-dinner treat. These Christmas desserts are full of rich flavors, seasonal favorites and festive touches that make them worth saving room for.
For me, deciding what to make for Christmas dessert is always hard because there are so many things that sound good this time of year.
There are the traditional favorite recipes that I look forward to.
But Christmas is also a good excuse to try something I wouldn’t normally make.
And since there’s already plenty to do on Christmas Day, I’m always happy when dessert is something I can make ahead of time.
So many of these Christmas desserts can be prepared in advance.
Which means one less thing to worry about when you’re getting dinner ready.
With all of that in mind, here are some of my favorite recipes for finishing off the holiday meal.
This traditional fruit cake is packed with candied tropical fruit, cherries and almonds, then soaked in rum for a rich, moist texture. It actually gets better with time, so it is a good Christmas dessert to make well before you need it.
These bright green Grinch cupcakes hide a red heart inside, making the surprise just as much fun as the decorations. Red velvet cake and buttercream give them plenty of flavor to go with their playful Christmas look.
Variations: Grinch party food drink ideas
Red velvet and white chocolate give these cookies a rich flavor and a pretty red-and-white color combination. Since they start with a cake mix and are ready in less than 30 minutes, they are also a simple addition to your holiday baking.
Tart lemon mousse and raspberry sauce make this frozen dessert light and refreshing after a big Christmas dinner. The red, white and green presentation looks festive, and since it needs to freeze for at least 8 hours, it’s a great dessert to prepare in advance.
Sweet white chocolate and tart cranberries make these cupcakes taste as good as they look. Sugared cranberries add a festive finishing touch that makes them especially pretty on a Christmas dessert table.
These soft cream cheese cookies have a bright lemon flavor that keeps them from being overly sweet. Red and green candied cherries on top give them a festive finish without requiring elaborate decorating.
Image credit: Alli @ An Alli Event A creamy cheesecake gets an extra layer of flavor from its brown sugar and pecan praline topping. The combination of smooth filling and sweet, nutty topping makes this one worth saving for a special holiday dessert.
Red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting are mixed together, shaped into pucks and coated in green chocolate for these Grinch-themed treats. The red centers, green coating and sprinkles make them a fun choice for a Christmas party.
Molasses adds extra depth to this classic pumpkin pie, along with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. It is a family recipe that works just as well on the Christmas dessert table as it does at Thanksgiving.
Image credit: Amanda @ Domestically Creative Dark chocolate cake gets a holiday update with a creamy peppermint cream cheese glaze. Crushed peppermint candies and festive sprinkles finish it off without turning it into a complicated decorating project.
These individual cheesecakes have a creamy vanilla filling, vanilla wafer crust and bright cherry topping. Their small size makes them easy to serve, and they can be frozen ahead of time when you want to get dessert prep out of the way.
Image credit: Nikki @ Tikkido Molasses, cranberries and nuts give this steamed pudding the rich flavors you expect from an old-fashioned Christmas dessert. Making it in the Instant Pot cuts the cooking time to under an hour.
Fudgy chocolate brownies are studded with white chocolate chips and topped with fresh red raspberries. The mix of deep chocolate, creamy sweetness and tart fruit gives you plenty of flavor in every square.
These bite-size tarts combine traditional mincemeat with a creamy cheesecake layer for a Christmas dessert that is a little easier to serve at a party. One batch makes plenty, and the tarts can be frozen ahead of time without the topping.
Peppermint cheesecake, a chocolate wafer crust and crushed candy canes put classic Christmas flavors into individual portions. They can be frozen for up to a month, which makes them especially useful when you want to prepare desserts ahead.
Image credit: Emily Fish @ Harper n Co Juicy plums and sugar are tucked into a rustic pie crust for a simple fruit dessert that still looks special enough for a holiday table. With only a few basic components, it leaves more time for everything else you are making.
Chocolate and peppermint come together in these rich little fudge balls, finished with crushed peppermint candy. Their bite-size shape makes them an easy addition to a Christmas cookie tray or dessert spread.
Peppermint-flavored sugar cookies get their candy cane look from red and white royal icing stripes. They add a festive shape and color to a cookie plate and can be made ahead when holiday baking gets busy.
Cinnamon and nutmeg give this moist carrot cake plenty of warm spice, while cream cheese frosting adds the rich finish you expect from the classic version. You can make it a day ahead, and the flavor is even better after it has had time to sit.
Image credit: Carlee @ Cooking With Carlee These individual no-bake cheesecakes layer a chocolate cookie crust with creamy candy cane filling. They do not need any oven space and can be made ahead, which is particularly useful when Christmas dinner already has the kitchen working overtime.
Image credit: Alecia @ Chicken Scratch NY Eggnog and nutmeg turn classic crème brûlée into a distinctly holiday dessert. Underneath the crisp caramelized sugar crust is a smooth custard that can be prepared ahead and chilled overnight.
Tart apples baked under a buttery oat and brown sugar topping make this crisp warm, cozy and hard to resist. The filling and topping can be prepared separately ahead of time, so there is less to do when you are ready to bake it.
This original Waldorf Astoria red velvet cake has a moist crumb, a hint of chocolate and the classic deep red color. Its light, fluffy traditional icing gives it a different finish from the cream cheese frosting used on many red velvet cakes.
These traditional Canadian butter tarts have a sweet, buttery filling baked inside individual pastry shells. Their small size makes them easy to add to a holiday dessert tray, with raisins or nuts if you like them.
These buttery shortbread cookies have the tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture that makes this classic so good. Cut them into Christmas shapes and add sprinkles for an easy festive finish.
Image credit: Gail @ Purple Hues And Me Almond extract gives these little cheesecake bites the flavor of cake batter, while small molds turn them into neat individual portions. They are made ahead and chilled overnight, so they are ready to serve when the party starts.
Image credit: Joy @ The Aspiring Home Champagne baked into mini Bundt cakes makes these individual desserts feel made for a celebration. A chocolate glaze and fresh raspberries add a rich, colorful finish without hiding the pretty cake shape.
Dark brown sugar and molasses keep these gingerbread cookies soft and chewy, with plenty of ginger, cinnamon and allspice. Once the dough is cut into shapes, the cookies are ready for whatever Christmas decorating you have in mind.
Image credit: Leanna Forsythe @ Pretty DIY Home This old-fashioned gingerbread cake is soft and moist with a strong molasses flavor and plenty of warm spice. Serve it with whipped cream and caramel sauce for a cozy Christmas dessert that does not need fancy decorating.
Image credit: Jamie H @ As For Me and My Homestead Pomegranate seeds stay juicy as this cake bakes, giving the caramelized fruit topping little bursts of fresh flavor. Flipping the finished cake reveals a glossy red topping that looks especially pretty on a holiday table.
Image credit: Jessa Plant @ Sparkle Living Blog Crisp air-fried wontons hold a chocolate-almond cream cheese filling that tastes a lot like brownie batter. Served warm with powdered sugar and sliced almonds, they are a fun finger-food dessert for a holiday party.
These red velvet cupcakes bake up soft and moist, with a smooth cream cheese frosting on top. They hold together well for transporting and serving, and both the cupcakes and frosting can be prepared ahead.
Image credit: Lisa Kerhin @ Blogghetti Eggnog and nutmeg give this moist quick bread its holiday flavor, with a sweet eggnog glaze carrying that flavor through to the top. It slices easily for a Christmas dessert table and looks festive with a few sprinkles.
Image credit: Cyn Gagen @ Creative Cynchronicity Layers of chocolate, peppermint, cream cheese and white chocolate turn this chilled dessert into a full pan of Christmas flavor. It needs at least four hours in the refrigerator, so you can assemble it ahead and have it ready to cut when dessert time comes.
Image credit: Lauren @ Mom Home Guide Tart Granny Smith apples bake beneath a golden oat topping flavored with cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla. Serve this crisp warm for a cozy dessert that works especially well during the Christmas season.
Image credit: Terri @ Christmas Tree Lane These cupcakes take their cue from a mug of hot chocolate, pairing chocolate cake with fluffy marshmallow frosting. The red-and-white holiday look makes them an especially cute choice for a Christmas potluck or dessert table.
Image credit: Jeanie Emmert @ Create and Babble This oversized sugar cookie cake is covered with holiday sprinkles and candy for a dessert that looks festive without a lot of detailed decorating. Starting with a cookie mix also makes it a manageable baking project to do with kids.
Chocolate chips and red candies turn simple sugar cookies into cheerful little reindeer faces. They are a fun Christmas baking project, and the finished cookies can be frozen for up to three months if you want to work ahead.
Image credit: Dru @ Polka Dot Poplars Creamy vanilla custard topped with a thin shell of caramelized sugar gives crème brûlée its signature contrast of smooth and crisp textures. The custards can stay refrigerated for up to three days, leaving only the sugar topping to finish before serving.
Image credit: Kathleen Pope @ The Fresh Cooky White chocolate and peppermint make this creamy cheesecake taste unmistakably like the holidays, while a chocolate cookie crust adds a darker, crunchy base. It is a make-ahead dessert, so the finished cheesecake can be ready before Christmas entertaining gets busy.
Image credit: Jamie H, Kerry and Lucy @ Coffee With Us 3 Gingerbread and chai bring layers of cinnamon, vanilla and warm spice to these individual cheesecake cups. They need to be started a day ahead, which means this Christmas dessert can be finished and chilling before you need it.
Image credit: Tania @ Little Vintage Cottage Rich brownie bites topped with cream cheese frosting and peppermint chips pack chocolate and mint into a small party-size dessert. The red-and-white peppermint topping gives them an easy Christmas finish.
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