This collection of Christmas dessert recipes will make it easy to plan your holiday baking list. These festive cookies, cakes, pies, and simple sweet treats are the recipes I turn to year after year. They’re tried and true and guaranteed to bring a little extra cheer to your Christmas celebration.
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Table of contents
Holiday Baking Tips
Before we jump into the recipes, here are a few simple tips to make your holiday baking easier and more organized.
- Use the right tools. Parchment paper, baking sheets, cooling racks, cookie scoops (in small, medium and large), and airtight containers make baking, storing, and gifting much easier. A glass pie plate, ceramic pie plate and a reliable Bundt pan are worth having on hand for holiday baking.
- Make-ahead and storage tips. Most cookie doughs freeze beautifully and many cakes can be baked a day ahead. Fruit and cream pies often benefit from being baked in advance since they need time to fully set. Refer to each recipe post for specific make-ahead and storage guidance.
- Build the perfect holiday cookie trays. Choose a mix of cookies with different flavors and textures and add a couple of candies like fudge or bon bons for variety. Layer everything with parchment to keep the treats fresh, then wrap the tray in plastic wrap with a ribbon or use cute, festive containers with lids for easy gifting.
- Keep it simple. Choose a handful of recipes you really love and make multiples of them rather than trying to bake everything at once. A small but thoughtful variety is just as impressive as a huge spread.
Classic Christmas Cookies
Fill your holiday cookie trays with a mix of classic flavors and longtime reader favorites. From nostalgic family favorites to colorful, festive treats, these recipes are easy to make and always a hit during the holiday season.
Chewy Iced Molasses Cookies
These soft and chewy molasses cookies are filled with warm cinnamon and ginger and finished with a sweet, simple glaze. They're loaded with cozy holiday flavor and have been a longtime reader favorite.
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Jam Thumbprint Cookies
These festive Jam Thumbprint Cookies are an easy way to brighten up your holiday cookie trays. A soft and chewy shortbread base is filled with your favorite jam, creating a classic Christmas cookie everyone loves.
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Butterscotch Gingerbread Cookies
The cozy spices and molasses give these Butterscotch Gingerbread Cookies that familiar gingerbread flavor, while the butterscotch chips add a sweet pop that makes them extra special.
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Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
These Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies bake up soft, fudgy, and beautifully coated in snowy powdered sugar. The touch of peppermint makes them feel instantly festive.
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Eggnog Thumbprints
These Eggnog Thumbprint Cookies pack classic holiday flavor into a sweet, buttery bite. The eggnog-style filling and light dusting of nutmeg make them extra festive, and they’re a cookie I look forward to baking every single year.
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Mom’s Pecan Sandies
These Pecan Sandies are a nostalgic family favorite straight from my mom’s old recipe binder. The tender, shortbread-style cookies and crunchy pecans make them a simple but irresistible addition to any Christmas cookie lineup.
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Italian Cookies
These Italian Cookies are soft, lightly sweet, and flavored with your choice of almond or anise. After a dip in simple icing and a pinch of colorful sprinkles, they make a cheerful addition to any holiday cookie tray and can be decorated to fit any celebration.
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Date Pinwheel Cookies
These Date Pinwheel Cookies bring a charming vintage touch to any holiday cookie tray. The soft dough wrapped around a sweet date filling creates beautiful swirls and a flavor that always feels special this time of year.
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Festive Cakes and Bundts
From bright cranberry and sweet potato spice to rich chocolate and classic gingerbread, these festive cakes and Bundts bring all the best holiday flavors to the table. They’re easy to bake, pretty to serve, and great for everything from casual gatherings to Christmas dinner.
Gingerbread Cake
My mom's old-fashioned Gingerbread Cake has the warm, familiar flavors everyone loves this time of year. It’s a simple holiday classic and a Christmas Eve tradition in our house every year.
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Cranberry Bundt Cake
This Cranberry Bundt Cake is bright, festive, and perfect for using up leftover cranberry sauce. The pretty swirl through the center and the light powdered sugar glaze make it a lovely choice for holiday brunches or dessert.
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Black Russian Cake
This Black Russian Cake starts with a simple boxed mix but bakes up with the deep, delicious flavor of the classic cocktail. The chocolate–Kahlua glaze gives it a beautiful finish and makes it a fun, nostalgic addition to any holiday dessert table.
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Almond Pound Cake
This Almond Pound Cake is rich, dense, and full of sweet almond flavor, with a crisp topping that gives it a little extra magic. It’s easy to dress up with whipped cream and fresh berries for a simple but elegant holiday dessert.
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French Chocolate Cake
This French Chocolate Cake is deeply rich and full of bold chocolate flavor, with a dense, tender crumb that makes it feel extra indulgent. It’s an elegant dessert for chocolate lovers and a beautiful addition to any holiday table.
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Sweet Potato Bundt Cake
This Sweet Potato Bundt Cake is gently flavored with bourbon and finished with a rich bourbon pecan icing. It’s a standout dessert for holiday gatherings and a fun alternative to the usual seasonal favorites.
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Molten Chocolate Cakes with Sugared Raspberries
These Molten Chocolate Cakes bake up with a soft, tender exterior and a warm, gooey center that feels instantly special. They’re incredibly easy to make ahead, and the rich chocolate flavor makes them a crowd-pleasing dessert for holiday celebrations.
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Holiday Pies and Tarts
This lineup of pies and tarts brings together all the best holiday flavors, including rich chocolate, warm spices, sweet cherries, plus a bonus, fool-proof pie crust recipe. These desserts are easy to make ahead and a beautiful addition to your holiday menu.
Bourbon Pecan Pie
This Bourbon Pecan Pie has been the most-loved holiday pie by readers so far this year. A splash of bourbon deepens the flavor of the rich, gooey filling and makes this classic dessert even more special for the holidays.
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Sweet Potato Pie
This Sweet Potato Pie is a delicious alternative to pumpkin and has that classic, homespun holiday flavor everyone loves. The smooth, creamy filling and warm spice blend make it a standout dessert for any Christmas celebration.
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Dutch Apple Pie
This Dutch Apple Pie is layered with tender, spiced apples and topped with a sweet, buttery crumble that bakes up perfectly golden. It has all the flavor of a bakery-style pie with far less effort, and it’s always a hit on any holiday dessert table.
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Chocolate Cream Pie
This Chocolate Cream Pie has a smooth, rich custard that comes together with an easy, no-fuss method. It’s always the first pie to disappear in my house, and it’s a guaranteed hit on any holiday dessert table.
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Easy Cherry Cheesecake Pie
This Easy Cherry Cheesecake Pie is a quick, nearly no-bake dessert made with simple pantry ingredients. A chocolate wafer crust, creamy cheesecake filling, and sweet cherry topping come together in minutes, and the whole pie can be made ahead for stress-free holiday entertaining.
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Classic Double Crust Apple Pie
This Classic Double Crust Apple Pie bakes up with flaky, golden pastry and a perfectly balanced sweet-tart apple filling. It’s a timeless holiday dessert that always looks beautiful on the table and tastes even better the next day.
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Pecan Tarts
These mini Pecan Tarts deliver all the richness of pecan pie in a perfectly bite-sized treat. The buttery crust and sweet, gooey filling make them ideal for holiday parties, dessert platters, or packaging up as thoughtful homemade gifts.
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Food Processor Pie Crust
This Easy Food Processor Pie Crust comes together in minutes and takes so much of the work out of holiday baking. It’s a reliable method for getting a perfectly flaky, homemade crust with almost no effort.
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Candy and Sweet Treats
These candies and sweet treats are some of the easiest and most loved recipes to make during the holidays. They’re perfect for gifting, snacking, or adding a few fun extras to your Christmas dessert table.
Macadamia Nut Fudge
This Macadamia Nut Fudge is rich, creamy, and incredibly simple to make. Just a handful of ingredients come together to create a smooth chocolate fudge studded with crunchy macadamia nuts. A festive addition to any holiday treat tray.
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Chocolate-Dipped Ritz Cracker Cookies
These Chocolate-Dipped Ritz Cracker Cookies are the easiest little treats to add to your holiday lineup. The sweet-salty combo of chocolate, peanut butter, and buttery crackers makes them completely irresistible, and they come together in minutes with no baking required.
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Peanut Butter Bon Bons
These Peanut Butter Bon Bons have a sweet, crispy peanut butter center and a smooth chocolate or butterscotch coating. They’re an easy homemade candy with that nostalgic holiday feel, and they always disappear fast. Santa’s favorite!
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Easy Toffee Candy
This Easy Toffee Candy has the perfect sweet crunch and comes together with just a few simple ingredients. It’s a quick, no-thermometer recipe that always turns into one of the most requested treats every Christmas season!
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Christmas Bread Pudding
This Christmas Bread Pudding is filled with tender apples, sweet dried cranberries, and plenty of warm holiday flavor. A rich rum cream sauce ties it all together and makes this simple dessert feel extra festive and comforting.
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Easy Cream Puff Dessert
This Easy Cream Puff Dessert starts with a “magic” pastry crust and is filled with an absolutely dreamy, creamy filling that everyone loves. It’s simple to make, great for serving a crowd, and a fun addition to any holiday dessert spread.
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Browse my full dessert collection for more sweet inspiration. And if you’re looking for additional holiday ideas, my Christmas category is filled with festive recipes to help you plan your menu from start to finish.
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