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    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    40 Best Christmas Dessert Recipes 2024

    Modified: Nov 29, 2024 · Published: Dec 2, 2022 by Sharon Rigsby · 5 Comments

    Pinterest pin showing five Christmas desserts including a cranberry cheesecake.

    Celebrate the holidays with my collection of 40 of the Best Christmas Dessert Recipes, updated for 2024!  

    ‘Tis the season for the sweetest of tidings and the merriest of memories, and these quick and easy, mostly make-ahead, decadent Christmas desserts are perfect for your holiday entertaining, whether you are throwing a big lavish party or simply making a special dinner for family or friends.

    A cranberry cheesecake, gingerbread cookies, peppermint whoopie pies, and a pecan cheesecake.

    This collection includes options from traditional Christmas desserts to easy desserts for a crowd, plus everything in between. I have spent hours combing through hundreds of holiday dessert recipes from top bloggers, searching for the best of the best, and here they are, my Christmas gift to you!

    So grab a cup of coffee, curl up on the couch, and prepare to have “visions of sugar plums dancing in your head…”

    1. Easy No-Bake Cranberry Cheesecake – Grits and Pinecones

    Gorgeous and delicious Easy No Bake Cranberry Cheesecake ready for your Christmas or Thanksgiving dessert table

    Easy, No-Bake Cranberry Cheesecake is loaded with fresh cranberries and luscious cream cheese. This delicious and decadent make-ahead recipe is perfect for the holidays and would look spectacular on your Christmas dessert table.

    Cranberry Cheesecake

    2. Christmas Surprise Lemon Bundt Cake – Pudge Factor

    Christmas bundt cake with swirls of red and green showing in the slices.

    Brighten your holiday season with this rich and moist Christmas Surprise Lemon Bundt Cake. It may be cold outside, but the lemony cake feels like springtime and tastes amazing under a layer of lemon glaze. Every piece is a surprise!

    Christmas Bundt Cake

    3.  Easy Cranberry Cake with Hard Sauce – Grits and Pinecones

    Cranberry Cake with Hard sauce in a Christmas bowl.

    A beautiful and festive dessert, Easy Cranberry Cake with Hard Sauce will make a unique sweet ending for your Christmas dinner. Full of fresh tart cranberries, this cake has it all; the colors of the season, a winning combination of flavors and textures, and the creamy, blissful yumminess of a decadent hard sauce.

    Cranberry Cake

    4. Gingerbread Ice Cream – Grits and Pinecones

    A bowl full of gingerbread ice cream garnished with cookie crumbs and gingersnap cookies.

    Homemade Gingerbread Ice Cream is a delightful, no-churn, no-cook dessert that perfectly captures the essence of the holidays. Its warm spices and rich molasses flavor make it ideal for winter and sure to become a treat the whole family will love.

    Gingerbread Ice Cream

    5.  Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Icing – Grits and Pinecones

    Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Icing with Christmas candy.

    Have you ever seen anything as sweet as this Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Icing? With powerful notes of spicy ginger, molasses, warm cinnamon, and cloves, this easy, old-fashioned, moist cake will fill you with nostalgia and memories of past Christmases.

    Gingerbread Cake

    6.  Classic Holiday Gingerbread Men – Pudge Factor

    Several gingerbread men next to a baking sheet.

    Classic Holiday Gingerbread Men are soft and chewy on the inside. They have just the right amount of crunch on the outside! They are the perfect homemade gift for the special people on your holiday gift list.

    Gingerbread Men

    7.  Easy Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies – Grits and Pinecones

    Easy Chocolate Whoopie Pies with a candy cane filling on a plate.

    All wrapped up like a present with crushed candy canes, Easy Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies are a Christmas dream come true for chocolate cookie lovers of all ages!

    Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies

    8. Easy Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Pie – Grits and Pinecones

    Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Pie on a white pie plate topped with peanut butter cups and chocolate chips.

    Calling all peanut butter lovers and chocolate lovers! This Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Pie is a decadent, no-bake dessert that will satisfy your sweet tooth. Ready in minutes, this easy peanut butter pie is the perfect dessert for the holiday season.

    Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Pie

    9.  Pecan Pralines and Cream Ice Cream – Grits and Pinecones

    Three scoops of pecan praline ice cream in a glass dish.

    A festive and decadent holiday dessert, luscious Pecan Pralines and Cream Ice Cream will make a sweet ending to any meal! Sometimes it’s called Pralines and Cream Ice Cream, or even simply Praline Ice Cream, but no matter what you call it, the combination of pralines and cream is the perfect balance of richness and sweetness.

    Pecan Pralines and Cream Ice Cream

    10. Easy No-Bake Chocolate Raspberry Tart – Grits and Pinecones

    Dusting a chocolate raspberry tart with powdered sugar.

    My easy, no-bake Chocolate Raspberry Tart is the ultimate dessert for the chocolate lovers in your life. The decadently rich chocolate ganache filling, made with semi-sweet chocolate, is truffle-like in its consistency and delivers intense chocolate flavor with each bite.

    Chocolate Raspberry Tart

    11.  Southern Pecan Praline Cheesecake – Grits and Pinecones

    A slice of Southern Pecan Praline Cheesecake ready to serve with a dollop of whipped cream

    ‘Tis the season, and I have a scrumptious make-ahead holiday dessert for you today! Southern Pecan Praline Cheesecake is everything a cheesecake should be and includes a delicious and decadent pecan praline topping.

    Pecan Praline Cheesecake

    12.  Tangerine Layer Cake with Tangerine Curd and Cream Cheese – Cooking LSL

    Tangerine Cake on a wooden cake stand topped with sliced tangerines and cranberries.

    Flavorful and tangerine cake layers, covered with a thin layer of tangerine curd, with sweet cream cheese frosting. These winter flavors come together perfectly in a beautiful cake. Topped with sugared cranberries and candied oranges for the ultimate holiday look!

    Tangerine Layer Cake

    13.  Classic English Lemon Posset – Pudge Factor

    Lemon Posset on a glass dessert bowl topped with whipped cream and a raspberry.

    Lemon Posset is a Classic English dessert dating back to the Middle Ages. The modern version is chilled, with a velvety smooth texture that magically congeals with only three ingredients – cream, sugar, and lemon.

    Lemon Posset

    14.  Ultimate Upside Down Cranberry Cake – Grits and Pinecones

    Cranberry Upside Down Cake on a white cake platter with a red and white napkin in the background.

    This recipe for exceptionally moist Cranberry Upside-Down Cake, topped with luscious deep garnet cranberries, is a unique twist on the more familiar pineapple upside-down cake. This quick and easy confection combines fresh fruit, orange juice, brown sugar, cornmeal, and a box mix. It takes only minutes to prepare.

    Cranberry Upside Down Cake

    15.  Strawberry Mousse Cake – Contemplating Sweets

    Strawberry Mousse Cake - Santa Cake

    Strawberry mousse cake is always a good option. And, just by adding these cute little Santa strawberries on top, you get a perfect Christmas cake.

    Strawberry Mousse Cake

    16. Lemon Tart with Gingerbread Crust – Grits and Pinecones

    A lemon tart with a slice cut out.

    When life gives you lemons, you need my easy Lemon Tart with Gingersnap Crust recipe. Made with Meyer Lemons, this tangy lemon tart with its crisp, spicy gingersnap cookie crust will have your taste buds singing the Hallelujah chorus.

    Lemon Tart

    17.  Cranberry Clafoutis with Dark Chocolate and Pecans – Rubarbarians

    Cranberry Clafoutis in a cast iron skillet topped with fresh cranberries.

    Easy blender recipe for Cranberry Clafoutis. Loaded up with Dark Chocolate Chunks and Pecans. The classic French custardy breakfast with a holiday spin!

    Cranberry Clafoutis

    18.  Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting – Liv for Cake

    A layered Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Icing topped with a gingerbread house.

    This Gingerbread Cake is perfect for the holidays! A moist and delicious ginger cake with a tangy cream cheese frosting.

    Gingerbread Cake

    19. Christmas Cranberry Pie with Orange Marmalade – Grits and Pinecones

    Christmas Cranberry Pie full of cranberry filling and topped with whipped cream and candy Christmas trees.

    Savor the flavors of fresh tart cranberries and citrusy orange marmalade as they come together in this unique and delicious Christmas Cranberry Pie. It’s easy to make and incredibly delicious! 

    Cranberry Pie

    20.  Candy Cane Dessert Minis – Upstate Ramblings

    Candy Cane Mini Desserts in small glass dessert cuts topped with whipped cream and crushed peppermint.

    When it comes to the holiday season, I love things that are easy to make – and delicious, too, of course. These Candy Cane Dessert Minis are perfect because they are made with three simple ingredients!

    Candy Cane Dessert Minis

    21.  Sous Vide Creme Caramel – Pudge Factor

    Sous Vide Creme Caramel on a white plate topped with caramel sauce and fresh fruit.

    The perfect Crème Caramel is silky smooth with a velvety texture. Sous vide is the way to achieve this perfection. It allows for precise temperature control, which is the key to producing the perfect crème caramel.

    Sous Vide Creme Caramel

    22.  My Grandmother’s Bourbon Balls – The Seasoned Mom

    Bourbon Balls covered with powdered sugar on a plate.

    Add a fun and festive Christmas cookie to your holiday trays!  My Grandmother was famous for her no-bake Bourbon Balls, which look like little snowballs, require only a few simple ingredients, and are spiked with just the right amount of something special!

    Bourbon Balls

    23.  Eggnog Crepe Cake – La Petit Eats

    Eggnog Crepe Cake on a cake plate and a slice on a saucer. Both are topped with whipped cream.

    This eggnog crepe cake is a show-stopping holiday dessert, with layers upon layers of delicate crepes filled with eggnog pastry cream.

    Eggnog Crepe Cake

    24.  Chocolate Mousse Cake – Grits and Pinecones

    A chocolate mousse cake topped with berries and cut into slices.

    This easy, no-bake, velvety Chocolate Mousse Cake is for you if you love all things chocolate like me and baking isn’t your thing! This simple, decadent cake is full of dreamy, whipped chocolate mousse made with heavy cream, semisweet, and dark chocolate chips, with a crunchy Oreo crust. 

    Chocolate Mousse Cake

    25.  Amaretto Butter Cake with Pomegranate and Cream – Bacon Fatte

    Amaretto Butter Cake topped with a whipped cream icing and pomegranate ariels.

    This beautiful butter cake would be absolutely gorgeous for the holidays, but you don’t really need an excuse to make cake… Especially a butter cake. Their chunky crumb and ever-so-slightly rustic texture are perfect for everyday cravings.

    Amaretto Butter Cake

    26.  Dark Chocolate Mousse Pie – Just a Little Bit of Bacon

    Chocolate Mousse Pie on a serving platter topped with whipped cream and chocolate curls.

    Rich and incredibly delicious, dark chocolate mousse is amazing on its own. Pair it with a crisp cookie crust and mounds of whipped cream, and you have an impressive dessert that will be gone almost before you get a chance to put it on the table.

    Mousse Pie

    27.  Cranberry Orange Pie with Gingersnap Crust – Feast in Thyme

    Cranberry Orange Pie in a glass pie plate with a slice cut out. Topped with fresh cranberries and orange zest.

    This recipe for Cranberry Orange Pie with Gingersnap Crust is luscious, sweet, and decadent to the extreme. Enjoy a slice for any occasion!

    Cranberry Orange Pie

    28.  Festive Italian Cream Cake with Cranberry Curd and Sugared Cranberries – Her Modern Kitchen

    Italian Cream Cake on a cake plate covered with white icing and topped with fresh strawberries.

    A rustic yet festive cake to celebrate the holidays, this Italian Cream Cake with Cranberry Curd will be the star of your table, combining a light, sweet Italian Cream Cake with tart, creamy cranberry curd and sugared cranberries.

    Italian Cream Cake

    29.  Reine de Saba (Julia Child’s Chocolate and Almond Cake – Pudge Factor

    A slice of Reine de Saba, or chocolate almond cake on a white plate with Christmas elves in the background.

    Julia Child’s famous Reine de Saba, or Chocolate Almond Cake, is an elegant dessert to serve with your holiday meals.

    Reine de Saba

    30.  Gingerbread Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting – Supergolden Bakes

    Gingerbread Cake with white icing topped with three gingerbread christmas trees.

    This gingerbread layer cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting is perfect for Christmas celebrations! Decorate with gingerbread cookies or meringue kisses.

    Gingerbread Cake

    31.  Cranberry Orange Holiday Cake – A Side of Sweet

    A three layer Cranberry Holiday Cake topped with loads of white icing and fresh sugared cranberries.

    This amazing rustic layered cranberry-orange holiday cake recipe is perfect for a Christmas wedding or holiday party. It’s easier to make than it looks!

    Cranberry Holiday Cake

    32.  Cream Sherry Bundt Cake – Nutmeg Nanny

    Cream Sherry Bundt Cake on a cake platter topped with powdered sugar and garnished with greenery and red berries.

    This cream sherry bundt cake is my favorite part of the holiday season. It’s super simple to make and only uses six ingredients! Lightly dust with powdered sugar before serving, and watch your guests fall in love with this tasty treat!

    Cream Sherry Bundt Cake

    33.  Christmas Jewel Squares – Lord Byron’s Kitchen

    Christmas Jewel Squares stacked on a plate with assorted candied fruit.

    Christmas Jewel Squares have it all, and they’re the perfect Christmas treat! These beauties are packed with two types of chocolate, lots of dried fruit, and nuts, and taste like a chocolate chip cookie wrapped in a fruitcake and smothered in a gooey sugar bath. 

    Christmas Jewel Squares

    34.  Easy Christmas Red Velvet Cake Trifle – Grits and Pinecones

    Christmas Red Velvet Cake Trifle with festive candy cane colors ready to serve in a trifle dish

    It might be said that Easy Christmas Red Velvet Cake Trifle, with its festive candy cane colors and delicious and decadent layers, is a Christmas miracle!

    Christmas Red Velvet Cake Trifle

    35. Christmas Cake – Preppy Kitchen

    A cake with white icing featuring a Christmas tree in green icing.

    A moist and richly spiced gingerbread Christmas cake filled with and covered in silky Italian buttercream, faced with a beautiful buttercream Christmas tree.

    Christmas Cake

    36.  Chocolate Covered Oreos – Grits and Pinecones

    Chocolate-dipped Oreos decorated with a drizzle of white chocolate and a dusting of green sanding sugar.

    Forget boring cookies and say hello to the ultimate holiday cookie upgrade: delightful Chocolate-Covered Oreos! These bite-sized beauties are a symphony of crunchy Mint Oreos dipped in pure chocolatey decadence.

    Chocolate Covered Oreos

    37.  Cranberry Bundt Cake – Beyond the Chicken Coop

    A cranberry bundt cake topped with powdered sugar.

    Cranberry Bundt Cake is a perfect dessert for holiday dinners and celebrations. It is filled with fresh cranberries, orange zest, and freshly squeezed orange juice. Once made, the cake just needs a sprinkling of powdered sugar and a few sugared cranberries for decoration. 

    Cranberry Bundt Cake

    38.  English Christmas Trifle – What a Girl Eats

    English Christmas Trifle

    Trifle is a classic English dessert with layers of pound cake, custard, fresh fruit, and whipped cream. This holiday trifle uses raspberries and poached pears, making it as delicious as it is beautiful. 

    English Christmas Trifle

    39. Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars – Entirely Elizabeth

    Christmas Sugar Cookie bars in a Christmas tree shape and bar shape.

    These Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars are soft and chewy and taste exactly like a sugar cookie (but in bar form). They’re easy to make, easy to decorate, and you’ll get two shapes – Christmas trees and classic squares!

    Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars

    40. Spiced Red Wine Poached Pears with Vanilla Mascarpone Whipped Cream – From a Chef’s Kitchen

    A red wine poached whole pear on a white plate with a dollop of whipped cream.

    Spiced Red Wine Poached Pears with Vanilla Mascarpone Whipped Cream is a sexy holiday dessert that will have everyone talking!

    Red Wine Poached Pears

    Frequently Asked Questions:

    What are the most popular Christmas desserts in America?

    The answer is it depends on where you live. Cheesecake seems to be the most popular, followed by assorted peppermint desserts and then red velvet cake.

    What’s the most well-known traditional Christmas dessert?

    It would have to be a yule log, which is a rolled cake decorated to look like a log to symbolize the tradition of burning a yule log on Christmas.

    What are some other traditional Christmas desserts which are popular in Europe?

    Christmas Pudding, English Trifle, and Sticky Pudding are popular in Britain. Panettone is popular in Italy, and Christmas Stolen is popular in Germany.

    What’s the best Christmas dessert to bring to a potluck or to dinner away from home?

    You want to choose a dessert that travels well, doesn’t have to be refrigerated, and can be served at room temperature. A bundt cake, gingerbread cookies, or bourbon balls would all be good choices.

    More Christmas recipe collections:

    • Beef tenderloin, green beans and cranberry cake.
      30+ Easy And Elegant Christmas Dinner Menu Ideas and Recipes
    • A collage of six different christmas appetizers including cranberry brie bites.
      48 Make-Ahead Christmas Appetizers 2024
    • A collage of six Christmas breakfast dishes including eggs benedict casserole and ambrosia.
      35 Make-Ahead Christmas Breakfasts 2024
    • A collage of four edible Christmas gifts wrapped in festive packaging.
      27 Easy Homemade Edible Christmas Gifts – 2024

    If you need more ideas or recipes, here is a link to all of my popular Christmas recipes

    Aren’t these Christmas desserts fabulous? I hope that your only problem will be deciding which of these decadent and delicious confections you will make first!

    If you make any of these recipes, please leave a comment and let me know which ones you made and which are your favorites. 

    Thanks so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!

    More Dessert Recipes

    • A stack of five Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate and Pecan Cookies on a cutting board.
      Big Chewy Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate and Pecan Cookies
    • A slice of old-fashioned pear pie on a plate with a fork.
      Old Fashioned Pear Pie Recipe (Just Like Grandma Used to Make!)
    • Mini Oreo cheesecakes topped with whipped cream and crushed Oreos on a serving platter.
      Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes (No-Bake)
    • A stack of six lemon blueberry cookies on a plate.
      Lemon Blueberry Cookies Recipe (Soft and Chewy)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Ashley

      December 05, 2022 at 9:43 am

      I have never thought of myself as a dessert person, however after the reveal of those recipes. I would be happy and delighted to dig into every one of those posted. How wonderfully delicious they all look.

      Reply
    2. Cynthia | What A Girl Eats

      December 15, 2021 at 11:52 pm

      Thank you for including me! Yummed, pinned and tweeted!

      Reply
    3. Cynthia | What A Girl Eats

      December 07, 2021 at 10:57 pm

      Thank you for including me! Pinned yummed and tweeted.

      Reply
    4. Michele - BaconFatte.com

      December 01, 2020 at 8:50 pm

      What a beautiful collection of desserts! Thank you so much for sharing!

      Reply
    5. Kelly - A Side of Sweet

      November 26, 2017 at 6:17 pm

      How do you choose just one? These all look so festive and amazing!

      Reply

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    Sharon Rigsby, blogger at GritsandPinecones.com

    Hello, I'm Sharon Rigsby, blogger, content creator, videographer, and photographer for Grits and Pinecones®. I have over 50 years of experience in the kitchen, and I like nothing better than developing and reimagining recipes for my family, friends, and you!

    More about me →

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