11 Easy Christmas Dessert Recipes for the Holidays
Looking for christmas dessert recipes that cover everything from a cookie platter to a no-bake treat? These 11 christmas dessert recipes from Thecookly are all real recipes already on this site, so you know exactly what you are making before you start.
Every dessert below links to its full recipe card with ingredients and steps. Some take about 20 minutes of hands-on time, others bake low and slow, and a few need no oven at all. Pick a few christmas dessert recipes from this list and build your holiday dessert table around them.
Whether you are hosting a big family dinner or dropping off a plate of cookies for a neighbor, these christmas dessert recipes are built to be shared.
Which Christmas Dessert Should You Make?
- No oven needed: No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies (30 min), No Bake Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons and Really Easy Gingerbread Fudge Recipe.
- Best for a cookie platter: Best Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies, Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies and Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies.
- Classic holiday bakes: Eagle Brand Pumpkin Pie, Gingerbread Swiss Cake Roll Delight and Easy Cranberry Crumble Bars.
- Feeds a crowd: Best Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies (24 servings) and Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies (20 servings).
- Want extra protein with your dessert: Delish Peppermint Protein Brownies, with about 18 grams of protein per serving.
Cookies You’ll Want on Every Platter
Cookies are the easiest way to fill out a holiday dessert table, and these three christmas dessert recipes cover sweet-and-salty, classic sugar cookie and a cake-mix shortcut.
1. Best Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies
Loaded holiday cookies packed with M&M’s, white chocolate chips, pretzels, and crushed potato chips — a sweet-and-salty crowd-pleaser that’s easy to make ahead.
Get the recipe →2. Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
Classic sugar cookies with soft, chewy centers and faintly golden bottoms, rolled in sugar for a delicate sparkly crunch.
Get the recipe →3. Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies
These Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies combine the rich flavors of red velvet with creamy white chocolate chips, for a perfect sweet treat.
Get the recipe →No-Bake Treats for Busy Days
No oven, no problem. These christmas dessert recipes come together on the stovetop or in the fridge, which frees up the oven for everything else on your holiday menu.
4. Really Easy Gingerbread Fudge Recipe
A four-ingredient no-bake fudge with white chocolate and warm molasses flavor — ready in under 30 minutes of hands-on time.
Get the recipe →5. No Bake Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons
No Bake Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons combine the rich flavors of caramel and chocolate with the chewiness of coconut.
Get the recipe →6. No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
These come together in minutes on the stovetop — rich, fudgy, and packed with peanut butter flavor, no oven required.
Get the recipe →Bars, Pies and Cakes for the Dessert Table
When you want something a little more special than a cookie, these christmas dessert recipes bring a bar, a pie and a rolled cake to the table.
7. Easy Cranberry Crumble Bars
Buttery crumble bars layered with a bright, tart cranberry filling and finished with a sweet vanilla glaze — a cozy treat for the holidays.
Get the recipe →8. Eagle Brand Pumpkin Pie
This creamy, spiced no-fail pumpkin pie features a rich filling nestled in a perfectly baked crust, perfect for holiday celebrations.
Get the recipe →9. Gingerbread Swiss Cake Roll Delight
This Gingerbread Swiss Cake Roll Delight combines the warm spices of gingerbread with a creamy filling, perfect for holiday gatherings.
Get the recipe →A Sweet Side Dish and a Protein-Packed Bonus
Rounding out the list are a holiday side dish sweet enough to double as dessert, and one of the christmas dessert recipes here with real protein if that matters to you.
10. Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
A creamy, cinnamon-spiced sweet potato casserole topped with a crunchy pecan crumble — the ultimate holiday side dish.
Get the recipe →11. Delish Peppermint Protein Brownies
Rich chocolate flavor meets refreshing peppermint in this treat, crafted with about 18 grams of protein per serving.
Get the recipe →Tips for Baking Christmas Desserts Ahead
A few habits make these christmas dessert recipes easier to pull off during a busy holiday week:
- Bake cookies first, they keep. Best Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies and Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies both hold well in an airtight container for several days.
- No-bake treats save oven space. Make the Gingerbread Fudge or the Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons while the oven is busy with something else.
- Check the serving size before you double a recipe. Some of these christmas dessert recipes serve 8, others serve 24.
- Freeze what you can. Bar cookies and fudge freeze well, so you can make christmas dessert recipes weeks ahead and pull them out as needed.
- Save one for last. The Gingerbread Swiss Cake Roll Delight and Eagle Brand Pumpkin Pie are best made closer to serving day.
A Simple Plan for Your Holiday Dessert Table
Not sure where to start? Here is one way to spread these christmas dessert recipes across the lead-up to the holidays:
- Two weeks ahead: Really Easy Gingerbread Fudge Recipe (freezes well)
- One week ahead: Best Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies and Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
- A few days ahead: Easy Cranberry Crumble Bars and No Bake Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons
- Day before: Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe and Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies
- Day of: Gingerbread Swiss Cake Roll Delight, Eagle Brand Pumpkin Pie and No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Mix and match these christmas dessert recipes to fit your own schedule, and keep the Delish Peppermint Protein Brownies in your back pocket if you want a treat with a bit more protein.
Christmas Dessert Recipes FAQ
How many christmas dessert recipes are in this list?
This list has 11 christmas dessert recipes, all published on Thecookly. They range from no-bake fudge and macaroons to cookies, bars, a pie and a rolled cake.
Which of these christmas dessert recipes need no oven?
Three do: the Really Easy Gingerbread Fudge Recipe, the No Bake Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons and the No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies. All three come together on the stovetop or in the fridge.
Which recipe is best for a cookie platter?
Best Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies makes 24 and mixes M&M’s, white chocolate chips, pretzels and crushed potato chips, so it covers both sweet and salty in one batch.
Is there a high protein option on this list?
Yes, one. The Delish Peppermint Protein Brownies lists an estimated 18 grams of protein or more per serving, more than the other christmas dessert recipes here, which are traditional holiday treats and not protein-focused.
Can I make these christmas dessert recipes ahead of the holidays?
Most of them. Cookies, fudge, bars and macaroons all hold well for several days, so you can spread these christmas dessert recipes across the two weeks before Christmas instead of baking everything at once.
Two more worth baking this year: Gingerbread Cookies for a classic spiced cutout cookie, and Christmas Sugar Cookie Dip if you want a quick no-bake dip to serve with store-bought cookies or fruit.
Want more christmas dessert recipes? Browse more dessert recipes from Thecookly for additional holiday baking ideas. Save this page of christmas dessert recipes so it is easy to find next week.
