Delish Holiday Recipes

No matter how on top of our schedule we try to stay, we always end up with a ton of Christmas parties, gift exchanges, and holiday dinners to attend every year. You too? If, like us, you’re the type who wants to bring something to each and every celebration, you’re in luck—we’ve got a festive dessert here perfect for every occasion. When it comes to Christmas desserts, cookies get ALL the attention, and for good reason. The variety of Christmas cookies truly is something we look forward to all year. We’re here to tell you, though, cookies aren’t the be-all, end-all of holiday bakes. There are SO many more options to keep your house smelling great and stocked full of treats all season long.

Check our list of 85 must-make holiday desserts—we’ve got everything from classic showstoppers (spoiler: pie’s not just for Thanksgiving) to easy bars, balls, and bites.

Having guests over and want to blow their minds with your bake? Try our Italian struffoli, our Christmas tree cake, our bûche de Noël, our citrus upside-down cake, or our chocolate peppermint cheesecake. Want something shareable, that’s not the same old cookies? Try our lemon cranberry cheesecake bars, our Christmas tree brownies, our red velvet cookies & cream bars, or our mini eggnog cheesecakes. Want a poppable sweet for a party? Make our Christmas fudge, our eggnog truffles, our homemade peppermint patties, our buckeyes, or our bourbon balls (adults only!). Don’t have room in your oven for a big to-do, but still want to impress? Make something chilled, like homemade ice cream or a no-bake dessert. Our cookies ‘n cream ice cream pie, peppermint ice cream, or our Oreo pie will always be winners, even when it’s freezing outside.

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Want more inspiration for this holiday season? Check out our favorite Christmas side dishes, our best winter dinners, and our top holiday cocktails too.

The filling of this pie tastes like a combination of coconut panna cotta, cranberry curd, and raspberry sorbet. The crust, made of crushed Biscoff, is the perfect foil for the sweet-tart filling. Plus, it tastes like cookie butter.

By putting our own spin on the classic, decadent chocolate dessert, we turned this triple-chocolate trifle into a serious showstopper. It’s a great make-ahead, no-bake dessert for larger celebrations and dinner parties, because it's guaranteed to satisfy everyone, whether they’re chocolate skeptics or full-blown lovers.

Seriously Delish Holiday Details!

We love any opportunity to combine two desserts into one, and this eggnog crème brûlée is no exception. The creamy, crackling sugar-topped custard you already love gets an eggnog base, a splash of whiskey, and plenty of fresh nutmeg to help you celebrate the holiday season in style.

Bûche de Noël cakes are a French Christmas tradition dating back to the 19th century. Rolling up a warm cake in a towel might seem crazy, but it's the best way to ensure the cake won't crack when you frost it. You could decorate it like a log, as is traditional, or try any other variety of frosting and topping combos—it's all about that gorgeous swirl, so anything else you manage is a bonus.

We can’t think of a better way to welcome the first snow of the season than with these adorable snowman cupcakes. Marshmallow snowmen sit atop sweet, frosted coconut cupcakes to create a dessert guaranteed to put you in a festive mood.

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Building a gingerbread house from scratch might sound like a huge undertaking when you can just reach for a kit—but it's not! We've got the best tips for assembly, so you can get creative and focus on the decoration.

Toasty, buttery pecans turn a classic cheesecake into an even more decadent and rich dessert. Butter pecan brings us comfort, and the flavors go so well into a cheesecake. Our traditional graham cracker crust gets a little boost with more pecans to make it even better. It’s perfect as is, but topped off with whipped cream and even more pecans makes it the best slice of cheesecake you'll ever try.

Ask your average American what a mince pie is, and they’ll likely wonder if you were talking about shepherd’s pie. Ask a Brit? They’ll tell you that it’s probably the best type of holiday dessert you can ask for.

Our New Holiday Cookie Magazine Will Help You Survive The Holidays

Truffles are the ultimate one-bite wonder, and these gingerbread ones have a delightful touch of holiday magic in each bite. Bonus: They’re rolled in crushed gingersnaps for a zippy ginger bite and a pleasingly crunchy texture.

To make Italian struffoli, little balls of dough are flavored with citrus zest and a splash of wine, deep-fried until crispy and light, and tossed in honey to sweeten the deal. As if this isn’t already enough of a delight, the balls then get shaped into a wreath and covered in rainbow nonpareil sprinkles. It’s the best of holiday excess and deserves to be the centerpiece of the dessert table.

We used slices from navel, blood orange, Cara Cara oranges, grapefruit, and lemons, but really any of your favorite wintery citrus can be used for this stunner of an upside-down cake.

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Looking for a holiday baking project that will look stunning and taste even better? Meet this cranberry-orange star bread. Filled with homemade cranberry sauce and effortlessly twisted into a visually intricate shape, this soft, fragrant, sweet bread will delight friends and family everywhere.

If you love candy brittle and are as obsessed with brownies as we are, then this brownie brittle will be your new favorite snack. Crisp and crunchy with deep cocoa flavor, this sweet snack bark is both insanely easy to make and incredibly delicious. Beware—you won’t be able to stop at just one piece!

If you’re looking for a boozy treat to get the party started, these bourbon balls are calling your name. Made with finely chopped pecans, crushed vanilla wafer cookies, and of course, bourbon, these no-bake cookie truffles highlight the flavor of the bourbon while taming its typical burn.

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Peppermint bark is THE Christmas candy we cannot wait to get our hands on every holiday season. Luckily for you, you can make a batch in just 10 minutes flat.

Want your kitchen to smell like Christmas? Make gingerbread cake! Enjoy it warm or cold, for breakfast or after dinner, plain or topped with whipped cream, from a plate with a fork or straight out of your hand. No judgment here.

Traditionally a date-studded sponge cake topped with a rich toffee sauce, this the perfect dessert for holiday meals or special occasions. It’s truly a dessert like any other and is best served still slightly warm out of the pan with extra toffee sauce drizzled on top.

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Bake off your favorite cupcakes, pipe a tall swirling mound of red frosting on top, then add a little white around the edges and top. You'll have the cutest Christmas dessert in no time, and everyone will be obsessed.

It's time for ice cream to take center stage for the holidays, specifically this peppermint ice cream. It's delicious served plain, topped with chocolate sauce, or layered into a Christmas sundae with brownies, whipped cream, and shards of peppermint bark.

For us, gingerbread should have a lot of ground ginger, a bit of cinnamon, and a tiny amount of cloves. It's the perfect Christmas formula. But if you don't have cloves (or really loathe them), you can just leave them out. As for the ginger, it's necessary but negotiable. Feel free to use less.What better way to get your holiday started off right than with these festive Christmas appetizers? If you need to satisfy a crowd before your holiday dinner, keep them happy and snackin' on these deliciously filling apps until you're ready to serve up the main meal. From bite-sized snacks to table centerpieces, there's a holiday appetizer for everyone here.

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If you're all about the holiday classics—no stress, we've got you covered. Our cranberry brie bites, sweet potato bites, and sausage balls never fail to ring in the holiday right. Looking to get extra festive? We've got dishes that not only taste amazing, but look incredible too (edible centerpiece, anyone?). Whip up our pull-apart Christmas tree, pigs in a blanket wreath, and bacon brie crescent wreath for apps that are sure to be the talk of your Christmas celebration. If you're planning a fancy celebration, bacon-wrapped dates, spinach puffs, and crab artichoke dip really up your app game.

If you're entertaining a wide variety of guests, you may need to have some apps for specialty diets too. Don't worry—we've got you. Many of these appetizers are vegetarian—baked feta bites, spiced candied pecans, stuffed mushrooms—or can easily be made so. Gluten-free and keto friends need not fear—we've got plenty of delicious recipes for you too!

Whether you've got time to prepare a holiday spread or simply are looking for the easiest last-minute appetizer, look no further than these festive recipes. Searching for more holiday eats? Try our best ever Christmas cookies and holiday cocktails, too!

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Our love for crescent roll recipes is no secret. Why make dough from scratch when everyone loves the canned stuff?! These are a fan favorite

Fall. They always disappear within minutes, probably because the combo of salty, creamy brie,