35 Best Holiday Desserts
White Christmas Peppermint Layer Cake [1]
Fanciful pink peppermint frosting and snowy cake layers will brighten any holiday party. To decorate, choose between simple candy adornments (pictured) or whimsical white-chocolate trees.
Chocolate Cream Pie [6]
The filling of this chocolate-crust pie is luscious, but not too rich. (Think old-fashioned chocolate pudding.) A bit of sour cream in the whipped topping balances the chocolate perfectly.
Red Velvet Cheesecake [10]
We took the red velvet cake that we love and gave it a creamy twist. Don't let the red color fool you: The flavor of this holiday dessert is all chocolate.
Raspberry Truffles [14]
These five-ingredient truffles come together in a snap. Blending jam into the chocolate makes for a subtle fruit flavor perfectly balancing the rich, smooth chocolate. The recipe comes from Annie Marshall of the Indianapolis-based blog Annie's Eats.
Raspberry Truffles [15]
Bet You Can't Eat Just One Sugar Cookies [18]
These melt-in-your-mouth cookies come from the recipe file of Georgia Morehouse of Columbia, Missouri. Her family insists she bake at least one batch for New Year's Eve. Sprinkle them with colored sugar right before they bake to add quick and easy sparkle to this holiday dessert.
Nutella Cherry Hazelnut Fudge [22]
Chocolate-hazelnut spread (Nutella) gives this fudge a smooth texture and luscious nutty flavor. The recipe comes from Annie Marshall of the Indianapolis-based blog Annie's Eats.
Cafe Latte's Turtle Cake [26]
In 1985, Cafe Latte in Saint Paul created the Turtle Cake that's still on the menu today. It's a moist, rich, three-layer wonder. The cake layers are dark chocolate frosted with rich fudge and caramel and topped with a generous garnish of giant pecans.
Eggnog Cheesecake Bars [30]
A spiced graham cracker crust and bourbon-infused egg nog filling give these simple bars a delicious holiday twist. The recipe comes from Annie Marshall of the Indianapolis-based blog Annie's Eats.
Peppermint Brownie Pie [34]
This rich blend of two favorite holiday flavors—chocolate and mint—might start a new dessert tradition in your house. Can't find the mint-flavored pieces? Use regular chocolate chips and add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract to the batter.
Baby Citrus Cheesecakes [38]
These cupcake-size treats are a fantastically simple alternative to a full-size cheesecake. You could also garnish them with fresh raspberries or blueberries.
Oreo Truffles [42]
These easy candies look elegant but are simple to make. This holiday dessert recipe comes from the Inn and Spa at Cedar Falls in Logan, Ohio.
Oreo Truffles [43]
Peppermint Stick Brownies [46]
A creamy, peppermint-flavor cheesecake layer adds holiday flair to classic chocolate brownies.
Orange-Ginger Cookie Sandwiches [50]
A round cookie cutter with scalloped edges makes a nice shape for these cookies, but bell, tree or star cutters would also be good choices for the holidays.
Roasted Pears with Lemon Cream and Candied Pine Nuts [54]
This grand finale of a dessert features maple-burnished pears, drifts of lemony whipped cream and a sprinkling of candied pine nuts. It’s all about contrasts—warm and cool, creamy and crunchy, sweet and tart. And best of all, all three components can be made ahead of time.
Fantasy Chocolate Pie [58]
Dream about all the ingredients you'd like to see in a dessert, and you'll see why we named this Fantasy Chocolate Pie. This holiday dessert recipe includes three kinds of chocolate pieces (milk chocolate, semisweet and semisweet-and-white-chocolate swirled)—plus coconut, pecans and almonds. For extra indulgence, top with whipped cream and chocolate curls.
Fudge: Classic or festive [62]
Fudge has a special place on many holiday tables. Midwest Living® Travel Editor Kendra Williams shared this Easy Fudge recipe; her grandparents made it every year, and it's just not Christmas without it. The other recipes add a festive touch to fudge: One has peppermint extract and is topped with peppermint candies; the second blends white chocolate, almonds, and either dried cherries or cranberries.
Easy Fudge [63]
Holiday Seven-Layer Bars [68]
Chocolate, nuts, coconut and more fill our easy-to-make bar cookies. Mixed dried fruit bits and candy-coated milk chocolate pieces are among the layers that make this bar cookie distinctive.
Fabulous Red Velvet Cake [72]
We gussied up chocolate cake mix with sour cream and red food coloring for this festive cake. Then, we crowned the holiday dessert with a white chocolate-cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut.
Triple Peanut Butter Streusel Bars [76]
Dry-roasted peanuts, peanut butter-flavored pieces and peanut butter bring triple flavor to this make-ahead bar cookie.
Iowa Buche de Noel [80]
A yule log cake is the traditional centerpiece of the French Christmas dessert table. This version was created by a Keokuk, Iowa cooking school instructor. Add a dusting of powdered sugar for a snowy finish to this holiday dessert.
Iowa Buche de Noel [81]
Buzz Cafe Butter Cookie Cutouts [84]
"We use this recipe year-round for all of the holidays," says Laura Maychruk, co-owner of Buzz Cafe in Oak Park, Illinois (10 miles west of Chicago's Loop). "For Christmas, we make snowflakes and Christmas trees. The cookies are delicious even without the icing." If you want to store this holiday dessert at room temperature, use a butter icing.
Poppy Seed Torte [88]
The recipe for this four-layer cake—with a puddinglike filling, unmistakable poppy seed flavor and soft whipped cream frosting—comes from Wisconsin’s White Gull Inn.
Poppy Seed Torte [89]
Caramel Heavenlies [92]
Graham crackers form the base for this bar cookie with layers of marshmallows, brown sugar, almonds and coconut. "I've made these cookies each Christmas since 1984," says Georgine Simmonds of Genesee, Michigan. "They're one of my family's favorites."
Caramel Heavenlies [93]
Double Chocolate-Espresso Truffle Pie [96]
Do you have a chocoholic in your family? Give them something to love with this über-rich pie. For pretty chocolate curls, warm a bar of milk chocolate in your pocket or hand, then shave with a sharp vegetable peeler.
Russian Creme Custard [100]
Luscious and smooth, this elegant holiday dessert gets a swirl of crimson raspberry sauce. The recipe is from Grand View Lodge in Nisswa, Minnesota.
Russian Creme Custard [101]
Three creamy cheesecakes [104]
These three colorful cheesecakes are especially good to serve at the holidays. Cranberry-Chocolate Cheesecake (top) uses cranberries both in the filling and in the sauce. White Chocolate Candy Cane Cheesecake (middle) is a variation on the mascarpone cheesecake made at Parkview Gourmet specialty foods in Libertyville, Illinois. Very Berry Cheesecake (bottom) uses both fresh berries and berry-flavored brandy, vodka or orange juice for its flavor.
Cranberry-Chocolate Cheesecake [105]
White Chocolate-Candy Cane Cheesecake [106]
Very Berry Cheesecake [107]
Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes [110]
Top these gooey-center, intense chocolate desserts with powdered sugar.
White Chocolate Bread Pudding with Hard Sauce [114]
Zingerman's Roadhouse restaurant in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has come up with a winning version of bread pudding. It's filled with dried cherries, white baking bar and vanilla bean - perfect for a holiday dessert.
Ginger-Cinnamon Apple Crisp [118]
"This is a twist on a popular dish and is one of my personal favorites," says April Osburn from the Clabber Girl Bake Shop in Terre Haute, Indiana. Thinly slice the apples so they get done in the allotted baking time.
Rugalach [122]
Choose a chocolate or apricot filling for this swirled pastry that's a holiday tradition from the family of Midwest Living Food & Features Editor Hannah Agran.
Rugalach [123]
Sticky Toffee Pudding [126]
Chicago's MK the Restaurant used an English tradition as inspiration for this molasses-date holiday dessert with honey-toffee sauce. Buttery toffee originated in England, but a Robinson, Illinois, company named Heath launched an empire when it began making toffee commercially in 1914.
Sticky Toffee Pudding [127]
White Chocolate-Gingerbread Trifle [130]
The gingerbread in this trifle has dense texture and peppery ginger flavor. About two-thirds of the cake is used for the trifle. Save the rest for snacking or cut it into cubes to toast and serve with ice cream.
Cranberry-Orange Cheesecake [134]
This dazzler from Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri, tastes as good as it looks. The dark chocolate cookie crust and ruby red berries add dramatic flair to the orange-flavor filling. Because the cake keeps well for two days, this is a great make-ahead dessert.
Ultimate Chocolate-Mint Cookie Sandwiches [138]
These cookies have the gooey factor going for them. They're a soft chocolate cookie sandwiched with mint filling and a swirl of fudgy frosting on top.
White Chocolate Crème Brulee [142]
You don't need a fancy culinary blowtorch to make the crackly top on this classic dessert. Our recipe includes a simple stovetop technique. This holiday dessert recipe comes from the French Lick Resort in Indiana.
Pistachio Cranberry Icebox Cookies [146]
These cookies from the Inn at Cedar Falls in Logan, Ohio, make a colorful treat anytime of year.
Continue with more great holiday recipes [150]
How to Decorate Dazzling Cookies [151]
Scrumptious Holiday Breakfast Breads [152]
Delectable Christmas Candies & Treats [153]
Christmas Cookies to Treasure [154]
Tantalizing Holiday Main Dishes [155]
Pumpkin Recipes We Love [156]
Festive Brunch Recipes [157]
Fabulous Holiday Side Dishes [158]
3 Decadent Holiday Meals [159]