25+ Christmas Dessert Ideas

Erica Walker

11 Comments
5 from 4 votes
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These delicious Christmas desserts can be served along with Christmas dinner or any time throughout the holiday season!

A collage of four Christmas desserts including chocolate cake, cheesecake, sticky toffee pudding, and risalamande.

Table of Contents

Christmas Dessert Ideas

Whether you are in the mood for some Christmas baking or want easy no-bake holiday desserts, we have plenty of Christmas dessert recipes that are sure to be a hit for Christmas dinner or any time throughout the holidays. We have broken down these fun Christmas desserts into six categories so you can easily find what you are looking for: Cakes & Cupcakes, Pies, Cheesecakes, Layered Desserts, Christmas Cookies, and Brownies.

Traditional Christmas Dessert Flavors

Cinnamon, ginger, cranberries, and peppermint are all very traditional Christmas flavors that you can find around the holidays. Other common flavors and ingredients include pistachios, pecans, marshmallow, peanuts, crushed candy canes, fudge, peanut butter, rum, and “hot cocoa” flavor. You will find most of these ingredients in the recipes below so decide your flavor mood and treat yourself!

Traditional Christmas Desserts

Some of our favorite Christmas desserts are deep-rooted in tradition. For our family, these include recipes from Denmark and Wales. We always celebrate our Danish ancestry on December 23r, which is Lille Julaften (or as we call it “Little Christmas Eve”) by making traditional desserts like Rislamande and Aebleskiver. Our favorite traditional Welsh recipes include Bread Pudding and Sticky Toffee Pudding (recipe below).

A bowl of sticky toffee pudding with mint.
Sticky Toffee Pudding – full recipe below

Christmas Cakes & Cupcakes

You can’t go wrong with a decadent cake on Christmas day. Bright red berries and vibrant green mint or rosemary garnish can turn your average cake into a gorgeous Christmas cake. Layer cakes and cream cheese frosting are also very popular during the holidays. Whether you like a rich dark chocolate cake or a white chocolate cake, you can’t go wrong with adding those Christmas reds and greens! Don’t feel like making an entire cake? Try making our festive Christmas Tree Cupcakes or individual servings of our Instant Pot Lava Cake!

Pies Perfect For Christmas

Nothing beats the smell of pie baking at Christmastime. Traditionally, our family always serves Berry Pie, Classic Pumpkin Pie, and of course, our Mom’s famous Lemon Meringue Pie on Christmas Day. Sometimes when we are hosting other families or if we simply want to switch things up, we include some of our other delicious pie recipes. What is your go-to pie for Christmas? We would love to know! Share your favorites in the comments below.

Cheesecakes

Cheesecake is such an easy dessert to glam up for Christmas. It’s so rich and creamy and pairs well with any Christmas dinner. You can go with a traditional cheesecake with a graham cracker crust and a berry/cherry topping or take it a step further and make a pumpkin cheesecake. It seems like Christmas day is the last call for anything pumpkin so it’s a great way to use up that last can or two before next Fall!

Layered Christmas Desserts

Layered Christmas desserts are always a great choice when serving a crowd. They are easy to make and always look impressive. Since the layers themselves make for a beautiful presentation, there is no need to go over the top with decorating!

Christmas Cookies

I love Christmas cookies because they can be a little treat throughout the day or they can also be served as a dessert. Each cookie (or two) can simply be a serving so it is easy to figure out exactly how many to make. They are easy to transport and can easily be made ahead of time. Cookies also freeze well so they can be made weeks ahead if need be. They don’t require dessert plates, meaning less mess on Christmas day. There are so many advantages to serving cookies as a Christmas dessert. They also make for great gifts for friends and neighbors!

Christmas Brownies

Brownies are such a simple dessert, yet they are ALWAYS a hit. You can serve them plain or you can dress them up Christmas-style by adding peppermint, sprinkles and/or Christmas candy. Brownies are an easy Christmas dessert that everyone loves and they don’t have to take a lot of time.

Looking for more ways to celebrate Christmas day? We also have 25+ Christmas Dinner Ideas to help you plan the perfect meal to celebrate the season with your family and friends. Finish off the day with one (or more) of the Christmas desserts below and you have a day FULL of delicious Christmas recipes to remember!

FAQs

What is the most popular Christmas dessert?

Bread pudding, Yule logs, cheesecakes, and chocolate cakes are all popular Christmas desserts in the U.S. The most popular dessert/treat throughout the month is Christmas Sugar Cookies!

What is a traditional Christmas dessert in Denmark?

The most popular dessert is Denmark is Risalamande (Danish Christmas Rice Pudding). It also comes with a fun Christmas tradition that involves prizes! Read all about it in our Risalamande recipe!

Sticky toffee pudding in a bowl

Easy Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake

By: Erica Walker
5 from 4 votes
This sticky toffee pudding cake is one of our favorite Christmas desserts. The toffee sauce is to die for!
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine British, Scottish
Servings 10 servings

Ingredients

  • 7 ounces Medjool dates (pitted)
  • 3/4 cup boiling water
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking power
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Sticky Toffee Sauce:

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350-degrees F.
    Finely chop dates and place in a bowl. Sprinkle with baking soda and add a splash of vanilla. Pour boiling water over the dates and stir to combine. Let the mixture sit for 15-20 minutes. Do not drain water.
    Chopped dates soaking in water and baking soda in a small bowl
  • While dates are soaking, combine granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, molasses ,and butter in a medium-sized mixing bowl or stand mixer. Mix well until creamed together. Add eggs one at a time and continue mixing.
    Brown sugar, granulated sugar, and butter creamed together
  • In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Use a fork to mix until well combined. Slowly add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and mix on low until well combined.
    Sponge batter in a mixing bowl for sticky toffee pudding
  • Mash dates with a fork until you get a jam-like consistency. You can also puree them in a food processor. Mix with the batter until well combined.
    Batter with date mixture over the top
  • Grease a 2-quart casserole dish (or 8×8 baking dish) and add mixture to the dish.
    Cake batter in a baking pan ready to be baked
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
    A baked cake in a baking dish

Sticky Toffee Sauce:

  • Combine brown sugar and butter in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a simmer and whisk constantly until well combined.
    Add cream and bring back to a simmer. Simmer for 5-6 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and add vanilla and salt.
    Sticky toffee pudding sauce in a sauce pan
  • Using the small end of a chopstick or a small dowel, poke holes over the top of the sponge cake, only poking down about halfway through the cake. Spoon about half of the sticky toffee sauce over the sponge and allow it to soak in.
    A cake pan with a sticky toffee sponge with sauce over the top
  • Serve in individual serving bowls with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Top with remaining sauce.
    A bowl of sticky toffee pudding with mint

Notes

  • Be sure to use Medjool dates. They are soft and meaty and the perfect date for this recipe.Medjool dates in a carton
  • Medjool dates can be found in the produce section of most grocery stores (I haven’t seen them at Walmart but I have seen them at most stores like Albertsons, Fred Meyer, etc…)
  • If you want to make individual puddings, divide batter between 6-8 ramekins (depending on the ramekin size). Bake for 15-20 minutes (checking at 15 minutes).
 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 415kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 1gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 364mgPotassium: 234mgFiber: 1gSugar: 51gVitamin A: 852IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 1mg

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Meridian, Idaho, with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and their three daughters. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and has a passion for travel and adventure. Whether kayaking, hiking, or scuba diving, she loves exploring the world—and bringing her family along for the ride.

More about Erica Walker
5 from 4 votes (1 rating without comment)

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Comments

  1. Dec. 12, 2022

    Thank you, to the staff for checking on omitted ingredients in the recipe.
    I so appreciate them taking time to send me an e-mail personal and informing
    me that the recipe had been corrected. I can now proceed with making lots of
    smile on Christmas dinner desert time.
    Happy Holidays to all.

    Reply

  3. About your recipe for Easy Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake.
    Reading through this recipe I see that you list (flour, salt, and molasses) in the steps to make the cake but you did not list the quantity in the ingredients section. What step do you add the molasses to the process.
    Perhaps you should redo this recipe as it does sound yummy and I would love to make it.
    Thank you
    Scott

    Reply

  4. The amount of flour was left out of the recipe. As soon as I find out the exact
    amount I’m making this for sure.

    Thank you

    Reply

  7. 5 stars
    I have GOT to work my way through this incredible list! And I’ll have to start with those White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Brownies!! WOW!! I’ve had the Red Velvet Cake Mix Brownies — LOVE those — and the Dutch Apple… YUM!! But looking forward to making my way through this list & trying ALL of them!

    Reply

  8. Hi. I grew up always putting brandy cream on my plum pudding. Living in Japan we can’t buy it. Do you have a recipe for this …or do I just add some brandy to the cream before whipping? Also, if you have a recipe for rum balls that would be great too.

    Reply