48 Christmas Dessert Recipes That Can Get Anyone in the Holiday Spirit

The best seasonal flavors, peppermint and chocolate, unite in these gorgeous homemade cupcakes. The crowning glory? A generous dollop of marshmallow frosting.

Spice up your holiday pie game with this gingery masterpiece that riffs on the idea of a gingerbread cookie, but with cherry filling.

Eggnog isn’t just for sipping. These chewy cookies incorporate homemade eggnog for extra holiday flair.

This fragrant, creamy pudding is dreamy on a snowy day. (It’s kind of like tiramisu, minus the cake.)

Gingerbread people and houses rarely taste as good as they look, so serve up something special. These actually delicious gingerbread cookies that look just like little pie tops. (Bonus: No cookie cutters required.)

You’ll be surprised that this decadent and zingy tart is completely vegan and gluten-free. Win, win, win.

A Bundt pan adds a fancy look to this homemade cake that’s actually very simple. Plus, the seasonal spices pair perfectly with hot punch or cider, making this dessert recipe fabulous for a Christmas party.

Turn the classic side dish into a decadent dessert with these bright orange cookies that, yeah, you might want to devour before dinner even starts.

Almond flour makes the crisp crust of this tart totally gluten-free. And the slightly salty homemade butterscotch filling is just the perfect amount of gooey.

A little booze in a holiday dessert adds a lot more fun. These truffles don’t require baking and are a fantastic host gift throughout the season.

The flavor of a brownie with all the crisp of a cookie. The white chocolate ganache cream is made with melted peppermint candies.

Chocolate-chip cookies are fine for Santa, but you deserve an upgrade. These are salty, sweet, sticky and gooey in all the right ways.

Meet your new holiday go-to. No torch? You can also use your broiler for the burnt sugar topping.

Three amazing dessert elements become one in this stack of thin crepes glued together with peppermint whipped cream.

Dessert for one? No problem. Whip up a cozy fruit pie in your favorite holiday mug and don’t be shy about the ice cream on top.

This Italian sweet never fails to make us feel fancy—even if it's made with only three ingredients.

Traditional sticky toffee pudding gets a buttery, beautiful makeover.

Santa came early for the vegans at your holiday table.

Hear us out: There's nothing wrong with standard gingerbread cookies. But molten caramel couldn't possibly hurt.

We know what to do with the leftover carton of eggnog in your fridge (and it involves bourbon).

Why should cookies get to have all the fun? These have the store-bought patties beat by a mile.

File this recipe under Reasons Why We Love Sprinkles.

Matcha powder and cranberry jam filling show off the season's signature colors in an unexpected way.

Psst: They taste even better if you eat them for breakfast while opening presents.

Using canned dulce de leche is so much simpler than fussing with homemade icing.

Butter + pears + brown sugar + pie dough = the easiest seasonal dessert you've ever served.

These cinnamon cuties get an extra dose of brown sugar, which gives them a crackly, caramelized effect.

Go ahead, have a second one. We're on our fifth.

Aka the only *right* way to wash down frosted sugar cookies.

Have 30 minutes? These marshmallow- and pecan-speckled gems are totally within reach.

Crispy graham crackers meet sweet bananas, fluffy whipped cream and gooey dulce de leche.

You'll want to bookmark this recipe for Valentine's Day dinner too.

For when you've reached your pumpkin pie quota for the season.

Mandarins, grapefruits, blood oranges and tangerines offer vibrant brightness in the dead of winter.

Dip the bottoms in chocolate and boom! You've got grown-up Samoas.

Complete with gingersnap crust, red currant jelly and whipped cream.

We had no clue a six-ingredient cookie could be this nutty and buttery. It's the perfect match for the sour cranberry-citrus filling.

Don't let the fluted edges scare you. This showstopper is easier to whip up than you'd expect.

Set it and forget it while you cook Christmas dinner. It'll be ready to devour in a few hours.

Can you believe you only need seven ingredients and 50 minutes to make pretzel crust, caramel filling and chocolate ganache from scratch? That's less time than it takes to watch an episode of Sweet Magnolias!

Crumbled, freeze-dried raspberries make for a posh finishing touch.

One sip will have you saying, "hot cocoa who?" And heck yeah, it counts as dessert.

If you don't want any bitterness, peel the oranges. But we leave the rinds on to balance the sweetness of the chocolate.

Don't forget to ask St. Nick for a mini blowtorch this year.

OK, OK, we said no more sugar cookies. But if you decide to indulge anyway, we've got your back.

Looking for a baking project that will elicit all the oohs and ahhs? Look no further than Danielle Alvarez’s recipe for pineapple and ginger upside-down cake, from her new cookbook, Always Add Lemon. It’s sweet, spicy and practically decorates itself.

Aiming to impress this holiday season? Look no further than recipe developer (and author of The Book on Pie) Erin McDowell’s updated version of the classic French bûche de Noël. It’s the sweetest Christmas Yule log we’ve ever seen.

If a soft molasses cookie and a good old chocolate chip number had a very delicious baby, it would be one of these chocolate gingerbread cookies. They’re sweet but not too sweet, with all the cozy spices of a holiday dessert (and plenty of chocolate too).