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25 Mini Christmas Desserts That Are Equal Parts Delightful and Delicious

If we had to choose between eating one normal-size cookie and popping seven tiny ones into our mouth in rapid succession, we’d choose mini every. Single. Time. We can’t exactly explain the allure of tiny treats, but we can provide these mini Christmas desserts—from pint-size panettone to tiny tiramisu—to make your holiday season that much more magical. Set out a few extra for Santa on Christmas Eve—we hear he has a big appetite.

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


mini christmas desserts mini cranberry pistachio chocolate pannetone recipe
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell

1. Mini Cranberry, Pistachio and Chocolate Panettone

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours, 50 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, <500 calories

Not only are they fun-sized, they’re also light, airy and moist (unlike the dry, boring store-bought kind).

mini christmas desserts mini caramel pecan pies with cinnamon roll crust recipe
Photo: Jon Cospito/Styling: Erin McDowell

2. Mini Caramel Pecan Pies with Cinnamon Roll Crust

  • Time Commitment: 45 minutes
  • Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly

It’s two desserts in one bite. And just look at those Instagram-worthy caramel drips. (You’ll start with store-bought pie crust, no worries.)

mini christmas desserts mini citrus monkey bread recipe
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell

3. Mini Citrus Monkey Bread

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 50 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly

They might be mini, but they sure are sticky. Pass the napkins. You can make the dough yourself, or buy a pizza dough in the frozen section.

mini christmas desserts mini mason jar spiced cheesecakes recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

4. No-Bake Mini Mason Jar Spiced Cheesecakes

  • Time Commitment: 45 minutes
  • Why We Love It: no cook, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly

These little guys take all of ten minutes to assemble, but they’re packed to the brim with flavor.

mini christmas desserts individual cranberry potpies recipe
Photo: Matt Dutile/Styling: Erin McDowell

5. Mini Cranberry Potpies

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
  • Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion–worthy

Tonight, sharing is optional. That gorgeous crust? It’s frozen puff pastry.

mini christmas desserts sugar cookie truffles recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

6. No-Bake Sugar Cookie Truffles

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: no cook, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients

You can start with store-bought cookies to save yourself some time, and no, you don’t have to tell anyone.

mini christmas desserts mini no bake gingersnap icebox cookies recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

7. Mini No-Bake Gingersnap Icebox Cakes

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours
  • Why We Love It: no cook, make ahead, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly

Try not to ogle over how cute they are. You still have to drizzle them with caramel sauce.

mini christmas desserts mini apple cinnamon tarts recipe
Katherine Gillen

8. Mini Apple Cinnamon Tarts

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients

They look like a fancy bakery treat, but they have a secret. (It’s that ingenious frozen puff pastry again. That’s the secret.)

mini christmas desserts mini chocolate snowball cakes recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

9. Mini Chocolate Snowball Cakes

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser

You’re about to win the lunchbox snack game. For a festive (and kitschy) twist, try tossing the coconut in a touch of green or red food dye before coating the cakes.

mini christmas desserts mini tiramisu recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

10. Mini Tiramisu

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours
  • Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients, make ahead

Don’t mind if we tirami-do. These require a 45-minute chill before serving, but feel free to keep them in the fridge overnight.

mini christmas desserts miniature banoffee cobblers recipe
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell

11. Miniature Banoffee Cobblers

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

Banoffee is a combination of banana and toffee. Never had it? You’re in for a treat.

mini christmas desserts mini mms cookies recipe
Sally’s Baking Addiction

12. Mini M&M’s Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

If you haven’t already, it’s time to bust out the seasonal candy. (Fair warning: The tinier the cookie, the faster they disappear.)

mini christmas desserts brownie bites recipe
Photo: Matt Dutile/Styling: Erin McDowell

13. Chocolate-Stuffed Brownie Bites

  • Time Commitment: 35 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

Because they’re mini, they’re also easy and quick to bake. You could whip them up every week, but that might get dangerous...

mini christmas desserts vanilla sugar dusted macaroon trees recipe
Half Baked Harvest

14. Vanilla Sugar Dusted Macaroon Trees

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser

We’ve always wanted to stroll through a forest of tiny, sugary trees. The “trunks” are peanut butter cups and the tops are coconut macaroons.

mini christmas desserts mini gingerbread houses recipe
I Am a Food Blog

15. Mini Gingerbread Houses

  • Time Commitment: 3 hours, plus drying time
  • Why We Love It: make ahead, kid-friendly

They’re sturdy enough to rest on the rim of a hot cup of tea, but not so sturdy that they taste like cardboard—an important consideration when it comes to gingerbread.

mini christmas desserts mini citrus pavlovas recipe
Spoon Fork Bacon

16. Mini Citrus Pavlovas

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours
  • Why We Love It: gluten free, crowd-pleaser, <500 calories, special occasion–worthy

The winter fruit selection can feel bleak, but don’t forget all the citrus. For an eye-catching effect, use a mix of different colors, from blood oranges and tangerines to grapefruit.

mini christmas desserts mini chocolate thumbprint cookies recipe
Pinch of Yum

17. Mini Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

Mini thumbprints call for mini thumbs. Read: It’s time to get the kids involved.

mini christmas desserts nutella sandwich cookies recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

18. Nutella Sandwich Cookies

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours, 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, gluten free

We love the combination of melt-in-your-mouth meringue cookies and rich, sweet Nutella. For a shortcut, go ahead and use store-bought cookies.

mini christmas desserts three ingredient chocolate truffles recipe
Colin Price/Dinner Then Dessert

19. Three-Ingredient Chocolate Truffles

  • Time Commitment: 4 hours, 25 minutes
  • Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, make ahead

Introducing your new favorite party dessert and holiday gift. Everyone will be so impressed.

mini christmas desserts gingerbread cupcakes recipe
A Cookie Named Desire

20. Gingerbread Cupcakes

  • Time Commitment: 48 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly, <500 calories

Who needs a whole loaf when you can have a cake all to yourself?

mini christmas desserts peppermint devils food hi hat cupcakes recipe
The Fearless Baker

21. Peppermint Devil’s Food Hi-Hat Cupcakes

  • Time Commitment: 3 hours
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion–worthy

These aren’t just any chocolate cupcakes. Nope, they’re topped with a huge mound of minty marshmallow frosting and covered with a thin layer of chocolate glaze. (Yum.)

mini christmas desserts eggnog panna cotta recipe
Photo: Michael Marquand/Styling: Caroline Lange

22. Eggnog Panna Cotta

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes, plus chilling time
  • Why We Love It: make ahead, <10 ingredients, special occasion–worthy, gluten free

Psst: It’s a three-ingredient dessert, but it doesn’t taste like it. (It’s also a great way to use up leftover eggnog, but we digress.)

mini christmas desserts peppermint patties recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

23. Peppermint Patties

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: kid-friendly, <10 ingredients, gluten free

These classic candies are easier to make at home than you think, plus you’ll need something to do while you watch Christmas Vacation for the third time.

mini christmas desserts orange and chocolate brioche tarts recipe
Photo: Christine Han/Styling: Erin McDowell

24. Orange and Chocolate Brioche Tarts

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour, plus overnight chilling time
  • Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead

They don’t have a traditional pie crust, but that’s not holding them back. Anything can be pie (or a tart) if you have the right mindset. The brioche dough can even be made ahead and frozen for up to a month.

mini christmas desserts muffin tin lemon meringue tartlets recipe
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell

25. Muffin-Tin Lemon Meringue Tartlets

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours
  • Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

Before you get lost in those swoops and swirls, dust off your trusty (albeit underused) muffin tin.

46 Easy Christmas Treats the Whole Family Can Help Make


Katherine Gillen is PureWow’s senior food editor. She’s a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City restaurants. She used to sling sugary desserts in a pastry kitchen, but now she’s an avid home cook and fanatic baker.