100+ Festive Holiday Desserts To Make Your Christmas Spread The Sweetest Yet

These adorable brownies are even easier to make than sugar cookies (thanks boxed mix!), and are just as fun to decorate. It practically goes without saying, but these also make for an excellent last-minute food gift, and not just for Christmas either (so bookmark these for birthdays all year long!).

Get the Christmas Present Brownies recipe.

This Christmas-y pavlova has a crispy exterior and a soft, marshmallowy interior, complemented by silky, jam-flavored whipped cream. It’s then beautifully topped with sparkly sugared cranberries and fragrant rosemary, along with fresh raspberries and glistening ruby-hued pomegranate seeds, adding a touch of elegance and freshness.

Get the Christmas Wreath Pavlova recipe.

If you feel like holiday desserts should be as beautiful and impressive as they are tasty, this Christmas tree croquembouche is for you. A traditional croquembouche is a tower of custard-filled cream puffs held together by caramel. This version isn’t far off but has a few shortcuts (so you can really focus on the decorating).

Get the Christmas Tree Croquembouche recipe.

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.

Get the Gingerbread Cookies recipe.

This stunning layered Christmas trifle features buttery pound cake, cranberry compote, and homemade whipped cream for a centerpiece-worthy holiday dessert (that's secretly SO easy).

Get the 12 Layers Of Christmas Trifle recipe.

Inspired by the excitement of discovering whether you made the naughty or nice list, each cupcake is filled with a hidden surprise of either joyful colored sprinkles or mischievous black sugar sprinkles. Topped with fluffy vanilla buttercream frosting, these cupcakes not only taste heavenly, but are also a fun, interactive treat for holiday gatherings.

Get the Santa's List-Cakes recipe.

We love a chocolate and peppermint moment, particularly during the Christmas season. Next up? These fudgy candy cane whoopie pies. These sweet treats have it all: rich chocolate cookies, creamy pink peppermint- and vanilla-flavored frosting, and finely crushed candy canes.

Get the Candy Cane Whoopie Pies recipe.

These enticing sugar cookie cheesecake bars are like the hip cousin of more traditionally cherished desserts, ready to steal the show at your next gathering. They flawlessly blend the soft, buttery sweetness of sugar cookies with the luxurious creaminess of cheesecake, all without the fuss of making a traditional cheesecake.

Get the Sugar Cookie Cheesecake Bars recipe.

Using our delicious edible cookie dough recipe, white chocolate ganache, and a couple of candy decorations, these melted snowman bites are the perfect sweet treat to bring to any holiday party. Plus, they’re ready in just 30 minutes, making them perfect for last-minute gifts and get-togethers.

Get the Melted Snowman Cookie Dough Bites recipe.

These cupcakes celebrate iconic candy canes with a tinted batter that starts with a box of white cake mix and a swirled frosting spiked with peppermint extract. They look incredible, but click below to find out how secretly easy it is to get that perfect red and white swirl in both the batter and the frosting:

Get the Candy Cane Cupcakes recipe.

'Tis the season for eggnog, and we're putting it in everything we can. This poke cake has all its beloved spiced flavor (including the rum!), but in moist cake and pudding form, complete with whipped topping. Plus, with boxed cake mix and instant pudding, this cake is a breeze to create for last-minute parties.

Get the Eggnog Poke Cake recipe.

If you love homemade ornaments and decorating Christmas cookies this time of year, have we got the recipe for you. With ready-made pie crust, sweet fruit preserves, and a little creativity, you can create charming, edible Pop-Tart ornaments that are as fun to make as they are delicious.

Get the Deck The Halls Pop-Tart Ornaments recipe.

Classic magic bars, sometimes called “7-layer bars,” consist of graham crackers, condensed milk, gooey chocolate AND butterscotch chips, coconut, and nuts. We took these one step further, and added a decadent cheesecake layer that makes these extra special, perfect for sharing some holiday magic with this holiday season.

Get the Magic Cheesecake Bars recipe.

Holly jolly and extremely delicious, these pull-apart cupcakes are the holiday showstopper that you’ve been looking for. To make this recipe as simple as possible, I used boxed cake mix so that you can focus on the decoration. Feel free to let your creative juices flow (we certainly did, just look at his sunglasses!).

Get the Pull-Apart Santa Cake recipe.

Coffee cake meets rum cake in this decadent homemade crumb cake. Dark rum goes into both the cake AND the glaze for a warm, complex flavor that makes it perfect for a holiday dessert (or Christmas morning breakfast, no judgement here!).

Get the Rum Crumb Cake recipe.

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.

Get the Bûche de Noël (Yule Log Cake) recipe.

Dessert truffles are not only a chocolate lover's dream, but they're also completely customizable and so easy to make. Top these with even more chocolate, or even Christmas toppings like candy canes or festive sprinkles to add some holiday cheer to any celebration. Hot tip: they make great gifts too!

Get the Chocolate Truffles recipe.

This year, we’re excited to do things a little differently, and bake up a batch of sugar cookies to serve as our advent calendar. This cookie countdown is as fun to decorate as it is to eat, and makes a delightful gift for the holidays too.

Get the Advent Calendar Cookies recipe.

This holiday season, be the who’s who of Whoville with a festive treat that even the Grinch himself couldn’t resist!. These bite-sized delights are the perfect combination of rich red velvet and the mischievous charm of the Grinch, and they’ll make your heart grow three sizes this holiday season.

Get the Grinchy Christmas Cake Bites recipe.

Opera cake is one of those baking projects that will make you feel like a pastry chef superstar. Coffee- soaked almond cake, coffee buttercream, and chocolate ganache are layered together to create a French masterpiece that’s equally stunning to look at and enjoy this holiday season.

Get the Opera Cake recipe.