These 15 easy Christmas desserts cover the whole holiday: chocolate crinkle and peppermint cookies, 5-ingredient fudge, chocolate bark, cracker toffee, Christmas tree brownies, a cherry dump cake and no-bake peppermint treats. Each one is a full Pin Desserts recipe, linked below with its servings and timing.
Six of them need no oven at all, and the fudge makes 36 squares from 10 minutes of stirring. Most can be made 1 to 5 days ahead, so the baking is done before the week of Christmas gets busy. For a party of 12, plan on 3 desserts: a cookie, a candy and one sliceable dessert.
At a Glance
- 4 cookies (24 to 30 each), 4 fudge, bark and candy recipes (18 to 36 pieces), 3 bars and brownies (12 to 24 pieces), 1 dump cake, 1 no-bake pie and 2 no-bake cups and dips
- No oven: chocolate bark, peppermint fudge, Oreo truffles, candy cane pie, cheesecake dip and mousse cups
- Fastest: peppermint cheesecake dip, 10 minutes of hands-on work
- Biggest batch: white chocolate peppermint fudge, 36 squares
- Best for gifts: fudge, bark and cracker toffee
Christmas Cookies for the Cookie Box
Four cookies that fill a tin together: two chocolate crinkles, a decorated cut-out and a soft spiced cookie.
1. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Fudgy, brownie-like cookies made with cocoa powder and oil in one bowl, no mixer. Chill the dough for 3 hours, roll each ball in granulated sugar and then powdered sugar so the cracks stay white, and bake 10 to 12 minutes at 350°F (175°C). Makes about 24. Get the chocolate crinkle cookies recipe.
2. Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
The peppermint version, richer because the dough uses 4 oz (113 g) of melted dark chocolate. Crushed candy canes go on within 2 minutes of baking, so they stick and stay crunchy instead of melting. One batch makes about 30 cookies. Get the chocolate peppermint cookies recipe.
3. Grinch Cookies
Cut-out sugar cookies made from scratch with 1 cup of butter, then decorated with green, red and black royal icing set with meringue powder. They are the most hands-on recipe on this list, about 2 hours 40 minutes start to finish, and the one kids remember. Makes 24. Get the grinch cookies recipe.
4. Eggnog Snickerdoodles
Soft, chewy snickerdoodles with 1/4 cup (60 ml) of full-fat eggnog and a pinch of nutmeg in the dough, rolled in cinnamon sugar. Cream of tartar gives the classic tang. They take about 45 minutes and make 24, with no chilling. Get the eggnog snickerdoodles recipe.
Fudge, Bark and Candy for Gifts
These keep well at room temperature or in the fridge and pack neatly, which makes them the best homemade gifts on the list.
5. Christmas Cracker Toffee
A sheet of saltine crackers under bubbling butter and brown sugar, about 1 cup of each, baked until crisp and golden. No candy thermometer. Leave it plain for caramel flavor or spread chocolate chips over the hot toffee and add crushed peppermint. Breaks into about 30 pieces. Get the christmas cracker toffee recipe.
6. Christmas Chocolate Bark
12 oz (340 g) each of dark and white chocolate, melted, swirled together and covered with 6 to 8 crushed candy canes. It takes 10 minutes to make and about an hour to set, then breaks into 20 pieces. Pack it in cellophane bags for neighbor gifts. Get the christmas chocolate bark recipe.
7. White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge
Five ingredients: 18 oz (510 g) of white chocolate, a 14 oz (397 g) can of sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, peppermint extract and 1 cup of crushed peppermint candy. About 10 minutes of stirring, 2 hours to set, and it cuts into 36 squares, the biggest batch here. Get the white chocolate peppermint fudge recipe.
8. Peppermint Oreo Truffles
No-bake truffles made from 24 crushed Oreos and cream cheese, dipped in 12 oz (340 g) of white chocolate and topped with crushed candy cane before the coating sets. About 1 hour and makes 18. Keep them in the fridge because of the cream cheese. Get the peppermint oreo truffles recipe.
Bars and Brownies to Cut Ahead
One pan, 12 to 24 pieces. Bars are the fastest way to fill a platter for a party.
9. Christmas Tree Brownies
A pan of fudgy cocoa brownies cut into triangles, piped with green buttercream and dotted with candy ornaments, with a pretzel or chocolate piece for the trunk. Bake the brownies the day before so they cut cleanly. Makes 12 trees in about 1 hour 40 minutes. Get the christmas tree brownies recipe.
10. Christmas Cherry Bars
One buttery dough does double duty: press most of it into the pan, spread 2 cans (21 oz / 595 g each) of cherry pie filling on top and crumble the rest over it. The bars bake about 45 minutes and cut into 24, which makes them a good pick for a cookie swap. Get the christmas cherry bars recipe.
11. White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies
Chewy one-bowl blondies made with melted butter and 1 cup (200 g) of brown sugar, with 3/4 cup (75 g) of fresh cranberries and white chocolate. They bake in 25 minutes, and the tart berries balance all the sweet things on a holiday tray. Makes 12. Get the white chocolate cranberry blondies recipe.
Big-Batch Desserts for a Crowd
A warm pan dessert and a cold pie, both easy to scoop or slice for a full table.
12. Christmas Dump Cake
Cherry pie filling and crushed pineapple under yellow cake mix, sliced butter and a cinnamon crumble, finished with red and green sprinkles. Ten minutes of prep, about 55 minutes in the oven, no mixing. Serves 12, warm with whipped cream. Get the christmas dump cake recipe.
13. Candy Cane Pie
A no-bake pie with a crust of 24 chocolate sandwich cookies and a fluffy cream cheese and whipped cream filling flavored with peppermint and 1/2 cup of crushed candy canes. It needs about 4 hours in the fridge, so make it the day before. Serves 8. Get the candy cane pie recipe.
No-Bake Cups and Dips
No oven needed, so these are good when the oven is busy with dinner.
14. Peppermint Cheesecake Dip
The easiest dessert here: 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, 1 cup of powdered sugar, vanilla, crushed peppermint and whipped topping, beaten together in 10 minutes. Chill it, then serve with graham crackers, cookies or pretzels. Serves 10. Get the peppermint cheesecake dip recipe.
15. Candy Cane Chocolate Mousse Cups
Silky mousse made with 6 oz (170 g) of dark chocolate and 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) of heavy cream, set in small glasses and finished with whipped cream and crushed candy cane. Makes 6 and chills in about 2 hours, so it is a calm choice for a sit-down Christmas dinner. Get the candy cane chocolate mousse cups recipe.
A Make-Ahead Christmas Baking Plan
- 2 to 3 weeks before: Make the crinkle cookie dough, roll it into balls without the sugar coat and freeze it. Both crinkle recipes keep frozen dough balls for up to 3 months.
- 1 week before: Make the fudge, bark and cracker toffee. Store them airtight with parchment between the layers, the fudge in the fridge.
- 2 to 3 days before: Bake the cookies from frozen dough, adding 1 to 2 minutes, and decorate the Grinch cookies so the icing has a full day to dry.
- 1 day before: Bake the brownies, cherry bars and blondies. Make the candy cane pie, Oreo truffles and mousse cups, which all need hours in the fridge.
- Christmas Day: Mix the cheesecake dip in 10 minutes and bake the dump cake during dinner so it comes out warm. It needs about 55 minutes.
How Many Desserts for a Christmas Party
Plan about 2 to 3 cookies or candy pieces per guest on a mixed tray, plus 1 serving of a sliced dessert. For 12 guests that is about 30 small pieces and 12 servings: one batch of crinkle cookies (24 to 30) and one pan of cherry bars (24) or one candy cane pie (8) with a dump cake (12).
Mix flavors as well as formats. Chocolate, peppermint, fruit and a spiced option such as eggnog snickerdoodles cover most guests, and a cream cheese dessert balances the candy.
Storing Christmas Desserts
Anything with cream cheese, cream or eggs that are not baked (the cheesecake dip, Oreo truffles, candy cane pie and mousse cups) goes in the fridge within 2 hours and keeps 3 to 4 days. Cookies, bars and brownies stay fresh at room temperature in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
Crushed candy cane draws moisture from the air and turns sticky in about 2 days if it is left uncovered, so close tins well and add the peppermint as late as the recipe allows.
Christmas Dessert Questions
What is the easiest Christmas dessert to make?
Peppermint cheesecake dip: 5 ingredients, 10 minutes and no oven. White chocolate peppermint fudge is a close second.
Which Christmas desserts can I make ahead?
Fudge, bark and cracker toffee keep about a week, and crinkle cookie dough freezes for up to 3 months.
What are good Christmas desserts for gifts?
Fudge, chocolate bark, cracker toffee and crinkle cookies travel well in tins or cellophane bags.
What Christmas desserts need no oven?
Chocolate bark, peppermint fudge, Oreo truffles, candy cane pie, cheesecake dip and chocolate mousse cups.
Save These Christmas Desserts
Pin this list to your Christmas desserts board so the whole holiday menu is in one place when you shop and plan your baking.
