15 Festive Christmas Desserts
Anna Alson
September 19, 2025 • 15 recipes
Stressed about holiday baking? Don't be! These 15 festive treats are SO easy & delicious.
Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
These Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies deliver the quintessential buttery richness of a classic shortbread, elevated by bright holiday flavors. Each tender bite melts away to reveal a vibrant tang from fresh orange zest beautifully balanced by jewel-toned, slightly tart dried cranberries. Achieving that signature sandy, delicate texture is straightforward, making these elegant, slice-and-bake beauties perfect for tucking into holiday tins for gifting.
Gingerbread Whoopie Pies
These Gingerbread Whoopie Pies deliver all the warm, comforting spices of the season in a perfectly portable format. Tender, cakey gingerbread rounds are baked until wonderfully soft, providing the ideal vessel for a luscious, tangy cream cheese filling that cuts through the molasses and ginger notes beautifully. The texture contrast between the pillowy cookie and the smooth, rich frosting makes every bite delightfully balanced. Prepare a double batch of these; they store beautifully in the refrigerator and make an excellent addition to any holiday dessert platter.
Gingerbread Pudding Cake
This Gingerbread Pudding Cake brings the cozy, spiced warmth of the holidays into a show-stopping centerpiece that is surprisingly simple to achieve. Imagine a deeply flavorful, moist gingerbread cake that bakes up with its own luscious, molten pudding layer swimming underneath, creating a spectacular textural contrast. The rich molasses and sharp ginger notes are beautifully balanced by a delicate, almost custardy sauce that pools around the cake as it bakes, so be sure to serve each slice generously spooned with that delicious pan sauce. While it requires a bit of patience during the baking process, this dessert is truly worth the medium effort for an impressive holiday table presentation.
Pavlova Christmas Trees
These spectacular Pavlova Christmas Trees offer a stunning, light-as-air centerpiece for your holiday table. Crisp, snowy meringue layers are carefully stacked and lightly sweetened, providing the perfect delicate foundation for rich, billowy mounds of stabilized whipped cream. Adorned with vibrant fresh berries and a dusting of powdered sugar snow, this dessert delivers incredible textural contrast between the crackle of the shell and the smooth, yielding interior. Plan to assemble these just before serving to ensure the meringue retains its signature crisp exterior.
Christmas Pudding
This deeply traditional Christmas Pudding delivers a comforting warmth and complex spice profile that defines the holiday season. Packed with plump, rum-soaked dried fruits like currants and sultanas, this dense, moist pudding is beautifully seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves for an unmistakable festive aroma. Steamed low and slow until deeply flavorful, it achieves a rich, almost cake-like texture that begs to be drenched in a homemade brandy butter sauce or a splash of warm custard before serving. While it requires patience, this pudding actually improves when made several weeks in advance, allowing the intoxicating liquor flavors to fully permeate the mixture.
Maple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
Elevate your holiday brunch with these Maple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls, a truly cozy and decadent twist on the classic morning treat. Inside the pillowy, yeasted dough, you will find a luscious filling of brown sugar, warm cinnamon, and crunchy toasted pecans, all generously drizzled with a sticky, pure maple syrup glaze. The combination of the soft, chewy roll, the rich, nutty interior, and the sweet, amber topping creates an unforgettable festive bite that is worth the medium effort. Prepare the dough the night before and let it rise slowly in the refrigerator for an extra flavorful roll that is ready to bake Christmas morning.
Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
Elevate your holiday breakfast spread with these Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Rolls, which strike the perfect balance between cozy comfort and decadent indulgence. Imagine sinking your teeth into impossibly fluffy, golden-brown dough swirled with warm cinnamon, generously studded with crunchy toasted pecans, and blanketed in a luscious drizzle of homemade caramel sauce. The crowning glory is a rich, tangy cream cheese frosting that melts beautifully into every nook and cranny. Prepare these the night before and let them proof overnight for a warm, show-stopping centerpiece straight from the oven Christmas morning.
Spiced Rum Raisin Bread Pudding
This Spiced Rum Raisin Bread Pudding elevates a comforting classic into a truly festive centerpiece, brimming with warm holiday spices. We soak hearty cubes of challah or brioche in a rich custard infused with dark brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and plump, boozy raisins that burst with flavor. The final texture is a beautiful study in contrasts: a crispy, caramelized top yielding to an incredibly moist, tender interior that melts in your mouth. For streamlined holiday entertaining, this dessert can be fully assembled and refrigerated overnight before baking to perfection the next day.
Spiced Date and Orange Loaf with Pecan Streusel
Embrace the warming spices of the season with this deeply flavorful Spiced Date and Orange Loaf, a sophisticated alternative to traditional fruitcake. Tender, moist cake is bursting with sticky Medjool dates and bright, aromatic orange zest, all crowned with a delightfully crunchy pecan streusel topping. The combination of sweet fruit, warm cinnamon, and a hint of citrus makes this loaf absolutely transportive. This sturdy loaf travels exceptionally well, making it a wonderful homemade gift for neighbors or colleagues.
Sticky Carrot, Ginger & Date Loaf with Citrus Glaze
This Sticky Carrot, Ginger & Date Loaf offers a sophisticated and warmly spiced alternative to traditional holiday fruitcake. Deeply moist from grated carrots and sweet Medjool dates, the batter is infused with a lively kick of fresh ginger that cuts beautifully through the richness. A vibrant, tangy citrus glaze is drizzled generously over the cooled loaf, providing a bright, glistening finish that elevates this bake from simple tea bread to an elegant centerpiece. Prepare this loaf a day in advance; the flavors meld beautifully overnight, making your holiday morning preparations much smoother.
Carrot, Date & Apricot Pudding with Cinnamon Cream
This Carrot, Date & Apricot Pudding offers a comforting twist on traditional holiday fare, bringing warm, spiced sweetness to your Christmas table. Tender carrots blend seamlessly with chewy dates and tangy dried apricots, all suspended in a moist, deeply flavorful cake base. The experience is elevated by a velvety Cinnamon Cream topping that melts beautifully over every warm slice. Prepare this pudding a day in advance; it often tastes even better the next day as the spice flavors fully meld.
Warm Carrot, Ginger & Honey Pudding with Nut Crunch
Embrace the cozy warmth of the holidays with this deeply satisfying Warm Carrot, Ginger & Honey Pudding, a sophisticated twist on a classic comfort dessert. Tender shreds of sweet carrot are perfectly balanced by the bright, spicy kick of fresh ginger and the mellow sweetness of golden honey, all baked into a rich, moist pudding studded with texture. Crowned with a delightful, buttery nut crunch, this pudding offers a wonderful contrast between the soft interior and the crisp topping, making it an elegant centerpiece for any Christmas table. For an extra festive touch, serve this warm treat immediately with a dollop of vanilla bean crème fraîche.
Sticky Raspberry and Pistachio Cake with Lemon Syrup
This Sticky Raspberry and Pistachio Cake brings a vibrant, jewel-toned elegance to any holiday table, pairing the tart brightness of fresh raspberries with the nutty depth of rich pistachios. The tender cake is infused with a luscious lemon syrup that soaks through every layer, creating a wonderfully moist texture that truly lives up to its "sticky" name. Finished with a scattering of vibrant green pistachios, this showstopper offers a sophisticated balance of sweet, tart, and savory notes that cuts beautifully through heavier holiday fare. For the best flavor integration, allow this cake to cool completely before drizzling the syrup, ensuring maximum absorption.
Spiced Plum Crisp with Vanilla Cream
This Spiced Plum Crisp offers a sophisticated, warmly aromatic twist on a holiday classic, pairing the deep sweetness of slow-simmered plums with an intoxicating blend of seasonal spices like cinnamon and star anise. A generous layer of buttery, textured oat crumble bakes up shatteringly crisp, acting as the perfect foil to the bubbling, tender fruit beneath. Serve generous portions warm from the oven, crowned with a dollop of homemade vanilla cream that melts beautifully into the spiced juices. This comforting baked fruit dessert is wonderfully forgiving and can be assembled entirely ahead of time, making holiday entertaining much simpler.
Sticky Toffee Pudding with Date & Walnut
Nothing says cozy holiday indulgence quite like a truly decadent Sticky Toffee Pudding, and this version elevates the classic with the earthy sweetness of dates and the satisfying crunch of walnuts. The sponge cake itself is moist and deeply flavored from the dates, soaking up every bit of the rich, buttery toffee sauce that blankets the entire dessert. Serve this warm straight from the oven, perhaps with a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream, for an unforgettable centerpiece to your Christmas meal.