The best holiday baking and dessert recipes

Exciting baked goods and dessert recipes from our chefs will help create a festive atmosphere.

Gingerbread house

Once you've built your gingerbread house, decorate it with colorful candies of your choice, gluing them on with icing.

Recipe: Gingerbread house

Homemade chocolate toffee

Homemade fudge makes the perfect gift. Pack the candies in a decorative jar; they'll stay fresh for up to a week.

Recipe: Homemade chocolate toffee

Apple casserole with rolled oats and cardamom

Melissa's apple dessert is perfect for a holiday party: it's easy to make, features seasonal ingredients, and can be served to a crowd. Drizzle the crispy oatmeal topping with vanilla-caramel-cardamom sauce when you remove the hot crumble from the oven.

Recipe: Apple casserole with rolled oats and cardamom

Homemade cookies with sour cream

These Hanukkah-inspired donut-shaped cookies have a subtle sweetness thanks to a jam and lemon juice glaze. They're perfect with tea or coffee.

Recipe: Homemade cookies with sour cream

Chocolate toffee with cinnamon

Giada De Laurentiis loves the combination of cinnamon and chocolate. She uses common baking ingredients to make this simple and inexpensive treat.

Recipe: Chocolate toffee with cinnamon

Fantastic Red Velvet Cake

The name says it all: this cake is amazing! With two moist layers and a fluffy vanilla cream filling, this dessert will become a family favorite.

Recipe: Fantastic Red Velvet Cake

Panettone bread pudding with eggnog cream

Rachel soaks cubes of panettone, a sweet Italian Christmas cake, in eggnog cream and bakes them in muffin tins.

Recipe: Panettone bread pudding with eggnog cream

Fleur de Sel Salt Toffees

Make sweet and salty toffee at home with Aina's step-by-step guide.

Recipe: Fleur de Sel Salt Toffees

Vanilla Crème Brulee

This classic dessert is sure to be a hit at a holiday dinner. Make the custard ahead of time and caramelize the crust with a blowtorch at the table. This will ensure a special presentation, and the sugar won't soften.

Recipe: Vanilla Crème Brulee

Gingerbread cookies with royal icing

Sandra makes quick gingerbread cookies using a trick: she takes store-bought sugar cookie mix and adds pumpkin pie spice, ginger, and molasses.

Recipe: Gingerbread cookies with royal icing

Apple tart - classic

During the Christmas season, Melissa loves to make a French-style tart instead of apple pie, as a slice of tart looks neater and more elegant on the holiday table. Take the time to arrange the apples: the dessert will look like it came straight from the bakery!

Recipe: Apple tart - classic

Grillage with peanuts

Trisha says the secret to this peanut butter's light and crunchy texture is baking soda. Act quickly: once you've added the baking soda, it's time to pour the mixture onto a baking sheet to harden.

Recipe: Grillage with peanuts

Gingerbread cupcakes with buttercream frosting and caramelized mango

Bobby masterfully concocts unusual flavor combinations. His original cupcakes are rich and rich; the mango cream is light and refreshing, perfectly complementing the warm flavor of the gingerbread.

Recipe: Gingerbread cupcakes with buttercream frosting and caramelized mango

Chocolate Coconut Macarons

Decorate your holiday dessert table with these elegant coconut macarons. Unsweetened coconut flakes provide a distinctive texture, while melted semisweet chocolate adds a touch of elegance.

Recipe: Chocolate Coconut Macarons

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Nutty cookies with chocolate glaze

Simple shortbread cookies make a great gift when dipped in melted chocolate.

Recipe: Nutty cookies with chocolate glaze

Raspberry and Fig Pull-Apart Cookies

This festive wreath will delight rugelach lovers: the beautiful dessert is filled with sweet cream cheese, figs, and jam. Serve with coffee or tea, and invite guests to break off individual cookies from the wreath.

Recipe: Raspberry and Fig Pull-Apart Cookies

Holiday biscotti cookies

Giada De Laurentiis loves the color of these cookies, which are perfect for any holiday season.

Recipe: Holiday biscotti cookies

Cinnamon and Hazelnut Buns

Giada makes an Italian twist on classic cinnamon rolls: she adds hazelnuts to the cinnamon-sugar filling and mascarpone cheese to the powdered sugar glaze.

Recipe: Cinnamon and Hazelnut Buns

Baked Alaska Meringue Ice Cream Cake

Top the cake with three of your favorite ice creams and a generous dollop of Swiss meringue. Brown the topping just before serving—this stunning dessert will be warm on the outside and cool on the inside.

Recipe: Baked Alaska Meringue Ice Cream Cake

Chocolate sandwich cookies with white caramelized chocolate filling

Alex assembles a sandwich of brownie-like cookies and a caramelized white chocolate filling that adds richness and a toasty flavor that perfectly complements the chocolate.

Recipe: Chocolate sandwich cookies with white caramelized chocolate filling

Homemade Creme Brulee

Vanilla and Grand Marnier liqueur are added to the classic cream. Aina lets her friends add the finishing touch by caramelizing the topping with a kitchen torch.

Recipe: Homemade Creme Brulee

Biscotti with almonds, lemon and glaze

Giada adds sliced ​​almonds to her biscotti, which enhance the citrus flavor and nuttiness of the white chocolate coating.

Recipe: Biscotti with almonds, lemon and glaze

Giant peanut butter cookies with a chocolate center

Impress everyone at your party with this giant cookie dessert with a chocolate center.

Recipe: Giant peanut butter cookies with a chocolate center

Pears Wreath Cake with Chocolate Truffles

This tart will be the centerpiece of any holiday party. Spiced pears are wrapped in puff pastry and filled with melted chocolate.

Recipe: Pears Wreath Cake with Chocolate Truffles

Chocolate cake with caramel and mint glaze

Refreshing mint adds a unique flavor to this rich, moist cake. Serve with whipped cream and chocolate sauce, drizzled with mint syrup.

Recipe: Chocolate cake with caramel and mint glaze

Croquembouche – a cake made from profiteroles

Make a wonderful holiday treat with our step-by-step guide.

Recipe: Croquembouche – a cake made from profiteroles

Nutty chocolate chip cookies

Giada's take on chocolate chip cookies uses rolled oats, English toffee, and roasted hazelnuts. The crunchy ingredients create a contrast with the soft, chewy dough.

Recipe: Nutty chocolate chip cookies

Apples in puff pastry

To simplify the preparation, Trisha uses store-bought scone dough. Sour apples, wrapped in the dough, are baked with a lemon, sugar, and butter sauce until golden brown.

Recipe: Apples in puff pastry

Cannoli with ricotta and chocolate chips

For a simple, semi-homemade holiday treat, use store-bought cannoli tubes.

Recipe: Cannoli with ricotta and chocolate chips

Chocolate candies with whole hazelnuts

This chocolate-hazelnut treat is inspired by Chestnut candies. Ground toasted rice flakes add a light and crunchy texture.

Recipe: Chocolate candies with whole hazelnuts

Simple sticky buns made from puff pastry

Ina fills store-bought puff pastry with cinnamon, brown sugar, raisins, and dried cranberries for a festive take on sweet rolls that take less than an hour to make.

Recipe: Simple sticky buns made from puff pastry

Chocolate Mint Cheesecake

This recipe combines the richness of cheesecake with the refreshing mint chocolate of Grasshopper Pie. Serve in individual portions or cut into miniature pies for an elegant dessert.

Recipe: Chocolate Mint Cheesecake

Oatmeal cookies with marshmallows, nuts and chocolate

These cookies contain mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, rice cereal, and pecans. They're topped with marshmallows and chocolate.

Recipe: Oatmeal cookies with marshmallows, nuts and chocolate

Chocolate and peanut butter flavored toffee

Two beloved flavors, chocolate and peanut butter, combine in a rich, creamy fudge.

Recipe: Chocolate and peanut butter flavored toffee

Chocolate cake with prunes

This fruit cake is sure to please everyone.

Recipe: Chocolate cake with prunes

Spiced Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Anne adds tart Granny Smith apples, raisins, and walnuts to spiced nutmeg-cinnamon cake layers, then tops the cake with a rich cream cheese frosting.

Recipe: Spiced Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Coconut roll with butter-rum cream

For a stunning dessert, roll and slice this simple roulade. The white rum cream pairs perfectly with the airy coconut cake and topping.

Recipe: Coconut roll with butter-rum cream

Almond cake with white chocolate glaze

This simple yet elegant dessert combines almond cake with white chocolate and cream cheese frosting.

Recipe: Almond cake with white chocolate glaze

Unsweetened cookies made from shortcrust (chopped) dough

With just four ingredients, Trisha makes fluffy cookies using her father's recipe. Serve them for the holidays or enjoy them as a snack.

Recipe: Unsweetened cookies made from shortcrust (chopped) dough

Banana-coconut cake with custard

This stunning cake features moist banana bread-like layers, coconut cream, banana slices, and toasted coconut flakes.

Recipe: Banana-coconut cake with custard

Chocolate Toffee with Almonds "Toffee"

This almond treat with crispy toffee and bittersweet chocolate makes a wonderful holiday gift.

Recipe: Chocolate Toffee with Almonds "Toffee"

Apricot Oat Bars

Dried fruits and nuts are a popular holiday combination, and they're also a healthy treat. Jada makes these sweet, fiber-rich oatmeal bars with dried apricots. Each bite is packed with dried apricots, walnuts, and jam.

Recipe: Apricot Oat Bars

Linz mini cookies

Aina's elegant cookies are based on a shortcrust pastry made from flour, sugar, and a generous helping of butter. A layer of raspberry jam adds a touch of elegance.

Recipe: Linz mini cookies

Homemade chocolate truffles

The winter holidays wouldn't be complete without rich, nut-covered truffles gracing the table. Alton proves that making them from scratch isn't all that difficult. Boxed truffles make a wonderful gift for the hostess.

Recipe: Homemade chocolate truffles

Marbled Pound Cake with Hot Chocolate Mix

This pound cake is the perfect way to use up leftover hot chocolate mix. Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips if desired.

Recipe: Marbled Pound Cake with Hot Chocolate Mix

Pumpkin Yogurt Cheesecake with Whole Grain Cookies

This creamy cheesecake is full of pumpkin pie flavors, but it's lighter in fat, using low-fat cream cheese and Greek yogurt.

Recipe: Pumpkin Yogurt Cheesecake with Whole Grain Cookies

Almond Snowball Cakes

Rachel's almond cookies are covered in coconut and topped with a cherry, giving the easy treat a festive look.

Recipe: Almond Snowball Cakes

Chocolate Chip Cookies - Light Version

These crispy, light cookies are just as good as regular ones. The chefs add ground oats to whole-wheat flour, use less oil, and stir in agave syrup: the cookies contain less fat and calories without sacrificing flavor.

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookies - Light Version

Apple Crisp with Granola in a Skillet

Substituting toasted granola for the traditional topping allows you to reduce the sugar content while still adding a crunchy texture to the apple slices.

Recipe: Apple Crisp with Granola in a Skillet

Healthy Carrot Muffins

Grated carrots and crushed pineapple add a naturally sweet flavor to these muffins, which contain whole-wheat and all-purpose flour. They're perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack during the holiday season.

Recipe: Healthy Carrot Muffins

Truffle Chocolate Cheesecake

Most of the cream cheese in a traditional cheesecake is replaced with 1% fat cottage cheese. Cocoa powder and a little melted chocolate are then added. The result is a silky, rich chocolate dessert.

Recipe: Truffle Chocolate Cheesecake

Cookies with oatmeal, dried fruits, nuts and chocolate chips

Ellie's cookies are a little bit of everything: dark chocolate, walnuts, oatmeal, dried apricots, and dried cherries, as well as whole-grain pastry flour.

Recipe: Cookies with oatmeal, dried fruits, nuts and chocolate chips

Meringues

With simple decorations, this light and airy treat becomes a festive dessert. Meringues are saturated fat-free, with only 32 calories per serving.

Recipe: Meringues

Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

These blueberry muffins are a hit with gluten-free guests and everyone else, whether you're planning on having them for dessert or breakfast.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

Chestnuts candies

Who doesn't love nature-inspired sweets? In this case, it's peanut butter truffles dipped in chocolate, reminiscent of chestnuts.

Recipe: Chestnuts candies

Sugar cookies

Make the perfect sugar cookies with this favorite recipe.

Recipe: Sugar cookies

Scottish Chocolate Oatmeal Muffins

In Scotland, oatmeal cookies are the perfect complement to afternoon tea. In this version, chefs add chocolate and hazelnuts and bake the dessert in mini muffin tins, resulting in beautifully crafted cookies in convenient portions.

Recipe: Scottish Chocolate Oatmeal Muffins

Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies

These gooey cookies are a rich dessert for your gluten-free guests, but everyone will love them too. Coconut oil, cane juice, and applesauce make the dough incredibly moist.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies

Christmas cookies with icing

Decorate your dessert table with Ree's truly festive cookies. The sour cream in the dough makes these melt-in-your-mouth cookies, and the cinnamon candies resemble holly berries—the perfect finishing touch.

Recipe: Christmas cookies with icing

White chocolate bar with mint candies

These 3-ingredient bars contain double the mint and make an affordable Christmas treat.

Recipe: White chocolate bar with mint candies

Chocolate bar with dried cranberries, almonds and mandarin zest

These exquisite bars combine four classic holiday flavors in one compact dessert: chocolate, dried cranberries, citrus, and nuts. Best of all, they only take 5 minutes to prepare.

Recipe: Chocolate bar with dried cranberries, almonds and mandarin zest

Sweet S'mores Flavored Ravioli

These dessert ravioli use a graham cracker-based dough and a chocolate and cream cheese filling.

Recipe: Sweet S'mores Flavored Ravioli

Peanut Butter Cake with Peanut Butter Cream

This recipe is for peanut butter lovers. Spread a few spoonfuls of raspberry jam on each layer of the cake along with the peanut butter.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Cake with Peanut Butter Cream

White chocolate toffee with mint candies

This simple, creamy fudge is a great way to use up leftover Christmas candy. If you're not a fan of mint candies, try substituting sprinkles, nuts, or dried fruit!

Recipe: White chocolate toffee with mint candies

Chocolate Eggnog Roll

Eggnog and chocolate are a truly heavenly combination of flavors. A chocolate cake rolled into a roll with malted milk French cream will win over even those who don't care for eggnog.

Recipe: Chocolate Eggnog Roll

Eggnog-flavored meringue cake

Bake the meringue on a thick crust with egg yolks: this special cake doesn't require a fancy topping. Although a white chocolate buttercream sandwiched between the layers wouldn't hurt.

Recipe: Eggnog-flavored meringue cake

Panettone and Eggnog Ice Cream Cake

Turn traditional holiday cake into a stunning ice cream cake. Spread slices of panettone with brandy-infused cream, layer them with vanilla ice cream, and top with fluffy whipped cream.

Recipe: Panettone and Eggnog Ice Cream Cake

Peppermint Candy Cake

Peppermint lovers will love the look and taste of this giant "candy." For the ultimate resemblance, wrap the cake in plastic wrap.

Recipe: Peppermint Candy Cake

Thumbprint Cookies with Caramel and Salted Straws

Pretzel sticks, caramel sauce, and honey give these cookies a sweet and salty flavor.

Recipe: Thumbprint Cookies with Caramel and Salted Straws

Italian Hazelnut Candied Roast (Croccante Nights)

Give these nut bars to your friends and family.

Recipe: Italian Hazelnut Candied Roast (Croccante Nights)

Trifle with gingerbread, lemon curd and blueberry sauce

Bobby's Trifle is perfect for any holiday party. The gingerbread cake adds a touch of Christmas warmth, perfectly complementing the fruity flavors of lemon and blueberry.

Recipe: Trifle with gingerbread, lemon curd and blueberry sauce

Brown butter fig tartlets

These exquisite tartlets are filled with fig jam.

Recipe: Brown butter fig tartlets

Whole grain buns without yeast

Whole wheat flour makes these buns filling and hearty, while buttermilk provides a rich, airy texture.

Recipe: Whole grain buns without yeast



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