Best Holiday and Christmas Dessert Recipes
'Tis the season for sweets, so go ahead: Indulge in our best holiday dessert recipes, from beautiful cakes to bite-size treats.
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Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved
Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
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Gingerbread Icebox Cake
Prepare this gumdrop-bedecked cake in a Bundt pan for a stunning holiday dessert that is way easier to construct than a gingerbread house. The spicy gingersnaps flavor the creamy filling overnight, so make it ahead of time and then decorate it before guests arrive.
Get the Recipe: Gingerbread Icebox Cake
Orange Scented Bomboloni with Pastry Cream
Bobby spikes these little fried balls with orange liqueur (in the pastry cream and also the dipping sauce), and rolls the warm dough in cane sugar directly out of the frying pan. Eating just one is hardly an option.
Get the Recipe: Orange Scented Bomboloni with Pastry Cream and Chocolate Orange Dipping Sauce
Caramel Apple Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Add chopped apples to cupcake batter along with a squeeze of caramel to replicate the flavors of the favorite fall-on-a-stick sweet –– without the stick-to-your-teeth mess.
Get the Recipe: Caramel-Apple Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Hazelnut Chocolate Cake
This dark and dense chocolate cake is almost like hazelnut fudge, so there's no need to test it with a toothpick to check if it's ready. It emerges from the oven fluffy and souffled, but it will deflate to half the size during the cooling period, so don't despair when you see it sink.
Get the Recipe: Hazelnut Chocolate Cake
Laura's Mandarinello Bundt Cake
Once you flavor a cake with mandarinello orange liqueur, you may never turn back. This sweet and boozy cake will be an instant favorite.
Get the Recipe: Laura's Mandarinello Bundt Cake
Ninjabread Men Cookies
Sneak more exciting cookies into your holiday platter this year to kick your party into high gear.
Get the Recipe: Ninjabread Men Cookies
Almond Madeleines
A little almond extract goes a long way in these classic French cookies. Always make more than you need — they go fast and make great take-home gifts.
Get the Recipe: Almond Madeleines
Apple Peach Cobbler
Shortcuts like store-bought crust and canned peaches save time with this recipe, allowing everyone to dig into the buttery cobbler sooner.
Get the Recipe: Apple Peach Cobbler
Leftover-Brownie Truffles
Baked too many brownies? Roll them into fancy truffles. Two birds, one stone.
Get the Recipe: Laura's Leftover Brownie Truffles
Gingerbread Tiramisu
Replace ladyfingers with flavorful ginger cookies for a snappy version of the Italian classic.
Get the Recipe: Gingerbread Tiramisu
Mascarpone and Dark Chocolate Cream in White Chocolate Cups
Giada creates these edible cups by brushing paper muffin liners with two coats of white chocolate and freezing them until they are firm. Bittersweet chocolate mousse is an ideal counterpart for filling the crisp ivory cups.
Get the Recipe: Mascarpone and Dark Chocolate Cream in White Chocolate Cups
Bourbon-Pear Rustic Tart
If you're intimidated by baking a pie, then this is the recipe for you. Add bourbon-soaked pears to a store-bought pastry crust for a smoky, spiced dessert that looks way more impressive than the effort it required.
Get the Recipe: Bourbon-Pear Rustic Tart
Espresso Cupcakes
Bake these caffeinated cupcakes in espresso cups so that guests can enjoy individual portions with ease. A chocolate espresso glaze and single espresso bean serve as telltale garnishes atop the moist chocolate cake.
Get the Recipe: Espresso Cupcakes
Semi-Freddo of Cookies and Cream with Salted Caramel
Tyler builds this frozen confection on a base of crushed gingersnaps, which he tops with pomegranate molasses-flavored whipped cream. After it has chilled, he drizzles dark amber caramel over the top.
Get the Recipe: Semi-freddo Cookies and Cream with Salted Caramel
Pecan Pie with Vanilla Whipped Cream
Put a festive spin on pecan pie by pulling in bourboun for a smoky-caramel flavor, then finishing it with fresh vanilla whipped cream.
Get the Recipe: Pecan Pie with Vanilla Whipped Cream
Featherlight Chocolate Cake
True to its name, this reliable cake has a springy and tender crumb thanks to the addition of ice water in the batter. Good-quality cocoa powder is crucial to achieving the deep chocolate flavor, and this cake retains its moisture so well that it will keep for as long as a week.
Get the Recipe: Featherlight Chocolate Cake
Homemade Cannoli
Alex punches up this traditional Italian pastry with a light and bright filling. She folds freshly whipped cream into a ricotta base, then adds lemon zest for a citrus finish.
Get the Recipe: Homemade Cannoli
Cream-Filled Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce
These classic French pastries are also known as cream puffs, as the choux pastry dough puffs up into hollow rounds that are perfect for filling with fluffy whipped cream.
Get the Recipe: Cream-filled Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce
Panettone Bread Pudding with Amaretto Sauce
Use panettone loaf as the base of this bread pudding and spike it with almond-scented amaretto liqueur to lend a distinctly Italian note to your holiday dessert spread.
Get the Recipe: Panettone Bread Pudding with Amaretto Sauce
Baklava
Baklava, the flaky Greek sweet that never goes out of style, is a guaranteed hit for any holiday party. In his version, Michael Symon layers pistachios, walnuts and ground graham crackers between phyllo dough and sweetens each layer with a lemon-honey syrup.
Get the Recipe: Baklava
Chocolate Pots de Creme
Pot de creme is a sweet French custard that is traditionally served in the same porcelain cups that it's baked in. Alex adds almond extract to hers for a subtle nuttiness that blends well with semisweet chocolate. Baking the cups in a water bath prevents a skin from forming over the custard as it cooks.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Pots de Creme
S'mores Buffet
Create a customizable dessert course at your holiday bash with a sweet and festive buffet. Setting out stacked graham crackers and creative fillings, like boozy chocolate hazelnut spread and sangria marmalade, will encourage guests to build their perfect s'mores.
Get the Recipe: S'mores Buffet
Layered Chestnut Cream and Pear Verrine
Nadia's sweet take on a verrine (a multi-textured salad or dessert that's layered in a glass) puts a quick spin on the sophisticated French dish. She uses store-bought cooked chestnuts and canned pears as a base, and she elevates them with whipped mascarpone and buckwheat honey.
Get the Recipe: Layered Chestnut Cream and Pear Verrine
Chocolate Coconut Matzo Bark
Enrobe airy, salted matzo in chocolate and coconut for a unique spin on seasonal bark or brittle.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Coconut Matzo Bark
Banoffee Pie
Get the Recipe: Banoffee Pie
Panettone Bread Pudding
Nadia G. uses Panettone, the sweet Italian holiday-season bread flavored with citrus and studded with raisins, as the base for her bread pudding and folds in meringue to make it extra light and fluffy.
Get the Recipe: Panettone Bread Pudding
Beatty's Chocolate Cake
Get the Recipe: Beatty's Chocolate Cake
Coconut Macaroon Tart
Don't let this tart's mild brown color fool you: It is crispy on the outside and moist and dense on the inside — like the best coconut macaroon you've ever tasted.
Get the Recipe: Coconut Macaroon Tart
Molten Caramel Cakes
Get the Recipe: Molten Caramel Cakes
Stollen
Stollen is a traditional German fruitcake that's loaded with candied fruit and almonds and topped with either powdered sugar or simple confectioners' sugar icing.
Get the Recipe: Stollen
Pear Crumble with Pomegranate Sauce
Crumbles are generally humble, no-fuss desserts, but Kelsey adds extra flavor and festivity with her pomegranate sauce, which looks beautiful drizzled over vanilla ice cream.
Get the Recipe: Pear Crumble with Pomegranate Sauce
Swiss Roll
Get the Recipe: Swiss Roll
Maple Bacon Cupcakes
Give maple cupcakes a holiday boost by adding bits of applewood bacon to the batter. Amp up the richness by adding maple frosting and a crisp slice of bacon on top.
Get the Recipe: Maple Bacon Cupcakes
Ginger-Rum Bundt Cake
Consider this cake a Dark and Stormy in dessert form. Don't skimp on the freshly grated ginger, as it adds much deeper flavor than powdered varieties.
Get the Recipe: Ginger-Rum Bundt Cake
Mom's Cream Cheese Pie
Take those classic cheesecake flavors and transform them into a fluffy, creamy pie.
Get the Recipe: Mom's Cream Cheese Pie
Lemon Cupcakes
Get the Recipe: Lemon Cupcakes
Dark and Stormy Gingerbread
Get the Recipe: Dark and Stormy Gingerbread
Crema Catalana
Get the Recipe: Crema Catalana
Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding
Tarte Tatin
Get the Recipe: Tarte Tatin
Lemon Pie Bars
Get the Recipe: Lemon Pie Bars
Cookie Dough-Stuffed Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
Get the Recipe: Cookie Dough-Stuffed Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
Red Velvet Cake
Get the Recipe: Red Velvet Cake
Sticky Fig Pudding with Candied Fresh Figs
Get the Recipe: Sticky Fig Pudding with Candied Fresh Figs
Carrot Cake
Get the Recipe: Carrot Cake
Moroccan-Style Fruitcake with Apricots, Dates and Figs
Get the Recipe: Moroccan-Style Fruitcake with Apricots, Dates and Figs
Warm Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Pudding with Vanilla Cream
These individual puddings are baked in a muffin pan for easy portioning to holiday guests. Each spiced pumpkin muffin is sliced in thirds and layered with cranberry-caramel sauce that seeps into every crumb.
Get the Recipe: Warm Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Pudding with Vanilla Cream
Chocolate Cream Puffs
These magical little puffs are light, crisp and rich all at the same time. The dough is made on the stovetop, then piped into smooth mounds and baked into airy balloons.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Cream Puffs
Sour Cream Cheesecake
Get the Recipe: Sour Cream Cheesecake
Coconut Custard Pie
Channel the flavors of a classic candy bar by adding rich chocolate chunks to the creamy coconut filling.
Get the Recipe: Coconut Custard Pie
Gingerbread Cupcakes with Black Licorice Frosting
Get the Recipe: Gingerbread Cupcakes with Black Licorice Frosting
Tres Leches Bread Pudding
Get the Recipe: Tres Leches Bread Pudding
Chocolate Mousse
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding
Molten Chocolate Cakes
Get the Recipe: Molten Chocolate Cakes
Eggnog Ice Cream
Get the Recipe: Eggnog Ice Cream
Hazelnut Roll
Get the Recipe: Hazelnut Roll
Carrot Cake
Get the Recipe: Carrot Cake
Gooey Milk Chocolate, Coffee and Toffee Butter Cake
Get the Recipe: Gooey Milk Chocolate, Coffee and Toffee Butter Cake
Lemon Hazelnut Tiramisu
Get the Recipe: Lemon Hazelnut Tiramisu
Toasted Sesame and Candied Ginger Chocolate Truffle Tart
Get the Recipe: Toasted Sesame and Candied Ginger Chocolate Truffle Tart
Apple Pie
Michael Symon uses lard to acheive a super flaky crust and fills his pie with tart Granny Smith apples and a touch of heavy cream and butter to thicken the mixture.
Get the Recipe: Apple Pie
Chocolate Stout Cupcakes
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Stout Cupcakes
Mini Olive Oil and Ricotta Pound Cakes
Get the Recipe: Mini Olive Oil and Ricotta Pound Cakes with Chocolate Covered Orange Peel
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Get the Recipe: Red Velvet Cupcakes
Yorkshire Gingerbread
Get the Recipe: Yorkshire Gingerbread
Tiny Lemon Angel Cakes with Lemon Confit
Get the Recipe: Tiny Lemon Angel Cakes with Lemon Confit
Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Pie
Espresso Chocolate Mousse
Get the Recipe: Espresso Chocolate Mousse with Orange Mascarpone Whipped Cream
Caramel Balsamic Swirl Ice Cream
Get the Recipe: Caramel Balsamic Swirl Ice Cream
Canneles
Canneles are tiny little French cakes that get brown and crusty on the outside but remain moist on the inside. And unlike most buttery French pastries, each little cake has only 65 calories.
Get the Recipe: Canneles
Jamie's Leftover Christmas Pudding and Ice Cream Sundae
Get the Recipe: Jamie's Leftover Christmas Pudding and Ice Cream Sundae
Chocolate Sformato with Amaretto Whip Cream
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Sformato with Amaretto Whip Cream
Carrot Cake Pops
Get the Recipe: Carrot Cake Pops
No Recipe Recipe: Red Velvet Trifle
Get the Recipe: No Recipe Recipe: Red Velvet Trifle
Sweet Potato Pie
Step up your sweet potato pie with a festive flurry of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Four and Twenty Blackbirds Salted Caramel Apple Pie
It's the holidays, so put that plain apple pie down and set your sights on this caramel-drenched stunner instead.
Get the Recipe: Four and Twenty Blackbirds Salted Caramel Apple Pie