Food Holidays & Occasions Christmas 30 Festive Christmas Desserts to Make This Season Choose from our hand-picked recipes for centerpiece-worthy desserts and simple, seasonal party treats. By Kim Wehby Kim Wehby Kim Wehby is a copy editor with over a decade of experience in the food and beverage space, including a senior editorial role at Dotdash Meredith Food Studios. She's edited and developed content for Food & Wine, Southern Living, and Eating Well. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 7, 2024 Close Photo: Victor Protasio Bring a little extra cheer to your holiday table this season. Our collection of the best Christmas desserts features more than two dozen wintry treats to round out your holiday dinner. Treat your guests or hosts to traditional Christmas desserts, from the simple pleasure of gingerbread to the pageantry of Bûche de Noël and Croquembouche, with these festive recipes. 01 of 30 Pavlova with Caramelized White Chocolate Bark Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely So many levels of fruit and festive flavor go into this pavlova wreath. Highlights include a from-scratch caramelized white chocolate bark with freeze-dried raspberries and green chopped pistachios. Get the Recipe 02 of 30 Ginger Spice Cake Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christine Keely This moist, dense ginger cake from Jennifer Latham has a beautiful deep-brown color and a lovely sparkling sheen. A light topping of fluffy whipped cream balances the spicy sweetness of the cake. Get the Recipe 03 of 30 Bûche de Noël with Mascarpone Cream and Dark Chocolate Ganache Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Kay Clarke This festive beauty from Food & Wine's Paige Grandjean starts with a flourless sponge cake decorated with a mascarpone-cream filling and a dark chocolate ganache frosting. Meringue mushrooms bring the woodsy look to life. Get the Recipe 04 of 30 Chestnut Pavlova Photo by Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver Nigella Lawson brings us this festive pavlova featuring a chestnut spread and billowy whipped cream. Get the Recipe 05 of 30 Sticky Toffee Pudding Photo by Andrew Bui / Food Styling by Caitlin Haught Brown Chef David Gaus' wintry sticky toffee pudding sings of rich, plump dates and buttery, creamy caramel. Get the Recipe 06 of 30 Sour Cherry–Cheesecake Trifle with Black Pepper and Saba Christopher Testani Pichet Ong's adaptation of the British trifle features pound cake and a cheesecake filling, along with reduced grape must syrup. Swap out the fruits to make a seasonal version throughout the year. Get the Recipe 07 of 30 Triple Chocolate–Peppermint Cookies Justin Walker Homemade peppermint bark adds a lovely pink hue and minty flavor to these chocolate-rich cookies from Linda Levinson Friend. Get the Recipe 08 of 30 Spiced Pavlovas with Oranges and Mulled Wine Caramel Photo by Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee These individual pavlovas represent a mash-up of Food & Wine editor Melanie Hansche's Bavarian and Australian upbringing. The aromas and ingredients of a Bavarian Christmas market — glühwein, toasted almonds, spiced cookies — meet the classic Australian dessert. Get the Recipe 09 of 30 Chocolate Cardamom Cream Tart with Pistachio-Sesame Brittle Anna Stockwell James Beard Award-nominated cookbook author Samantha Seneviratne's lovely tart gets depth from bittersweet and milk chocolate, while cardamom tingles come through the custard and whipped-cream topping. The homemade nut brittle serves as the cherry on top of this holiday treat. Get the Recipe 10 of 30 Chocolate-and-Citrus Cassata Victor Protasio This absolutely jaw-dropping holiday dessert features a buttermilk-chocolate frosting, pistachio praline, ricotta filling, and dark chocolate ganache glaze. Get the Recipe 11 of 30 Butterscotch Pudding Parfait with Gingersnap Crumble Tara Donne Layers of butterscotch pudding, whipped crème fraîche, and spiced gingersnap crumbles make this festive parfait from James Beard Award-winning pastry chef Joanne Chang. Get the Recipe 12 of 30 Coconut Arroz con Leche Tamales DYLAN + JENI These dessert tamales feature a coconut rice pudding filling and a goat milk caramel drizzle. Enjoy them for a special holiday breakfast or brunch. Get the Recipe 13 of 30 Cornmeal Cake Trifle with Sabayon and Candied Kumquats Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Multiple layers of citrus flavors and aromas waft through this cornmeal trifle. A Prosecco dessert sauce and Italian meringue make this trifle feel (and taste) extra special. Get the Recipe 14 of 30 Old Fashioned Doughnut Croquembouche Photo by Sarah Crowder / Food Styling by Drew Aichele In pastry chef Paola Velez's holiday version of croquembouche, cinnamon doughnuts stand in for the typical cream puffs, while delicate strands of caramel and dots of gold leaf adorn the festive tree. Get the Recipe 15 of 30 Vegan Coconut-Ginger Caramels Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely These festive ginger caramels from F&W's Paige Grandjean are plant-based thanks to a creative substitution of coconut oil for the usual butter. Get the Recipe 16 of 30 Tropical Mendiants Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Pastry chef Paola Velez's beautiful chocolate buttons feature an array of tropical fruits and nuts. Chocolate is tempered in the microwave for an approachable holiday confection. Get the Recipe 17 of 30 Goat Cheese Cake with Wine-Poached Cranberries Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely No crust is required in pastry chef Claudia Fleming's holiday cheesecake. Candied pistachios and a cranberry gelée will bring loads of holiday cheer to your dessert table. Get the Recipe 18 of 30 Cocoa Cola Bundt Cake Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Micah Morton / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Cookbook author Vallery Lomas concentrates the soda flavor in this Southern cake by making a reduced Coca-Cola syrup. The syrup adds deep cola flavor to both the cake and the icing. Get the Recipe 19 of 30 S'mores Linzer Cookies Greg DuPree Graham flour and hazelnut give these Linzer-inspired cookies the flavor of s'mores. With marshmallow creme sandwiched between them and a drizzle of melted bittersweet chocolate on top, they're a festive reminder of the campfire classic. Get the Recipe 20 of 30 Triple-Ginger Rye Cookies Greg DuPree Three forms of ginger bring complex sweet, spicy, and warm notes to these festive, wintry rye cookies from F&W's Justin Chapple. Get the Recipe 21 of 30 Basque Cheesecake Cedric Angeles 2020 F&W Best New Chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph bakes a perfectly creamy cheesecake, minus a water bath or risk of a cracked or sunken top, by incorporating whipped cream cheese with heavy cream in the batter. Get the Recipe 22 of 30 Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Vanilla Cream Cheese Fluff © Christina Holmes These are the vanilla-cream-filled whoopie pies of chef Michael Voltaggio's childhood. Rolling the edges in crushed candy canes makes for a festive holiday treat. Get the Recipe 23 of 30 Orange-Anise Croquembouche with White Chocolate Christopher Testani Wow your loved ones with this stunning tower of cream puffs, which seems more challenging to make than it actually is (seriously — only one hour of active time on your part). Get the Recipe 24 of 30 Gingerbread Roll with Cinnamon Cream © Tina Rupp A ginger cake makes the sweet, spiced log in this cream cheese-filled holiday roll from Jennifer Giblin. Get the Recipe 25 of 30 Spiced Gingerbread Cookies © Christina Holmes These adorable gingerbread cookies from Julianne Jones feature notes of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper, along with a wintry undertone of molasses. Get the Recipe 26 of 30 Alfajores de Maizena (Sandwich Cookies Filled with Dulce de Leche) Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Argentinian League of Kitchens instructor Mirta Rinaldi brings us these traditional sandwich cookies featuring soft, buttery cookies and a rich dulce de leche filling. Get the Recipe 27 of 30 Chocolate-Peppermint Brownies © Kristin Perers Perfectly indulgent for the holiday dessert table, these fudgy peppermint brownies also make a wonderful seasonal gift for friends, loved ones, and beyond. Get the Recipe 28 of 30 Cherry-and-Chocolate Bûche de Noël © Michael Turek This festive bûche de noël from pastry chef Dominique Ansel features a lighter-than-usual sponge and a fluffy-soft whipped cream frosting. Get the Recipe 29 of 30 Putri Salju Pandan (Pandan-Flavored Indonesian "Snow White" Cookies) Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Shandra Woworuntu's version of the traditional Indonesian cookie Putri Salju omits the usual nuts but adds pandan flavoring for a vanilla-citrus touch with a festive green hue. Get the Recipe 30 of 30 Gingerbread and White Chocolate Mousse Trifle © Chris Court Ideal for plated holiday feasts, this seasonal trifle contains three perfect desserts in one: mousse, gingerbread, and caramel. Guests will ooh and aah at each distinct layer. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit