50+ of the BEST Holiday Desserts - I Heart Naptime (2024)

Jamielyn Nye
Updated December 6, 2023

7 comments

These sweet treats are the best holiday desserts out there. Add some baking time into your Christmas festivities and enjoy these delicious recipes!

50+ of the BEST Holiday Desserts - I Heart Naptime (2)

This post may contain affiliate links. Read disclosure policy.

Most Popular Holiday Desserts
Christmas Cookies
Candy
Pies
Easy Holiday Desserts
Bars and Brownies

Most Popular Holiday Desserts

I look forward to making holiday treats each year. Whether it’s Christmas cookies, pies, candy and more, there are so many delicious Christmas desserts to whip up!

One of my hands-down favorite parts of the holidays is all of the holiday desserts that everyone bakes up. I feel like it is my personal duty to taste test as many of the treats as possible—it is my job, after all! :)

In case you haven’t quite figured out what you’d like to leave out for Santa, I’ve rounded up some of the BEST holiday dessert recipes! You’ll find all of your favorites in this amazing list. So what are you waiting for?! Get to baking!

Christmas Cookies

There’s a good reason that cookies are first on this list. You’ve got to make sure you have a Christmas dessert to leave out for Santa with a glass of milk, after all! Plus, baking cookies as a family is such a sweet Christmas tradition. Make a few of these recipes to hand out as gifts to neighbors, friends, and any stray reindeer you come across.

Ginger Molasses Cookies

Molasses cookies that are soft and chewy on the inside and crisp around the edges. Full of delicious ginger flavor and taste just like Christmas! Drizzle or dip in white chocolate for the ultimate holiday cookie!

Total Time: 33 minutes minutes

Christmas Sugar Cookies

This is the best Christmas sugar cookies recipe. They have a sweet buttery taste plus are soft, chewy and easy to roll out then cut into shapes.

Total Time: 1 hour hour 28 minutes minutes

Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe

This super soft snickerdoodle cookie recipe will instantly win you over! It truly is the best. It's a classic recipe that makes soft and chewy snickerdoodle cookies with lots of flavor every time.

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

M&M Christmas Cookies

Thick and chewy M&M Christmas cookies with crispy edges, a soft center and bursting with chocolate flavor. These are the ultimate cookie recipe to make this holiday season!

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Soft sugar coated peanut butter blossoms topped with a chocolate Hershey's kisses. Perfectly soft and chewy and perfect for a holiday cookie exchange.

Total Time: 18 minutes minutes

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

These chocolate crinkle cookies are fudgy on the inside with a crisp outside edge! So rich and decadent and adored by any and all chocolate lovers.

Total Time: 38 minutes minutes

Easy Oatmeal Cookies

These are the BEST oatmeal cookies! Crispy around the edges and soft and chewy in the center. So easy to make and even easier to eat!

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Recipe

Chocolate peppermint cookies are a double chocolate cookie filled with fresh peppermint flavor. The perfect Christmas cookie!

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Butter Cookie Recipe

Easy to make butter cookie recipe that melt in your mouth and have amazing butter flavor! With crisp edges and a tender center, they are not only a holiday classic but delicious year round.

Total Time: 26 minutes minutes

Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

Soft and chewy gingerbread man cookies full of ginger spice flavor. This classic Christmas treat is the perfect cookie to decorate with your family this season!

Total Time: 1 hour hour 32 minutes minutes

Mexican Wedding Cookies

These Mexican wedding cookies are so simple and take only 5 ingredients to make! The perfect bite-sized cookie recipe that will literally melt in your mouth.

Total Time: 28 minutes minutes

Pistachio Cookie Recipe

Soft, chewy and festive pistachio cookies are easy to make with instant pistachio pudding mix. A little green food coloring makes them perfect for Christmas or St. Patrick's Day!

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

These cinnamon roll cookies are soft, filled with cinnamon flavor and topped with a cream cheese frosting.

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

White chocolate cranberry cookies are soft, chewy, and chunky loaded with white chocolate and dried cranberries. A delicious festive cookie perfect for the holidays!

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Shortbread Cookies

These shortbread cookies are so easy to make with only 5 ingredients, melt in your mouth, and turn out beautiful every time. They are perfect to make cut out, pressed or stamped shortbread cookies.

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Turtle Cookies

Rich and decadent these turtle cookies are made with soft chocolate cookies, rolled in pecans, filled with caramel and then topped with a chocolate drizzle!

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Candy

When I think of Christmas, I immediately think of all of the delicious homemade candy recipes. They holidays just aren’t the same without fudge, caramels, toffee and more. Any of these candy recipes below would make a great gift for neighbors or the perfect addition to your holiday goodie plate!

Microwave Fudge

Creamyhomemade fudge made in the microwave with only 3 ingredients! Top with a gooey saltedcaramel or mix in your favorite chopped nuts. You won't believe how easy and delicious this chocolate fudge recipe is!

Total Time: 13 minutes minutes

Caramel Candy Recipe

Pies

Mmmm, it doesn’t get much better than buttery, flaky pie crust topped with warm toppings. Pie is a traditional holiday dessert and we always have a least two to three off this list on our table.

Homemade Pumpkin Pie

Easy Holiday Desserts

These sweet treats are easy, delicious and practically guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser! Plus, most of these recipes are made with just 5 ingredients or less!

Oreo Balls

These OREO balls are made with just 3 simple ingredients and are such an easy dessert recipe to make. Drizzle with chocolate or top with your favorite colored sprinkles for the perfect decorative treat!

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Rolo Pretzels

Only 3 ingredients to make and the perfect blend of salty and sweet, crunchy and chewy, and all around delicious! These Rolo pretzels are the easiest holiday treat and are so fun and festive

Total Time: 13 minutes minutes

Sugar Cookie Truffles

No-bake sugar cookie truffles made with only 4 ingredients! An easy and delicious treat for the holidays that is super easy to make.

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Pretzel Hugs

These Christmas Pretzel Hugs are the easiest holiday treat! Made with just 3 simple ingredients and take only 10 minutes from start to finish. Perfect easy and inexpensive holiday gift idea!

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Chocolate Pretzel Rods

Salty pretzel rods dipped in layers of sweet caramel and chocolate. These easy Christmas pretzel rods are a must-have this holiday season!

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Christmas Oreos

These chocolate covered Christmas Oreos are an adorable, classic and easy treat the whole family can help make! Only 2 ingredients and 10 minutes needed to make this easy dessert.

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Sweet Chex Mix Recipe

Sweet Chex Mix Recipe…ooey gooey chex mix topped with fresh coconut and sliced almonds. Such a delicious treat that will instantly become a new favorite. You’ll love this yummyooey gooey chex mix recipe!

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Rolo Pretzel Reindeer

These Rolo Pretzel Reindeer are the perfect treats for the holiday season and so easy to make! Only takes 4 ingredients and a few minutes to bake.

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Snowman Oreo Balls

Adorable snowman Oreo balls are a fun, festive, and delicious DIY activity for the kids! Made with Oreo cookies, cream cheese and melted chocolate, these super easy snowmen are always a hit!

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Christmas Chex Mix

Sweet and salty Christmas chex mix made with just 5 simple ingredients. This is the perfect no-bake dessert recipe to have in your back pocket during the busy holiday season!

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Saltine Cracker Toffee Recipe

This saltine cracker toffee recipe is made with just 3 simple ingredients in 15 minutes! A seriously addicting treat that's super easy to make.

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Muddy Buddies

Crunchy Chex cereal coated in peanut butter, chocolate and powdered sugar.These muddy buddies (aka puppy chow) are an easy no-bake treat made with 6 ingredients in just 15 minutes!

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cornflake Wreaths

Cornflake wreaths are a yearly traditional Christmas treat that comes together in minutes. They're an easy yummy dessert perfect for sharing with friends, family, and neighbors!

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Bars and Brownies

Bars and brownies top my list of holiday dessert ideas because they are perfect to make for a crowd. These recipes can easily be doubled or tripled and doled out to all your friends and family.

M&M Cookie Bars

These Christmas M&M cookie bars are gooey, soft and loaded with M&M's and chocolate chips. So easy to make and perfect for a cookie exchange or holiday party!

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

7-Layer Bars

7-layer bars (aka magic cookie bars) loaded with gooey layers of graham cracker crumbs, chocolate and butterscotch chips, pecans and coconut. They really are seven layers of magic!

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Homemade Snickers

Delicious homemade snickers bars filled with layers of chocolate, nougat and caramel. This easy no-bake treat will become one of your absolute favorites!

Total Time: 3 hours hours

Raspberry Jello Pretzel Salad

Raspberry jello pretzel salad is a little sweet, a little salty and a crowd-pleasing favorite! A cream cheese and Cool Whip mixture sits atop a salted pretzel crust layered with raspberry jello, it's irresistible.

Total Time: 4 hours hours

Frosted Brownies

The ultimate rich and decadent fudge frosted brownies that are topped with a smooth, luscious chocolate ganache. These are any chocolate lover's dream!

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Chocolate Lasagna

This no-bake chocolate lasagna has layers of crushed Oreo's, cream, chocolate pudding and chocolate chips! Does it get any better than that?!

Total Time: 3 hours hours 35 minutes minutes

Strawberry Santa Hat Brownie Bites

Strawberry Santa Hat Brownie Bites…cute, easy and delicious! The perfect no-bake treat for Christmas that everyone always loves!

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Peppermint Brownies in a Jar Recipe

This peppermint brownie mix in a jar makes the perfect holiday gift! It's easy, festive and tastes delicious once baked. Download the free printable tags for an extra special touch!

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Chocolate Mint Brownies

Soft and fudgy mint brownies are layered with a mint frosting and topped with chocolate ganache. This classic combination is the perfect dessert for parties and potlucks!

Total Time: 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Peppermint Brownies

Rich and fudgy peppermint brownies topped with a peppermint buttercream frosting and a silky chocolate ganache. This indulgent dessert is perfect to enjoy this Christmas!

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Categorized as: Christmas, Desserts, Recipe Roundup

Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.

More about Jamielyn Nye