Easy Christmas Desserts, Cookies & Holiday Treats
Christmas baking doesn’t have to take over your entire December. We’ve rounded up our favorite Christmas cookies, festive treats, and desserts, including cookie exchange favorites, make-ahead cheesecakes, and a few nostalgic sweets that deserve a spot on the holiday table. Pick what sounds good and leave the complicated stuff to somebody else. 🎄
🍪 Christmas Cookies & Cookie Exchange Favorites
Some cookies are Christmas traditions for a reason. These are the ones to bake for cookie exchanges, gift boxes, or a plate on the kitchen counter that mysteriously needs refilling.
Russian Tea Cakes
These buttery, powdered sugar-coated cookies are a family Christmas tradition. Just five ingredients, and no eggs needed.
Grandma’s Soft M&M Cookies
Soft cookies filled with colorful M&M’s. A familiar family favorite that belongs on the Christmas cookie tray.
Bisquick Heath Bar Cookies
An easy cookie option with Heath candy pieces for a little chocolate-and-toffee crunch.
Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sometimes you just want a good old-fashioned chocolate chip cookie. No holiday makeover required.
Cowboy Cookies
A hearty cookie option for anyone who wants something beyond the usual sugar cookies and shortbread.
Peppermint Brownie Bites
Little chocolate brownie treats with a peppermint twist. A nice change from traditional Christmas cookies.
🎅🏼 Easy Christmas Treats & Little Sweets
Not everything on the Christmas dessert table needs to be a cookie. These smaller treats add a little holiday fun without requiring another full-size dessert.
Festive Oreo Bites
Fun little Oreo treats that add some Christmas cheer to a dessert tray.
Christmas S’mores
A festive spin on the classic chocolate, marshmallow, and graham cracker treat. Especially fun for the kids.
Sugared Cranberries
Sparkling, sugar-coated cranberries that look beautiful on a Christmas dessert table. Use them as a festive garnish or serve them on their own.
🍰 Make-Ahead Christmas Desserts
Getting dessert finished before Christmas Day is always a good plan. These cheesecakes and chilled desserts give you a few options that don’t require last-minute baking.
Homemade Mini Cheesecake Sampler
Twenty-four individual no-bake cheesecakes with different topping options. Great when you want a little variety without making several full-size desserts.
Mini Gingerbread Cheesecakes
Individual cheesecakes with festive gingerbread flavor. A lovely alternative to another plate of cookies.
No Bake Oreo Cheesecake
A creamy Oreo dessert that skips the oven. A good choice for chocolate-and-cookie fans.
Pineapple Delight Cake
A nostalgic pineapple dessert with a whipped topping that serves 24. Make it ahead and keep it chilled until dessert time.
🎂 Christmas Cakes, Sweet Breads & Other Desserts
Need something to slice and serve after Christmas dinner? These recipes offer a few alternatives to cookies and individual treats.
Bisquick Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake
A festive Bundt cake with cranberry and orange flavors. A beautiful choice for the Christmas dessert table.
Cranberry & Eggnog Loaf
A sweet holiday quick bread featuring cranberry and eggnog flavors. Enjoy a slice with coffee or add it to your Christmas sweets spread.
Chocolate Walnut Phyllo Dessert
A chocolate-and-walnut dessert made with delicate layers of phyllo. Something a little different when you want a dessert beyond the usual holiday cookies and cakes.
🎁 Before You Go…
Dessert is handled! Now for the rest of Christmas. Check out our Christmas appetizer ideas for something to serve before dinner, Christmas breakfast recipes for a delicious start to the day, and Christmas cocktails and mocktails to keep the holiday drinks flowing. Cheers! 🥂
