Plan in advance with these easy, make-ahead Christmas dessert recipes. Whether it’s cookies, cakes or other tasty treats, you can make these desserts a few days in advance of the holiday. Plus, these desserts only require 30 minutes of prep time, so you can focus on preparing the rest of the meal. Desserts like Cranberry Cheesecake Bars and Peppermint-Chocolate Greek Yogurt Bark are healthy, seasonal and delicious.
Pecan Pie Dump Cake
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Keosha McGhee
This is one of the easiest holiday desserts you can make. Simply whip up the pecan mixture, pour it into the pan and sprinkle and drizzle the remaining ingredients over the top. After 40 minutes of covered baking, you’ll have a warm, gooey dessert at the ready without any fuss.
Raspberry-Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower.
Bright, tangy and festive, these raspberry-lemon crinkle cookies put a fresh twist on a beloved classic. Rolled in a vibrant raspberry–powdered sugar coating, the cookies bake up with a crinkled finish and a pop of berry flavor in every bite.
Chocolate-Peppermint Cake
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower.
This seasonal cake is the ultimate holiday dessert—rich, moist and deeply chocolaty with a cool hint of peppermint in every bite. The batter comes together quickly with pantry staples, while a splash of hot coffee intensifies the cocoa flavor. For a touch of holiday sparkle, a shower of crushed peppermint candies adds extra color and crunch.
Cranberry-Apple Streusel Bars
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower.
These fruity streusel bars are a standout dessert for holiday gatherings. The crust and crumb topping—made with a blend of all-purpose and whole-wheat flours—adds a nutty depth and sturdy bite that pairs beautifully with the sweet and tangy cranberry-apple blend.
Mini Chocolate-Dipped Date-Apple Bites
Peyton Beckwith
This easy, four-ingredient treat features dates stuffed with peanut butter and apples for a bite that will remind you of a caramel apple. A thin layer of dark chocolate adds the perfect amount of sweetness. Any nut butter works well here—try almond or cashew for a different flavor.
Italian Love Cake
Photos: Jason Donnelly, Food: Sammy Mila, Props: Breanna Ghazali.
Italian Love Cake is a layered dessert that uses simple ingredients, making it easy to whip up anytime. It starts with a rich chocolate devil’s food cake batter on the bottom and a sweet, creamy ricotta cheese layer on top. Once cooled, it’s finished with a fluffy chocolate pudding and whipped topping frosting.
Apple-Honey Cake
Photos: Jason Donnelly, Food: Sammy Mila, Props: Breanna Ghazali
This is a warm, tender dessert that celebrates the flavors of fall. Sweetened with honey and brown sugar and studded with chunks of juicy roasted apple, it’s rich with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom. The cake stays moist thanks to the fruit and honey, and it gets even better as it sits—perfect for baking a day ahead.
Pumpkin–Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood.
These oatmeal cookies are a soft, chewy dessert that blends fall flavors with just the right amount of sweetness. Pumpkin puree adds moisture and a lovely orange hue, while warm pumpkin spice enhances the seasonal vibes. Studded with dark chocolate chips, each bite is the perfect balance of sweet and spice.
Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood.
Mashed ripe bananas keep this cake moist, while ginger, cinnamon and cardamom add a fragrant, cozy depth. The tangy cream cheese frosting perfectly balances the sweetness and spice of the cake.
Lemon-Blueberry Cheesecake Jars
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer
These lemon-blueberry cheesecake jars are a high-protein dessert that combines a creamy, tangy filling with a sweet, fruity twist. Made with reduced-fat cream cheese and part-skim ricotta, these jars are packed with protein while fresh blueberries add natural sweetness.
High-Fiber Black Bean Brownies
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
These black bean brownies are everything you could possibly want—moist, rich and fudgy with big chocolate flavor. Black beans not only enhance the texture but also give these brownies a nutritional boost!
Bingka Labu Kuning (Pumpkin Cake)
Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Sylist: Sammy Mila, Prop Stylist: Breanna Ghazali
This Indonesian bingka labu kuning, or pumpkin cake, is a wonderful alternative to pumpkin pie. Once baked, it has a firm outer skin and a rich, custardy filling.
Flaky Apple Pie Bars
Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Sylist: Kelsey Moylan, Prop Stylist: Breanna Ghazali
Grab your box of puff pastry for these easy and delicious apple pie bars. You can use any kind of nut you want like almonds or pecans. These bars are a great choice for a fall dessert and would be ideal for a Thanksgiving meal.
Pumpkin Trifle
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf
We think this pumpkin trifle is the best dessert you’ll enjoy this fall, combining layers of pumpkin spice-flavored cake and a creamy pumpkin filling that captures the season perfectly. As a time-saving shortcut, we use vanilla pudding mixed with canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice for the filling, making it both easy to prepare and delicious. This festive dessert is sure to be a hit for the holidays or at any autumn gathering!
Key Lime Pie Cheesecake Bars
Greg Dupree
These Key-lime-pie-meets-cheesecake bars are the perfect mashup of creamy and tangy flavors, offering just the right amount of sweetness. Use fresh-squeezed Key lime juice if Key limes are in season.
Mbatata (Sweet Potato Cookies)
Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Addelyn Evans, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
Mbatata cookies are made with sweet potatoes and originated in Mawali. They are heart-shaped to represent the location of Malawi within the African continent—in the center and the heart of the land.
Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
Photographer: Jacob Fox, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Joseph Wanek
These tender and sweet vegan peanut butter cookies are as simple as it gets. Crunchy peanut butter adds texture, but smooth peanut butter will work well too. These harden as they cool, so wait for them to cool completely before eating. For a different take, try adding 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips or toasted coconut to the batter when you stir in the peanut butter and maple syrup.
2-Bite Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Tarts
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco
These mini pumpkin cheesecakes are a festive dessert for any gathering. Feel free to sprinkle a little extra cinnamon on top to amp up the warm, cozy flavors. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can make your own with a mix of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg.
