Celebratory Christmas Desserts

Christmas will be more festive than ever with the help of these sweet and eye-catching treats.

Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher

Photo By: Kate Mathis

Photo By: Ryan Liebe

Photo By: Ryan Dausch

Buche de Noel

Transform your holiday dessert spread into a fantasyland by serving traditional French buche de Noel, or yule log cake. Rich chocolate genoise (sponge cake) is rolled in a coffee- and brandy-flavored buttercream, then decorated with marzipan berries, pinecones and mushrooms. The look of awe on your guests' faces will be well worth the effort.

Strawberry Santas

These delicate holiday treats are great for brunch or as a light dessert. For assembly, Giada De Laurentiis pipes rich mascarpone frosting onto cut strawberries, reserving the strawberry tip for Santa's hat.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

For the final act in your holiday meal, whip up this gooey cake made with sweet rum-soaked dates and generously topped with toffee sauce.

Candy Cane Cookies

Sandra Lee creates her charming Candy Cane Cookies using cream cheese for rich texture, box sugar cookie mix for convenience and peppermint extract for holiday flavor.

White Chocolate Holiday Bark

Chocolate bark is a simple, crowd-pleasing sweet. This version is made with white chocolate and studded with red cranberries and green pistachios.

Cupcake Christmas Tree

Transform basic chocolate cupcakes into a stunning centerpiece for your Christmas dessert spread by generously coating the frosted tops with green sprinkles or jimmies and fastening them onto a Styrofoam cone using toothpicks.

No-Bake Chocolate Mocha Yule Log

This showstopping holiday cake requires zero baking and is packed with luscious chocolate and coffee flavor. Make it up to one day in advance to save yourself some time on the big day.

Homemade Cannoli

Alex Guarnaschelli's recipe makes homemade cannoli preparation a breeze. Her No. 1 tip? Don't fill the shells with the cream until you are ready to eat them. A quick dusting of powdered sugar gives these traditional Italian pastries a snow-coated feel, festive for the holidays.

Stollen

This traditional German dessert dazzled with candied fruit and nuts can be served plain or topped with powdered sugar or icing.

Peppermint No-Churn Ice Cream

No ice cream maker is required for this peppermint-packed frozen treat. The refreshing mint flavor comes from two very common candies, while mini marshmallows add an extra something special.

Panettone Bread Pudding with Amaretto Sauce

For this traditional Italian dessert, tender cubes of panettone bread are soaked in a rich custard, then baked and served warm with a sweet amaretto sauce on top.

Ricotta Orange Pound Cake with Strawberries

Giada's homemade pound cake is so sweet, light and fluffy that all it needs is a simple strawberry topping — no need for an icing or a glaze.

Giada's Cranberry Cornmeal Cake

Cranberries, orange zest and cornmeal combine to create an irresistible Christmas dessert.

Christmas Reindeer Brownies

Candy canes, marshmallows and wafer cookies turn fudgy brownies into a festive holiday dessert. These brownies are so easy the kids can help make them!

Santa Hat Crispy-Treat Cheesecake Squares

Crispy treats make an unexpected and sweet crust for cheesecake. Topped with strawberry Santa hats, these squares are sure to become a holiday favorite.

Gingerbread People in Gingerbread Hot Chocolate Tubs

Give your gingerbread people a story this year. Frost on bathing suits and let them swim in cups of hot cocoa.

Pull-Apart Gingerbread Man

This year's gingerbread man is made of cupcakes. Make sure to snap a photo of your handiwork before letting guests devour it!

Christmas Brownie Trees

A simple brownie recipe becomes extra special with the addition of green frosting and candy. We bake the brownies in round cake pans to make cutting triangle shapes easy, with no trimmings or waste.

Chocolate Almond Cake with Sugared Cranberries

Make this elegant chocolate cake using a mix of all-purpose flour and almond flour. Top it with sweet and tangy sugared cranberries for festive flavor.

Meringue Lollipops

White chocolate lollipops are sandwiched between hardened meringues for an elegant, seasonal dessert.

Meringue Sandwiches

Mini meringues are the perfect size for these dessert sandwiches. Sandwich berry jam or lemon curd between two and serve them on a crystal platter for a wintry presentation.

Peppermint Marshmallow Snowmen

These cheerful snowmen have a secret: They're flavored with peppermint extract for an extra dose of holiday cheer.

Triple Ginger Souffle

Giada's sweet-and-spicy souffle makes an elegant addition to a holiday brunch table. The recipe takes its name from the three types of ginger it requires: ground, crystallized and fresh.

Eggnog Ice Cream

Alton Brown adds bourbon and freshly grated nutmeg to his creamy vanilla ice cream to create a frozen form of the classic holiday drink.

Holiday Central