A frosted cake on a cake stand, topped with sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs.

I always think of Christmas dinner as the final sprint of the holiday entertaining race. (New Year’s Eve has never been a big deal to The One and me.)

Because of that, Christmas dessert—the last part of the last meal—sometimes gets short shrift at our house. A simple chocolate cake, some 36-hour chocolate chip cookies, a lemon-blueberry cake. Even a pint of store-bought ice cream.

I’m curious. What about you? By the time Christmas rolls around, are you over entertaining and cooking? Does dessert get shrugged off, or do you go all out?

Let me know in the comments how you put a sweet ending to one of the last big holidays of the year.

Chow,

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Christmas cakes that dress for the occasion

These are the cakes that get a double take at the table. Spice, cranberries, eggnog, candied fruit—the flavors that strut for a few weeks a year and then poof! So use them while you have them.

A whole frosted white Christmas cake topped with sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs on a white cake stand.
Sarah Kieffer
1 of 25

White Christmas Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream

This is my favorite white cake, and while I’d eat it perfectly plain, adding cranberry jam, white chocolate buttercream, and sugared cranberries is not a bad idea, either.
A swirled gingerbread Bundt cake with a lemon glaze on top, all on wire rack over a sheet pan.
Suech and Beck
2 of 25

Gingerbread Bundt Cake

This gingerbread Bundt cake has all the warm spicy goodness of gingerbread cookies. As if that weren’t enough, it’s gilded with a sassy and sweetly tart lemon glaze.

Featured Review

I just finished making this gingerbread Bundt cake, and while it was still warm, I cut a small “tasting” section. Oh my! It’s moist, spicy, and wonderful. I loved having all the ingredients in the house. It came together easily and would be a perfect cake for a beginner baker. Now I can’t wait till dessert!!

nancy
A plate with a slice of pound cake with currants, and a cake stand in the background with the remaining cake.
Scott Peterson
3 of 25

Eggnog Pound Cake

This eggnog pound cake, made with rum, nutmeg, eggnog, and studded with currants, is the perfect Christmas Bundt cake or hostess gift.

Featured Review

This pound cake recipe (dare I say it) “takes the cake!” With a super moist crumb and all of the traditional flavors of homemade eggnog, this recipe is one I will be dog-earring for holiday menus to come.

The recipe calls for rum-soaked currants and a rum glaze, but I had brandy on hand so I used that instead. I highly recommend this eggnog pound cake to anyone looking for a scrumptious and festive holiday dessert or brunch dish!

Anna

Your Christmas dessert questions, answered

What is the most popular Christmas dessert?

In America, it’s pumpkin pie, hands down. (I know I was shocked, too.) A 2024 Newsweek survey of 1,000 people found that 40% serve it at Christmas, with apple pie at 27% and pecan pie at 25%. Which means the Christmas dessert table is mostly Thanksgiving in a different sweater. Cross the Atlantic, and, according to YouGov, it’s entirely different. 41% of Britons have Christmas pudding and 31% have mince pies.

What are some easy Christmas desserts that still feel special?

For an easy showstopper of a centerpiece, try the gingerbread Bundt cake. Peppermint brownies are a festive choice with just 15 minutes of hands-on time. My pomegranate Basque cheesecake is made in a food processor and skips the crust and water bath, though you’ll still need to allow time to cool.

Can I freeze Christmas desserts ahead of time?

Some, yes. The Bundt cakes and pound cakes can be frozen, well wrapped, for up to 2 months. The layers from both white chocolate cakes can be wrapped separately, as can their frostings. Let them come to room temperature and frost the day you’re serving.

For the peppermint brownies, freeze the brownies and frosting separately, then assemble after thawing. Follow the individual recipe’s instructions for freezing and thawing.

I’d skip freezing the tarts and pies, as well as the rice pudding and crème caramel. I have a friend who has successfully frozen her famous tiramisu, but I’ve never tried it.

How should I store Christmas desserts, and how long can they sit out?

Follow each recipe’s storage instructions. Cheesecakes, custards, cream pies, and desserts with perishable fillings or toppings need refrigeration. Don’t leave perishable desserts out for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F. Most plain cakes and brownies can be kept covered at room temperature.

Cranberry upside-down cake with a large piece missing, on a white plate with a serving knife beside it.
Zoë François
4 of 25

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

The Grand Marnier (an orange liqueur) gives the cake a pleasant kick that plays beautifully with cranberry. Making this tender, buttery cake provides a perfect excuse to share a slice over the backyard fence, maybe with someone who’s short on their own cranberry source.

Featured Review

I made this cake for a dinner party and used my 10-inch springform. I increased all of the ingredients by one half, and doubled the cranberries. It came out perfectly and everyone loved it. This is a superb cake!

Lisa
Dried fruit and nut cake in slices on a wooden cutting board with parchment paper, beside a red and white dish towel.
Leigh Beisch
5 of 25

Dried Fruit and Nut Cake

This dried fruit and nut cake is chock-full of crunchy nuts and moist dried fruit. A new, and maybe even better, twist on that holiday favorite.

Featured Review

Wow! This fruit and nut cake is so delicious. I jam-packed mine with a little extra fruit and nuts, and it still held together well—great to have a forgiving and versatile recipe. It’s the first fruitcake-style dessert I’ve ever made, and I will definitely make it again!

COCO M.
A fancy Bundt Kentucky bourbon cake on a silver platter.
Erin Kunkel
6 of 25

Kentucky Bourbon Cake

This Kentucky bourbon cake has people going bonkers. It's the real deal—an authentic Southern classic that’s much like a pound cake, given its, er, obscene amount of butter and its tender, perfect crumb. And oh, baby, just wait'll you taste the bourbon glaze.

Featured Review

Yummmmmm! This was absolute perfection as the final course for my small bourbon tasting. We used Woodford Reserve, and everyone raved. Thank you!

Kristen Kennedy
A slice of 2 layer white chocolate whisper cake with pistachio frosting and filling, on a white plate beside a cake stand containing the rest of the cake.
David Leite
7 of 25

White Chocolate Whisper Cake

White chocolate offers the double advantage of velvety, melt-in-the-mouth texture and, because of white cake's gentle flavor, a definite whisper of cocoa butter. This special flavor blends well with a lemon buttercream or, of course, David's pistachio buttercream.
A black and white Swirl pattern.

Bright citrus holiday bakes

Winter and citrus go together like that earworm of a song in the musical Grease… you know the one. Sure, that’s the height of their season, but there’s also something so refreshing and bright about lemon or orange on dark, cold winter days. (Of course, if you live in the Southern Hemisphere, ignore everything I just said. But make these, you’ll still love ’em.)

Close up shot of a moist orange olive oil cake slice showing a tender crumb and golden crust.
Clare Barboza
8 of 25

Portuguese Orange Olive Oil Cake

This Portuguese orange olive oil cake has an unforgettably tender crumb and a citrus smack thanks to fruity olive oil, winter navel oranges, and orange zest.

Featured Review

This cake is my favorite recipe hands down. I make it every couple of weeks with blood or navel oranges or a mix of the two. Whether just for the family or a dinner party, it goes fast! Every now and then I’ll drizzle a little chocolate glaze over the top for variety. If you want something really dynamite, serve the cake with David’s plum sorbet. I’ve made a lot of friends this way.

Maria G
Meyer lemon tart on a white cake stand black background.
Shimon | Tammar
9 of 25

Meyer Lemon Tart with a Layer of Chocolate

This Meyer lemon tart with a layer of chocolate combines sweet-tart lemon custard with bittersweet chocolate and nestles it all inside a pâte sucrée dough.

Featured Review

I made this with our Meyer lemons and really like the addition of the chocolate, as well as the nice gloss of the lemon filling. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

A black and white Swirl pattern.

For the chocoholics in your life

Every table has at least one person for whom dessert means chocolate and nothing else. In our house, it’s The One. These are for them.

A flourless chocolate cloud cake topped with billows of whipped cream on a metal platter.
David Leite
10 of 25

Flourless Chocolate Cloud Cake

This flourless chocolate cloud cake is a wickedly elegant dessert that’s deceptively easy to make. Just four ingredients–chocolate, eggs, butter, and sugar–come together for a crunchy-on-the-outside, airy-on-the-inside cake.

Featured Review

There are numerous versions of this cake, this one truly “takes the cake.” The ingredients are simple: butter, sugar, chocolate, and eggs. Mostly pantry/staple/on-hand items. And the technique and instructions are spot on. In no time, you can have something for a simple get-together or a treasure for a true celebration. A real showstopper!

William
A glass cake stand with four slices of chocolate marquise with brandied cherries on the side.
William Meppem
11 of 25

Ultimate Chocolate Marquise

This ultimate chocolate marquise may be my favorite dessert. It keeps so well you can freeze it for up to a month, then when someone drops by, you can instantly pull it out of the freezer and offer a slice. Also, it’s so easy to make but looks difficult and “restauranty.”
Fifteen brownies, frosted with white frosting and speckled with crushed peppermint candies.
David Leite
12 of 25

Peppermint Brownies

If you love chocolate and mint, then these festive holiday brownies are for you. They're bursting with mint flavor from the cakey brownie, fluffy peppermint frosting, and crushed candy canes on top.

Featured Review

Delicious! Let’s try to celebrate peppermint year-round and not just during the season of candy canes! I plan to use your peppermint brownies recipe throughout the year with soft peppermints that are available locally, like Brach’s, Bobs, etc.!

Cecile
A molten chocolate cake on a plate with the filling oozing out and a few pieces of dark chocolate on the side.
Taylor Kiser
13 of 25

Classic Molten Chocolate Cakes

These classic molten chocolate cakes (also called chocolate lava cakes) from Jean-Georges Vongerichten are made with flour, sugar, chocolate, egg, and butter. When baked, the cake doesn't cook through, creating a lava flow of chocolate when cut into. If that weren't enough, the batter can be made ahead of time.

Featured Review

They’re delicious. I showed students how to use parchment, but at home I skipped it, and they were fine!

Jacqueline
A black and white Swirl pattern.

Cheesecakes worth the calories. (I’m serious.)

How many times have I dived headlong into a cheesecake at a Christmas party only to think, “I blew every Weight Watchers point for the next month on that?” Rest assured, none of that will be happening here. These are knock-it-out-of-the-park winners. Don’t get me wrong… you’ll still blow through every Weight Watchers point for the next 30 days, but it will be so worth it!

A whole gingerbread cheesecake on a white platter with a slice missing from it.
Sang An
14 of 25

Gingerbread Cheesecake

This gingerbread cheesecake tastes like classic Christmas spices—cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove—in each and every bite. A simple yet stunning holiday dessert.

Featured Review

I made this over the weekend, and it is a winner. This will become part of my yearly Christmas baking routine. Thanks for sharing!

Gillian
A slice of cheesecake topped with cranberries on a silver cake lifter.
Pormchai Mittongtare
15 of 25

Cranberry-Orange Cheesecake

This cranberry-orange cheesecake from Bon Appetit is scented with vanilla and orange and topped with sweetened fresh cranberries. A perfect holiday dessert.

Featured Review

This fantastic holiday dessert has become a favorite that we have every year. A friend’s 12-year-old daughter once told me—in June—that she “still remembers that cheesecake.” (You feel so delighted when someone remembers a dessert you served 6 months ago!)

Nana’s Girl
A slice of burnt Basque cheesecake with pomegranate, ready to be enjoyed.
David Leite
16 of 25

Basque Cheesecake with Pomegranate Molasses

This burnt Basque cheesecake knocks it out of the park with the addition of pomegranate molasses. The classic caramelized top and a melt-in-your-mouth creamy center are there, but the pomegranate molasses adds a distinctive fruity tang.

Featured Review

Really fantastic and now one of the most-requested cheesecakes in my family. The pomegranate molasses is the bomb, and adding the 1/2 cup is highly recommended. Also, this is the recipe where I learned (after 40 years of baking) to WET and Crumple the parchment—game changer!!!!

Monica Flynn
A black and white Swirl pattern.

Spoon-erific desserts

Rich, creamy, and super spoonable, these desserts are an easy and elegant way to wrap up the holiday. (And, yup, I’m aware that the sticky toffee pudding has a fork in the photo. But do you really want to leave any of that sauce on the plate? I didn’t think so.)

Sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream on a white plate with a fork, beside a small bowl of extra toffee sauce.
Alan Benson
17 of 25

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Sweet, sticky, and completely addictive, it is always a crowd-pleaser. A classic British dessert made with sweet brown sugar and date sponge cake soaked in a buttery, rich, and delicious sticky toffee sauce. Top it with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Featured Review

Yes this was the best! I made this for the first time last week for my husband’s birthday, and he couldn’t stop raving about it. I had to hide the leftovers, but it’s a keeper!

Janice Howie
A white serving platter filled with Portuguese rice pudding and topped with toasted pistachios and cinnamon.
Andrew Montgomery
18 of 25

Portuguese Rice Pudding ~ Arroz Doce

This Portuguese dessert, made by cooking rice with whole milk infused with citrus and cinnamon and making it like custard with the addition of egg yolks, is creamy and comforting.

Featured Review

Oh, this arroz doce is delightful. I like the testers’ method of using cheesecloth to strain the aromatics from the milk and leaving them in until just before adding the egg yolks. I tossed in two handfuls of dried cranberries before adding the egg yolks. I love the pop of tartness that they bring. I might add some cardamom as well. Such a comforting dish, and sooo good eaten warm. Superb!

Lisa
Three plates, each with a crème caramel on them with spoons resting on the side.
Laura Edwards
19 of 25

Crème Caramel

I find this dessert such a simple comfort. It might be the most basic of baked custards, but it really is heaven on a plate. Perhaps it is the memories of eating it as a child, or maybe it’s the texture. Either way, it is a delicious, classic dessert that deserves to be brought back from the annals of “retro” and “old-fashioned” to sit proudly on our dinner tables once again.

Featured Review

Made this dessert this weekend! Sheer genius!

A square baking dish filled with traditional Italian tiramisu with a spoon resting inside and a portion missing.
Caroline de Luca
20 of 25

Traditional Italian Tiramisu

This authentic tiramisu recipe is made with layers of ladyfingers that are dunked in spiked espresso, and a whipped mascarpone and egg mixture. It's light, creamy, and so very satisfying.
A black and white Swirl pattern.

Deck the halls with tarts and pies

Call me crazy, but I love the mix of savory and sweet. And nothing hits that (forgive the pun) sweet spot for me better than a crust with just the right amount of salt and a sweet filling.

A round white plate with six slices of eggnog pie and a dish of whipped cream.
Steve Painter
21 of 25

Eggnog Pie

Eggnog pie is as easy to make as eggnog and bears much likeness to its rich namesake custard spiked with rum. It’s just in a graham cracker crust. Think of it as a slightly tipsy-inducing cheesecake—and the most quintessential holiday dessert we can imagine when it comes to Christmas.

Featured Review

Thanks so much for this delicious, so easy, and so seasonally appropriate eggnog pie! It was a nice, not-so-rich dessert that presented beautifully as the final act of Christmas Eve dinner. I loved that I could make this the day before, stick it in the refrigerator, and not worry about it again until we were ready for dessert.

Lynn
Four plates of rum pecan pie in a flaky crust, topped with whole pecans and vanilla ice cream.
Ellen Silverman
22 of 25

Rum Pecan Pie

This rum pecan pie is all grown up thanks to a little splash of rum in the sweet and crunchy pecan filling. Just like traditional pecan pie. Only better.
Maple pumpkin pie slices on 3 plates, topped with whipping cream. Flanked by a napkin, a cup of coffee, and a bowl of whipping cream.
Joseph De Leo
23 of 25

Maple Pumpkin Pie

This maple pumpkin pie is just about as traditional as tradition can get. The crust is a flaky pâte brisée, and the filling is pumpkin purée, flavored with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and the twist of maple syrup.

Featured Review

The best pumpkin pie I’ve made; and I’ll be making it again this year. Maybe a bourbon barrel-aged syrup to give it more depth. Maybe chai-spiced whipped cream to gild the lily!

Judith Peres
Caramel sauce drizzled over a slice of apple pie on a white plate.
David Leite
24 of 25

Caramel Apple Pie

This caramel apple pie takes classic apple pie to the next level. For this beloved autumn dessert, warmly spiced apples are embraced in a nutty whole wheat pie crust and baked until golden. A lacquer of sweet caramel to finish takes this pie over the top.

Featured Review

Mine is not nearly as pretty as David’s, but delicious all the same! In fact my husband and friends polished it off before I could add caramel sauce! Note to self: don’t leave the room while the pie is cooling.

Deb
A salted caramel tart on a white cake stand on a table
Leigh Beisch
25 of 25

Salted Caramel Tart

The secret with caramel tarts, I found, is to be brave and cook the caramel until it is rich and dark without letting it burn and turn bitter. If you lack courage and don't cook it quite to the daring point that I do, the tart will still be delicious–just sweeter.

Featured Review

I have made it twice, so I thought I’d add my two cents (besides just agreeing that it’s a caramel addict’s dream). One thing you can do with this recipe with great success is make individual, bite-sized tarts using mini muffin pans (about 18 to 24 from the quantity of caramel in the recipe); add toasted pignoli pine nuts for added visual interest and some crunch; freeze for later; impress everyone who tastes it, and I mean everyone.

Allison Parker

With the collection of holiday dessert recipes above, you’ll get a spectacular finish to your big-bash meal. But if you’re hosting a casual gathering, feel free to just put out some plates of Christmas cookies and call it dessert. Hey, you’ve already worked hard enough!

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About David Leite

I’ve received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. I’m the author of The New Portuguese Table and Notes on a Banana. For more than 27 years, I’ve been developing and testing recipes for my site, my books, and publications. My work has also appeared in the New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, and more. I’m also a cooking teacher, memoirist, and inveterate cat lady.

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