50 Christmas Dessert Bars That'll Land You On Santa's Nice List

If you’re looking to add something new and delightful to your dessert spread this year, these are a great place to start. These bars are a great make-ahead treat to add to your next Christmas cookie exchange or deliver as a delicious and thoughtful gift.

Get the Sugarplum Bars recipe.

These enticing sugar cookie cheesecake bars are like the hip cousin of more traditionally cherished desserts, ready to steal the show at your next gathering. They flawlessly blend the soft, buttery sweetness of sugar cookies with the luxurious creaminess of cheesecake, all without the fuss of making a traditional cheesecake.

Get the Sugar Cookie Cheesecake Bars recipe.

Sticky toffee pudding is synonymous with holidays in the U.K., so we're here to turn it into extra-shareable blondies. The toffee sauce is really easy to make—one it's golden and thick, you can drizzle it over the blondies, then top it with some flaky sea salt to give a salted caramel vibe.

Get the Sticky Toffee Blondies recipe.

Perfect for parties, potlucks, or just a cozy night in, these French silk pie-inspired brownies are a versatile treat that will impress your friends and family. The silky chocolate layer gives an elegant touch, while the brownie base keeps things casual and fun.

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We can't think of a better way to celebrate the holidays than these festive blondies loaded with M&M's, crushed Oreos, and chocolate chips.

Get the Christmas Blondies recipe.

Peppermint and chocolate (à la classic peppermint bark) is a wonderful pairing, these bars really let the peppermint shine on its own. They have a tender, almost chewy base that is somewhere between a sugar cookie and a blondie; swoops of minty cream cheese frosting with swirls of red and pink; and best of all, the perfect effort-to-yield ratio.

Get the Peppermint Sheet-Pan Bars recipe.

These have all the comfort of a chocolate chip cookie, with the added crunch of M&M's and the heft of a bar shape, making for a delicious treat that’s impossible to put down. Try them with seasonal M&M's to switch them up for holidays too.

Get the M&M Cookie Bars recipe.

These are kind of like if cheesecake and hot chocolate came together in one perfect bar. They're a chocolate lover's dream.

Get the Hot Fudge Cheesecake Bars recipe.

While adorable gingerbread cookies are a holiday staple, gingerbread goes way beyond the classic cookies. Our newest obsession? Gingerbread blondies. The combination of spices and molasses used in this recipe turns the classic blondies into a festive winter treat fit to be served at any Christmas or holiday party.

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Just when we thought a millionaire shortbread couldn’t get richer, we switched up the classic recipe to feature layers of chocolate shortbread, chocolate caramel, and an added bonus of a cookie 'n' cream filling.

Get the Cookies 'N' Cream Millionaire Shortbread recipe.

Hot tip: the easiest way to make sugar cookies for a crowd is to turn them into bars. Somewhere between a blondie and a cookie, these bars are thick and soft with sweetly pink buttercream frosting spread on top. They take less time than scooping individual cookies and are just as good (and fun to decorate!).

Get the Sugar Cookie Bars recipe.

This recipe can be as fancy or as simple as you want, depending on the type of brownies you make. TBH, this peppermint white chocolate frosting would be amazing on pretty much anything. You could even sub out the brownies for cookies or even... brookies! The delicious options are endless.

Get the Peppermint Bark Brownies recipe.

These white chocolate peppermint blondies are all dressed up for the holidays and ready to win your Christmas cookie swap. They're easy to make: Just top a peppermint-laced chewy blondie with a layer of snow white frosting and a dusting of chopped peppermints.

Get the White Chocolate Peppermint Blondies recipe.

Classic magic bars, sometimes called “7-layer bars,” consist of graham crackers, condensed milk, gooey chocolate, butterscotch chips, coconut, AND nuts. We took these one step further, and added a decadent cheesecake layer that makes these extra special, perfect for sharing some holiday magic with this holiday season.

Get the Magic Cheesecake Bars recipe.

If you love soft gingerbread cookies or millionaire's shortbread, then you’ve got to try this incredible mashup. Layers of chocolate and ginger caramel top tender spiced shortbread for a festive twist on this classic British bar.

Get the Gingerbread Millionaire's Shortbread Bars recipe.

Who can resist the allure of dark chocolate, caramel, and Rice Krispies? These caramel crunch bars are a world of irresistible layers where each bite is a symphony of sweet perfection! In them, crunchy Rice Krispies are enrobed in velvety chocolate, topped with a luscious layer of gooey caramel, and finished with a silky ganache.

Get the Caramel Crunch Bars recipe.

It’s a scientific fact that when you add cookie butter to something, that something becomes infinitely better. Not that cheesecake needs an upgrade, but we're definitely not opposed to the occasional zhuzhing, and these cheesecake bars are “zhuzh” in the most decadent way. Did we mention the caramel drizzle topping? There’s a caramel drizzle topping too.

Get the Cookie Butter Caramel Cheesecake Bars recipe.

These adorable Christmas trees are perfect for when you don't have a ton of time but still want to make something cute and festive. They're easy to assemble and the kids can even help decorate! Use your favorite brownie recipe or a boxed brownie mix, like we did here.

Get the Christmas Tree Brownies recipe.

These irresistible cheesecake bars are like traditional cheesecake’s cool kid sister, and she’s invited to your holiday party this year. These bars perfectly balance creamy, rich cheesecake with the tartness of fresh cranberries and the nuttiness and warmth of a pecan streusel topping with none of the labor-intensity of traditional cheesecake.

Get the Cranberry Crumble Cheesecake Bars recipe.

Cookies usually get all the love, but dessert bars are the real sleeper hit. When the mood strikes for a salty-sweet crowd-pleaser chock-full of crunchy pretzels, gooey coffee-caramel, and chocolate, these check all the boxes.

Get the Chocolate Caramel Coffee Pretzel Bars recipe.