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90 Easy Holiday Desserts To Take Some Stress Off Your Plate This Season

Keep your days merry and bright with these easy recipes.

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sugar cookies stacked with green icing and sprinkles to make christmas tree stacks
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Around the holidays, life can get wildly chaotic, and fast. While we’ve always got dreams of decking the halls and doing all sorts of Christmas baking, the reality is we don’t always have the time or the energy. Luckily, we’ve got a ton of recipes for sweet treats here that’ll keep up your holiday spirit even if you’ve got a busy schedule or aren’t that confident in the kitchen. Whether you’re looking to jazz up a store-bought dessert, want something homemade but completely no-bake, or are willing to turn on your oven but not for long, we’ve got recipes here for you. Check out our 90 best super-easy holiday desserts—they’ll keep you feeling jolly all season long.

When it comes to Christmas desserts, cookies are practically a competitive sport. While we’re not immune to the pull of wanting to create over-the-top versions completely from-scratch (see our new ugly sweater cookies for proof), we’re just as big of fans of adding easy ingredients to store-bought to make them extra festive. Check out our Pillsbury stacked sugar cookies, our reindeer Milanos, our melted snowmen cookies, our mini no-bake gingerbread icebox cakes, our Santa hat cheesecake bites, or our Oreo penguins for ideas.

Want a recipe that takes a bit more effort but still don’t want to get your oven involved? We’ve got a ton of no-bake options on this list that are still sure to impress. Try our 12 layers of Christmas trifle, our Rice Krispie snowballs (stuffed with peanut butter cups), our mint chocolate chip pie, our cannoli icebox cake, our no-bake creamsicle cheesecake, or our bourbon balls. They’re still completely homemade, but you won’t have to bend over backward to make them.

If you're willing to turn on your oven to achieve holiday dessert greatness, we’ve got additional options for you. You’ll barely need to use your oven here, so they’re still pretty low-stress. Try our sugarplums, our stained glass cookies, our chocolate coconut balls, or our Christmas tree brownies. They look extra-impressive, and only you’ll know how little effort they took. 😉

Want even more Christmas inspiration? Check out our top Christmas appetizers, dinners, and cocktails too.

1

Gingerbread Cookie Bark

white chocolate bark with gingerbread cookies and sprinkles
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

If you’re a gingerbread head like us, congratulations, you’ve stumbled upon the perfect recipe for your holiday season. This bark blends white chocolate with all your favorite holiday spices and is topped with gingerbread cookies to create a simple yet delightful treat.

Get the Gingerbread Cookie Bark recipe.

2

12 Layers Of Christmas Trifle

layered trifle topped with sugared cranberries
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

This stunning layered Christmas trifle features buttery pound cake, cranberry compote, and homemade whipped cream for a centerpiece-worthy holiday dessert (that's secretly SO easy).

Get the 12 Layers Of Christmas Trifle recipe.

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3

Mini No-Bake Gingerbread Icebox Cakes

mini no bake gingerbread icebox cakes
PHOTO: BRYAN GARDNER; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Usually, icebox cakes are built as one large treat, but for this recipe, everything is scaled down to create individually-sized icebox cakes using thin gingersnaps full of warm spices, cool cream, and adorable charm.

Get the Mini No-Bake Gingerbread Icebox Cakes recipe.

4

Christmas Tree Cookie Stacks

sugar cookies stacked with green icing and sprinkles to make christmas tree stacks
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

All you need is store-bought sugar cookie dough, an easy homemade buttercream (colored green to nail the Christmas vibes), and your desired decorations to create these tiny edible trees. In 30 minutes, you’ll have the cutest cookie stacks that everyone will be fighting over.

Get the Christmas Tree Cookie Stacks recipe.

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5

Reese's Rudolph Bites

reeses candy stuck together with pretzels to make mini reindeers
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

If you’re looking for the perfect holiday craft-meets-snack activity to do with the whole family, look no further. True to form, these Reese’s Rudolph bites are bringing home the holiday cheer this year.

Get the Reese's Rudolph Bites recipe.

6

Cake Mix Peppermint Bark Cookies

chocolate cookies with peppermint bark and white chocolate
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Though we’re all for pulling out all the stops for holiday baking masterpieces, sometimes you just really want or need some festive cookies, like right now. That’s where these cake mix cookies come in. Best part? How versatile these are—you can use any mix-ins you like.

Get the Cake Mix Peppermint Bark Cookies recipe.

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7

Santa Hat Cheesecake Bites

mini cheesecake bites topped with strawberries and whipped cream to look like a santa hat
PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

These mini cheesecake bites are the easiest way to show Santa you deserve to be on the nice list this Christmas. Bonus: You can top any holiday treat with these adorable little hats—cupcakes, cookies, Jell-O shots...

Get the Santa Hat Cheesecake Bites recipe.

8

Christmas Fudge

chocolate fudge topped with christmas sprinkles
PHOTO: LINDA PUGLIESE; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Old-fashioned fudge can be finicky and often requires a candy thermometer, but the condensed milk in our this recipe acts as a foolproof shortcut—no temperature checks needed—and boosts both flavor and texture.

Get the Christmas Fudge recipe.

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9

Espresso Martini Icebox Cake

layers of chocolate graham cracker, coffee chocolate ganache, and espresso whipped cream
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

We're still espresso martini obsessed, and we'll take it in any format we can get—especially if it's a show-stopping dessert like this one. This easy icebox cake has layers of chocolate graham crackers, coffee chocolate ganache, and espresso whipped cream, plus cocoa powder and chocolate-covered espresso beans for crunch on top.

Get the Espresso Martini Icebox Cake recipe.

10

Pillsbury Stacked Sugar Cookies

sugar cookie with christmas pillsbury sugar cookies in the middle surrounded by sprinkles
PHOTO: BRYAN GARDNER; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Thanks to Pillsbury’s adorable holiday-shaped sugar cookie doughs, all you need to bring out the festive vibes is two packs of dough (one with shapes, and one without) and some colorful sprinkles. Pull out your ugly Christmas sweater, put on your favorite holiday movie, and get ready to create the ultimate (and easiest!) cookie plate for Santa.

Get the Pillsbury Stacked Sugar Cookies recipe.

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11

Grinchy Christmas Cake Bites

green covered cake bites with red hearts
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

This holiday season, be the who’s who of Whoville with a festive treat that even the Grinch himself couldn’t resist!. These bite-sized delights are the perfect combination of rich red velvet and the mischievous charm of the Grinch, and they’ll make your heart grow three sizes this holiday season.

Get the Grinchy Christmas Cake Bites recipe.

12

Cannoli Icebox Cake

layered cannoli icebox cake
PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

With the not-too-sweet creamy filling inside a crispy shell, cannoli are a nearly perfect dessert. Making your own is a fun little project but a little time consuming, and frying the shells can be intimidating. This easy icebox cake is the perfect alternative.

Get the Cannoli Icebox Cake recipe.

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13

Reindeer Berry Snacks

chocolate covered strawberries shaped like reindeers
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

We’ve never met a chocolate-covered strawberry we didn’t like (nay love), and these festive reindeer berry snacks are no exception. With pretzel antlers, a red M&M for a nose, and chocolate chip ears, these easy-to-make berries just might be the cutest Christmas snack we’ve ever laid (candy) eyes on.

Get the Reindeer Berry Snacks recipe.

14

Holiday Cookie Pops

sugar cookies with sprinkles on sticks
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Cake pops are old news—these cookie pops are an adorable twist on an easy treat. Simply grab a tube of refrigerated sugar cookie dough, your favorite holiday sprinkles, and some popsicle sticks, and you'll have a shareable holiday dessert in no time. Pro tip? You can dunk these into hot cocoa for the ultimate festive combo.

Get the Holiday Cookie Pops recipe.

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15

Melted Snowman Cookie Dough Bites

melted snowman cookie dough bites
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Using our delicious edible cookie dough recipe, white chocolate ganache, and a couple of candy decorations, these melted snowman bites are the perfect sweet treat to bring to any holiday party. Plus, they’re ready in just 30 minutes, making them perfect for last-minute gifts and get-togethers.

Get the Melted Snowman Cookie Dough Bites recipe.

16

Biscoff Trifle

a trifle dish filled with layers of spice cake, caramel, cookie butter mousse, whipped cream, and biscoff cookies
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

You may be most familiar with these cookies as a beloved Delta in-flight snack. In fact, Biscoff’s partnership with the airline is what first introduced American consumers to the cookie in the 1980s. We love eating them all year long, but especially around Christmastime, so we decided to celebrate speculoos with this show-stopping holiday trifle.

Get the Biscoff Trifle recipe.

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17

Ice Cream In A Bag

ice cream in a bag with cherries, sprinkles, and toppings
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Pssst: You don't need a fancy ice cream maker to make ice cream at home, all you need is a plastic baggie and 15 minutes! Add a different extract, throw in a little chocolate syrup, or top with candy for the sundae of your dreams.

Get the Ice Cream In A Bag recipe.

18

Oh Fudge, Fudge

red fudge shaped like soap with the words oh fudge
PHOTO: BRYAN GARDNER; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Watching The Christmas Story is a yearly tradition around these parts, and our movie night isn’t complete without eating on-theme Christmas treats while we watch. Usually we make our iconic leg lamp cookies, but this year we’re adding soap-shaped fudge to the menu (trust us!).

Get the Oh Fudge, Fudge recipe.

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19

Elf On The Shelf Mischief Munch

chex mix with red and green candy and icing
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Finally catch that Elf on the Shelf in the midst of his crazy antics with this no-bake mischief munch.

Get the Elf On The Shelf Mischief Munch recipe.

20

Reese's Trees

stacks of mini reeses peanut butter cups decorated with white and green royal icing and red green and white nonpareil and star sprinkles to look like christmas trees
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

These adorable Christmas treats take around 10 minutes to assemble, and will surely be the hit of any holiday party (especially for you peanut butter-chocolate fans). All you need are regular and mini Reese's peanut butter cups, melted chocolate (for "glue"), a Hershey's kiss as a tree topper, and sprinkles and icing for decorating.

Get the Reese's Trees recipe.

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