The holidays are a time to get together and, more often than not, eat. No meal or banquet is complete without dessert. Since it can be tricky to choose a suitable treat after a meal, we've selected some of our favorite festive dessert recipes for various holidays throughout the year.
Pumpkin Pie (Thanksgiving)
Pumpkin pie is a popular Thanksgiving dessert. Silky, spiced, and complete with a buttery crust. The scent of cinnamon and nutmeg evokes holiday vibes. No Thanksgiving table is complete without it.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Mix pumpkin, eggs, cream, sugar, and spices.
- Pour into crust; bake 50–60 minutes until set.
Pecan Pie (Thanksgiving)
A Pecan pie is a rich and indulgent dessert that's great any time of the year and at Thanksgiving. This Southern classic is now a nationwide holiday favorite. Warmth and sweetness in every bite!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Mix syrup, sugar, eggs, and butter; stir in pecans.
- Pour into crust; bake 55–60 minutes.
Gingerbread Cookies (Christmas)
Gingerbread cookies are great for young bakers at Christmas. Making them doubles as an activity for the kids since they can decorate them. They can also sit around as décor, too!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cream butter, sugar, molasses; beat in egg.
- Stir in the dry ingredients; chill for 1 hour.
- Roll out; cut shapes; bake 8–10 min at 350°F.
Yule Log / Bûche de Noël (Christmas)
A Yule Log is beautiful and delicious. A rolled sponge cake with creamy filling is guaranteed to impress your guests. This also makes a wonderful centrepiece for any table.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Bake sponge in sheet pan; roll in towel to cool.
- Fill with whipped cream; reroll.
- Frost with buttercream; decorate.
Fruitcake (Christmas)
Fruitcake is a holiday dessert full of dried fruits and nuts. The flavours deepen as it ages, allowing you to make it ahead of time. There's a reason it's the quintessential traditional holiday dessert.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Cream butter + sugar; beat in eggs. Fold in flour, fruit, nuts.
- Bake in loaf tin 1½–2 hrs.
Bakers often worry about their cakes drying out during the holidays, but a few simple tricks can help. Measuring flour carefully prevents a dense texture, while replacing some of the butter with oil keeps the crumb soft. Once baked, wrapping cooled cakes tightly before frosting locks in moisture and improves flavor overnight.
Christmas Pudding (Christmas)
A Christmas pudding is a showcase dessert. It's rich, dark, and full of holiday spices. This British holiday tradition is steamed and served doused in flaming brandy. Just be careful with it!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Mix ingredients; place in a greased pudding basin.
- Steam 5–6 hrs until firm.
- Reheat by steaming before serving.
Simnel Cake (Easter)
Simnel cake is an almond-topped fruitcake. With a marzipan layer and decorative almond balls, it's festive and symbolic. Add some international flair to your Easter table with this.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cream butter + sugar; add eggs. Fold in flour, spices, fruit.
- Spread half in tin; top with marzipan; cover with remaining batter.
- Bake for 2 hrs at 300°F. Brush with jam, decorate.
Hot Cross Buns (Easter)
How cross buns are synonymous with Easter. These sweet, spiced, and fluffy buns are even better with a pat of butter. They also smell great while you're making them.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Activate yeast in warm milk + sugar.
- Mix flour, butter, egg, spices; knead.
- Rise for 1 hr; shape into buns; pipe crosses. Bake 20 min at 400°F.
Carrot Cake (Easter)
Carrot cake is a moist and spiced cake topped with cream cheese frosting. It's a popular Easter dessert across the US. It's popular, so get a piece before it's gone.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Mix flour, sugar, spices.
- Add eggs, oil, carrots.
- Bake 35 min at 350°F. Frost when cool.
Lemon Bars (Easter)
Lemon bars are bright and tangy. The combination of a buttery crust and a zesty filling makes them a refreshing choice after a big meal.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Bake crust 15 min at 350°F.
- Mix eggs, sugar, lemon juice.
- Pour over crust; bake 20 min.
Candy Corn Fudge (Halloween)
This dessert is colourful and creamy, bringing together a Halloween palette for a discerning palate. Yellow, orange, and white layers of fudge are eye-catching on any table. Adults and kids will love it.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Melt chocolate + condensed milk.
- Divide; tint portions yellow and orange.
- Layer yellow, orange, then white in pan. Chill.
Witch Finger Cookies (Halloween)
Witch finger cookies are creepy and delicious. With almonds for the nails and jam for the blood, they're spooky showstoppers. They're as fun to make as they are to eat so get the kids involved.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cream butter + sugar; add egg. Fold in flour. Chill 20 min.
- Shape into logs; add knuckle creases. Press almond on tip.
- Bake for 12 min at 350°F. Add jam for blood effect.
Ghostly Cupcakes (Halloween)
Ghostly cupcakes are cute and spooky. Use swirls of white frosting and chocolate chips for the eyes. This is another great dessert you can get the kids involved in making.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cool cupcakes completely.
- Pipe tall swirls of buttercream.
- Add chocolate chips as eyes.
Mummy Pretzel Sticks (Halloween)
A combination of sweet and salty, mummy pretzels are quick and easy to make for Halloween. Drizzle white chocolate “bandages” and use candy for the eyes. These are bite-sized snacks that won't last anywhere near as long as real mummies.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Dip pretzels in melted chocolate.
- Drizzle more chocolate as bandages.
- Add candy eyes.
There are plenty of things you could prepare for Halloween.
Apple Pie (Thanksgiving)
You can't beat an all-American apple pie. A flaky crust with warm spiced apples makes this a holiday essential. A slice with ice cream can't be beat.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Mix apples with sugar, flour, spice.
- Fill crust; dot with butter. Cover with top crust.
- Bake for 45–50 min at 400°F.
Cranberry Cake (Thanksgiving/Christmas)
Cranberry cake is light, tart, and refreshing after a big meal. Whether it's after dinner at Thanksgiving or Christmas, the ruby colour sits nicely with any spread. It's a simple bake, but it makes a big impression.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cream butter + sugar; add eggs.
- Fold in dry ingredients and cranberries.
- Bake for 35 min at 350°F.
Pavlova (Easter/Spring)
A pavlova is an airy and crisp meringue topped with cream and fruit. It's light while still feeling decadent. A guaranteed centerpiece for spring holidays since it also looks great.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Whip egg whites + sugar to stiff peaks.
- Fold in starch + vinegar. Bake for 90 min at 250°F.
- Cool in oven; top with cream + fruit.
Mini Cheesecakes (Easter/General)
Mini cheesecakes are always a crowd pleaser. Individual portions make them great for parties, too. You can top them with fruit, candy, or sprinkles according to the season or event.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Press crust into muffin cups.
- Beat cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla. Pour and bake for 20 min at 325°F.
- Chill; top with fruit/candy.
Not every festive dessert needs hours of intricate decoration to shine. A sprinkle of colored sugar, a handful of themed candies, or a swirl of whipped cream can instantly elevate a simple bake. With just a few finishing touches, even the easiest recipes can look as if they came from a bakery.
Rugelach (Hanukkah)
Rugelach are bite-sized delights. These pastries are flaky and filled with jam, nuts, or chocolate. They're great for sharing and gifting during the holidays.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Make dough with flour, butter, cream cheese. Chill.
- Roll dough; spread filling; roll up and slice.
- Bake for 20 min at 350°F.
Sufganiyot (Hanukkah)
Sufganiyot are soft, pillowy, and sweet. Beloved across generations, they're hard for anyone to resist. Their festive look makes them great for gatherings, too.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Make yeast dough; rise for 1 hr.
- Shape into balls; rise again. Fry until golden.
- Fill with jam; dust with sugar.
Gulab Jamun (Diwali)
Galub jamun is a rich, sweet, and indulgent treat. These soft dough balls are iconic at Diwalki celebrations. You'll find them drawing a crowd, that's for sure.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Make dough from milk powder, flour, ghee, milk.
- Shape small balls; fry until golden.
- Soak in warm syrup.
Tres Leches Cake (Latin America/Christmas)
Tres leches cake, as the name suggests, is soaked in three kinds of milk. This is a popular holiday treat across Latin America. It's also a lighter alternative to some of the heavier desserts typically served during the holiday season.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Bake sponge; cool.
- Poke holes; pour over three milks.
- Chill; top with whipped cream.
King Cake (Mardi Gras)
King Cake is a star of Mardi Gras. A sweet dough with cinnamon filling is hard to resist. Bright sugar toppings make it a fun, festive centerpiece.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Make yeast dough; fill with cinnamon sugar.
- Shape into ring; rise.
- Bake for 35 min at 350°F. Top with icing + colored sugar.
Red Velvet Cupcakes (Valentine’s/Christmas)
Red velvet cupcakes make a great addition to any holiday, especially ones that use a lot of red, like Christmas and Valentine's Day. Balance the rich cocoa flavour with cream cheese frosting. These cupcakes are as pretty as they are delicious.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cream butter + sugar; add eggs.
- Mix in dry ingredients + buttermilk.
- Bake for 18 min at 350°F. Frost when cool
Chocolate Bark with Festive Toppings (General)
Chocolate bark is a treat you can customise. You can break it into shards and decorate with candy, fruit, or nuts. Adjust your decoration to the holiday, and there you have it!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Melt chocolate; spread thin.
- Add toppings.
- Chill; break into pieces.
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