Looking for christmas dessert recipes with a little extra holiday charm? Think chocolate bark with crushed candy, cookies with tiny smiling faces and a berry-covered wreath.
These dessert ideas give you plenty of inspiration for what to bake, decorate or serve.
You can keep things simple or go all out with a cake centerpiece. I especially love the strawberry-hat gnomes!
Pick your favorites below, then use a trusted recipe for the baking details.
Christmas Desserts Worth Saving
candy-topped chocolate bark
We’re starting off strong with this pretty two-tone chocolate bark. I love the white top against the dark bottom layer.
The crushed red-and-white candy makes even the uneven pieces look festive.
Read also: 20 Peppermint Desserts With Candy Cane Swirls and Chocolate
If you want to follow this presentation, arrange the broken pieces on a pale platter so those little red details stand out.
a Christmas cookie box
How cute is this cookie box? The smiling brown macarons and little white bear faces are my favorite parts.
There are green marbled trees, chocolate-dipped cookies and sugar-covered stars tucked around them too.
If you’re saving ideas while searching for christmas baking recipes desserts, keep this mixed cookie box in mind. Try grouping each cookie style together rather than scattering them throughout.
snowy chocolate Yule log
I am obsessed with this Yule log. The lines through the chocolate coating look like tree bark, with a snowy dusting over the top.
The red berries and green sprigs are so pretty against the brown. For your own version, keep any garnishes food-safe and separate from decorative holiday greenery.
little cereal puddings
These little pudding-shaped treats are just adorable. The chocolate-coated cereal gives them a bumpy surface, while the pale topping drips down around the edges.
Keep the red round decorations and green leaf shapes if you want that same miniature Christmas pudding look.
cookie-topped layered trifle
If you are looking for a dessert to put in the middle of the table, this one is for you. The clear bowl shows off pale layers, golden-brown sauce and darker cookie pieces.
I love the little gingerbread-shaped cookie standing in the white swirl on top. That’s the finishing detail I’d keep.
loaded sprinkle cookies
Don’t want to pipe tiny faces onto cookies? No problem!
These thick cookies have plenty going on with chocolate chips, dark sandwich-cookie pieces and red, green and white sprinkles.
Read also: 20+ Sheet Pan Birthday Treats Ideas That Wow Crowds
The big pieces on top are my favorite part. Choose a tested loaded-cookie recipe if you want to try a similar combination.
bright berry trifle
This is another gorgeous trifle, but it’s a little different from the one above. I love how the strawberry slices sit against the glass between the pale filling and cake pieces.
Read also: 20 Cheesecake Ideas With Berries, Cookie Layers and Chocolate
The blueberries and tall pile of raspberries make the top just as pretty. A clear serving bowl is worth using for this one.
berry pavlova wreath
How pretty is this berry-covered wreath? The white pavlova forms a big ring with red and blue berries piled all around the top.
I love the red sauce running down the sides. Leave the middle open when arranging your toppings so you can still see that lovely wreath shape.
cranberry orange cookies
These cranberry orange cookies look so pretty with their white drizzle. The red cranberry pieces show through both the golden tops and the broken cookie in front.
If you prefer less detailed decorating, this is a lovely direction to try. Keep the drizzle loose rather than aiming for perfectly straight lines.
chocolate walnut fudge
Love a little crunch in your chocolate fudge? Big walnut pieces peek through the cut sides of these squares.
There’s no extra decoration on top, just a few swirls across the chocolate.
round holiday character cookies
How adorable are these little faces? The snowmen have orange noses and dotted smiles, while the brown faces have red cheeks and white icing across the top.
You don’t need a different cookie shape for every design here. Round cookies also become snowflakes, strings of lights and little Santa suits.
pecan-topped bars
I love these pecan bars with their golden base and glossy brown filling. The chopped nuts cover the top, with little white flakes scattered between them.
Cut your own batch into smaller squares if you’re serving them beside cookies and other little sweets.
iced Bundt with cookie figures
This cake may just be one of my favorites here. The thick white icing follows the curves of the Bundt, with little gingerbread figures sitting around the top.
That smiling cookie at the front is so cute! Try a similar cookie garnish on your favorite Bundt recipe rather than adding lots of different decorations.
strawberry-hat cheesecake gnomes
OMG, how adorable are these mini cheesecakes? The pointed strawberries look like little hats over the piped white beards.
Each one has a round nose tucked just beneath the brim.
The snowy dusting makes them even cuter. I’d serve these on a plain plate so you can see every little face.
chocolate-covered cookie centers
Don’t want to add red and green to every dessert? No problem there!
These chocolate cookies have big glossy swirls on top and a little pale filling showing through the bitten one.
Read also: 20 Fall Desserts and Sweet Serving Ideas Worth Saving
I’d leave the tops just like this. They don’t need sprinkles to look lovely on a cookie tray.
golden bread pudding
If you’re looking for a more homey dessert to serve straight from its dish, take a little inspiration from this bread pudding. The overlapping pieces have deeply browned edges and a light dusting of sugar.
The simple white baking dish keeps the presentation nice and understated.
red-and-white swirl cupcakes
I am obsessed with this red-and-white frosting swirl. It’s so pretty with the matching striped wrapper!
Try this color pairing with your preferred cupcake recipe. There’s no need to add a separate topper when the tall two-color swirl already gives you that candy-cane look.
candy-sprinkled chocolate truffles
These chocolate truffles give you another way to use that crushed-candy look. The cut one shows distinct ridges and layers of chocolate inside its darker coating.
I love the little red, white and green pieces on top. Individual paper cases make a pretty presentation if you’re adding them to a dessert platter.
saucy cake and ice cream
Who needs extra decoration with a dessert like this? The dark cake has glossy brown sauce running down its sides, plus a pale scoop of ice cream on top.
Follow this plating idea with a sticky toffee pudding recipe. Choose a plate with enough room for that generous pool of sauce.
heart-window sandwich cookies
Last but definitely not least, we have these pretty sandwich cookies. I love the little red hearts showing through the sugar-dusted tops.
The scalloped edges are such a sweet detail.
Read also: 20 Valentine's Day Desserts With Hearts, Berries and Chocolate
Keep the heart cutouts if you want this same look, or try tiny stars for a more Christmas-themed variation.
Just a little note - some of the links on here may be affiliate links, which means I might earn a small commission if you decide to shop through them (at no extra cost to you!). I only post content which I'm truly enthusiastic about and would suggest to others.
And as you know, I seriously love seeing your takes on the looks and ideas on here - that means the world to me! If you recreate something, please share it here in the comments or feel free to send me a pic. I'm always excited to meet y'all! ✨🤍
Xoxo Camille