Recipes Holidays and Events Recipes Christmas Desserts 18 Traditional Christmas Desserts We Could Make Every Year By Mary Claire Lagroue Mary Claire Lagroue Mary Claire Lagroue is the Commerce Editor at Food & Wine. A former associate editor at Allrecipes, she joined Dotdash Meredith in 2019. She has written about food since 2017, covering everything from product reviews to recipes to restaurants. Her work can be found in Cooking Light, Southern Living, and more. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Updated on November 23, 2021 Close Photo: Dotdash Meredith Of all the traditions that come with Christmas, perhaps none are as sweet as the desserts we make. The nostalgia surrounding our favorite holiday cakes, pies, cookies, and candies keeps us coming back to them year after year like a magical time machine. Scroll through to find some of our most beloved traditional Christmas recipes that never go out of style. 01 of 19 Bûche de Noël View Recipe kaolinite Also known as a Yule log, this traditional chocolate cake still steals the show in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, and other former French colonies. 02 of 19 Mini Christmas Cakes View Recipe Allrecipes You may associate fruitcakes with that one neighbor, coworker, or aunt who never failed to deliver one to your door. Gifting Mini Christmas Cakes would be a fun, unexpected alternative to a standard fruitcake. 03 of 19 Russian Tea Cakes I View Recipe Philly Ry "Bubba brought it with her when she came from Lithuania. I pass it on in the true spirit of this season," says recipe creator THEAUNT708, who adds that five generations have now made these cookies during the Christmas season. 04 of 19 Eileen's Spicy Gingerbread Men View Recipe Dotdash Meredith "I was looking for a classic, soft, delicious gingerbread cookie recipe, and I found it! This recipe makes such a nice, soft dough with the perfect blend of spices." — Spongebob7 05 of 19 The Real Red Velvet Cake View Recipe Smart Cookie Though it's a Christmas-appropriate shade of red, this red velvet cake requires no food coloring thanks to non-alkalized cocoa powder. An old-fashioned white ermine frosting tops it off. 06 of 19 Aunt Teen's Creamy Chocolate Fudge View Recipe My Hot Southern Mess "My mother used to make fudge every Christmas, and although I wanted to carry on that tradition the traditional fudge recipes were all so hard and never seemed to turn out well. I tried this recipe last year, and not only was it quick and super easy, the fudge tasted spectacular," home cook HEATHERHIPPO writes. 07 of 19 Carrot Cake III View Recipe sarah "This is my husband's favorite cake, but we always purchased one from a bakery. So, I was very intimidated trying this, not only for him but for Christmas day with his family. The instructions were to the point and very easy to follow, but most importantly, it was an absolute hit! Everyone loved it, especially my better half. I'd recommend this recipe to anyone and everyone," Ebbz Rozéfort says. 08 of 19 French Silk Chocolate Pie I View Recipe Mackenzie Schieck "I got rave reviews from everyone at Christmas dinner. All the ladies wanted the recipe," home cook DULCINEA27 writes. "It was light and fluffy and set very well. Goes great with a very buttery crust!" 09 of 19 Chantal's New York Cheesecake View Recipe GameGurl012 "I have never made a cheesecake before, and because of the reviews for this one, I made it for Christmas. Oh my goodness! It was the best I ever had," Alicia Capozzi says. 10 of 19 Date Nut Loaf Cake View Recipe Meredith A warm brown sugar sauce takes this moist Date Nut Loaf Cake to the next level. For an extra kick, consider replacing a tablespoon of water with whiskey, as home cook amirasandra suggests. 11 of 19 Soft Christmas Cookies View Recipe Pictured: Soft Christmas Cookies | Photo by MDarling. "These cookies puffed up nicely and held their shape when using cookie cutters. Very buttery and not overly sweet," home cook Bonniejo Roberts says. Other reviewers agree that these cookies couldn't be easier to bake and cut. 12 of 19 Apple Pie by Grandma Ople View Recipe Photo by Holiday Baker. With 10,000 reviews averaging a five-star rating, this prize-winning pie may just rival your own grandmother's recipe. 13 of 19 Too Much Chocolate Cake View Recipe Amber Dehn-Koenig "This chocolate cake is phenomenal! I have been making this for about two years now for many, many different occasions, and it always gets rave reviews," Ellen E. says. "Chocolate doesn't get any better than this!" 14 of 19 Irresistible Pecan Pie View Recipe Photo by Meredith. Meredith "After a trial run to rave reviews, this pie made its proper début at our family Christmas dinner and was one of the smash hits of the evening," reviewer SARAH-NEKO says. 15 of 19 Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake View Recipe Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake | Photo by Meredith. Meredith Sticky toffee pudding is a traditional English dessert that gets its flavor from cinnamon, dates, raisins, and dried currants. 16 of 19 Peppermint Brittle View Recipe Photo by tamzie. "A Christmastime treat! This holiday confection is gobbled up quickly by guests, and it is so easy to make. The cool crunch of peppermint with creamy white chocolate is a divine combination," writes recipe creator HONDA. 17 of 19 Favorite Old Fashioned Gingerbread View Recipe Dotdash Meredith Food Studios "If I could give this 10 stars, I would. First time I ever made a gingerbread, and now I've got to make it every year for Christmas. Everyone just loved it." — Randi Johnsen 18 of 19 Holiday Rum Balls View Recipe Chef John Dark rum, dark chocolate, and cocoa powder transform plain brownies into a rich dessert. 19 of 19 More Christmas Dessert Inspiration Jessica Furniss Cut Into This Bundt Cake for a Festive Surprise With Every Slice 25 Fancy Christmas Cookies That Are Gifts All by Themselves Browse All Christmas Dessert Recipes Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit