20 Showstopping Christmas Desserts That’ll Amaze Everyone
These showstopping Christmas desserts are sure to impress everyone at your holiday celebration. From festive gingerbread cupcakes and Christmas tree cookies to beautiful cakes, each one brings plenty of Christmas cheer to the table.
Some are fun baking projects when you want to spend extra time decorating, while others come together with less effort. Either way, these festive desserts will look impressive at holiday parties.
Showstopping Christmas Desserts That’ll Amaze Everyone
1. Gingerbread Cupcakes
Brown butter gives these gingerbread cupcakes a rich base that pairs nicely with maple cream cheese frosting. Mini gingerbread cookies on top turn each cupcake into a festive Christmas treat.
Get the Recipe: Gingerbread Cupcakes
2. Ugly Sweater Cake
A boxed cake mix and four pantry staples provide the starting point for this colorful cake inspired by tacky Christmas sweaters. Frosting and holiday garnishes let you pile on cheerful designs and quirky details for a dessert that is as fun to decorate as it is to serve.
Get the Recipe: Ugly Sweater Cake
3. 3D Stacked Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies
Star-shaped sugar cookies stack together with soft buttercream to create miniature Christmas trees with plenty of height. Piped frosting needles and sparkling white candy stars finish the tender, buttery cookies with a festive touch.
Get the Recipe: 3D Stacked Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies
4. White Christmas Cake
This Christmas cake makes a striking centerpiece with cranberry orange filling and whipped white chocolate ganache frosting. The combination brings bright holiday flavor and an elegant finish to the dessert table.
Get the Recipe: White Christmas Cake
5. Snowman Macarons With Eggnog Buttercream
Little snowman-shaped macarons hide a seasonal eggnog buttercream filling inside their shells. Royal icing decorations add charming details and make these treats especially festive for Christmas.
Get the Recipe: Snowman Macarons With Eggnog Buttercream
6. Sparkling Frosted Cranberry Cookies
Dried cranberries brighten these buttery sugar cookies, while a hint of lemon adds another layer of flavor. Vanilla-almond buttercream and sugar-coated berries create a creamy, crunchy finish that works beautifully for cookie trays and holiday gifts.
Get the Recipe: Sparkling Frosted Cranberry Cookies
7. Bourbon Eggnog Cupcakes
These creamy, warmly spiced cupcakes bring the familiar flavor of eggnog to a festive handheld dessert. You can include bourbon or leave it out, and miniature snowflake cookies add a wintry finishing touch.
Get the Recipe: Bourbon Eggnog Cupcakes
8. Christmas Sugar Cookies
Soft, buttery cutout cookies provide a blank canvas for colorful icing, sprinkles, and other Christmas designs. A light glaze dries to a glossy finish, making the cookies especially nice for a holiday decorating session.
Get the Recipe: Christmas Sugar Cookies
9. Gingerbread Cheesecake
Classic gingerbread flavor meets creamy cheesecake in a Biscoff cookie crust made for the holiday season. Homemade whipped cream and gingerbread men cookies complete the festive presentation.
Get the Recipe: Gingerbread Cheesecake
10. Chocolate Covered Oreo Christmas Cookies
Oreos get a holiday makeover with colorful candy melts, sprinkles, and decorations such as icing, pretzels, or gold leaf. Use molds for tidy edges or dip the cookies by hand for a fun decorating project for kids and adults.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Covered Oreo Christmas Cookies
11. Peanut Butter Cup Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups
Pull-apart cookie dough helps these bite-sized treats come together in just five minutes of prep before they are filled with mini Reese’s cups and marshmallow bits.
Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter Cup Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups
12. Christmas Oreo Snow Globe Cookies
No oven is required for these Oreo snow globes, which turn dipping and decorating into an edible Christmas craft. Set out icing, sprinkles, and 2D icing decorations so everyone can customize their own wintry cookie creation.
Get the Recipe: Christmas Oreo Snow Globe Cookies
13. Grinch Cake
This sweet loaf cake hides a red heart inside its green pistachio cake center for a playful Grinch-inspired surprise. Cake mix shortcuts are used for both portions of the batter, keeping the focus on creating the hidden holiday design.
Get the Recipe: Grinch Cake
14. Snowman Oreo Balls
Oreo balls become cheerful snowmen with decorated faces and clever little hats made from Oreos and Rolos. Their winter theme makes them a cute addition to Christmas dessert platters and seasonal parties.
Get the Recipe: Snowman Oreo Balls
15. Reindeer Cupcakes
These Christmas cupcakes are decorated like adorable reindeer. You’ll want to add these to your holiday dessert lineup.
Get the Recipe: Reindeer Cupcakes
16. Bûche de Noël Yule Log Cake
A chocolate roll cake forms the foundation of this classic Bûche de Noël, giving Christmas dinner a traditional showpiece for dessert. This recipe is a good fit for bakers ready to tackle a more involved holiday baking project, but the gorgeous results are worth it.
Get the Recipe: Bûche de Noël Yule Log Cake
17. Gingerbread Cookies Without Molasses
These molasses-free gingerbread cookies have crisp exteriors, chewy centers, and plenty of warm spice. Their texture also makes them well suited to decorating for Christmas.
Get the Recipe: Gingerbread Cookies Without Molasses
18. No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake
An Oreo cookie crust holds a creamy cheesecake flavored with peppermint extract and melted white chocolate. Since the dessert requires no baking or water bath and can be prepared the day before, it is a handy option for Christmas entertaining.
Get the Recipe: No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake
19. Christmas Oreo Balls Decorating Tutorial
Mint Oreo balls can be transformed into Christmas baubles, trees, hot cocoa mugs, and pine cones with festive decorations. Because these treats are no-bake, you can spend your time creating several different designs for a varied holiday platter.
Get the Recipe: Christmas Oreo Balls Decorating Tutorial
20. Christmas Tree Cupcakes
Tender vanilla cupcakes are topped with green buttercream piped to resemble miniature Christmas trees. The festive frosting turns a familiar cupcake into a centerpiece-worthy treat for holiday gatherings.
Get the Recipe: Christmas Tree Cupcakes
