Food and Recipes Holiday and Occasion Food Our Most Popular Christmas Desserts for a Sweet Holiday By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on August 18, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke White cakes, Christmas cookies, classic candies...we all look forward to holiday sweets, and we want to use our kitchen time on the most delicious, most beautiful, hands-down crowd-pleasing recipes. Whether you're looking for holiday dinner showstoppers, Christmas morning brunch sweets, or cookies to leave by the tree, these reader favorites are sure to be a hit with the kids, adults, and Santa too. 01 of 44 Mrs. Floyd's Divinity Recipe: Mrs. Floyd's Divinity What better way to show your appreciation for friends and family than by giving packages of these delicious holiday confections? For best results, make your divinity on a dry, cool day. 02 of 44 Sprinkle Sandwich Cookies Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Sprinkle Sandwich Cookies It's Christmas, so let's not skimp on the buttercream or the sprinkles, please! If you give someone a box of these amazing cookies, you'll have a friend for life. 03 of 44 Christmas-Morning Coffee Cake Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Christmas-Morning Coffee Cake Bake it a couple of days ahead, wrap tightly, then add the glaze on Christmas morning. Enjoy this special breakfast treat with the family while unwrapping your gifts. 04 of 44 Santa's Kitchen-Sink Cookies Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Santa's Kitchen-Sink Cookies Kitchen sink cookies can come in a multitude of flavors, but we think that Santa (wink, wink) will absolutely love this cheerful version with his big glass of milk. 05 of 44 Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake Jim Franco Recipe: Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake The iced snowflake on top might be the showstopper, but it's the decadent chocolate flavor that will have people coming back for more. 06 of 44 Reindeer Cookies Southern Living Recipe: Reindeer Cookies Simple enough for even the littlest hands to make, these charmers are perfect for a kids' Christmas party. Save a few for Santa. 07 of 44 Sorghum-Pecan Monkey Bread Muffins Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Sorghum-Pecan Monkey Bread Muffins Better make a couple of batches for your holiday brunch—they'll go fast! 08 of 44 Chocolate Peppermint Cake Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner Recipe: Chocolate Peppermint Cake Billowy Italian meringue frosting and moist devil's food cake make this peppermint-accented knockout fun to serve and eat. 09 of 44 Cathedral Window Cookies Zoe Denenberg, Styling: Rachel Mulcahy Recipe: Cathedral Window Cookies Colorful, full of marshmallows, and no baking required—sounds like the perfect Christmas cookie to make with little ones. These take a few hours in the refrigerator to firm up, so plan accordingly. 10 of 44 White Cake with Cranberry Filling and Orange Buttercream Hector Sanchez Recipe: White Cake with Cranberry Filling and Orange Buttercream One of our most popular cake recipes of all time, the seasonal flavors and dramatic filling color in this showstopper make it a true classic. 11 of 44 Cornflake Wreath Christmas Cookies Southern Living Recipe: Cornflake Wreath Christmas Cookies Whether you want to relive childhood memories or start a new tradition with your own kids, these wreath cookies are so much fun to make. 12 of 44 Pineapple Coconut Cake Micah A. Leal Recipe: Pineapple Coconut Cake What could be prettier at Christmas than a coconut cake? Readers say this version is fluffy, flavorful, and simply lovely. 13 of 44 Mini Chocolate Chess Tarts Alison Miksch; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham Recipe: Mini Chocolate Chess Tarts Everything is cuter when it is bite size! Don't mind us if we take an extra one or two. 14 of 44 Molten Red Velvet Cakes HECTOR MANUEL SANCHEZ Recipe: Molten Red Velvet Cakes There's nothing like serving elegant individual desserts to make your guests feel special. And when they put they put their fork in the red velvet cake and discover the melted chocolate, it's like finding an extra present under the tree. 15 of 44 Almond Snowballs Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Buffy Hargett Recipe: Almond Snowballs Snow might not be in the forecast for December 25, but we'll gladly take our White Christmas in the form of a sweet treat covered in powdered sugar. 16 of 44 Pink Champagne Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Christine Kelly Recipe: Pink Champagne Cake Break away from the red and green with this surprise holiday hue: pretty pink. The secret to the delicate color is freeze-dried strawberries. 17 of 44 Chocolate-Gingerbread Christmas Tree Cookies Joy Howard Recipe: Chocolate-Gingerbread Christmas Tree Cookies Classic gingerbread gets a twist from rich dark chocolate, and this sweet addition also darkens the dough and makes the glaze colors pop. 18 of 44 Salted Butterscotch Popcorn Southern Living Recipe: Salted Butterscotch Popcorn A perfect Christmas party munch or a fun food gift, this yummy snack features a whiskey-infused butterscotch glaze. 19 of 44 Millionaire Pie Micah A. Leal Recipe: Millionaire Pie Rich and creamy, colorful, and studded with cherries and nuts: old-time favorite Millionaire Pie (which was born in the South) looks like a retro Christmas ornament, and tastes divine. 20 of 44 Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies Victor Protasio Recipe: Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies Think of these ultra-rich gems as brownies dressed as cookies. 21 of 44 Homemade White Cake Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christina Lane; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Homemade White Cake A snowy white cake is the perfect ending to any holiday dinner. We topped this one with cute cookies and rosemary trees creating a scenic setting. 22 of 44 Candy Cane Cookies Joy Howard Recipe: Candy Cane Cookies Classic and charming, and a must to make with kids. 23 of 44 Triple Chocolate Brownie-Mousse Stacks Linda Pugliese, Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas, Buffy Hargett Miller Recipe: Triple Chocolate Brownie-Mousse Stacks A layered dessert just looks holiday-special. You can make and chill these elegant cakes a day ahead. 24 of 44 Christmas Tree Cake Photographer: Frederick Hardy II, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Recipe: Christmas Tree Cake A fun centerpiece cake makes everyone happy. Creative decorating ideas make this Christmas Tree a tasty and charming dessert that will have everyone cheering. 25 of 44 Pecan Pie Bars Lee Harrelson Recipe: Pecan Pie Bars Pecan pie but make it handheld! We love these bars as food gifts or on a tray of cookies. 26 of 44 Spritz Cookies Micah A. Leal Recipe: Spritz Cookies Every cookie tin should have some spritz cookies inside. They are tender, sparkly, and oh-so-simple. 27 of 44 Bourbon-Praline Cheesecake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop styling: Lydia Pursell Recipe: Bourbon-Praline Cheesecake This one has it all: silky-smooth cheesecake, delectable pralines, and a boozy note of bourbon. It's an elegant dessert that's a nice change-up from holiday chocolate. 28 of 44 Grandma's Chocolate Drop Cookies Katie Strasberg Rousso Recipe: Grandma's Chocolate Drop Cookies When you need a straight-up, no-fail chocolate winner for your cookie tray, go with these. 29 of 44 Spiked Eggnog Bundt Cake Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Spiked Eggnog Bundt Cake Nothing can beat a Bundt cake for tenderness and richness, and this Christmas version is extra-special because it tastes like everyone's favorite holiday sip. It's delicious fresh out of the oven, and even tastier the next day. 30 of 44 Beet Red Velvet Cupcakes Victor Protasio Recipe: Beet Red Velvet Cupcakes Naturally flavored and topped with a lush cream cheese frosting, these minis should be on your Christmas dessert table. 31 of 44 Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites Jennifer Davick Recipe: Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites Great things come in small packages. These pecan pie bites are small but full of flavor and just the right size for pass-along party desserts. 32 of 44 Sea Salt-Caramel Cake Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Sea-Salt Caramel Cake It's at once comforting and extra-special: a caramel layer cake brings back memories and helps your family create new ones. 33 of 44 Cheesecake Cookies Caitlin Bensel Recipe: Cheesecake Cookies We've captured all the flavor of a decadent treat in a two-bite delight. Put a platter of these beauties out at the neighborhood cookie exchange and watch them disappear. 34 of 44 Black Bottom Pumpkin Pie Iain Bagwell Recipe: Black Bottom Pumpkin Pie Pumpkin pie gets an extra-special holiday treatment here: pumpkin filling is layered on a chocolate-lined gingersnap crust and topped with a drift of whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Wow. 35 of 44 Cappuccino Swirl Bars Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Cappuccino Swirl Bars Who doesn't need more coffee during the whirl of the holiday season? These unique cookies give you that perfect cappuccino taste, and they're easy to make. 36 of 44 Gingerbread Cake Roll with Eggnog Cream Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Gingerbread Cake Roll with Eggnog Cream All the flavors of the season are here in one spectacular cake roll. A snowy flurry of powdered sugar makes it seasonally perfect. 37 of 44 Slow-Cooker Cinnamon Roll Casserole Caitlin Bensel Recipe: Slow-Cooker Cinnamon Roll Casserole We don't what we're more excited about on Christmas morning: opening presents or digging into this amazing slow-cooker treat. 38 of 44 Christmas Fudge Micah A Leal Recipe: Christmas Fudge Christmas is a time to celebrate and indulge. Sounds like the perfect reason to whip up some homemade fudge. This recipe has a just-right blend of silky texture and bittersweet chocolate flavor, and the sprinkles make it fun. 39 of 44 Red Velvet Cake with White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones Recipe: Red Velvet Cake with White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting This beauty is scrumptious and easy, thanks to our upgraded boxed-mix shortcut. The frosting's blend of white chocolate and cream cheese makes it the perfect sweet and rich topping. 40 of 44 No-Bake Chocolate-Peppermint Sandwich Cookies GREG DUPREE; FOOD STYLING: EMILY NABORS HALL; PROP STYLING: AUDREY DAVIS Recipe: No-Bake Chocolate-Peppermint Sandwich Cookies Everyone should have a no-bake option in their Christmas cookie repertoire, and this glossy, candy-topped confection is a stunner. 41 of 44 Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge These are definitely going on our Christmas list. A perfect recipe to showcase one of our favorite flavor combinations. 42 of 44 Peppermint Pie Photographer: Frederick Hardy II, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Recipe: Peppermint Pie Delicious, quick, and just so cute—this pretty-in-pink peppermint and chocolate pie is a crowd-pleaser, and easy on the cook too. 43 of 44 Brown Sugar Cookie Stars Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Brown Sugar Cookie Stars These golden stars have a richer taste and color than standard sugar cookies. Gold sprinkles give extra Christmas luster. 44 of 44 Eggnog Spice Cake with Bourbon Custard Filling and Eggnog Buttercream Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Recipe: Eggnog Spice Cake with Bourbon Custard Filling and Eggnog Buttercream Eggnog lovers, rejoice! This boozy layer cake is simple to make. Don't be intimidated by the frosting technique. The directions make this fancy look easy to do, or you can simply apply the frosting however you like. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit