Christmas desserts: 30 easy ideas and a make-ahead plan

The short answer: these christmas desserts cover every kind of holiday cook, from 20-minute candy to a showpiece yule log: 30 ideas sorted by type.

• Easiest: Christmas crack, peppermint bark and puppy chow
• Make-ahead table shows what to bake first
• How many to make for your crowd
• Food safety and allergy basics below
• Next step: Plan it with the Family Recipe Binder ($6.99).

These Christmas desserts cover every kind of holiday cook, from 20-minute candy to a showpiece yule log. You will find 30 Christmas dessert ideas sorted by type, a make-ahead table so you know what to bake first, easy Christmas desserts for busy weeks, and a simple plan for how much to make. We also include the food safety and allergy basics from FoodSafety.gov's cold storage chart and the FDA, so a cream pie does not sit out too long.

30 Christmas dessert ideas by type

Pick one or two from each group and you have a balanced dessert table.

Cookies and bars

1. Sugar cookies with royal icing or simple glaze.
2. Gingerbread people for decorating with kids. Start with our soft gingerbread cookies recipe.
3. Peanut butter blossoms with a chocolate kiss on top.
4. Snowball cookies (Russian tea cakes) rolled in powdered sugar.
5. Seven-layer bars baked in a 9x13 pan.
6. Cranberry bliss bars with cream cheese frosting.

For dozens more, see our full list of Christmas cookies.

Candy and no-bake treats

7. Christmas crack, saltine toffee topped with chocolate. Our Christmas crack recipe takes about 20 minutes.
8. Peppermint bark in two layers of chocolate.
9. Fudge, classic chocolate or peanut butter.
10. Chocolate truffles rolled in cocoa or crushed nuts.
11. Puppy chow (muddy buddies) with red and green candies.
12. Chocolate-dipped pretzels with sprinkles.
13. Rice krispie treats tinted green and shaped into trees or wreaths.

Pies and tarts

13. Pecan pie, a Southern holiday staple.
14. Pumpkin pie, carried over from Thanksgiving. Or swap in a Southern sweet potato pie.
15. Chocolate cream pie with whipped topping.
16. Mince pies, the British classic.
17. Cranberry curd tart for a bright, tart finish.

Cakes and showpieces

18. Yule log (bûche de Noël), a rolled chocolate sponge.
19. Red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting.
20. Gingerbread cake with lemon glaze.
21. Cheesecake topped with cherries or cranberries.
22. Peppermint chocolate layer cake.
23. Panettone bread pudding, using store-bought panettone.

Lighter and fruit desserts

24. Pavlova with berries and whipped cream.
25. Trifle layered with cake, custard and fruit. For a Southern twist, layer custard, bananas and vanilla wafers into banana pudding instead.
26. Poached pears in spiced wine or cider.
27. Cranberry orange sorbet.
28. Baked apples with oats and cinnamon.

Drinks and dessert boards

29. Hot chocolate bar with marshmallows, candy canes and whipped cream.
30. Dessert charcuterie board with cookies, bark, fruit and dips.

Easy Christmas desserts for a busy week

When the calendar is full, easy Christmas desserts that use one bowl or one pan save the day. These five need about 30 minutes of hands-on time or less.

Make-ahead timeline for Christmas desserts

Baking in stages keeps Christmas Eve calm. The storage times for pies and eggnog come from FoodSafety.gov's chart; the rest are common kitchen guidelines for best quality.

A one-week Christmas dessert plan

• December 18 to 20: bake cookies and make candy. Freeze cookie dough you will bake fresh.
• December 22: shop for dairy, cream and fruit.
• December 23: bake pies and cheesecake.
• December 24: roll the yule log, layer the trifle and whip cream.
• December 25: set out the dessert table about 30 minutes before you serve.

How many Christmas desserts to make

A good rule is three to four bite-size pieces per guest when you serve a mix, or one slice of pie or cake per person plus a small cookie plate. For a dinner of 10, one showpiece and two smaller treats is plenty. For an open house of 30, plan four or five desserts and about 100 to 120 small pieces.

Traditional Christmas desserts from around the world

Many families keep one dessert that ties back to where their grandparents grew up. If you want to start a new tradition, these classics are a good place to look. For the Scandinavian custom in the table below, start with our homemade rice pudding and hide one whole almond in the pot.

Store-bought panettone and stollen are easy shortcuts. Slice panettone for French toast on Christmas morning, or cube it for bread pudding. Our French toast recipe works with thick panettone slices too.

Christmas desserts on a budget

Desserts can quietly become one of the larger grocery costs of the season. Butter, chocolate, nuts and cream add up fast when you bake six recipes. A few habits keep the total down:

• Choose pan desserts. Bars, sheet cakes and Christmas crack serve more people per batch than individual cupcakes or tarts.
• Shop your pantry first. Check flour, sugar, vanilla and spices before you shop, and write only what is missing on the list.
• Buy baking staples on sale. Butter, chocolate chips and nuts often go on sale in November and December. Butter freezes well.
• Pick one showpiece. One yule log or cheesecake makes the table feel special. Fill in with simple cookies and candy.
• Ask guests to bring one. A dessert potluck spreads the cost and gives everyone a chance to share a family recipe.

Add your baking list to the holiday grocery budget so it is not a surprise when the receipts come in.

Food safety and allergies for Christmas desserts

Desserts with cream, custard, cream cheese or eggs need the same care as the main course. The FDA's food storage tips say not to leave foods that need refrigeration at room temperature for more than two hours, or one hour above 90°F. Put cream pies, cheesecake and trifle out last and bring them back to the fridge first.

Allergies come up often at Christmas because so many sweets contain nuts, milk, eggs and wheat. The FDA's guide to food allergies lists nine major allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. A small tent card beside each dessert lets guests choose safely without asking.

Keep your Christmas dessert recipes and menu together

The best Christmas desserts are the ones the family asks for every year. Write them down so they do not depend on one person's memory.

• Family Recipe Binder ($6.99): has Desserts, Baking and Holidays sections, recipe pages with room for the family story, 4x6 and 3x5 cards and a kitchen conversion chart. Print it or type into the fillable version.
• Christmas Budget & Gift Planner ($4.99): plan the Holiday Menu and Holiday Grocery List, track the Holiday To-Do Timeline, and budget gifts in the matching spreadsheet.

Hosting the whole meal? Our Christmas dinner menu planner and Christmas baking list help you plan the rest, and our guide on how to host Christmas dinner on a budget keeps costs in check.

Looking for something different this year? Browse our list of 30 Mexican desserts, from tres leches cake to churros.

Need ideas for the rest of the year? Browse our list of the best desserts, grouped by occasion and skill level.

For a warm dessert that feeds a crowd, bake our bread pudding with a vanilla or bourbon-style sauce.

For a showstopper layer cake, bake our German chocolate cake with classic coconut pecan frosting.

Baking a birthday or holiday layer cake? Our easy chocolate cake has bake times for rounds, a 9x13, a Bundt and cupcakes.