Desserts
45+ Sweet Treats To Bake This Season!
Updated on July 26, 2023
From spiced gingerbread cookies with a rosewater cream cheese glaze to hazelnut amaretti and dark chocolate and toffee-filled shortbread, here are the best recipes from the House & Home archives to add to your holiday sweet list.
Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies
What’s Christmas without cookies? This recipe comes from the Island Eats cookbook, which celebrates chefs from Vancouver Island and their delicious recipes.
Try pastry chef Kristine Morrow’s recipe here.
Salty Chocolate Pretzel Rye Cookies
These cookies have it all! They are nutty, rich, salty, sweet.
Get the recipe from Half Baked Harvest’s Tieghan Gerard here.
Victoria Sandwich
This classic British dessert is quite simple and would make a great accompaniment to your holiday feast.
Find Paul Hollywood’s recipe here.
Chouxnuts
If you’re looking to experiment with a bit more of a difficult recipe this holiday season, try out Paul Hollywood’s cross between choux pastry and a doughnut.
Get the recipe here.
Apple Cranberry Crumble
The sweet tangy fruit of this crumble is complemented with a crispy topping.
Get Lidia Bastianich’s recipe here.
Almond Cake with Caramelized Pears
This delicious cake is easy to make and topped with tasty caramelized fruit.
Get Bonnie Stern and Anna Rupert’s recipe here.
Eggnog Basque Cheesecake
With flavors of eggnog, spiced rum and nutmeg, this recipe for basque cheesecake is the perfect end to your holiday meal.
Get the recipe here.
Cream Puffs With Cider-Caramelized Apples & Bourbon Cream
Making cream puffs is easier than you think! This festive dessert is the perfect ending to your holiday meal. The cream is lightly sweetened and flavored with bourbon.
Get the recipe here.
Lemon Angel Cake
“We’re a huge chocolate family, but once you find something really good that’s lemon, it’s hard to beat,” says chef and cookbook author Trish Magwood. “It’s an airy angel cake with my grandmother’s lemon glaze, and then fresh or cooked fruit on top. In the fall, I don’t love eating raw plums, blackberries and currants, but once you quickly cook them, they’re so delicious. Then you have leftovers to put on ice cream.”
Get the recipe here.
Eggnog Tiramisu
Celebrate this holiday season with a festive twist on a creamy and delicious classic. This eggnog tiramisu not only tastes delicious, but visually stuns with its intricate layers.
Get the recipe here.
Jim’s Pi Pie
This salty, sweet and fluffy pie was invented by Queer Eye culinary expert Antoni Porowski. With its sentimental origin and delectable taste, it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Get the recipe here.
Spiced Rum Chocolate Caramel Eggnog
While no baking is required, what better way to warm up this winter than with a festive drink in hand! Keep cozy this holiday season with a sweet and spicy spin on this classic holiday cocktail from chef Lynn Crawford.
Get the recipe here.
Semolina & Coconut Cake
Nammoura is a fudgy, moist coconut cake with semolina and yogurt as a base. Don’t be afraid of the syrup quantity. The cake will absorb it and it creates the essential nammoura texture without being overly sweet.
Get the recipe here.
Eggnog & Caramel Holiday Pancakes
Take the time to make this decadent pancake recipe, complete with homemade eggnog and caramel sauce. It’s perfect for a holiday brunch.
Get the recipe here.
Pistachio Olive Oil Cake
“Anyone who’s been to Emmer or seen our Instagram feed knows that pistachio is probably my favorite thing in the world. We go through hundreds of pounds a month. This cake is a showstopper for its simplicity. It’s decadent, bordering on a custard, and lasts for a good week without changing texture,” says bakery owner Philip Haddad.
Get the recipe here.
Strawberry Mousse On Pistachio Sponge
Widely considered the bible of authentic Italian cuisine, The Silver Spoon has sold more than three million copies in Italy and is now translated into 12 languages. From the same authors, The Italian Bakery shares the secrets of Italian pastry chefs in a collection of 140 delicious recipes from bakeries across Italy. Try this Strawberry Mousse On Pistachio Sponge from the new cookbook.
Get the recipe here.
Chocolate Cake With Cherries In Barolo Chinato
Try this decadent chocolate cake which is also from the new cookbook, The Italian Bakery. It has a smooth sponge, festive cherry-red syrup and rich mousse.
Get the recipe here.
Sesame Challah Monkey Bread
“Balls of (not overly sweet) challah are rolled in butter and a cinnamon sugar and very-lightly-toasted sesame mix before getting packed into a Bundt pan so it develops a deeply sweet caramelized shell as it bakes,” says Top Chef Canada host and cookbook author Eden Grinshpan.
Get the recipe for Sesame Challah Monkey Bread.
Yotam Ottolenghi’s Mont Blanc Tarts
Named after the snowy mountain they resemble, Mont Blanc tarts — with their white meringue, whipped cream and tan-colored chestnut purée can often taste more fabulous than they look, with all that beige and white.
Get the recipe here.
Nutty Tart
“Try this spin on a classic pecan pie,” says celebrity chef Lynn Crawford. “Our version has a buttery, toffee-like, gooey filling with a variety of toasted nuts in a sweet dough crust. Sometimes we vary the recipe by adding a 1⁄2 cup of chocolate chips — very acceptable, in our opinion!”
Get the recipe here.
Ginger Florentines
Studded with almonds, hazelnuts, crystallized ginger and sultanas (golden raisins) they are a delicious nutty treat to serve alongside a fresh fruit salad or simply to eat on their own.
Get the recipe here.
Salted Fudge
Fudge can be finicky; the success is in the time and temperature to get the right consistency. Bring the mixture to about 112°C on your candy thermometer, or drop a bit into a cup of cold water — it’s ready when it forms into a soft ball.
Get the recipe here.
Blueberry Nut Butter Cookies
This is a simple yet delicious recipe for a chewy cookie recipe without any leavening agents, wheat or eggs. Occasionally Eggs author Alexandra Daum suggests using chocolate if you don’t have blueberries on hand.
Get the recipe here.
Earl Grey Shorties
These delicate and delicious shortbread sandwich cookies are lightly flavored with Earl Grey tea leaves. Use a highly flavored tea for the best results. If you have a silicone baking mat with a textured surface, roll your dough out on the mat to “stamp” a simple design on top of your cookies.
Get the recipe here.
Toffee Pecan Dark Chocolate Shortbread
This shortbread is very buttery and is baked in a mould. Roselle uses round silicone moulds that are about 6.5 cm wide and 1.5 cm deep. If you have a similar mould, you can make individual round shortbreads using lightly flattened 2.5 cm balls of dough (bake for 12 to 14 minutes). Otherwise, bake shortbread in one big pan and cut into small bars.
Get the recipe here.
Gingerbread With Rosewater Cream Cheese Glaze
This is an adult gingerbread! Cocoa powder and spices make for a dark and flavorful dough that isn’t overly sweet. The cream cheese glaze is a perfect counterpoint, but it will soften the cookies slightly. Glaze the cookies the day before you plan to serve them.
Get the recipe here.
Speculaas
Speculaas are crisp Dutch spice cookies often embossed with a windmill design. Blackbird Baking Co. makes its version as small rounds and etches them with a windmill-like pattern, but you can use the tines of a fork to make a simpler design.
Get the recipe here.
Hazelnut Amaretti
This is a delicious and satisfying cookie that’s very simple to make! If you want to keep the sugar content down, don’t roll the cookies in icing sugar. Decorate instead by pressing a whole almond into the center of each cookie before baking.
Get the recipe here.
Frollini Cannella
These crisp and lightly spiced cookies are studded with sliced almonds. Cut them into rectangles or into whatever shape you desire. Let this cookie get deeply golden for the best flavor.
Get the recipe here.
Honey Madeleines
These pretty mini cakes are a perfect way to wow your guests. Use flavorful wildflower honey, if possible, and dust with icing sugar right before serving, if desired. It’s best to have two pans so you don’t need to clean and re-grease pans while making a single batch.
Get the recipe here.
PB Thumbprints With Mocha Ganache
Peanut butter and chocolate — need we say more? Think of these thumbprints as peanut butter cookies for adults (like we need an excuse). A rich, sophisticated ganache complements the peanut butter flavor in these melt-in-your-mouth bites.
Get the recipe here.
Tahini Shortbread
An intoxicating, nutty aroma will fill your kitchen when you bake this recipe. Dried rose petals (edible, of course) add a touch of elegance, making this shortbread ideal for a hostess gift or cookie exchange.
Get the recipe here.
Peppermint Brownie Cookies
These cookies are like eating a cookie and brownie all at once! A touch of peppermint extract and crushed candy cane make these chocolate treats extra festive for the holidays.
Get the recipe here.
Coconut Snowballs
The flavor combination of orange and coconut is the winter version of a piña colada — in other words, perfect for the holidays. Beware: these snowballs are deliciously addictive.
Get the recipe here.
Cherry Snowflake Pie
Intimidated by all the gorgeous pies you see on Instagram? Here’s a little secret: they aren’t hard to master. All you need is a fantastic, fruit-packed recipe (like this one), some cookie cutters and, before you know it, this dessert will be Insta-worthy, too.
Get the recipe here.
Grandma Julie’s Date & Walnut Maamouls
This Lebanese recipe is from Lynda Reeves’ grandma Julie. “Grandma would fill big movie-reel tins with these powdery cookies and hide them under a bed until Christmas Eve (I always found them!). Buttery, flaky and delicious, these cookies say Christmas to me,” says Lynda.
Get the recipe here.
Carol’s Cocoa Caramel Brownies
These old-fashioned cocoa brownies, from former food editor Kristen Eppich’s mom, are fudgy and decadent. The batter comes together easily in one pot — much appreciated when home cooks are at the height of holiday baking.
Get the recipe here.
Granny Thelma’s Christmas Fruitcake
A traditional British cake, this festive treat comes from editorial director Alice Lawlor’s grandmother! It cooks more evenly in a wooden box, which results in a cake that’s just as moist at the edges as it is in the center.
Get the recipe here.
Pearl’s Scottish Shortbread
Originally from food writer and columnist Lucy Waverman’s grandmother, this shortbread cookie has a crispy bottom and melt-in-your-mouth center. Get creative and mix flavors into your shortbread, like finely chopped ginger, chocolate or crushed candy canes.
Get the recipe here.
Raspberry Cream Cheese Pastries
The rich, flaky and slightly tangy pastry of these crescents works perfectly with the brightness of the raspberry jam.
Get the recipe here.
Salted Chocolate Caramel Bars
These bars deliver a decadent contrast of delicate shortbread and chewy caramel under a roof of bitter salted chocolate.
Get the recipe here.
Spitzbuben
Their little windows, along with their generous dusting of icing sugar, make these Swiss cookies a pretty and delicious addition to any holiday spread.
Get the recipe here.
Mexican Wedding Balls
Lynda Reeves loves these holiday shortbread-style cookies with a sweet cherry inside. Bake these up to serve at seasonal events or to give as Christmas gifts.
Watch Lynda whip up this festive dessert on H&H TV and get the recipe here.
Cinnamon Rugelach
This traditional Jewish pastry can be served at any time of day, from a brunch, to an afternoon coffee break, to dessert.
Get the recipe here.
Salted Ginger Caramels
The ginger in this recipe leaves a lovely residual warmth on the palate. These caramels can be cut into any shape you want and wrapped individually for gifting or served on a tray along with your Christmas cookies.
Get the recipe here.
Eggnog Nanaimo Bars
This recipe takes classic Nanaimo bars up a notch with a base that tastes like a dense brownie and an eggnog-spiced custard filling, which gives you a nice hit of nutmeg and cinnamon with every bite.
Get the recipe on H&H TV.
Chocolate-Dipped Sponge Toffee
The magic of sponge toffee happens when you add the baking soda to the golden sugar syrup and it puffs and expands, creating this airy delight. The slightly bitter tones of dark chocolate complement the sweet toffee.
Get the recipe here.
After Eight Shortbread Thins
Think of a peppermint chocolate, made better by the crunchy, buttery texture of a shortbread cookie. The shortbreads are topped with the chocolates for the last minute of baking, just enough to slightly melt and adhere to the cookies. These are great served after dinner with coffee.
Get the recipe here.