75 Best Christmas Baking Ideas (fun holiday desserts to share!)

Why settle for regular Christmas cupcakes when you can make these adorable edible Christmas Wreath Cupcakes!

Christmas Crinkle Cookies, with their bright red and green colors make for such festive, cheery holiday treats.

They certainly stand out on a cookie platter and their soft and chewy texture makes them a huge favorite every year.

If you’re looking for an amazing Christmas cheesecake idea to serve for the holidays, try this Gingerbread Cheesecake!

With a gingersnap crust and spiced molasses cheesecake filling, it has all the creamy goodness and holiday flavor we expect.

Eggnog blondies are the perfect treat to get you into the holiday spirit!

With the gooey texture of a brownie and the spiced flavor of eggnog, this is a must have for your holiday gathering with family and friends.

Christmas Crack is saltine toffee made with crackers, brown sugar, butter, chocolate and holiday sprinkles.

A sweet and salty treat that’s addictively delicious and perfect for feeding a crowd.

These simple Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies pack a serious holiday punch!

They start with a classic, fudge-y thumbprint chocolate cookie, then fill the center with a bit of melted chocolate and top it off with crushed candy cane. (And more chocolate. Obviously.)

Snowman Christmas Cupcakes might be the cutest creation ever! They’re made from a white cake mix box, and decorated on top with an Oreo Cookie to look like a snowman wearing earmuffs.

These gorgeous snowflake gingerbread cookies are soft, chewy and perfectly spiced!

They're definitely the most quintessential Christmas treat and look beautiful on a platter.

Spruce up storebought brownie mix to create adorable Christmas tree-shaped brownies.

Easy enough for all baking skill levels, and they look so festive on a platter.

Easy Christmas Meringue Cookies are festive cookies that have a nice crunch and look great on a Christmas cookie tray at your holiday party or gathering.

Bake a Christmas Swirl Cake loaded with your favorite holiday peppermint flavors.

This show-stopping cake is gorgeous enough for a fancy holiday dinner party or easy enough to make with kids for a merry, joyful dessert.

Butter Shortbread Cookies are the easiest, most flavorful shortbread cookies we’ve had the joy of making.

They’re melt-in-your-mouth tender, with just the right amount of crispy bite.

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake will forever change the way you think about mousse cakes!

This cake is rich yet light, decadent yet melt-in-your-mouth. It is the ultimate chocolate lovers’ dream come true.

And bonus: it can be made a day ahead.

Refrigerated sugar cookie dough, icing and candy toppings combine to make this unique Christmas sugar cookie pizza.

It’s a super-easy recipe and you can change the kind of icing or the toppings to make this Christmas dessert pizza your own.

You can't get much easier (or tastier) than this Biscoff Puff Pastry Christmas Tree.

It’s a simple pull apart Christmas tree made with puff pastry,has essentially only two ingredients and takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies are inspired by your favorite cozy beverage - melty chocolate with a hint of cinnamon and chili spice.

Crisp on the outside, fudgy in the center, and flecked with chocolate chips, these are the perfect Mexican Christmas cookies!

Grinch Cookies have a soft, gooey texture, are colored to the perfect shade of Grinch-green and topped with powdered sugar and a tiny red heart sprinkle.

They’re so easy and adorable that they’ll make your heart grow three sizes!

Decadent Caramel Turtle Cheesecake has caramel sauce in the cheesecake, a layer of chocolate ganache, and a delicious Biscoff cookie crust with chopped pecans.

These Stacked Sugar Cookie Christmas trees are basically the ultimate holiday cookie!

They combine soft and chewy sugar cookies with vanilla icing all stacked together for a huge show stopper.

This festive, amazing Christmas Cheesecake is perfect for your holiday celebrations! It's creamy, rich, and full of peppermint flavor.

The Oreo crust is delicious and the buttercream topping is decorated with holiday candy and sprinkles.

These festive Holiday Meringue Pops are no different to regular meringues, except that they are piped into Christmas-inspired shapes with a popsicle stick.

They make adorable holiday treats and gifts with minimal ingredients required and various ways to adapt them!

These aren't just any sugar cookies. They’re the easiest, no-chill, no-spread cut-out sugar cookies you can ask for, with festive sprinkles and a super simple dipped icing.

Peppermint Crunch Mini Cheesecakes burst with flavor from tiny bits of candy cane throughout.

Best of all, these little beauties bake right in a regular muffin tin, and turn out perfectly smooth and creamy.

A simple mixture of butter, sugar, and flour with a few additions, these sugar cookies bake up perfectly every time.

They hold their shape, are the perfect texture, and have a delicious buttery vanilla taste.

Disney-inspired Red Velvet Bundt Cake is made with all things delicious, like cocoa powder, sweet and decorative fondant, and a drool-worthy cream cheese frosting.

The results? Perfectly moist cakes with rich chocolatey flavor, and a bit of Disney magic!

If you are a lover of all things chocolate, try this Mexican Chocolate Crinkle Cookie recipe!

These yummy cookies have a perfectly fudgy interior, a lightly crisp exterior, and are flavored with warming spices and a favorite spicy indulgence - Mexican chocolate.

Impress your friends and family with this gorgeous Christmas Cheesecake.

The beautiful swirls of color transform this into a dressed-up version of a classic sour cream cheesecake.

Delicious but easy Sour Cream Sugar Cookies with a cream cheese frosting are light and fluffy, and perfect for cutting into fun shapes with cookie cutters!

Topped with a delicious homemade cream cheese frosting, these cookies are fun to make and decorate with the whole family.

Take the iconic Christmas beverage from punch bowl to dessert plate with an Eggnog Bundt Cake.

With spiked eggnog in the batter and glaze, this boozy cake doubles down on a season favorite flavor.

Christmas M&M Cookie Bars are soft, gooey, and loaded with both chocolate chips AND M&M’s! Easy to make and perfect for cookie exchanges or goodie trays.

Old fashioned thumbprint cookies with icing and sprinkles are the ultimate holiday treat!

You can even make these thumbprint cookies with buttercream or chocolate icing and nuts instead of sprinkles.

White Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes are filled with silky peppermint ganache and topped with white chocolate peppermint frosting.

They’re super moist, fluffy and festive!

Fudgy Red Velvet Cake Mix Brownies are so easy to make with only 4 ingredients.

They have white chocolate chips inside and a super moist, chewy texture that melts in your mouth.

It's the perfect doctored red velvet cake mix recipe that you won't regret making!

Pecan Pie Cheesecake is a fabulous holiday dessert that combines two classics into one mouthwatering treat.

You will love the rich, creamy texture of cheesecake and the sweet, nutty flavor of pecan pie. It’s a great way to switch up your dessert game and impress your guests with something new and exciting.

If you’re looking for a delicious and festive Christmas cookie recipe, look no further than these Christmas Oreo Peppermint Cookies!

Made with everyone’s favorite Oreo cookies, and topped with a peppermint frosting that is sure to get you into the holiday spirit.

Christmas Tree Cupcakes look impressive, but are quite easy and so much fun to make!

Piled high with a green frosting tree, and dusted with a light layer of “snow,” they’re a treat for the eye as well as your sweet tooth.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cookies are bursting with loads of peppermint flavor and holiday cheer in every bite.

For all you hot chocolate lovers, these might just become your new favorite Christmas cookie!

Although there are plenty of traditional Christmas cake ideas to choose from, this Gingerbread Cake is hard to beat.

It’s a simple-to-make cake that everyone will love. Perhaps this could become a new holiday tradition in your home!

3D Stacked Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies are a fun project for Christmas time when you’re in a baking mood.

The tree shapes are made of sugar cookie dough and feature green frosting.

Star cookie cutters make the stars on top, and really complete the gorgeous look.

If you’re looking for a very easy Christmas Cake Recipe that’s quick to whip up, look no further!

With ready to go Christmas cake toppers and pretty festive colors, all you need is box cake mix, some pantry staples, festive frosting, sprinkles, and the toppers.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are a super flavorful chocolate cookie full of chocolate chips, Andes mints and Andes peppermint chips.

It has all your favorite holiday flavors, all wrapped into one amazing cookie.

3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Blossoms are quick and easy to make in one bowl.

They have the best peanut butter flavor with delicious chocolate Hershey's Kisses in the center!

Soft and chewy with beautiful sugar-coated crackly edges.

Reindeer Cupcakes are a festive and simple recipe that uses a box of cake mix and a delicious homemade chocolate buttercream frosting.

They’re topped with sweet candy and savory pretzels to create a cute rendition of Santa's reindeer!

Retro Christmas camper cookies are so fun and perfect for vintage & boho Christmas lovers. The step-by-step photos and video included will walk you through the whole process.

You’re going to love these simple yet delicious Chocolate Peppermint Mini Bundt Cakes.

They might just become one of your heirloom Christmas dessert recipes!

If you want to make some special Christmas cookies for your family or a Christmas party, these are beautiful!

They take a little more time and effort than some other cookie recipes, but the results are worth it!

​​These easy Shortcut Frosted Mini Brownie Cups start with a box of brownie mix and tub of frosting!

Make bite-size party desserts in paper candy liners or individual desserts in paper muffin liners. Dress them up with elegant sprinkles for a festive touch.

Gingerbread man cookies are a delicious holiday tradition! These bakery-style gingerbread men are super easy to make, then decorated with a 3-ingredient, royal icing recipe.

Treat yourself and loved ones to some decadent Hot Chocolate Cupcakes.

With a moist cupcake that uses real hot chocolate powder and a light, gooey marshmallow frosting, you won’t be able to resist this seasonal dessert!

What’s red and white and stuffed with yummy cheesecake? These red velvet crinkle cookies, obviously!

Soft and chewy chocolate cookies are filled with a creamy, cheesecake-like center for a holiday cookie that will blow you away with its deliciousness.

If you’re looking for bite-sized sweet treats or snacks this holiday season, try these Christmas Shortbread Bites.

These are buttery, melt-in-your-mouth kind and a must-add to your cookie tray for gifting.

If you're tired of baking the same old cakes, this Buttercream Christmas Wreath Cake is for you!

Created with a red velvet cake mix, vanilla frosting, vanilla flavoring, and a few other ingredients – it all mixes together to create an unforgettable holiday cake!

Cookies & Cream Cookies are loaded and topped with Oreos and chocolate and white chocolate chips.

They are melt-in-your-mouth delicious and packed with so much flavor that you're going to want to make a double batch!

Celebrate the magic of the holiday season with Christmas Cookies Cheesecake Bars.

A delightful fusion of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough, vibrant Christmas mix M&Ms, and a luscious homemade cheesecake filling, they take regular cookie bars to the next level.

Christmas Poke Cake is a festive and delicious way to celebrate the holidays! The cake is moist and fluffy, and the holiday-themed toppings make it extra special.

Ready to bake the prettiest cookies for Christmas? These Stained Glass Window Cookies are both stunning and simple - the perfect combination!

A super-forgiving sugar cookie dough with a kiss of molasses is baked with centers of crushed candies and decorated with icing for a fun, festive recipe.

Dark Chocolate Orange Cheesecake is the cheesecake version of those holiday chocolate oranges we see in stores this time of year.

It’s not too sweet, with just a hint of orange and a rich, deep chocolate flavor.

These truly are the BEST Peanut Butter Cookies you will ever make!

So soft, chewy and thick they are like a cross between a peanut butter cookie and a sugar cookie.

With flavors modeled after the popular holiday Peppermint Mocha drink, these lovely Christmas Tree cutout cookies have an espresso buttercream that really takes them over the top.

You can’t go wrong with a brownie whichever way you throw it, but adding a little gingerbread spice?

Well, then it’s in a whole new league of its own. There’s the chocolate, the hit of gingerbread spice, the sweetness, the fudginess, and they literally melt in your mouth.

Browned butter and toasted pecans makes these Brown Butter Pecan Cookies chewy and rich.

Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger make them the perfect holiday cookie!

Delicious Eggnog Cake is a fluffy, moist bundt pan cake with a sweet and creamy vanilla eggnog glaze sprinkled with nutmeg.

This easy-to-make elegant cake is simply perfect for celebrating the holiday season.

Chocolate Sables are a take on the classic French cookie, featuring an orange-scented chocolate base with hazelnuts and a drizzle of white chocolate.

With a nutty, fragrant, and intense chocolate flavor, this is a great cookie recipe to have in your back pocket for the holidays.

Raspberry Linzer Cookies almond shortbread cookies with a raspberry jam center. They're sweet, crunchy, and absolutely delicious!

They can also be made in advance and assembled when ready to serve.

This Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake is moist, decadent, and full of nutty, toasty, caramel flavor, with hints of sea salt to balance the sweetness.

Chocolate Chunk Molasses Ginger Cookies are full of spices - cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and even cayenne pepper for a subtle spice.

The spices bring so much warmth to the cookies and the chocolate brings a creamy richness.

Trim your tree, sing some carols, and then sweeten your holiday with a pretty Gingerbread Bundt Cake.

Soft, moist and filled with the perfect mix of festive flavors, this Christmas cake is a delicious way to celebrate the season.

Easy Christmas Thumbprint Cookies are so easy to make and are perfect for the holidays! All you need is a few ingredients and you’re good to go.

Cranberry Cake is so pretty and delicious! This layer cake features moist vanilla cakes, a homemade cranberry filling, and an ermine buttercream.

Elegant with simple decorations, this cake will be fantastic for the holiday season.

Pignoli Cookies, or pine nut cookies, are a classic Italian confection, found in bakeries all over Italy. They're chewy, sweet and only require 5 ingredients!

Gingerbread Madeleines (with vanilla bean glaze) are simple, quick, and easy, and yet they manage to be elegant, too!

Crisp on the edges, tender inside, they’re the perfect cake-meets-cookie treat.

Chocolate Ginger Crinkle Cookies are a delicious twist on the classic!

Full of dark chocolate, with a touch of spiciness and a decadent fudgy interior, these cookies are a Christmas delight.

Linzer Torte is a nutty, crumbly, rich pastry filled with jam and is as enchantingly pretty as it is tasty. It is easier than you would expect and delicious to the last bite!

If you haven’t had surprise snowball cookies before, you’re in for a surprise! There are hidden chocolate kisses inside.

Is there anything better than biting into a cookie and finding chocolate inside?

This classic Stollen recipe is an amazingly delicious homemade version of the world famous fruit cake loaded with dried fruit, nuts and spices.

This one will absolutely impress your family and friends!