Make-Ahead Christmas Dessert Recipes

When it comes to Christmas dinner, there is so much going on it's nice to have some things already prepped. And since dessert is *one* of the most important parts of any holiday meal, we have a variety of easy Christmas treats that can be made ahead of time. From decadent pies to delicious cookies, these make-ahead easy Christmas desserts will have you spending less time in the kitchen and more time with your loved ones. Talk about a holiday treat!

Staff Picks

Flourless Chocolate Cookies

Rating: Unrated
4
These flourless cookies get their volume from whipped egg whites (like a meringue) instead of grains, making them gluten-free and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. A chocolate chip in each bite adds to the rich chocolate flavor.
By Hilary Meyer

Peppermint-Chocolate Greek Yogurt Bark

Rating: Unrated
4
This eye-catching frozen peppermint-chocolate bark was inspired by Williams Sonoma's Original Peppermint Bark--our loose interpretation of the treat is frozen and made with Greek yogurt, chocolate and crushed candy canes. For the creamiest bark, be sure to use full-fat yogurt, as fat-free yogurt can get icy when frozen. Serve this healthy dessert when you want all those festive holiday flavors in a lightened-up--and totally delicious--package. Just don't stuff your Christmas stockings with this bark because it melts quickly.
By Adam Hickman

Chocolate Nut Bark

Rating: Unrated
11
Use your favorite combination of nuts to make this quick and easy chocolate nut bark.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Mini Gingerbread House Cookies

Rating: Unrated
1
Holiday cookies don't get any cuter than these mini gingerbread houses that kids and adults alike will love. Use a mini gingerbread house cookie cutter to cut out all the parts (the kids will love helping with this part), then build the houses and let the kids go to town decorating. Line up your finished creations to make a gingerbread house village, eat them up or prop them up on mugs of cocoa for dipping and munching.
By Hilary Meyer

Cranberry Crumble Bars

Rating: Unrated
1
These cranberry-orange bars freeze well. Make a batch on a free afternoon and pop them in the freezer so you'll always have a healthy dessert on hand when company calls.
By Summer Miller

Meringues

Rating: Unrated
5
Perfect meringues depend on totally yolk-free whites. The seemingly fussy step of separating each egg into a small bowl before combining them guarantees yolk-free whites for bakeshop-quality meringues every time. These crispy little morsels travel well and make great gifts too.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles

Rating: Unrated
2
Looking for a fun cooking project to do with kids? Make chocolate truffles! In this easy vegan dessert recipe, we make a chocolate ganache filling with peanut butter and coconut milk instead of heavy cream. Make chocolate bark with the leftover chocolate and wrap it up together with a few truffles for a beautiful edible gift.
By Joy Howard

Chocolate Snowcap Cookies

Rating: Unrated
2
This fudgy chocolate crinkle cookie recipe is a hit with chocolate lovers. Bake the cookies right after rolling them in confectioners' sugar: if they sit, the sugar absorbs into the dough and the rich chocolaty cookies lose their snowcapped look.
By Virginia Willis

Peppermint Mocha Chocolate Bark

With just a few simple steps, you can transform plain chocolate into a divine treat with this chocolate bark recipe. We stir chopped peppermint candies and chocolate-covered espresso beans into this chocolate bark, which is perfect for a gift.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Rating: Unrated
11
Here's a simple recipe for low-fat vanilla ice cream. Our version has all the richness you'll need but about 90 fewer calories than store-bought premium ice cream and a whopping 15 grams less total fat and 10 grams less saturated fat per serving.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Yummy Molasses Crackles

Rating: Unrated
24
Nancy Caverly gave her grandmother's recipe for ginger molasses cookies a little makeover--reducing the butter and adding crystallized ginger for a spicy jolt.
By Nancy Caverly

Ginger Crinkle Cookies

Rating: Unrated
24
Cynthia Farr-Weinfeld, a hypnotherapist and writer, started improving the nutritional profile of a friend's mother's ginger cookie recipe by substituting whole-wheat pastry flour for all-purpose flour and canola oil for shortening. “Experiment with these cookies,” she advises, “as they taste great either slightly underdone or crispy.” She calls them “the quickest cookies you'll ever bake.”
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Inspiration and Ideas

Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

Coconut oil stands in for butter in this dairy-free, eggless cookie recipe for completely mouthwatering gingerbread cut-outs. Decorate cookies with a simple vegan icing or sanding sugar.
Cinnamon Swirl Apple Pie

Cinnamon Swirl Apple Pie

Instead of topping your apple pie with a full crust, cover the dough in cinnamon sugar, roll it up and slice it like cinnamon rolls to make beautiful cinnamon swirls to top the pie. The fragrant cinnamon bun-like topping makes homemade apple pie even more special!
Flourless Chocolate Cookies

Flourless Chocolate Cookies

22 Easy Make-Ahead Christmas Desserts You Can Prep in 30 Minutes or Less

22 Easy Make-Ahead Christmas Desserts You Can Prep in 30 Minutes or Less

Boot Tracks

Boot Tracks

Rating: Unrated
26
Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

Rating: Unrated
1

Christmas Strawberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies

This healthy strawberry jam thumbprint cookie recipe is festive for the holidays with a red center and a green sugar coating. If you want to skip making your own naturally dyed sugar, look for green sparkling or decorating sugar prepared with botanical ingredients. For sources for natural dyes and sugars, see Tips.

All Make-Ahead Christmas Dessert Recipes

Cranberry-Orange-Nut Cookies

Rating: Unrated
11
Crisp, moist and chewy, this cookie created by Georgene Egri of Walnut Creek, California, has the essential ingredients for the holidays: citrus, nuts and cranberries. These cookies travel well for gift-giving and lunchboxes.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chocolate Cookie Icing

This easy chocolate cookie icing recipe is healthier than traditional chocolate icing recipes as it has substantially less sugar. Unlike chocolate icing used for decorating cakes, this thinner icing is perfect for drizzling on cookies or to fill thumbprints.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cranberry Bundt Cake

Rating: Unrated
6
In this healthy cranberry-walnut Bundt cake recipe, Greek yogurt and shredded apple or pear keep the cake moist and are a healthy substitute for extra butter. If you want to use something other than allspice, try pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon in the filling. For a nut-free variation, omit the walnuts in the cake or use chopped dried cranberries in their place.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Fig 'n' Flax Thumbprint Cookies

Rating: Unrated
13
We love how the ground flax adds a nutty flavor and the brown sugar caramelizes on the outside of these thumbprint cookies. Fig preserves make this cookie special; other fruit preserves could be used as well.
By Amy Knapper Whitinsville

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

Rating: Unrated
11
The basic recipe for this cake is very versatile and can be made with apples, pears, peaches or any full-flavored, slightly acidic fruit. The cake is best served warm. (Recipe adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters.)
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sweet Potato Pie with Cream Cheese Swirl

Rating: Unrated
7
This creamy sweet potato pie recipe is seasoned like a pumpkin pie with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg and gets nice ginger flavor from the gingersnap crust. For the best results, roast sweet potatoes in the oven; in a pinch, microwave them instead.
By Stacy Fraser

Pear Custard Pie

A velvety, light custard surrounds ripe pears in this healthy pear pie recipe. Serve with a dollop of vanilla whipped cream.
By Summer Miller

Greek Walnut Spice Cake

Rating: Unrated
2
A rich, flavorful syrup infuses this Mediterranean-inspired walnut coffee cake with the bright aroma of oranges and cloves. Heart-healthy olive oil and whole-grain barley flour add subtle complexity and texture to this nutty treat.
By Maria Speck

Fried Apple Pie Rolls

Rating: Unrated
10
In this healthy take on apple pie, wonton wrappers stand in for pie crust, saving you calories and the headache of rolling out dough. We like to use Granny Smith apples because they hold their shape and provide tart balance to the sweet filling. Try dipping these handheld crispy treats in whipped cream.
By Breana Killeen

Riesling Baked Pears

Rating: Unrated
12
Here's an elegant yet simple twist on the autumn classic. Pears are oven-poached in Riesling wine, which is known for its floral accents and aromas and hints of honey and pear. Serve this dessert with lightly sweetened ricotta cheese. Delicious hot, room temperature or chilled.
By Marie Simmons

Spiced Poppy Seed Shortbread Cookies

Renowned author and spice aficionado Lior Lev Sercarz loves these French sablé-style cookies so much, he sells a collection of five different flavors twice a year. In this variation, he uses tart amchoor (ground dried green mango) to give them a citrusy brightness. These healthy cookies will get you in the holiday spirit.
By Lior Lev Sercarz

Chocolate-Peppermint Mini Pies

This mini pie recipe is an easier option for a holiday dessert that will dazzle a crowd. You can prepare these mini pies through Step 6 up to a day ahead. Remove from the freezer (Step 7) just before serving to keep the whipped topping from melting.
By Lauren Grant

Purple Sweet Potato Pie

Rating: Unrated
1
This purple version of classic sweet potato pie has a shot of brandy, which adds another layer of seasonal flavor. Serve with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream.
By Cheryl Slocum

Gluten-Free Mocha Yule Log

Rating: Unrated
1
A bûche de Noël--a cake decorated like a yule log--is a traditional dessert served around Christmastime in France, Belgium, Canada and some other French-speaking countries. Our gluten-free recipe, which is just as tasty served cold as it is at room temperature, is lighter than air. The chocolate brown-butter génoise cake is easy to roll up and it's covered with a billowy espresso-spiked 7-minute frosting. We've substituted agave nectar for white sugar in the frosting. It's pretty garnished with meringue mushrooms and sugared rosemary.
By Katie Webster

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Sugar Cookies

These classic treats can be made ahead and frozen for holidays and bake sales.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Sugar Cut-Out Cookies

Rating: Unrated
4
This healthy sugar cut-out cookie recipe uses white whole-wheat flour, honey and lemon zest to make a delicious cookie perfect for decorating. Pull out all your cookie cutters and decorate these adorable cookies with natural decorating sugar and icing.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Upside-Down Cinnamon-Pecan Coffee Cake

Rating: Unrated
2
Layering the ingredients in this coffee cake recipe right into the pan lets you skip the steps of making the batter and the nut topping separately. To make this healthy one-bowl dessert so it can be served like pull-apart rolls, dollop 16 equal portions of batter over the nuts. If you don't want to fuss with that, dollop the batter on top however you like.
By Stacy Fraser

Coconut-Dark Chocolate Truffles

Rating: Unrated
4
Coconut macaroons meet dark chocolate truffles in these little treats. Inside the snap of the dark chocolate shell lies the tender coconut-cocoa filling: a mix of naturally sweet dates, cocoa and coconut flour. Coconut flour is a healthy way to add decadent coconut flavor to this coconut-dark chocolate truffle recipe and other baked goods. It packs a whopping 5 grams of fiber per 2 tablespoons (with only 2 grams of total and saturated fat). Look for coconut flour near other gluten-free flours.
By Katie Webster

Drunken Prunes

The oaky taste of Armagnac, a French brandy made in Gascony, has long been paired with prunes. While Armagnac is available in vintage bottlings, nothing so extravagant is needed for this recipe. Use waterproof markers to decorate the outside of glass jars with flowers, abstract designs or a favorite line from a poem.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chocolate Decadence

Rating: Unrated
21
Inspired by the old-school, ultra-rich, mousselike chocolate cake that usually called for a whole pound of chocolate, half a dozen eggs and lots of butter, this enlightened rendition has deep bittersweet chocolate flavor and dense melt-in-your-mouth texture. No one will guess it's healthier. The secret is excellent natural cocoa powder and good-quality bittersweet chocolate, preferably with 70% cacao. Although the cake can be eaten once it's completely cool, it comes out of the pan much easier and even tastes better if it has been chilled at least overnight.
By Alice Medrich

Pignoli Cookies

This crispy-on-the-bottom-and-chewy-on-the-inside gluten-free cookie recipe is a twist on a traditional Italian holiday treat, pignoli, or pine nut cookies. Look for almond paste--a mixture of ground almonds and sugar (available in tubes or sometimes tubs)--near other baking supplies in well-stocked supermarkets or specialty stores. Sweeter marzipan doesn't work well in these cookies.
By Virginia Willis

Dried-Fruit Bars

Make a batch of these easy homemade dried-fruit bars to tuck into your kid's lunchbox all week.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cranberry-Orange Fruit Bars

Rating: Unrated
7
These sweet-tart cranberry-orange bars are a great addition to a holiday cookie tray or cool weather grab-and-go treat.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chocolate-Dipped Apricots

Satisfy your sweet tooth with these chocolate-dipped dried apricots for a healthy dessert. Try this chocolate-dipped fruit recipe with slices of your favorite dried fruit.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen
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