Healthy Holiday & Occasion Recipes Healthy Christmas Holiday Recipes Christmas Baking & Dessert Recipes Make-Ahead Christmas Dessert Recipes 16 Easy Make-Ahead Christmas Desserts You Can Prep in 30 Minutes or Less By Alex Loh Alex Loh Alex Loh is EatingWell's associate food editor. As part of the food team, she creates healthy, delicious recipes for the EatingWell audience. Alex also writes informative food and cooking articles that range from how to store ground beef to the best picks from Trader Joe's. Alex conducts product and taste tests to find the best options, from salad spinners to salsas. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on October 17, 2020 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Instagram Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, has been with EatingWell for three years and works as the associate nutrition editor for the brand. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Plan in advance with these easy, make-ahead Christmas dessert recipes. Whether it's cookies, cakes or other tasty treats, you can make these desserts a few days in advance of the holiday. Plus, these desserts only require 30 minutes of prep time, so you can focus on preparing the rest of the meal. Desserts like Cranberry Cheesecake Bars and Peppermint-Chocolate Greek Yogurt Bark are healthy, seasonal and delicious. 01 of 16 Peppermint-Chocolate Greek Yogurt Bark View Recipe 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. 02 of 16 Flourless Chocolate Cookies View Recipe 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. 03 of 16 Purple Sweet Potato Pie View Recipe 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. 04 of 16 Cranberry Crumble Bars View Recipe 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. 05 of 16 Spritz Cookies View Recipe It's time to break out your spritz cookie press for these festive Christmas spritz cookies! These easy Christmas cookies can be decorated with sprinkles or flavored with citrus, spices or sweet sugar glaze. And if you're looking for healthy cookies, these fit the bill thanks to whole-wheat pastry flour that keeps their texture soft while giving them a boost of fiber. For ideas on how to dress up these spritz cookies even more with different flavorings or a glaze, see Tips below. 06 of 16 Pecan Pie Bars View Recipe These delectable bar cookies are great for holiday cookie trays, to bring out at casual gatherings, or just to enjoy with a cup of coffee. 07 of 16 Cranberry Cheesecake Bars View Recipe A great dessert option for your next holiday party, these sweet cheesecake bars have an oat crust and a cranberry-orange sauce that's swirled on top and baked right in. 08 of 16 Fresh Fig Tart View Recipe This fresh fig tart looks stunning, and it's super-simple to make. Sweet fresh figs pair naturally with almond, but if fresh figs are scarce, topping with other fresh, in-season fruit like peaches or strawberries will work well too. 09 of 16 Mint Chocolate Cake View Recipe Johnny Autry This mint chocolate cake is an homage to Andes Crème de Menthe Thins. It's rich and quite easy to whip up. Add a touch of food coloring to make the mint buttercream filling pale green if you'd like. 10 of 16 Venetian Spice Cookies (Bicciolani) View Recipe The intense blend of spices in these cookies is a tip of the hat to Venice's history as a conduit for the spice trade between Europe and the Far East. 11 of 16 One-Bowl Irish Stout Cake View Recipe This Irish stout cake can't get any easier: everything is mixed in one bowl, poured into the cake pan and is in the oven in 15 minutes flat. Lining the cake pan with parchment paper makes removing the cake easy and helps with cleanup. After this rich chocolate cake has cooled, enjoy it with the espresso- and Irish whiskey-laced whipped cream topping. 12 of 16 Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies View Recipe Kids and adults alike will love this easy peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe, which--unlike most cookie recipes--doesn't call for flour. These gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are soft and chewy and, with only five simple ingredients, they can easily be whipped up by young chefs and enjoyed as an after-school treat. They're also perfect for a holiday party or for a cookie swap. 13 of 16 Vegan Meringue Cookies View Recipe Magical aquafaba--the liquid from canned chickpeas that often gets poured down the drain--mimics egg whites in these airy vegan meringue cookies. The other magical thing? These cookies require just three ingredients! Save the chickpeas themselves for hummus, stew or any one of our other recipes that call for canned chickpeas. 14 of 16 Chocolate Polvorones (Mexican Wedding Cookies) View Recipe These melt-in-your-mouth polvorones (Mexican wedding cookies) get a chocolate makeover by replacing all the nuts in the traditional version with ground chocolate. Addictive just as they are, you can also grate a little cinnamon stick over them before serving. 15 of 16 Gluten-Free Fudgy Teff Brownies View Recipe Whole-grain teff flour (made from a tiny ancient grain) has a nuance of cocoa flavor to start with, making it a natural choice for brownies. These gluten-free brownies are moist and satisfying, intensely chocolaty and have a tender texture. 16 of 16 Carob Molasses Cake (Sfouf b' Debs) View Recipe With all due respect to baklava, we've found a new favorite Lebanese dessert. This rich, moist cake is sweetened with carob molasses and has a hit of anise. We may or may not have fought over it in the Test Kitchen. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit