Whether baking for a Christmas party, a Christmas Day dessert or giving as gifts, you’ve come to the right place!

We have classic recipes with a twist and flavor combinations you may not have considered! Fun recipes you can bake with the kids or more elegant ones for parties.

Whatever you’re baking over the festive season, impress your friends and family with these Christmas baking ideas!

1. Coconut Macaroons

Source: allnutritious.com

Soft and chewy on the inside, golden brown and crisp on the outside. These macaroons only need four ingredients!

Shredded coconut is essential. It wouldn’t be a coconut macaroon without it! It provides a nutty, chewy texture. Use egg whites to bind the macaroons and for moisture.

A natural sweetness comes from honey. Dip your macaroons in dark chocolate when they’re cooled for the perfect combination.

2. Christmas Tree Brownies

Source: ihearteating.com

These fudgy chocolate brownies are festively decorated to look like Christmas trees!

Light brown sugar offers a caramelized taste to your brownies. Bittersweet chocolate chips are best for the rich chocolate taste.

When your brownies are cooled from the oven, cut them into triangles for Christmas tree shapes. Decorate them with green frosting and sprinkles for a festive look!

Poke candy canes in the bottom of the brownies to create a tree trunk!

3. Vegan Gingerbread House

Source: addictedtodates.com

This vegan gingerbread house recipe is a fun holiday project for the whole family! It comes with eggless royal icing to decorate your house.

Flaxseed egg and vegan butter hold your gingerbread together. Coconut sugar adds a light caramel taste. Molasses provide a deep color and flavor.

Ground ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg make the seasonal flavor of your gingerbread. Use vegan royal icing flavored with tangy orange juice as the glue for your house!

4. Cranberry Curd Tart

Source: runningtothekitchen.com

This cranberry curd tart stands out with its vibrant red color and holiday decoration!

The smooth curd filling goes well with the crunchy oat nut base of the tart. Brown sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom offer a subtle seasonal taste.

Fresh cranberries, lemon zest, and juice provide your curd’s tart, citrus flavor. Egg yolks and butter are vital for the silky texture.

Decorate your tart with sugared cranberries, candied lemon, and fresh rosemary sprigs!

5. Classic Cinnamon Star Cookies

Source: ourgabledhome.com

Classic German cinnamon star cookies are perfect for your holiday treat plate! They require only four ingredients, too.

Mix beaten egg whites and powdered sugar to make the binding agent for your cookies. Ground hazelnuts form the structure. Add ground cinnamon for the signature taste!

Coat the top of your stars with a meringue glaze from the remaining egg-white mixture. It looks like snow on your cookies!

6. Candy Cane Cookies

Source: cravethegood.com

Double chocolate candy cane cookies are another delicious addition to your holiday cookie plate!

This is a regular cookie recipe. Use brown sugar for a slight caramelized taste. Crushed candy canes add crunch and festive flavor to your cookies.

The peppermint flavor pairs well with gooey white and semisweet chocolate chips!

7. Mini Christmas Tarts

Source: lucismorsels.com

These mini chocolate tarts are the perfect ending to your Christmas meal. Individual servings mean no fighting over who gets the best bit of the tart!

Dark cocoa provides the decadent chocolaty taste of your buttery tart crust. Make spiced custard with ground cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. A spoonful of brandy goes well, too!

When your custard is set, add whipped cream. Garnish with pomegranate arils and a mint leaf for a festive look!

8. Eggnog Pound Cake with Eggnog Glaze

Source: theflavorbender.com

This festive eggnog pound cake is moist yet dense, with a texture similar to a classic pound cake. Topped with an eggnog glaze, the flavor runs through the cake!

Make your pound cake batter seasonal with vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and eggnog. Pour your eggnog glaze over the cake before adding rum and nutmeg spiced whipped cream!

9. Vegan Gingerbread Chocolate Tart

Source: addictedtodates.com

A gingerbread spiced pastry crust is the perfect contrast to the creamy chocolate filling of this vegan tart!

Molasses, ground cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger provide the gingerbread taste to your tart crust. Add orange zest for a note of citrus flavor.

Mix coconut milk, dark chocolate, molasses, and maple syrup for the filling. Add ground ginger for a lightly spiced flavor.

Decorate your tart with vegan gingerbread cookies, pomegranate arils, and fresh rosemary sprigs.

10. Almond Flour Banana Muffins

Source: allnutritious.com

These banana muffins are moist, delicious, and naturally sweet. Perfect for a guilt-free holiday treat!

Almond flour provides a light, nutty taste to your muffins. Use coconut sugar for a deep caramel flavor. These work well with sweet, ripe bananas.

Ground cinnamon and nutmeg offer a warming, festive taste to your muffins. Add chocolate chips for pockets of gooey sweetness!

11. Red Velvet Christmas Cake Roll

Source: plattertalk.com

This stunning red velvet cake roll looks like a red and white candy cane inside. It’s likely to be the showstopper on your Christmas dessert table!

It’s easier to make than you think. The cake is a regular chocolate cake batter; however, you bake it in a sheet pan, so it’s easy to roll. Add red food gel for the signature red velvet color!

Add peppermint extract to your buttercream for a candy cane flavor. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on your cake for crunch!

12. Christmas Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies

Source: iambaker.net

These melt-in-your-mouth butter cookies are full of festive holiday sprinkles!

The secret to these cookies’ ooey, gooey texture is powdered sugar. It makes them moist and chewy alongside the cream cheese in the batter.

Add vanilla extract to your cookies for flavor. Mix in red, white, and green color sprinkles for a fun, festive feel! Roll your dough balls in powdered sugar before baking for a soft exterior.

13. Peppermint Mocha Cookies

Source: theshortordercook.com

These cookies’ chocolate, coffee, and peppermint flavors go well together. The gooey, chewy, fudgy texture is decadent!

Cocoa powder, chocolate chips, peppermint extract, and espresso powder provide a rich flavor to your regular cookie batter.

Dip your cookies in vanilla candy melts for a snowy look after they’re cooled! Add crushed candy canes to make them taste even more like peppermint.

14. Eggnog Coffee Cake

Source: practicallyhomemade.com

This moist eggnog coffee cake is perfect for adding your favorite drink to baking! A cinnamon crumb topping takes it to the next level.

Use a regular cake batter for your coffee cake. The spices in the eggnog add a warming, festive taste. Add cinnamon and nutmeg to your crumb topping. The slight crunch when baked tastes delicious against the soft cake.

Mix powdered sugar, eggnog, cinnamon, and nutmeg to make a spiced eggnog glaze. Drizzle it all over your cooled cake before serving!

15. Vegan Cranberry Almond Shortbread Cookies

Source: tyberrymuch.com

These delicious vegan shortbread cookies are nutty, buttery, and tart with a touch of sweetness.

Almond extract and chopped almonds provide a lovely nutty taste to your shortbread. Use a regular eggless cookie recipe, but use vegan butter instead.

Chopped fresh cranberries offer pockets of tart flavor against the sweetness. They also make your cookies look vibrant and festive!

16. Cranberry Pistachio Christmas Biscotti

Source: notentirelyaverage.com

These crunchy Christmas cookies baked twice are perfect for eating with a strong coffee!

For a Southern twist, mix yellow cornmeal with the flour to make the cookies dense and robust! Ground ginger offers a warming taste.

Add orange zest, pistachios, and cranberries to your dough for a mix of holiday flavors. Melted chocolate, dried cranberries, and chopped nuts make your biscotti look festive!

17. Whipped Shortbread Cookies

Source: greedyeats.com

These whipped shortbread cookies melt in your mouth! They have a light, airy texture from four simple ingredients.

As you only need a few ingredients, use the best quality. Try adding vanilla or almond extract for flavor. Make a pattern with a fork on your cookies, and add festive sprinkles before baking!

18. Mini Gingerbread Houses

Source: owlbbaking.com

Cute mini gingerbread houses are ideal for giving as gifts, using as mug toppers, or creating an edible village!

This spiced gingerbread has crisp edges with a soft center. Brown sugar and molasses provide a deep caramel taste to your cookies.

Use ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves for the signature gingerbread flavor. Orange zest adds a slight hint of citrus.

Build and decorate your houses with royal icing for a snowy effect. Add mini candies and sprinkles for colorful houses!

19. Christmas Cookie Fudge

Source: basicswithbails.com

Easy, sweet Christmas cookie fudge is perfect for gifting. It also makes a great addition to your Christmas treat plate!

Condensed milk gives your fudge its delicious, creamy consistency. Mix it with butter and white chocolate chips. A packet of sugar cookie mix provides a unique taste to your fudge!

Stir in Christmas sprinkles and let your fudge set in a pan overnight. Cut it into squares and enjoy!

20. Coconut Flour Muffins

Source: allnutritious.com

These tasty coconut flour muffins are moist, nutty, and fruity. They’re a healthier gluten and dairy-free Christmas treat!

Coconut flour, almond milk, and coconut oil provide a lovely, nutty depth of flavor. Use raw honey to sweeten your muffins and vanilla extract for a delicate background taste.

Fold fresh blueberries into your batter for pops of juicy sweetness. Sprinkle shredded coconut on your muffins before baking for a slight crunch.

21. Eggnog Poke Cake

Source: princesspinkygirl.com

This delicious dessert has eggnog in the cake batter and pudding mixture! The whipped cream pairs beautifully with the moist cake.

Use a box of white cake mix for quick and easy prep. Mix eggnog into the batter for a festive taste.

Combine vanilla pudding mix and eggnog to pour over your cake when it’s cooled. The mixture soaks into the holes to infuse the cake with more eggnog flavor!

Spread Cool Whip over the pudding mix layer and sprinkle with ground nutmeg before slicing!

22. Vegan Spiced Gingerbread Loaf

Source: foodwineandlove.com

This vegan spiced gingerbread loaf is moist, rich, and tasty. It’s the perfect treat to eat alongside a hot cup of coffee.

Vegan alternatives replace the dairy in your loaf. Use flax eggs to bind your ingredients. Ripe bananas give moisture to your loaf.

Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves provide warming flavors to your gingerbread. Molasses add a deep color and rich caramelized taste.

23. Cranberry Bliss Bars

Source: atasteofmadness.com

These sweet yet tart cranberry bliss bars copy the coffee chain version!

The bottom layer of your bars consists of a soft, chewy blondie. Use regular blondie ingredients and stir in ground cinnamon and dried cranberries for the holiday flavors!

Make the frosting with cream cheese, powdered sugar, and melted white chocolate. Sprinkle orange-flavored dried cranberries on your frosted bars and cut them into triangles!

24. Small Batch Gingerbread Cookies

Source: chocolatemoosey.com

Slightly chewy yet firm gingerbread cookies are buttery, lightly spiced, and festively decorated!

Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger add flavor to your regular cookie dough. Molasses provide the signature color and caramelized flavor.

Cut them into festive shapes before baking – trees, candy canes, and people are perfect! Pipe royal icing on your cooled cookies for a snowy, festive look!

25. Peppermint Brownie Bites

Source: mimosasandmotherhood.com

Indulgent peppermint brownie bites have a rich chocolate taste and a soft, fudgy texture. Peppermint candy canes add a contrasting texture and flavor!

It’s okay to use a packet of brownie mix for this recipe. Stir peppermint extract and crushed candy canes into your batter for a festive, minty flavor.

Pour your batter into the holes of a mini muffin tin to create bite-sized brownies. Bake until they’re soft in the middle but slightly crisp on top!

26. Gingerbread Brownies

Source: blackberrybabe.com

These fudgy brownies are filled with a buttery gingerbread swirl and topped with festive sprinkles! This recipe starts with a packet of brownie mix, but you can make them from scratch.

Make your gingerbread swirl with molasses and butter. Add ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla extract for the signature gingerbread flavor.

Pour your brownie batter into a baking pan, and add your gingerbread mix. Gently swirl it into your batter with a knife so it’s in each brownie square!

Add sprinkles to your batter and bake until your brownie is soft but firm!

27. Ginger-Orange Vegan Cheesecake with Poached Pears

Source: rainbowplantlife.com

This citrusy, ginger vegan cheesecake is rich and creamy with the added elegance of poached pears.

Your crunchy base consists of gingersnap cookies, crushed pecans, and coconut oil. Blitz them in a food processor until they come together, then press into the bottom and sides of a pan.

Use vegan cream cheese for the ginger spiced filling. Soaked cashews and coconut cream help produce a thick, creamy texture. Crystallized and fresh ginger provides a robust ginger taste.

Add poached pears on top of your baked cheesecake for a showstopping look! Drizzle the poaching syrup on the pears and cheesecake for extra decadence.

28. Nutella Stuffed Gingerbread Muffins

Source: marshasbakingaddiction.com

Moist and fluffy gingerbread muffins are spiced with warm, festive flavors. The gooey Nutella center is a welcome hidden surprise!

Your muffins are a basic mixture using regular muffin ingredients. Buttermilk and vegetable oil make them extra moist!

Ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla add a warming taste. Molasses provide a deep caramelized flavor and golden color.

29. Bundt Cake Christmas Wreath

Source: practicallyhomemade.com

This bundt cake Christmas wreath makes a stunning centerpiece for your Christmas dessert table! Use a spiced eggnog bundt cake as the canvas for decorating your wreath.

Cool Whip is the perfect base for your wreath. The decorations stand out against the bright white! Fresh tarragon leaves make a great wreath shape.

Mint leaves, cranberries,  dried oranges, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and pomegranate arils are ideal for creating your wreath. Sprinkle with powdered sugar for a snowy effect!

30. 5-Ingredient Brownies

Source: allnutritious.com

Indulgent chocolate brownies have a fudgy texture that melts in your mouth!

Overripe bananas add moisture and the perfect amount of sweetness. Almond butter provides a mild, nutty taste.

Use unsweetened cocoa powder to balance the sweetness of your bananas. The rich chocolate taste is delicious! Apple pie spice offers a warm, comforting, festive flavor.

31. Crescent Roll Christmas Tree Dessert

Source: sweetfixbaker.com

Crescent rolls are filled with tart cranberry jam and held in a tree shape with creamy Nutella! It makes an excellent centerpiece for your Christmas table.

You’ll need to make 32 balls from your Crescent Roll dough. Bake until they’re golden brown and leave to cool before filling them.

Pipe cranberry jam into each dough ball. Arrange them into a 3D Christmas tree shape and “glue” them together using Nutella. Dust powdered sugar over your tree for a snowy effect!

32. Cranberry Cheesecake Brownies

Source: cookingorgeous.com

These delicious cheesecake brownies are the perfect combination of flavors and texture. Fudgy chocolate brownie and creamy, tangy cranberry cheesecake!

Your brownies comprise a regular brownie batter. Dark chocolate and cacao powder provide a rich depth of flavor.

Vanilla extract adds a delicate background flavor to your cheesecake batter. Swirl in tart cranberry sauce for a festive taste!

Bake your cheesecake mixture on your brownie batter until the sides are slightly browned. Leaving them in the oven to cool a little means the top doesn’t crack!

33. Eggnog Pull Apart Bread

Source: karalydon.com

Sweet and festive eggnog pull-apart bread is perfect for a cozy Christmas morning! Drizzled with an eggnog glaze, you won’t be able to stop at one piece.

A regular bread dough is ideal for this tasty treat. Sugar, vanilla, and eggnog in the dough add the right amount of sweetness. Cinnamon and nutmeg in the filling add a festive flavor, too!

Bake your bread until golden brown and let it cool before serving. Mix powdered sugar and eggnog for your glaze!

34. Christmas Cranberry Bread

Source: hezzi-dsbooksandcooks.com

Sweet and tart white chocolate and cranberry bread is ideal for holiday parties. Or you can eat a slice with a hot cup of coffee!

The bread is a crossover of a pound cake base and a quick bread. It’s sweet with a soft, dense texture. Ground cinnamon adds a festive, spiced taste to your bread.

Fold white chocolate chips and fresh cranberries into your batter for creamy and tart sweetness. Drizzle your cooled bread with melted white chocolate, dried cranberries, and sprinkles!

35. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Source: mimosasandmotherhood.com

Chocolate crinkle cookies that are soft, rich, and have the fudgy texture of a brownie!

You’ll need essential cookie ingredients alongside cocoa powder for the full-bodied flavor. Semi-sweet and white chocolate chips offer gooey pockets of melted chocolate amid the fudgy brownie!

Roll your dough balls in powdered sugar before baking to help with the crinkled look!

36. Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Source: annabanana.co

Indulgent chocolate thumbprint cookies are filled with smooth ganache and festive sprinkles!

Cocoa powder and coffee extract provide a rich chocolate taste to your cookies. Add them to regular cookie ingredients.

Make an indent in your cookie dough balls before baking. This vessel is for your rich, creamy chocolate ganache. Add festive sprinkles for a final touch!

37. Cranberry Christmas Cake

Source: thehomeintent.com

This beautiful, wholesome cranberry Christmas cake is tasty, fruity, and nutritious!

This cake has no dairy, refined sugar, or gluten – you’ll use whole ingredients instead. Coconut oil, coconut sugar, coconut flour, maple syrup, and eggs.

Orange juice and lemon zest offer a citrus taste that works well with fresh, tart cranberries. Vanilla extract imparts a delicate background flavor.

It’s an “upside down” cake, so turn it over once it’s cooled. The vibrant cranberries will be at the top! Drizzle a powdered sugar glaze over your cake for a more festive look.

38. Gingerbread Bread Pudding with Eggnog Sauce

Source: karalydon.com

Moist gingerbread bread pudding is packed with juicy raisins and warming spices. It’s topped with a warm, creamy eggnog sauce.

This recipe requires prepping and baking the gingerbread the day before you make the pudding. It needs to dry out to soak up the sweet custard when baking.

Add ground cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and ginger to your gingerbread. Molasses provide deep color and flavor.

Vanilla extract adds flavor to your custard. Pour it over your gingerbread cubes and sprinkle with raisins. Bake until the pudding has set, and serve warm with eggnog sauce!

39. Gluten-Free Eggnog Cake

Source: theroastedroot.net

Your favorite holiday drink is packed into this moist, gluten-free cake. It’s fluffy, buttery, and flavored with warming spices.

The cake is almost a regular recipe, except you use GF flour. Coconut sugar and maple syrup naturally sweeten it. Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves add a seasonal taste.

Add a cup of eggnog and a little brandy to your cake batter for an extra festive depth of flavor. Make a glaze with coconut milk, maple syrup, and ground nutmeg to pour over your cake!

40. Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

Source: allnutritious.com

Blueberry oatmeal muffins have a nutty yet sweet, mildly caramelized taste and a moist texture.

Oat flour adds a slightly nutty flavor to your muffins, while almond milk elevates the nuttiness. Add extra delicate flavor with vanilla extract.

Coconut sugar provides a caramelized, sweet taste. Fresh blueberries in your batter offer a juicy sweetness in each bite!

41. Cranberry Pecan Bread

Source: lifeasastrawberry.com

Bake this nutty cranberry pecan bread in your Dutch oven for a crispy crust and soft center.

This is an easy recipe. You only need essential bread ingredients. Honey adds a touch of sweetness to the dough and helps the yeast activate.

Toasted pecans add bites of crunch to your soft bread. Dried cranberries deliver pops of tart, festive flavor!

42. Cranberry Christmas Cake

Source: savingdessert.com

Tart cranberries dazzle against the bright white of this moist and flavorful Christmas cake!

Sour cream, orange zest, and fresh cranberries give your cake batter a sharp, tangy flavor. The sour cream and milk give it a light, airy texture.

A delicious cream cheese frosting covers your moist cake. Sugared cranberries make a beautiful garnish around the edges!

43. Christmas Pinwheel Cookies

Source: swirlsofflavor.com

Vibrant pinwheel cookies will surely be the showstopper on your Christmas cookie plate!

Make this treat with regular cookie ingredients. Add flavor with vanilla extract. You could use peppermint extract for more of a festive taste!

Red and green sheets of cookie dough are rolled and cut into pinwheels. Bake your cookies until the edges are golden!

44. Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies

Source: blendwithspices.com

These rich, buttery cookie snowballs have a hint of chocolate in the center and a powdered sugar exterior.

Add mini chocolate chips to your cookie dough for gooey pockets of sweetness. Vanilla extract provides a delicate background flavor.

Roll your warm cookie balls in powdered sugar for a festive, snowy effect!

45. Peppermint Hershey Christmas Cookies

Source: temeculablogs.com

Thumbprint Christmas cookies can be the star of your cookie plate. Topped with a peppermint Hershey’s kiss, they’re festive and fun!

The cookies are made from an easy sugar cookie dough. Add peppermint extract for double holiday flavor! Roll your cookies in colorful festive sprinkles before baking.

Add a peppermint Hershey’s Kisses to each cookie when they come out of the oven!

46. Cheesecake Stuffed Gingerbread Cake

Source: theflavorbender.com

If you thought moist gingerbread cake couldn’t get any better, think again! Add a hidden layer of rich, creamy cheesecake to the middle for an impressive dessert.

Your gingerbread has warming flavors of cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and ginger. Molasses provide its signature caramelized flavor and color.

Ground nutmeg flavors your cheesecake layer. It perfectly complements the spiced flavor of the gingerbread. Cover your gingerbread with sweet whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon!

47. Cranberry Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Source: cookingwithcarlee.com

These lightly spiced oatmeal cookies are stuffed with tart cranberries and rich dark chocolate.

This is a regular cookie recipe with the addition of chewy oatmeal. Add vanilla extract and cinnamon for a subtle festive taste.

Dried cranberries and dark chocolate chips perfectly balance the sweet flavor of your cookies.

48. Sticky Toffee Pudding Tray Bake

Source: tiffinandteaofficial.com

A cozy, warming, sticky date cake is smothered in a delicious toffee sauce for the most comforting dessert.

Medjool dates are essential in a sticky date cake. Blended to a puree, they add sweetness and depth of flavor. Dark brown sugar and black treacle provide a rich, caramelized taste.

Make your sweet toffee sauce with butter, dark brown sugar, treacle, and heavy cream. Pour it all over your date cake when it’s done baking!

49. Gingerbread Cake

Source: chocolatemoosey.com

Moist and fluffy gingerbread cake has the taste of Christmas in every bite! Its warming, spiced flavor is topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting.

Ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves flavor your gingerbread cake. Molasses provide a rich color and caramelized taste.

The tangy frosting is a perfect contrast to the spiced cake. Make the frosting with butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.

50. Eggless Fruitcake Cookies

Source: blendwithspices.com

Christmas fruitcake cookies without eggs are nutty, fruity, and soft in every bite!

Chopped dates, mixed candied fruit, and chopped mixed nuts provide the delicious flavors in these cookies. Almonds, pistachios, and cashews are perfect.

Milk is a replacement for the egg in this recipe. It adds moisture to your cookies and keeps them soft.

51. Christmas Morning Muffins

Source: runningtothekitchen.com

These Christmas morning muffins are moist and tender from adding Greek yogurt. They have a beautiful combination of herb, spice, and tart fruit flavors.

Cinnamon and nutmeg add a festive, spiced flavor to your muffins. Fresh rosemary offers a taste of herbs, and tart dried cranberries provide pockets of chewy texture.

Add a cinnamon and nutmeg spiced crumble to your muffins for a slight crunch. A vanilla and nutmeg powdered sugar glaze completes your decadent muffins!