Food Seasonal & Holiday Our Best Holiday Desserts By Midwest Living editors Midwest Living editors Midwest Living's experienced editors create best-in-class travel, lifestyle, food, home and garden content you won't find anywhere else. We're loudly, proudly Midwestern, and we're passionate about helping our audience explore and create through award-winning storytelling. Midwest Living's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 11, 2023 Trending Videos Photo: Carson Downing Indulge in moist cakes, decadent pies, creamy cheesecakes, mouthwatering cookies and other special-occasion treats for the holidays. 01 of 35 Macarons Carson Downing This recipe comes from Nathan Sivitz of Macaron Bar in Cincinnati. Try with his White Chocolate and Vanilla Whipped Ganache—or fill cookies with fruit curd, dulce de leche or dark chocolate ganache. Check out Sivitz's step-by-step guide and problem-solving tips. View Recipe 02 of 35 Maple Mascarpone Cheesecake Brie Passano With a maple-scented, butter-smooth filling and nutty graham cracker crust, this cheesecake leans toward more adult palates. Top it with drifts of whipped cream and a crown of walnut brittle. Rich and Creamy Cheesecakes View Recipe 03 of 35 Black Forest Cake with Cloud Frosting Carson Downing This simplified version of the German classic gets its fruit flavor from cherry jam and cherry juice. Heavy cream and cream cheese combine for a beautifully light frosting. Showstopping Cakes for Your Holiday Table View Recipe 04 of 35 Triple Chocolate Peppermint Bark Carson Downing Trust us: This festive and easy peppermint bark recipe is so much better than store-bought versions. Break it into bite-size pieces or cut it into six larger "candy bars" and wrap them up for gifting. View Recipe 05 of 35 Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies Courtesy of Stephanie Simmons The nostalgic flavors of your favorite childhood sandwich come together in cookie form. Use your favorite preserves (these feature raspberry) to give your batch an extra-personal touch. View Recipe 06 of 35 Gingerbread Latte Cake Kelsey Hansen Rebekah Stuber of Bay Laurel Baking Company in Des Moines says her flavor-packed spice cakes always earn the most raves. Her secret to airy cream cheese frosting? Folding in whipped cream. Meet Five Midwest Cake Creators (and Try Their Recipes) View Recipe 07 of 35 Golden Toffee Nuggets Dipping toffee pieces halfway in chocolate is way tidier and easier than fully coating them-and the result is more striking, visually. (We recommend melting chopped good-quality chocolate bars for dipping-chips have additives that affect their consistency.) For undeniable holiday wow, brush on some edible gold luster dust. It's a splurge, but applying it thinly with a paintbrush helps avoid waste. Delectable Christmas Candies and Treats View Recipe 08 of 35 Cracker Toffee Blaine Moats In Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland, Shauna Sever describes this kitschy, candy-like classic as "the unicorn of the cookie tin" — irresistible, elusive, and mysterious. View Recipe 09 of 35 Sugar Cookies Like You Remember Nutmeg lends unmistakable holiday flavor to these puffy, old-fashioned cut-out cookies. They do spread a bit, so don't use this recipe for delicate shapes. It's best-suited for circles, bells and the like. Christmas Cookies to Treasure View Recipe 10 of 35 Cheater's Fudge Blaine Moats This shortcut fudge—from Shauna Sever's cookbook Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland—gets a 21st-centery boost with bittersweet chocolate and flaky sea salt. If you want to streamline a little, use high-quality chocolate chips, such as Ghirardelli. Fabulous Fudge Recipes View Recipe 11 of 35 Chocolate Cream Pie The filling of this chocolate-crust pie is luscious, but not too rich. (Think old-fashioned chocolate pudding.) A bit of sour cream in the whipped topping balances the chocolate perfectly. Favorite Holiday Pies View Recipe 12 of 35 PBJ&C Cheesecake Brie Passano You will most likely print this recipe to keep in your favorite's stash. With a satisfying crunch to the crust and plenty of PB&J flavor and chocolate chips in the filling, it was a test kitchen favorite. Peanut Butter Dessert Recipes View Recipe 13 of 35 German Chocolate Cake Kelsey Hansen This delicious (and big!) celebration cake is a staple at Bake Chicago and a particular favorite at the holidays. It has a wonderfully fudgy, old-fashioned, homemade texture. The frosting has an unusual method that may feel initially like it's failing, but stick with it. Laced with sour cream, it's creamy and utterly delicious. Decadent Chocolate Dessert Recipes View Recipe 14 of 35 Caramel Candies Carson Downing Soft, chewy homemade caramels are the bee's knees. For a twist on the classic, try Sarah Kieffer's orange, espresso and salted variations. Extra credit if you package them in our darling crepe paper treat bags! Heavenly Homemade Food Gifts View Recipe 15 of 35 Chocolate Truffles Using an easy method from Pete's Chocolate Co. in Detroit, you can make a dazzling array of rich, creamy chocolate truffles. (Note: The yield varies depending if you use bittersweet, milk or white chocolate, so read the recipe carefully before starting. And know that you can double it if desired.) Delectable Christmas Candies and Treats View Recipe 16 of 35 Sandbakkels Blaine Moats Sandbakkels means "sand tarts" because the cookies (which, flipped over, can double as tiny shells to hold cream and fruit) have such a fine, crisp texture. Find them in Shauna Sever's book Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland. View Recipe 17 of 35 Peppermint Patty Cake Kelsey Hansen This pretty cake boasts dark rich layers and silky Swiss meringue buttercream. That frosting is where you get the peppermint flavor, so baker Kristine Moberg of Queen City Bakery says to use a high-quality extract like Nielsen-Massey. Holiday Peppermint Recipes View Recipe 18 of 35 Christmas Pudding Carson Downing Christmas pudding is a dense, fruity, boozy steamed cake that's traditionally lit on fire before serving, and this version comes from British-born chef Kieron Hales of Cornman Farms in Michigan. Top each slice with a melting dollup of sweet brandied butter and serve. A British Chef Brings Holiday Flavors Across the Pond View Recipe 19 of 35 Peppermint Stick Brownies A creamy, peppermint-flavor cheesecake layer adds holiday flair to classic chocolate brownies. Rich, Moist Brownie Recipes View Recipe 20 of 35 Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Brie Passano Take the layers in: Cookie-crumb crust. Dark chocolate cheesecake. Vanilla cheesecake speckled with raspberries and orange zest. A heap of fresh fruit. What a stunner! View Recipe 21 of 35 Nutella Cherry Hazelnut Fudge Chocolate-hazelnut spread (Nutella) gives this fudge a smooth texture and luscious nutty flavor. The recipe comes from Indianapolis blogger Annie Marshall. View Recipe 22 of 35 Chocolate Chai Bundt Cake with Candied Oranges and Rum Buttah Kelsey Hansen Reine Keis of SweetArt Cafe in St. Louis says that the secret to vegan baking is not assuming that one plant-based alternative fits all recipes. In this truly cozy cake, coconut yogurt is her power play. Ultimate Cake Recipes View Recipe 23 of 35 Raspberry Truffles These five-ingredient truffles come together in a snap. Blending jam into the chocolate makes for a subtle fruit flavor perfectly balancing the rich, smooth chocolate. View Recipe 24 of 35 Cranberry-Lemon Tart= Carson Downing This tangy, make-ahead tart has a crisp ginger crust. Easily create its eye-catching swirls of cranberry and lemon curd with a toothpick or chopstick. View Recipe 25 of 35 Holiday Seven-Layer Bars Chocolate, nuts, coconut and more fill our easy-to-make bar cookies. Mixed dried fruit bits and candy-coated milk chocolate pieces are among the layers that make this bar cookie distinctive. Our Best Bar Cookies View Recipe 26 of 35 Caramel Almond Stars These playful candies are sort of a mock turtle-all the texture and flavor minus the homemade caramel or fussy dipping. Sprinkle with Wilton's gold star sprinkles (sold online) or coarse sparkling sugar. For a flavor twist, substitute roasted, salted almonds or even smoked almonds. View Recipe 27 of 35 Caramel Heavenlies Graham crackers form the base for this bar cookie with layers of marshmallows, brown sugar, almonds and coconut. "They're one of my family's favorites," says Georgine Simmonds of Genesee, Michigan. Favorite Family Holiday Recipes View Recipe 28 of 35 Eggnog Cheesecake Bars A spiced graham cracker crust and bourbon-infused egg nog filling give these simple bars a delicious holiday twist. The recipe comes from Annie Marshall of Indianapolis. View Recipe 29 of 35 Sticky Toffee Pudding A Chicago restaurant used an English tradition as inspiration for this molasses-date holiday dessert with honey-toffee sauce. Buttery toffee originated in England, but a Robinson, Illinois, company named Heath launched an empire when it began making toffee commercially in 1914. View Recipe 30 of 35 Pistachio Cranberry Icebox Cookies These cookies from the Inn at Cedar Falls in Logan, Ohio, make a colorful holiday treat. View Recipe 31 of 35 Double Chocolate-Espresso Truffle Pie Do you have a chocoholic in your family? Give them something to love with this über-rich pie. For pretty chocolate curls, warm a bar of milk chocolate in your pocket or hand, then shave with a sharp vegetable peeler. View Recipe 32 of 35 Dark Chocolate Almond Brittle Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman of the blog A Beautiful Mess share this sinfully good holiday candy recipe. Adding almond butter makes the candy a bit softer and more flaky than traditional brittle. View Recipe 33 of 35 Gooey Pecan Pie Bars These sweet, nutty and oh-so-buttery bars are a guaranteed showstopper on any cookie tray. View Recipe 34 of 35 Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes Top these gooey-center, intense chocolate desserts with powdered sugar. View Recipe 35 of 35 White Chocolate Christmas Fudge This five-ingredient fudge is simplicity, squared: Just melt, stir, spread, cool and cut. We love seeing festive flecks of orange zest in the fudge, but substituting orange-flavored dried cranberries will have a similar taste. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit