44 Easy Christmas Treats For The Holidays

Christmas Bulb Sugar Cookies
Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

The holidays are filled with sweet memories, gatherings, gifts, and of course, sweet Christmas treats. There are countless occasions when you'll need to prepare something sweet for the holidays, and we've got you covered for all of them. Make these easy recipes for kids to decorate on a cold Sunday afternoon. Prepare a batch of sweets as gifts for neighbors, teachers, and holiday guests. Need host gifts or homemade party favors? Look no further than our favorite recipes. With delicious ideas for chocolate lovers, lemon fanatics, salty-sweet cravers, and everyone in between, our Christmas confection ideas are the best. If you're looking for a simple dessert that the kids can help out with, we've got plenty of crafty ideas that your little elves will love. From cookies to bars and trifles to truffles, these are the best Christmas recipes to make your holiday the sweetest yet.

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Pecan Snowball Cookies

Pecan Snowball Cookies - Southern Living

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

These simple, elegant pecan snowball cookies are a sweet addition to any holiday cookie spread.

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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Molly Bolton

Elevate your typical chocolate chip cookies with this simple yet impactful recipe. Browning the butter makes these classics nuttier and richer for a holiday crowd pleaser.

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Sugar Cookie Bars

Southern Living Sugar Cookie Bars cut with sprinkles on top ready to serve

Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox

These soft, chewy sugar cookies made into frosting-topped bars are super customizable and perfect for holiday parties.

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Pecan Pie Brownies

Pecan Pie Brownies - Southern Living

Molly Bolton

Two of the South's favorite sweets—pecan pie and brownies—collide to make one decadent bar. The rich dark chocolate brownies with the nutty pecan pie topping make for a delicious treat all will enjoy.

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Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies

Hannah Zimmerman / Southern Living

These easy peanut butter cookies take less than 20 minutes to put together and 15 minutes to bake, so you can have homemade peanut butter cookies in an easy 35 minutes. They're perfect for a quick dessert this holiday!

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Pecan Pie Bars

Pecan Pie Bars - Southern Living

Hannah Zimmerman

Make one of the best holiday desserts even more shareable with these pecan pie bars. All of the flavor you love without all the hassle.

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Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Southern Living Pumpkin Whoopie Pies on a black platter

Photography: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Similar to a classic whoopie pie, these pumpkin ones are made with light brown sugar, pumpkin spice, and pumpkin puree to pack in the flavors of the season.

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Googie's Rosabelles

Southern Living Googie's Rosabelles stacked on a plate.

Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely 

These chewy, crisp molasses cookies will be the hit of the dessert spread this holiday. Your house will smell deliciously spicy after baking these treats.

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Pecan Tassies

Pecan Tassies - Southern Living

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

These bite-sized pecan treats are a decadent cross between a shortbread cookie and pecan pie. Bake these pecan tassies for a treat that's as simple as a cookie and as decadent as a pie.

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Pumpkin Bars

southern living pumpkin bars

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Topped with candied pumpkin seeds, these sweet, spiced pumpkin bars are the indulgent handheld treat that's irresistibly easy to eat.

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Peppermint Brownies

Peppermint Brownies

Alison Miksch; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

Fudgy, dense, and decadent, these brownies have a hint of mocha that increases the depth of chocolate flavor. Then, they're topped with a layer of creamy peppermint-flavored chocolate ganache. And if that wasn't enough peppermint, the ganache has a layer of crunchy crushed peppermint candies.

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Hello Dolly Bars

Hello Dolly Bars - Southern Living

Courtney West

A crisp graham cracker crust is topped with pecans, chocolate morsels, and flaked coconut, and then sweetened condensed milk is poured right over, binding the ingredients into caramelized, uniform bars as they bake in the oven.

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Snowy Tree Cookies

Christmas Bulb Sugar Cookies
Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Use a set of star-shape cookie cutters to make these special cookies.

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Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls

Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls Recipe
Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: Kellie Gerber Kelley

This recipe makes about two dozen bourbon balls, so you'll have plenty to send home with guests after the party.

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Potato Candy

Citrus Mints
Photo: Alison Miksch

Get nostalgic this Christmas with one of our favorite vintage recipes.

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Reindeer Marshmallow Pops

Reindeer Marshmallow Pops
Southern Living

These adorable treats are the perfect afternoon activity for your little ones.

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Pecan Bourbon Balls

Bourbon Balls
Iain Bagwell

Spiced toasted pecans add a hint of saltiness to these sweet bites.

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White Chocolate-Peppermint Blondies

White Chocolate-Peppermint Blondies
Iain Bagwell

The creamy mint icing on these Christmas-y blondies will steal the holiday show.

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Cherry Chocolates

Cherry Chocolates Recipe
Laurey W. Glenn

Mold this butter cookie dough around a chocolate candy, top with half of a candied cherry, and bake.

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No-Bake Fudgy Toffee Bars

No-Bake Fudgy Toffee Bars
Iain Bagwell

If you're in a pinch this holiday season, no-bake is the way to go.

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Dark Chocolate Sablés

Dark Chocolate Sablés
Iain Bagwell

These French butter cookies are elegant for dinner parties.

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Cracker Toffee

Cracker Toffee
Abbi Wilt

This five-ingredient toffee recipe starts with a sleeve of Saltines.

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Molasses Crinkles

Molasses Crinkles Recipe
Hector Manuel Sanchez

These cookies were sent in by Ms. Alice Rhodes from Harrisonburg, Virginia, and published in our November 1992 issue. They're bursting with every flavor you love about the holidays.

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Beet Red Velvet Cupcakes

Beet Red Velvet Cupcakes
Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling Torie Cox

No artificial coloring here! These sweet treats get their red hue from beets.

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Brown Butter-Maple-Pecan Blondies

Brown Butter-Maple-Pecan Blondies
Linda Pugliese

Move over, brownies. These blondies, made with 100 percent pure maple syrup, will get all of the attention at the dessert table.

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Cake Ball Ornaments

Cake Ball Ornaments
Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Although we used these ornaments to top the Snowy Vanilla Cake from our December 2017 cover, they can be enjoyed on their own and make a beautiful addition to any dessert spread.

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Molten Red Velvet Cakes

Molten Red Velvet Cakes, red velvet cake recipe
HECTOR MANUEL SANCHEZ

These mini cakes are absolutely decadent for the holidays.

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Lemon Thumbprint Cookies

Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
Southern Living

Brighten up your holiday dessert table with a touch of lemon.

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Rum Balls

Rum Balls - Southern Living

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Reader Lela H. Coggins from Brevard, North Carolina, sent us this recipe, which was published in our December 1993 issue. This six-ingredient stunner still holds up today.

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Key Lime Tassies

Key Lime Tassies
Iain Bagwell

Tart Key lime pie in one bite.

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Cranberry Dreamsicle Trifle

Cranberry Dreamsicle Trifle
Iain Bagwell

This trifle might look impressive on the dessert table, but it's extremely easy to put together.

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Christmas Morning Cinnamon Rolls

Christmas Morning Cinnamon Rolls
Photo: Hector Sanchez

Christmas treats aren't just for dessert. Start the day on a sweet note with homemade cinnamon rolls.

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Hummingbird Oatmeal Cookies

Hummingbird Oatmeal Cookies
Hector Sanchez

These cookies are a more portable way to enjoy our most popular recipe of all tlime—the Hummingbird Cake.

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Mrs. Floyd's Divinity

Mrs. Floyd’s Divinity
Southern Living

This classic holiday dessert lives up to its divine name.

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Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites

Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites
Jennifer Davick

With just seven ingredients and 15 minutes of hands-on time, you can serve these delightful bits of pecan pie.

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Belgian Spice Cookies

Belgian Spice Cookies
Photo: Hector Sanchez

These cozy cookies, also known as Speculoos, will delight guests young and old.

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Praline Cream-Beignet Tower

Praline Cream-Beignet Tower
Photo: Linda Pugliese

This brunch or dessert recipe is truly a show-stopper.

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Pecan-Cranberry Shortbread

Red Velvet Thumbprints
Hector Sanchez

These cheerful cookies are ideal for a holiday luncheon.

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Triple Chocolate Brownie-Mousse Stacks

Triple Chocolate Brownie-Mousse Stacks
Photo: Hector Sanchez

Delight chocolate lovers with mini desserts that are easier to serve than slicing cake.

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Our Best Homemade Marshmallows

Chocolate-Peppermint Cheesecake
Hector Sanchez

For a holiday spin on classic homemade marshmallows, this recipe gives directions to make peppermint and bourbon-caramel variations. Pair with hot chocolate and a Christmas movie.

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Mini Chocolate Chess Tarts

Mini Chocolate Chess Tarts
Photo: Alison Miksch

Consider this a warning: You'll want to devour all five dozen of the tarts this easy recipe makes.

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Chocolate-Peppermint Crackle Cookies

Chocolate Peppermint Crackle Cookies
Hector Manuel Sanchez

We think Santa would eat every last one of these crackle cookies on Christmas Eve.

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Ambrosia Streusel Bars with Shortbread Crust

Milk Punch Tres Leches Cake
Photo: Hector Sanchez

You'll never want to eat traditional ambrosia after you try it in bar form.

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5-Ingredient Sugar Cookies

5-Ingredient Sugar Cookies
Photo: Hector Sanchez

Let the kids get creative decorating half of these cookies, and decorate the other half for your own dinner guests.

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