29 Mini Christmas Desserts That Have Massive Holiday Flavor

Mini Chocolate Chess Tarts
Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

It's the holidays, and for us at Southern Living, that means it's baking season. While we can appreciate a towering layer cake or elaborate Bundt, there's something special about a cookie tin full of tiny treats. These mini Christmas desserts will make for a beautiful presentation on your favorite cake plates and serving dishes. Plus, mini desserts make incredible homemade Christmas gifts for neighbors, friends, and family members. Instead of cutting uneven slices of cake or spreading a bunch of germs with a big-batch dessert, these small creations are an easy, safe way to serve dessert this season. And do we even have to mention that personal portions mean no sharing is required?

Try out a vintage mini dessert like our Peppermint Divinity or Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls. Make a lasting impression with our beautiful mini desserts like White Christmas Pavlovas and Butterscotch-Bourbon Lava Cakes. Occupy the kids before your Christmas movie marathon and bake a mini dessert that they can help with, like our Christmas Tree Brownies or Red Velvet Cake Balls. These easy mini desserts will be even more of a hit than your complicated layer cake was last year.

01 of 29

Mini Cranberry-Cheesecake Pies

Mini Cranberry-Cheesecake Pies
David Malosh; Prop Styling: Robyn Glaser; Food Styling: Maggie Ruggiero

Sugared cranberries and orange zest make the most festive topping for these mini cheesecakes.

02 of 29

Chocolate-Covered Marshmallows

Southern Living Chocolate Covered Marshmallows on a platter to serve

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

When fluffy marshmallows are coated in delectable semi-sweet chocolate and sprinkled with your topping of choice, they become quite the irresistible handheld treat. Consider red and green sprinkles, crushed peppermint pieces, or coconut flakes that look like freshly fallen snow for a Christmas-themed topping.

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Christmas Tree Brownies

Christmas Tree Brownies
Micah A. Leal

Christmas Tree Brownies aren't just delicious, they're the perfect project for your kids to help bake.

04 of 29

Homemade Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes

Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes
Southern Living

Looking for a baking project that will delight the littlest helpers in your house? Try a homemade version of this store-bought favorite this season.

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Mini Red Velvet Cakes

Mini Red Velvet Cakes
Southern Living

Instead of decorating and cutting an elaborate cake, give each family member a personal mini-layer cake.

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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

Bourbon balls are an old-fashioned favorite for the holidays, and this recipe makes two dozen of them to fill those pretty Christmas cookie tins.

07 of 29

Peppermint Divinity

Peppermint Divinity
Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

We gave this old-fashioned candy a holiday makeover with peppermint flavor and a crushed candy topping.

08 of 29

Key Lime Tassies

Key Lime Tassies
Iain Bagwell

Brighten up your Christmas spread with tart mini Key lime pies.

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Snowy Tree Cookies

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

Take your cutout Christmas cookies to new heights with this oh-so-fun stacked treat.

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Christmas Fudge

Christmas Fudge
Micah A Leal

Fudge is the ultimate cookie-tin treat, and red, green, and white sprinkles make it holiday-ready.

11 of 29

Molten Red Velvet Cakes

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

Ultra-decadent and just the right size, these cakes are topped with cream cheese whipped cream.

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White Christmas Pavlovas

White Christmas Pavlovas
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Test Kitchen Professional Ivy Odom created this fluffy pavlova recipe with an interactive toppings bar in mind.

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Hot Chocolate Brownies

Hot Chocolate Brownies
Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Your go-to winter drink is now your go-to holiday dessert, too!

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Cheesecake Cookies

Cheesecake Cookies
Caitlin Bensel

Oh-so-tender cookies that bring us back to holidays at Grandma's.

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Butterscotch-Bourbon Lava Cakes

Butterscotch-Bourbon Lava Cakes
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell

Butterscotch and bourbon? Now those are two flavors that are absolutely meant to be together.

16 of 29

Chocolate-Pecan Tassies

Chocolate-Pecan Tassies
Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

A shortbread cookie crust, gooey pecan pie filling, and ribbons of chocolate make the ideal bite after dinner.

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Red Velvet Cake Balls

Red Velvet Cake Balls Image
Southern Living

We used a boxed cake mix to make these tiny treats even easier to make.

18 of 29

No-Bake Fudgy Toffee Bars

No-Bake Fudgy Toffee Bars
Iain Bagwell

Anything that has the words "no-bake" in the recipe title grabs our attention, and this sweet and salty creation has everything you need.

19 of 29

Candy Cane Cookies

Candy Cane Cookies
Joy Howard

Recipe: Candy Cane Cookies

Santa will be wowed by these festive treats.

20 of 29

Cornflake Wreath Christmas Cookies

Wreath Cookie
Southern Living

Cornflakes and marshmallows come together in this festive treat.

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Reindeer Cookies

Reindeer Cookies
Southern Living

Use peanut butter sandwich cookies as the base for these reindeer-inspired snacks.

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Pecan Snowball Cookies

Pecan Snowball Cookies
Micah A. Leal

Powdered sugar brings the snowy feel to these bite-sized beauties.

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Sprinkle Stocking Cookies

sprinkle stocking cookies
Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Use red and green sprinkles to decorate these stockings.

24 of 29

Santa's Kitchen-Sink Cookies

santa's kitchen sink cookies
Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Red and green candy-coated chocolate pieces turn these cookies into real holiday treats.

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Peppermint Meltaway Cookies

Peppermint Meltaway Cookies
Micah A. Leal

Prepare for these cookies to melt in your mouth with every bite.

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Sprinkle Sandwich Cookies

Sprinkle Sandwich Cookies
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Double the cookie, double the fun with these sweet sandwiches.

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Mini Chocolate Chess Tarts

Mini Chocolate Chess Tarts
Alison Miksch; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

An adorable mini dessert that comes together with pantry staples you probably already have on hand.

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Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites

Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites
Jennifer Davick

Get all the flavor of your favorite pecan pie in this one-bite dessert that uses phyllo shells from your freezer.

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Triple Chocolate-Brownie Mousse Stacks

Triple Chocolate Brownie-Mousse Stacks
Linda Pugliese, Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas, Buffy Hargett Miller

All eyes are on this delightfully layered dessert that's the ultimate make-ahead holiday dessert.

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