75 Easy Holiday Desserts To Take Some Stress Off Your Plate (2024)

Whatever you call it—puppy chow, muddy buddies—one thing is for certain: This creation is one of the easiest, most satisfying party favors. With only a handful of ingredients, this peanut butter-chocolate dessert comes together in under 20 minutes, making it the easiest dessert or party snack for your holiday dinner celebration, game day dessert, or party potluck.

Get the Puppy Chow recipe.

Buckeyes are a beloved truffle made of a rich peanut butter filling and dipped in chocolate. It’s similar to a homemade Reese’s in the easiest way possible. This no-bake cheesecake might be even easier. The cheesecake is lighter and creamier than the truffle, but still has all of the peanut butter and chocolate elements you love.

Get the No-Bake Buckeye Cheesecake Bars recipe.

Dessert leftovers might get overlooked, but you’ll want to save a few slices of your holiday pie to make this easy no-churn caramel apple pie ice cream. This fresh, rich ice cream is a simplified alternative to using an ice cream maker and is maybe too easy to eat and make!

Get the No-Churn Caramel Apple Pie Ice Cream recipe.

If you love candy brittle and are as obsessed with brownies as we are, then this brownie brittle will be your new favorite snack. Crisp and crunchy with deep cocoa flavor, this sweet snack bark is both insanely easy to make and incredibly delicious. Beware—you won’t be able to stop at just one piece!

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"No-bake" and "whipped" in the same recipe name as "cheesecake"? Sure! The whipped ricotta and mascarpone combination lightened with whipped cream atop a Biscoff cookie spread is quite dreamy.

Get the No-Bake Whipped Ricotta Cheesecake recipe.

The crunchy exterior and creamy interior of a cannoli is one of the world’s best bites. Unfortunately, that bite is usually a messy thing to navigate, with the shell and filling going in all sorts of directions. That’s where these one-bite wonders come in!

Get the Cannoli Bites recipe.

Made with finely chopped pecans, crushed vanilla wafer cookies, and of course, bourbon, these no-bake cookie truffles highlight the flavor of the bourbon while taming its typical burn. Warning: You won’t be able to stop at one!

Get the Bourbon Balls recipe.

These adorable Christmas trees are perfect for when you don't have a ton of time but still want to make something cute and festive. They're easy to assemble and the kids can even help decorate! Use your favorite brownie recipe or keep it simple and use a boxed brownie like we did here.

Get the Christmas Tree Brownies recipe.

When we’re in the mood for a rich, caramel-filled treat, we turn to these carmelitas. Layered with a buttery brown sugar oat mixture, a homemade caramel sauce, and melty chocolate chips, these bars have everything we could ever want in a decadent dessert.

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We love a classic tiramisu and couldn’t imagine it getting much better—until raspberries entered the picture. We use a little orange liqueur instead of rum to amplify the bright flavors.

Get the Raspberry Tiramisu recipe.

These white chocolate peppermint blondies are all dressed up for the holidays and ready to win your Christmas cookie swap. They're easy to make: Just top a peppermint-laced chewy blondie with a layer of snow white frosting and a dusting of chopped peppermints.

Get the White Chocolate Peppermint Blondies recipe.

It’s time to channel your inner big kid. Think white cake laced with confetti sprinkles that explode into colorful polka dots (just like in our perfect birthday cake). If you love it as much as we do, it’s time to switch it up and try a quicker, simpler version of Funfetti in dip form—because why not!

Get the Funfetti Dip recipe.

By putting our own spin on the classic, decadent chocolate dessert, we turned this triple-chocolate trifle into a serious showstopper. It’s a great make-ahead, no-bake dessert for larger celebrations and dinner parties, because it's guaranteed to satisfy everyone, whether they’re chocolate skeptics or full-blown lovers.

Get the Triple-Chocolate Trifle recipe.

Chocolate sprinkles are traditional for these Brazilian chewy truffles, but you can use anything from nonpareils to your favorite nuts.

Get the Brigadeiros recipe.

Southerners know a thing or two about decadent desserts, and this retro pie is everything you want in the millionaire experience—crunchy, sweet, mile-high, and make-ahead—featuring a graham cracker crust piled high with a rich whipped topping base filled with pecans, coconut, and crushed pineapple.

Get the Million-Dollar Pie recipe.

It's time for ice cream to take center stage for the holidays, specifically this peppermint ice cream. It's delicious served plain, topped with chocolate sauce, or layered into a Christmas sundae with brownies, whipped cream, and shards of peppermint bark.

Get the Peppermint Ice Cream recipe.

A Sicilian favorite across the globe, cannoli will always be a dreamy delicacy. In this version, the classic dessert is transformed from a creamy ricotta-filled crispy shell to a shareable party dip. Not only will your chips not get soggy, but they’re completely gluten-free (so everyone can get a taste).

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These mini cheesecake bites are the easiest way to show Santa you deserve to be on the nice list this Christmas. Bonus: You can top any holiday treat with these adorable little hats—cupcakes, cookies, Jell-O shots...

Get the Santa Hat Cheesecake Bites recipe.

Love sugar cookies but hate decorating them? These are for you! The centers will stay soft and chewy after cooling and add the brightest pop of color to any celebration.

Get the Stained Glass Cookies recipe.

These triple-layered orange bars have us feeling all nostalgic for the classic frozen Popsicle treat that inspired them. But we won’t linger on it for too long because, just like their inspiration, these bars are irresistibly good. They’re creamy, dreamy, and the perfect blend of citrusy orange and vanilla bean flavor paired with a graham cracker crust.

Get the Orange Creamsicle Bars recipe.