Ten {Oh-So-Fun} Creative & Easy Christmas Desserts

I love Christmas. I love baking. And I sure do love dessert. So this post just called to me, really. I’ve gathered 10 of the most creative Christmas dessert ideas I’ve come across to share with you. They all look pretty easy, too, which is a plus during the busy holidays. Enjoy!

1 . Donut Snowmen. I had to list this one first, because it knocked my socks off with how simple {and adorable} it is! I was sure this was some complicated cookie recipe when I first saw the photo. Nope… three ingredients, people! Powdered donuts, candy corn, and melted chocolate. Love it! This recipe, and several other cute ideas, can be found at Pizzazzerie.

2. Christmas Tree Cheesecake Pops. Another easy idea. Either make your favorite cheesecake, or buy one from the store. Cut slices and freeze them until they’re firm, stick in a popsicle stick, then dip in either chocolate or white chocolate, and drizzle with green-tinted almond bark. You could use mini M&M’s as lights, or dot dabs of icing as seen in the photo above. Either way, cute and delicious. Seen at Taste of Home.

3. Cookie Cutter Fudge. I am seriously considering making this for my coworkers, if I can find inexpensive cookie cutters. Just make your fudge and pour it into cookie cutters (this 18-piece cookie cutter set at Amazon is a great deal) on wax paper to set, then place candies as desired to decorate. The recipients get a treat and can use the cookie cutters for years to come! A friend also told me she did brownies this way, and baked them in the cookie cutters. The fudge idea was found from Betty Crocker – they’ve got a ton of other fun holiday dessert ideas, too.

4. Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies. You can go homemade or semi-homemade {hi, Sandra Lee!} with these, but either way they’re adorable and a crowd-pleaser. I had some at my office party today that used regular pretzels, and they were still really good. The recipe can be found at Bakergirl.

5. Coconut Snowman. I have to admit that a Martha Stewart recipe seems inherently complicated, but this is really cute and can easily be modified for normal people like us. Martha makes hers with ice cream rolled in coconut, but you could also do cake balls. You can be creative with how to make the nose and eyes (I know I, for one, don’t have marzipan easily accessible), and I think it’d be just as cute with an un-toasted marshmallow hat. Love the overall idea, though! Details are on the Martha Stewart site.

6. Fruit Tree. Yes, this is basically an edible arrangement. But still, it’s creative, cute, easy, and is a healthy alternative to all the heavy desserts in abundance. A foam cone, fruit, toothpicks and a star-cookie cutter are all you need. Find out all the how-to info at Ginger & Garlic.

7. Christmas Tree Cookies. I found this at Better Homes & Gardens, and love the monkey-bread-esque design – you could totally pull these cookies apart to snack on them. And you could definitely make these with pre-made cookie dough if you don’t have the time to work from scratch, although you’d have to use a mix to do the green color. I think this would be a big hit with kids!

8. Santa Hat Brownie Bites. How cute are these? I first saw them at my office party. You can bake your brownies in a mini-muffin tin, or bake a pan and then cut out circles with a cookie cutter, then add strawberries and use melted white chocolate or cream cheese frosting to decorate/bind. I had them with cream cheese frosting, but this recipe at Sweet Tooth suggests the white chocolate. Either way, sure to be delicious – and a huge hit at parties. I’m totally making some to send up to my husband’s office!

9. Reindeer Noses. That is, if you stick with red M&M’s. :) Regardless, I love the way these treats look! We make a very similar treat with pretzels, Rolo caramel candies and pecans, but I really like the graphic punch the design of these provide. Find out more at House on Hilltop.

10. Three-Ingredient Peppermint Truffles. Yep, that’s right. Three ingredients! I love the way the red/white looks against the dark chocolate, and of course chocolate and peppermint are always a perfect pairing! These would make a great gift or perfect party fare. You can get the ingredient list at Bakers Royale. And if you want cute boxes to deliver your goodies in, here’s a link with some great options.

Happy holiday baking – and gifting!