20+ Fun Christmas Desserts for a Crowd
When you’re bringing dessert to a Christmas potluck or setting up a table for the whole family, it helps to have something you can portion before guests arrive. This list of Christmas desserts for a crowd includes festive cookie bars, bite-size treats, and decorated sugar cookies for when you have a little more time. Pick one recipe to share, or mix a few favorites for a holiday dessert tray.
Christmas M&M Cookie Bars
Christmas M&M cookie bars bring red and green to the dessert table with very little decorating. Bake them in a pan and cut them into small squares if you’re serving them alongside other sweets.
Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing
Green royal icing, white details, and colorful sprinkles turn these cutout sugar cookies into little Christmas trees. You can keep some trees simple and decorate a few with extra detail, then let the icing set before arranging them on a platter.
Christmas Brookies
Christmas brookies give you brownies and cookies in the same bite. Cut them into small squares so guests can grab one alongside a few other treats.
Christmas M&M Cake Mix Cookies
A box of cake mix gives you a head start on these Christmas M&M cookies. They’re a handy choice when you’re filling a cookie platter and want something festive without setting aside time for icing.
Mitten Cutout Cookies
Red and green royal icing gives these mitten cookies their Christmas colors, while white icing adds the little details. Set them out with hot chocolate or tuck a few between the tree and snowflake cookies on a holiday tray.
Snowflake Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing
White and blue sanding sugar gives these snowflake cookies a frosty sparkle. They look especially pretty next to red and green treats, and you can decorate them ahead so the icing has time to set.
Christmas Poke Cake
If you’d like to bring one big dessert to the party, Christmas poke cake gives you a whole pan to share. Cut the slices before guests line up so everyone can help themselves.
Frosted Chocolate Christmas Cake Mix Cookies
These chocolate cake mix cookies get dressed up with buttercream and Christmas sprinkles. If you’re taking them to a party, arrange them in a single layer to keep the frosting looking pretty.
Christmas M&M Shortbread Bites
These buttery little shortbread bites get their holiday color from Christmas M&M’s. Pile them into a bowl or use them to fill the gaps between bigger cookies on a dessert tray.
Chocolate Peppermint Cake Mix Cookies
Chocolate and peppermint give these cake mix cookies a flavor that feels right at home in December. Add them to a cookie swap tray or serve them with hot cocoa after dinner.
Christmas Oreo Brownies
Oreo cookies add a little crunch to these chocolatey Christmas brownies. Let the pan cool before slicing, then arrange the squares on a platter so guests can grab one as they go.
Gingersnap Fudge
Gingersnap fudge brings warm cookie spices to the candy tray. A small square is plenty when there are several desserts to try, so you can cut the batch into bite-size pieces for sharing.
Christmas Blondies
Christmas blondies bring a buttery, brown sugar flavor to a tray full of holiday sweets. Once they’ve cooled, cut them into squares and pack them up for a potluck or cookie exchange.
Christmas Apple Pie Sugar Cookie Bars
These bars bring apple pie flavor to a sugar cookie dessert you can cut into squares. They’re a good pick when you want something fruity on a table with lots of chocolate and peppermint.
Christmas M&M Oreo Rice Krispie Treats
Christmas M&M’s and Oreos give these marshmallow cereal treats plenty of color and crunch. Cut them into small squares for a party where kids and grown-ups will both be filling their plates.
Christmas Biscoff Truffles
These Christmas Biscoff truffles bring the caramelized flavor of spiced cookies to a tray of holiday candy. Set each truffle in a mini paper liner so guests can pick one up easily.
Christmas Cake Mix Whoopie Pies
These Christmas whoopie pies sandwich a creamy filling between two soft cake mix cookies. Once they’re assembled, you can set them out as individual desserts with no slicing at the party.
White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Tart cranberries and sweet white chocolate give these oatmeal cookies a festive mix of flavors. They’re a good choice for a cookie swap when you want to bring something you can pack up without worrying about icing.
Christmas Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
Peanut butter cups bring a creamy peanut butter bite to these Christmas brownies. Slice them into little squares and give them their own labeled plate so guests can spot the peanut butter treats.
Chocolate Peppermint Rice Krispie Treats
Chocolate and peppermint give classic marshmallow cereal treats a holiday twist. Cut them into bars for a potluck or into smaller bites for a dessert tray where everyone will want to sample a few things.
Christmas Peanut Butter Balls
These Christmas peanut butter balls are a classic little treat for a holiday candy tray. Serve them in mini paper liners or pack them into treat boxes with fudge and shortbread bites.
Gingersnap Cheesecake Bites
Gingersnaps bring a bit of warm spice to these mini cheesecake bites. Their small size makes them easy to portion ahead, and you can set them out just before dessert so they stay chilled until serving.
Christmas Tree Rice Krispie Treats
These Christmas tree Rice Krispie treats turn a familiar marshmallow snack into a cute holiday dessert. Arrange the trees together on a platter for a little edible forest kids can pick from.
If you’re making a dessert tray, start with a pan of bars, add a bite-size treat, and finish with a few decorated cookies. That gives guests a little variety, and you can do the slicing and arranging before the party starts.
