Hey there, fellow dessert enthusiasts! Christmas is just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate the holiday season than with some mouthwatering, festive treats? I’ve got you covered with a delightful selection of five Christmas dessert recipes that are not only easy but also fancy enough to impress your friends and family.
The best part is: The majority of them use some kind of boxed mix as their base! And, no one will be able to tell by the time youโre done with them! My rule is: Use a boxed mix to save yourself the time, but make your frosting homemade. Homemade frosting (as opposed to the stuff in a can) makes a HUGE difference in flavor and texture, but is really simple to make with just a few ingredients.
The below recipes each have a rating of complexity out of 5 Christmas Trees. The recipe that has 5 Christmas Trees certainly isnโt the most difficult recipe in the world, but it is the most complex in this post in comparison to the others. Overall, all of these recipes take minimal preparation and a few simple decorating techniques that I outlined so that even novice bakers can come off as fancy chefs! If you want more details into any of the recipes, just click the links so that you can read through my more detailed decorating instructions.
So, here are my Top 5 Easy and Elegant Christmas Desserts!
1. Brownies Decorated Like Christmas Trees
Difficulty: ๐๐
Make from a Mix: Yes
No Bake: No
Ingredients:
– Your favorite brownie mix or homemade brownie recipe
– Buttercream frosting (Butter, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla)
– Green food coloring
– Sprinkles and edible glitter for decoration
Instructions:
1. Prepare and bake your brownies as directed.
2. Make your buttercream frosting and use food coloring to make it a festive green color.
3. Cut the brownies into tree shapes.
4. Pipe the green icing to create the tree’s branches.
5. Decorate with sprinkle for a dazzling finish.
These brownies are not only scrumptious but also an absolute delight to look at. No one will even think they came from a box mix! They’re perfect for adding a festive touch to your dessert table.
Click here for recipe and instructions
2. Oreo Christmas Ornament Balls
Difficulty: ๐๐๐
Make from a Mix: N/A
No Bake: Yes
Ingredients:
– Double Stuf Oreos
– Cream cheese
– Rolos wrapped in gold foil
– Melting chocolate (red, green, and white)
– Sprinkles (optional)
Instructions:
1. Crush the Oreos and cream cheese in a food processor
3. Roll the mixture into small balls and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.
3. Melt a little bit of melting chocolate, and use it as a โglueโ to stick a Rolo to the top of each Oreo ball
4. Put back in the freezer
4. Melt the chocolate in separate bowls, one for each color.
5. Holding the chilled Oreo balls by the Rolo, dip them into the melted chocolate, allowing any excess to drip off. Avoid covering the Rolo part.
6. Decorate with sprinkles (Optional. The plain colors also look fine!)
7. Carefully turn your ball upside down to dry, balancing it on the Rolo. Let chocolate set.
These little bites are a festive spin on the classic Oreo truffle recipe, and they’ll have your guests coming back for seconds!
Click here for recipe and instructions
3. Red Velvet Cake Pops
Difficulty: ๐๐๐๐
Make from a Mix: Yes
No Bake: No
Ingredients:
– Red velvet cake mix (prepared as directed)
– Cream cheese frosting (Butter, powdered sugar, cream cheese, milk)
– Melting chocolate for coating
– Red and green sprinkles (or read and green melting chocolate)
Instructions:
1. Crumble the red velvet cake into fine crumbs in a food processor.
2. Mix in cream cheese frosting with a hand mixer or stand mixer until the mixture forms a dough.
3. Roll the dough into small cake balls and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
4. Melt the melting chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl.
5. Dip your cake pop stick in some melted chocolate, and insert into your cake ball. This is like a โglueโ for the stick.
6. Carefully coat your cake pop in chocolate.
7. Sprinkle with red and green sprinkles while the chocolate is still wet.
8. Set upright to dry in a cake pop stand or a styrofoam block
These cake pops are so creamy and delicious! You really cannot tell that they come from a mix at all. Thatโs the magic of making your own frosting and adding some simple decorations! This recipe will also yield a lot of cake pops, just as a side note! I got about 4 dozen, and I didnโt even use all of my dough.
Click here for recipe and instructions
4. Christmas Light Cut-Out Cookies
Difficulty: ๐๐๐๐๐
Make from a Mix: No
No Bake: No
Ingredients:
– Cut-out cookie dough (Butter, sugar, flour, egg, vanilla)
– Royal icing (whatever colors you want)
– Yellow melting chocolate (Or white that you dye yellow with food coloring)
Instructions:
1. Make your cookie dough, chill it in the fridge for about an hour
2. Roll out the cookie dough and cut it into Christmas light bulb shapes.
3. Bake the cookies and let them cool.
3. Mix the royal icing, using food coloring for vibrant colors.
4. Dip the cookies face-down in a bowl of colored royal icing. Let the icing set (at least an hour)
5. Melt your yellow melting chocolate according to the instructions. Carefully, using the back of a spoon, spread yellow melting chocolate over the royal icing for the metal part of your Christmas light bulb.
6. Let cookies set until everything dries.
These cookies require some more steps and wait time, but they really are rather simple to make! They take time, but not as much effort. You could try using pre-made cookie dough if you wanted to. I have had issues with it in the past where the dough spreads and doesnโt hold its shape. However, if you know of a pre-made cookie dough that works for you, go for it!
Click here for recipe and instructions
5. Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
Difficulty: ๐๐๐๐
Make from a Mix: Yes
No Bake: No
Ingredients:
– Spice cake mix (Plus eggs, oil and water to prepare)
-Pumpkin puree
– Cream cheese filling (cream cheese, sugar, egg, vanilla extract)
– Cream cheese drizzle (cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla
Instructions:
1. Prepare the pumpkin spice cake batter as directed.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract until smooth.
3. Pour half of the cake batter into a greased and floured bundt pan.
4. Add dollops of the cream cheese filling on top.
5. Pour the remaining cake batter over the filling.
6. Bake according to the cake mix instructions.
7. Make cream cheese drizzle and drizzle on top.
Just as a side note, this cake was an absolute favorite with my taste testers (aka my husbandโs coworkers). It looks so fancy and cute, but it really is quite simple to make! This dessert combines the warmth of pumpkin spice with a rich cream cheese surprise insideโa perfect way to end your Christmas feast.
Click here for recipe and instructions
There you have it: my top 5 simple and elegant Christmas dessert recipes that are sure to make your holiday season extra special. Whether you’re looking to impress your guests or just want to treat yourself, these sweet creations will add a touch of magic to your Christmas celebration. Happy baking and even happier holidays!
