It’s the most wonderful time of year, and the holiday hosting season is in full force. Whether you’re hosting the annual office Christmas party or your huge family Christmas dinner in your home this year, you’re guaranteed to need impressive dessert ideas the whole family will love. We have gathered our favorite white Christmas dessert recipes to help you plan the most delicious gatherings, including staples like cookies, bars, and white cakes that will surely bring holiday cheer to any get-together. If you’re simply attending a holiday event, our ideas are easy enough to bake at home and transport to the party. Simply select your best cake plate or plastic storage, and you’re good to go. You’re sure to win hearts and bellies with these decadent white Christmas desserts.
Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
For Christmas extra credit, go big with this bold and beautiful white cake. It combines brown butter cake layers with a bright cranberry-orange filling and luscious whipped cream frosting. The stunning white chocolate poinsettia toppers take the layer cake to the next level.
Photography: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners
These festive nibbles are the perfect giftable treat. A box of cake mix helps these bites come together quickly with a luscious cream cheese frosting. Cover them with white chocolate and decorate.
Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner
Fluffy Italian meringue frosting tops three peppermint layers. Add crushed peppermints for simple, festive decoration and crunch.
Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Torie Cox
This cake was Southern Living’s 2020 white cake, as well as the cake celebrating its 25th anniversary. This dessert is a star, and it has three different fillings to suit your gathering and your tastes: lemon curd, chocolate ganache, or cranberry. Top this decadent coconut dream with cookie toppers, and everyone will leave happy.
Beth Dreiling Hontzas
These fragrant, nutty cookies are finished with a coating of powdered sugar. The snowy cookies add cheer to any holiday assortment or cookie jar.
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christina Lane; Food Styling: Torie Cox
This is the white cake you need in your holiday baking repertoire. Dress it up for more formal gatherings, or make it fun for a casual get-together. Fun gingerbread cookie toppers help create a snowy winter scene.
Beth Dreiling Hontzas / Styling Rose Nguyen / Food styling Marian Cooper Cairns
The coconut lovers in your life will love this dessert with coconut in the cake, filling, and frosting. Decorate by pressing toasted flaked coconut into the frosting, and garnish with kumquats, currants, and mint.
Jennifer Davick/Styling: Lydia DeGaris Pursell & Marian Cooper Cairns
Cut into this white cake to reveal layers of nutty, citrus flavor. Add pecans, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves to half of the batter. Layer the white cake and spiced cake with a coconut-citrus filling. Use a kitchen torch to brown the frosting’s peaks for a beautiful presentation.
Southern Living
What better way to show your appreciation for friends and family than by giving packages of these delicious holiday confections? With chopped pecans added into this classic, they are even more divine.
Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
With its creamy white frosting and luscious citrus filling, Lemon-Coconut Cake is three layers of heaven. It’s a must for your holiday dessert table.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Also called Russian tea cakes, these vanilla shortbread cookies feature toasted pecans and buttery flavor. Two dustings of powdered sugar provide plenty of sweetness.
Southern Living
This homemade version of a Christmas favorite will have guests raving. Tree-shaped sponge cakes filled with Swiss meringue buttercream are dipped into white chocolate. Decorate with red frosting and sprinkles for a jolly sweet treat.
Emily Laurae/Southern Living
Wrapped in Christmas sprinkles of red and green, these nutty cookies will brighten your holiday cookie tray. Kids can help roll and decorate.
Monica Farber/Southern Living
Enjoy your cake and eggnog too with this delightful dessert. Spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, eggnog layers are filled with a creamy custard. Pipe the frosting in a zigzag pattern for an eye-catching presentation.
Emily Laurae/Southern Living
This old-fashioned candy originated during the Great Depression when ingredients were limited. Similar to other traditional candies, this Southern gem adds a peanut butter swirl. Roll up jelly-roll style to create a layered look.
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke
Whip up these light, fluffy pavlovas for a change of pace to holiday meals. Airy meringues are the base for an array of toppings like whipped cream, bananas, flaked coconut, and white chocolate.
Iain Bagwell
Turn basic bar cookies into a holiday star with mint icing and crushed peppermint candies. This recipe makes plenty for a party or to freeze for later.
Hector Manuel Sanchez
It’s anyone’s guess as to how Japanese fruitcake became such a huge holiday hit in the 1950s, or why it was called that in the first place. We decided to cash in on its retro charm with a fresh, delicious version featuring spice cake topped with a bright citrus frosting.
Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia Degaris Pursell
Guests will swoon when they realize that beneath the ginger whipped cream frosting are layers of gingerbread, toffee, and chocolate ganache. The gingerbread snowflake cookie garnish hints at what’s inside.
Dotdash Meredith
Cut inside this lovely white cake to reveal festive red velvet and cheesecake layers. The leaves that garnish this pretty cake are made by spreading melted candy coating on the backs of clean bay leaves. They can be made up to a week in advance.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Make these delicate white treats for the neighborhood cookie swap, office party, or movie night. The recipe includes flavor variations like snickerdoodle as well as a nut-free option.
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford
Gift a tin of these fluffy candies to everyone on your holiday list. These sweet candies lie somewhere between marshmallows and nougat. Pecan halves make a pretty garnish.
Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors Hall Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Cranberries in the cake batter contrast nicely with the sweet citrus frosting, which has orange juice and zest for bright flavor. Garnish the cake with sugared cranberries and orange slices to hint at what’s inside.
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall
Red and white layers make this cheery cake the perfect centerpiece for a holiday dessert buffet. The doberge cake is a nod to New Orleans, and the cream cheese custard lends tang while keeping the layers moist.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Perfect for cookie tins, game night, or teachers, these minty Christmas treats are a sweet way to enjoy the season. They require only five ingredients, so they’re easy to whip up for last-minute get-togethers.
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
This beautiful cake is sure to be the star of your white Christmas. This vanilla version of the classic Yule log cake fits any snowy theme. The life-like Meringue Mushrooms are almost too pretty to eat.
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Torie Cox; Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell
Dressed in white and adorned with rosemary sprigs, an almond pinecone, and a cardinal cookie, this cake is sure to be the highlight of the holiday table. Spiced cream cheese frosting is applied generously to layers of a cake that’s inspired by the beloved Hummingbird Cake.