The holiday season calls for a crowd-pleasing sweet, and these dessert recipes truly deliver. We spotlight festive flavors like peppermint, cranberry and gingerbread, so every bite tastes like the holidays. From fruity treats, like our Cranberry-Apple Streusel Bar, to chewy cookies, like our Pumpkin–Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies, each dessert is sure to earn a chorus of “Can I get that recipe?”
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Raspberry-Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower.
Bright, tangy and festive, these raspberry-lemon crinkle cookies put a fresh twist on a beloved classic. Rolled in a vibrant raspberry–powdered sugar coating, the cookies bake up with a crinkled finish and a pop of berry flavor in every bite.
Cranberry-Apple Streusel Bars
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower.
These fruity streusel bars are a standout dessert for holiday gatherings. The crust and crumb topping—made with a blend of all-purpose and whole-wheat flours—adds a nutty depth and sturdy bite that pairs beautifully with the sweet and tangy cranberry-apple blend.
Poached Pear Cake
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Marianne Williams, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
This elegant cake looks like it came straight from a bakery window but feels right at home on your table. Fragrant Bosc pears are gently poached in spiced apple cider, then nestled upright into cake batter. Add a drizzle of maple glaze for a glossy, sweet finish.
Pumpkin–Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood.
These oatmeal cookies are a soft, chewy dessert that blends fall flavors with just the right amount of sweetness. Pumpkin puree adds moisture and a lovely orange hue, while warm pumpkin spice enhances the seasonal vibes. Studded with dark chocolate chips, each bite is the perfect balance of sweet and spice.
Mini Chocolate-Dipped Date-Apple Bites
Peyton Beckwith
This easy, four-ingredient treat features dates stuffed with peanut butter and apples for a bite that will remind you of a caramel apple. A thin layer of dark chocolate adds the perfect amount of sweetness. Any nut butter works well here—try almond or cashew for a different flavor.
Italian Love Cake
Photos: Jason Donnelly, Food: Sammy Mila, Props: Breanna Ghazali.
Italian Love Cake is a layered dessert that uses simple ingredients, making it easy to whip up anytime. It starts with a rich chocolate devil’s food cake batter on the bottom and a sweet, creamy ricotta cheese layer on top. Once cooled, it’s finished with a fluffy chocolate pudding and whipped topping frosting.
Invisible Apple Cake
Photographer: Peyton Beckwith
This invisible apple cake gets its name from the French dessert Gateau Invisible aux Pommes. Layers of thin apple slices “disappear” into the custardy batter as it bakes to create one cohesive cake. Almond extract adds a slightly fruity note, while cinnamon brings warm spice. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top.
Chocolate-Cherry Cheesecake Bars
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle.
These chocolate-cherry cheesecake bars layer juicy cherries with rich chocolate-infused cream cheese. You can use either fresh or frozen cherries, making these easy to enjoy year-round. The graham cracker crust provides a crunchy contrast to the smooth, tangy filling.
High-Fiber Black Bean Brownies
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
These black bean brownies are everything you could possibly want—moist, rich and fudgy with big chocolate flavor. Black beans not only enhance the texture but also give these brownies a nutritional boost!
Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood.
Mashed ripe bananas keep this cake moist, while ginger, cinnamon and cardamom add a fragrant, cozy depth. The tangy cream cheese frosting perfectly balances the sweetness and spice of the cake.
Flaky Apple Pie Bars
Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Sylist: Kelsey Moylan, Prop Stylist: Breanna Ghazali
Grab your box of puff pastry for these easy and delicious apple pie bars. You can use any kind of nut you want like almonds or pecans. These bars are a great choice for a fall dessert and would be ideal for a Thanksgiving meal.
Oatmeal-Coconut Cookies with Cranberries & White Chocolate
Our classic oatmeal cookie recipe gets a flavor twist with coconut, white chocolate chips (which have a more delicate flavor than milk or dark chocolate) and tart dried cranberries. The result is a chewy, sweet treat that’s sure to leave you coming back for more.
Pumpkin Trifle
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf
This pumpkin trifle is the best dessert you’ll enjoy this season, combining layers of pumpkin spice-flavored cake and a creamy pumpkin filling that is rich and sweet. This festive dessert is sure to be a hit for the holidays or at any autumn gathering!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
These gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are soft and chewy and, with only five simple ingredients, they can easily be whipped up by young chefs and enjoyed as an after-school treat. They’re also perfect for a holiday party or for a cookie swap.
No-Added-Sugar Cherry Crumble
Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
This no-sugar-added cherry crumble baked in ramekins is a great way to highlight the flavor of cherries in this naturally sweet snack. The crumble topping, made from oats and slivered almonds, offers a satisfying crunch. Adding a few tart cherries brings a touch of tang for a less-sweet flavor profile, if you prefer.
Carrot Cake Oatmeal Bars
Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
Enjoy these delightful carrot cake oatmeal bars, perfect for a snack or dessert alongside a steaming cup of coffee. Made with a blend of shredded carrots, oats and a hint of brown sugar, these easy bars capture the essence of carrot cake, while offering a boost of fiber.
Puff-Pastry Apple Turnovers with Brown Butter
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
The filling of these flaky apple turnovers is made with browned butter, giving it a nutty flavor. Granny Smith apples offer a nice balance of sweet and tart, plus they hold their shape when cooked for a pleasant texture. If you want your turnovers sweeter without increasing the sugar, swap them out for a sweeter apple like Gala or Honeycrisp.
Dark Chocolate Almond Clusters
Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Joseph Wanek
These bite-size dark chocolate almond clusters blend dark chocolate with nutty almonds for an easy snack or dessert. Stick to the three ingredients we list here, or add your own twist by including dried cherries or toasted coconut for a little variety.
Soft Sugar Cookies
These easy and classic cookies incorporate mild-tasting white whole-wheat flour for extra fiber and nutrients.
Key Lime Pie Cheesecake Bars
Greg Dupree
These Key-lime-pie-meets-cheesecake bars are the perfect mashup of creamy and tangy flavors, offering just the right amount of sweetness. Use fresh-squeezed Key lime juice if Key limes are in season.
Ginger Molasses Cookies
Photography / Greg DuPree, Styling / Ruth BlackBurn / Julia Bayless
The spelt flour in these ginger molasses cookies offers a chewy texture and a nutty flavor that shines with the ginger in this easy holiday cookie recipe.
No-Sugar-Added Apple Pie
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
This no-sugar-added apple pie gets its natural sweetness from antioxidant- and fiber-rich dates. Cider vinegar helps to enhance the flavor. We like Gala apples for their sweetness and crisp texture, but any sweet, firm apple will work well.
2-Bite Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Tarts
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco
These mini pumpkin cheesecakes are a festive dessert for any gathering, especially Thanksgiving. Feel free to sprinkle a little extra cinnamon on top to amp up the warm, cozy flavors. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can make your own with a mix of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. Use leftover pumpkin puree in muffins, soup and more.
Fresh Apple Cake
Photographer: Stacy K. Allen; Prop stylist: Julia Bayless; Food stylist: Ana Kelley
Super-juicy apples flavor this mildly spicy fresh apple cake that pairs beautifully with a warm cup of tea. The glaze offers a sweet finish.
Easy Pumpkin Pie
Jacob Fox
This easy pumpkin pie recipe comes together in minutes, plus you only need six ingredients to make it. Using a store-bought pie crust makes it even simpler to prepare, but if you’d prefer to make yours from scratch, we have two foolproof recipes that are worth trying.
Sweet Potato Dump Cake
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf
This lightly sweetened sweet potato dump cake with a crumble topping is similar to a sweet potato casserole but with a firm, cake-like texture. If you can’t find a spice cake mix, you can use a vanilla cake mix and add cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.
Ginger & Spice Crackles
These soft and moist cookies are spiked with ginger, cinnamon and a hint of clove and they crackle on top when they bake. Rolling them in powdered sugar gives them a lightly sweet coating on the outside that looks like a dusting of fresh fallen snow.
Pumpkin Brownies
Sara Haas
These pumpkin brownies are packed with mini chocolate chips. Warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves pair well with the chocolate for a seasonal twist on a classic dessert. The batter will be thick, so be sure to spread it an even layer for even baking.
Apple-Oatmeal Cookies
Brie Passano
These tasty apple cookies made with oats, shredded apples and brown sugar make snack time enjoyable for everybody.
Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Sara Haas
This sheet cake is perfectly spiced from the pumpkin pie spice blend, a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. A tangy, sweet cream cheese frosting helps balance the flavors. This cake is perfect for any fall gathering.
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