Nothing hits the spot during the holiday season like one of Grandma’s tried-and-true Christmas dessert recipes. After all, there’s a reason these goodies have stood the test of time. Some of these treats date as far back as the 1700s, while others were developed during the penny-pinching of the Great Depression or the liveliness of the 1950s. Regardless of the era you or your grandparents grew up in, these recipes will remind you of the long history of festivities this time of year. Bring Grandma’s timeless wisdom to your holiday table with this assortment of cookies, candies, and Christmas spirit.
Southern Living
This classic candy’s name isn’t a coincidence. Pecans add an extra crunch and touch of festivity to this divine treat.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Simple to make and hard to get wrong, strawberry-jello salad is sure to please all ages of holiday guests. Consider your nostalgia appeased.
Courtney West
No matter what you call this dessert, the combination of graham cracker, pecan, chocolate, and coconut flavors will tantalize your tastebuds. It wouldn’t be a family gathering without them.
Fred Hardy II; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley
This recipe—once called Million Dollar Fudge—hails from an era when politicians’ wives were often asked to share recipes, and we’re sure glad Mrs. Eisenhower did.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Small bite, big flavor—this old-fashioned holiday treat brings centuries of baking wisdom to your tastebuds. Package some in tins to gift to neighbors.
Antonis Achilleos, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
Smooth, creamy fluff topped with crunchy pecans—that’s how you finish off Christmas dinner the right way. This retro recipe is sweet, tart, and dreamy.
Emily Laurae
Potatoes may seem unusual, but this candy has stood the test of time for a reason. Originating in the South during the Great Depression, this treat is designed to make the most of inexpensive ingredients.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Cracker Toffee goes by many names—Cracker Candy, Pine Bark, Toffee Bark, Faux Toffee, Saltine Sweeties, Fooler Toffee, Christmas Crack, and more. It features layered saltine crackers with toffee, chocolate, and toasty pecans.
Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
This simple, no-fuss cookie has been a staple in centuries’ worth of cookbooks—and for good reason. While they’re called tea cakes, they’re actually soft cookies with lightly crisp edges.
Southern Living
Raspberry jam pairs beautifully with lemony cookies in these festive treats. They’re also super simple and fun to decorate.
Joy Howard
These tender, fruitcake-like cookies have stood the test of time. Maraschino cherries add a pop of color and balance the cookies’ sweetness.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Nothing says Christmas like a freshly baked pan of gingerbread—the actual bread, not the cookies or decorating kits. All you need to serve is a dusting of powdered sugar.
Caitlin Bensel
Mix up your Christmas flavor palette with these adorable cheesecake confections. But be careful, they tend to disappear if left unsupervised.
Hannah Zimmerman / Southern Living
With just four ingredients and a total time of 35 minutes, these peanut butter cookies are the easiest sweet treat we can think of. Think you can’t possibly make them better? Sandwich them with jam or marshmallow fluff.
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox
The original transparent pie is a delicious Kentucky classic, but we added some embellishments for extra festivity. Make the sugared cranberries ahead of time so they have time to chill for eight hours.
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford
This classic boxed candy is available in grocery stores across the South, but you’ll want to invest in this easy homemade version.
Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
While we love just the pretzel pieces, chocolate chips, and marshmallows included in this kitchen sink cookie recipe, you can add all the sweet or salty mix-ins you desire.
Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner
These vintage confections were popularized by Southern-favorite convenience store Stuckey’s, but making your own is simple thanks to melted caramel candies.
Emily Laurae/Southern Living
Pecan pralines represent Southern ingenuity paired with old-world European tradition. Simultaneously crunchy, creamy, and sweet, this recipe is one for the history books.
ANTONIS ACHILLEOS; PROP STYLING: GIULIETTA PINNA; FOOD STYLING: ALI RAMEE
There’s no doubt that after a big holiday meal, the dessert buffet may need to be delayed. But grab a spoonful of this decadent trifle before it’s gone. It has the creamy goodness of a trifle combined with the bright flavors of an ambrosia salad.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Rum Balls are a must for holiday cookie plates, but keep in mind they’re for adults only. These spirited bites are made with bourbon and dark rum, but you can swap in orange or apple juice for some or all of the alcohol.
Emily Laurae/Southern Living
These soft cream cheese cookies get a simple Christmas treatment with red and green edges. Pecan halves make a Southern statement.
Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
An afternoon baking session with Grandma is always made sweeter when these cookies are on the menu. Put the little kids in charge of adding the chocolate candies to the cookies.
Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Ana Kelly; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
You don’t have to be a fruitcake lover to enjoy these cookies, but they may change your mind about the divisive Christmas treat. The spiced sugar cookie dough is studded with dried fruits and nuts, and candied orange peel gives it bright citrus flavor.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Cute, buttery spritz sugar cookies add nostalgia to a holiday cookie platter. They originated in Germany and Scandinavia during the 16th century, but their popularity soared in the U.S. from the 1960s to the ’90s.