Looking for easy, delicious treats to make this holiday season? Here are more than 30 of the best festive sweets from around the world to inspire your holiday baking and gifting.
I usually resist Christmas decorations and music until after Halloween, but I begin planning holiday sweets early. Christmas baking is one of my favorite parts of the season.
To get started, I reached out to food bloggers to share beloved Christmas desserts — cakes, pies, pastries, breads, cookies, and candies — from many countries. Everything looks tempting, and there’s a mix of easy, traditional, and adventurous recipes you can try.
Below are festive desserts that range from quick no-bake treats to impressive showstoppers. Enjoy exploring these recipes and finding new favorites for your holiday table.
Bûche de Noël Cake (French Yule Log Cake)
Bûche de Noël (French Yule Log) | International Desserts Blog
A festive French classic resembling a woodland log, usually made from sponge cake rolled with chocolate buttercream. Decorate with meringue mushrooms, fresh fruit, or sugared greenery for an impressive centerpiece that’s easier to make than it looks.
Moist Maple Sweet Potato Walnut Butter Cake
Moist Maple Sweet Potato Walnut Butter Cake | The Delicious Crescent
A dense, comforting cake made with sweet potato and walnut butter, sweetened with brown sugar and finished with a maple drizzle — rich and satisfying for holiday dessert spreads.
Honey Cake Slices – Slovakian Petite Fours
Honey Cake Slices (Slovakian Petit Fours) | Happy Foods Tube
Thin layers of honey-scented pastry filled with jam and creamy filling, coated in chocolate for a delicate, rich petit four popular in Slovakia.
Cranberry Lush Cake
Cranberry Lush Cake | Small Town Woman
A layered dessert with a graham cracker crust, sweetened cream cheese, whipped cream, and candied cranberries for bright color and flavor.
Maamoul Cookies (Date-Filled Cookies)
Maamoul Cookies (date filled cookies) | The Delicious Crescent
Traditional Middle Eastern cookies shaped with intricate molds and filled with dates, figs, or nut pastes. Variations reflect regional tastes and celebrations.
Cardamom Chickpea Cookies with Pistachios
Cardamom Chickpea Cookies with Pistachios | The Delicious Crescent
A gluten-free cookie option made from chickpea flour, scented with cardamom and rose water, and topped with chopped pistachios — aromatic and unique.
Easy Peppermint Bark
Easy Peppermint Bark | The Typical Mom
A quick, no-bake favorite made with layers of white and milk chocolate sprinkled with crushed peppermint candy canes — ideal for last-minute gifts or family cooking.
Honey Gingerbread Cookies
Honey Gingerbread Cookies | The Monday Box
Chewy, warmly spiced cookies sweetened with honey and flavored with cinnamon and ginger. Decorate with royal icing, chocolate, or sprinkles for festive shapes.
Rugelach
Rugelach | The Monday Box
A traditional Jewish pastry rolled into crescents and filled with raisins, nuts, fruit preserves, poppy seeds, or chocolate — perfect for sharing during holiday gatherings.
Dutch Almond Bars
Dutch Almond Bars | Ann’s Entitled Life
Buttery, chewy almond-flavored bars enjoyed in the Netherlands during the holidays — simple to make and great for gifting.
Hungarian Christmas Cookies
Hungarian Christmas Cookies | Ann’s Entitled Life
Traditional Hungarian cookies filled with apricot, cherry, dates, almonds, or walnuts and rolled in powdered sugar — a mix of textures and flavors for festive trays.
Classic Buckeye
Classic Buckeye | Joyfully Thriving
A Midwest favorite: peanut butter centers dipped in dark chocolate, named for their resemblance to the buckeye nut — irresistible and rich.
Butter Cookies with Hazelnuts
Butter Cookies with Hazelnuts | Happy Foods Tube
Buttery cookies flavored with hazelnuts that can be shaped into festive designs — a classic treat for holiday cookie exchanges.
German Rum Balls
German Rum Balls | International Desserts Blog
No-bake chocolate truffles with a splash of rum, rolled in sprinkles or cocoa — a traditional German holiday favorite that’s quick to prepare.
Linzer Cookies with Raspberry Jam
Linzer Cookies with Raspberry Jam | Happy Foods Tube
Delicate sandwich cookies from Austria filled with raspberry jam; you can swap in any favorite jam for a personalized touch.
Polish Gingerbread Cookies
Polish Gingerbread Cookies | Liv For Cake
A Polish take on gingerbread that uses honey instead of molasses for a slightly different, aromatic flavor.
Portuguese Custard Tarts
Portuguese Custard Tarts | The Cookware Geek
Flaky puff pastry filled with a creamy, caramelized custard — a beloved treat in Portugal and in many places with Portuguese influence.
Fruit Pavlova Wreath
Fruit Pavlova Wreath | International Desserts Blog
A light Australian favorite: a meringue base topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit arranged as a wreath — impressive yet simple to assemble.
Swedish Ischokolad (Ice Chocolate)
Swedish Ischokolad (Ice Chocolate) | The Culinary Jumble
A bite-sized chocolate praline made with coconut oil that melts in your mouth — a traditional Swedish Christmas sweet often enjoyed at markets.
Mini Mince Pies
Mini Mince Pies | International Desserts Blog
Small pies with a flaky crust filled with a spiced mix of raisins, currants, apple, citrus peel, nuts, and warming spices — a quintessential British holiday bite-size treat.
Saffron and White Chocolate Christmas Tree Bread
Saffron and White Chocolate Christmas Tree Bread | The Culinary Jumble
A decorative pull-apart braided bread scented with saffron and studded with white chocolate — as beautiful as it is tasty for holiday brunch or dessert.
Cranberry Orange Bread
Cranberry Orange Bread | Melanie Cooks
A zesty loaf with bright cranberry and orange notes — a refreshing alternative to richer holiday confections.
German Stollen Bread
German Stollen | International Desserts Blog
A rich Christmas bread with sliced almonds, rum-soaked raisins, currants, and dried fruit, dusted with powdered sugar — a staple of German holiday markets.
Traditional Cherry Balls
Traditional Cherry Balls | Bacon is Magic
Maraschino cherries coated with coconut and graham cracker crumbs, rolled into bite-sized treats — colorful and nostalgic.
Eggnog Flan
Eggnog Flan | Living Sweet Moments
A silky custard infused with eggnog flavors — a Latin American-inspired twist on a holiday classic.
Sea Salt Cashew Brittle
Sea Salt Cashew Brittle | The Starving Chef
Crunchy brittle studded with cashews and a hint of sea salt — great as a snack, stocking stuffer, or homemade gift.
Holiday Biscotti
Holiday Biscotti | Taste and See
Twice-baked Italian cookies featuring dried cranberries, almonds, and lemon zest, often layered with white chocolate and sprinkles for a festive finish.
Chocolat Torrone
Chocolate Torrone | An Italian in My Kitchen
A creamy chocolate nougat filled with hazelnuts and Nutella — a decadent Italian sweet perfect for gifting or sharing.
Christmas Ice Cream Pudding
Christmas Ice Cream Pudding | The Crafty Mummy
Layers of vanilla ice cream, mixed dried fruit, and chocolate create a chilled alternative to traditional pudding — ideal for warm-weather holidays in the Southern Hemisphere.
German Gebrannte Mandeln (Cinnamon Sugar Almonds)
German Gebrannte Mandeln (Cinnamon Sugar Almonds) | International Desserts Blog
Roasted almonds coated in a caramelized cinnamon-sugar glaze — a scent and flavor that instantly evokes Christmas markets and cozy winter evenings.