This is the time to go all out. Christmas is the time to go all out, whether you’re making hostess gifts, going to a cookie swap, or trying to impress at the school bake sale. Having said that, we understand that not everyone has the time to spend hours making cupcakes. Here are our best sweet and savory recipes for holiday treats that are so adorable they will delight even the most steadfast Christmas cranks, regardless of whether you are a once-a-year baker or a confectionary connoisseur. Additionally, we have ranked them according to difficulty, allowing you to select the ideal recipe to spread holiday cheer without additional stress.
1. Strawberries in miniature
Beginning with the big man himself, in strawberry form, we start strong. These Strawberry Santas are however adorable as they may be not difficult to make — simply consolidate a few new strawberries and daintily improved whipped cream. Eyes made of chocolate or poppy seeds are perfect!
2. Kabobs of the Grinch
Another fruity occasion treat, this one is ideally suited for a children occasion party or homeroom festivity. Green grape ‘Grinch’ kabobs are simple to assemble and do not necessitate tinkering with fussy garnishes. Take a stab at serving these charming kabobs with white chocolate fondue ‘snow’ or brownie hitter plunge Otherwise known as chocolate hummus (don’t thump it until you attempt it!).
3. Stars in a Parmesan Puff Pastry
These puff pastry stars are as simple as they get for a savory treat. All you need are two ingredients. Simply cut out star or any other holiday-themed shape with a cookie cutter. of varying sizes, sprinkle with some parmesan, and bake to perfection until golden brown. These will transform any holiday charcuterie platter from ordinary to spectacular.
4. Pastry Christmas Tree with Nutella
This stunning dessert, another masterpiece made of puff pastry, is shockingly easy to make. Look no further if you’re looking for a dessert that also serves as a centerpiece. Nobody needs to know it a couple of fixings and under an hour to make.
5. Penguins with Cream Cheese
Try making these simple penguins even if you’re not usually a fan of food crafts. These adorable Antarctic bites are made without any cooking by combining roasted red peppers, black olives, cream cheese, carrot slices, and other ingredients.
6. Christmas Wreath Cookies with Cornflakes
The wreaths of cornflakes look great on a holiday cake or on a cookie platter. Far and away superior? They’re a great holiday activity for kids because they don’t need to be baked. Kimberlee, a reviewer, says, “Been making these for years with my mother-in-law.” They’re a great way to have the kids and grandchildren make something fun in the kitchen, and they love eating them!”
7. Wreath with Cheesy Pesto Roll
No offense intended to the adorable cornflake cookies, but this wreath tastes just as good as it looks! Even at the last minute, you can make this stunning pull-apart wreath for your next holiday party using crescent roll dough and additional ingredients.
8. Cupcakes with Polar Bears
Using Allstar Kim Shupe’s recipe and method, you can even transform store-bought cupcakes into adorable polar bears. These polar bears are almost too cute to eat thanks to their “fur” of shredded coconut, mini marshmallow eyes and noses, and black sprinkle details.
9. Cupcakes with a Christmas Tree
Continuing on the cupcake trend, these Christmas Tree Cupcakes are ideal for a tree-trimming party because they are so easy to make. Tip: Purchase a few different sizes and colors of pearl sprinkles and let the kids use these sprinkle “ornaments” to decorate their own trees.
10. Reindeer Treats
These reindeer cookies, a classic from Allrecipes, have been a site staple for years. Even though this peanut butter cookie recipe is delicious, you can use sugar cookies, even store-bought ones, to make these adorable Rudolphs if you have a nut allergy. For that distinctive red nose, of course, all you’ll need are some red cinnamon candies, mini pretzel twists, and chocolate chips.
11. Cupcakes with Christmas Reindeer
Try these adorable reindeer cupcakes to give Santa’s sleigh even more bright noses to guide it. Allow children to assemble their own reindeer using frosted chocolate cupcakes and the remaining toppings on the table for a fun activity at a holiday party. Prancer, Dancer, Donner, Blitzen, and others will be yours!
12. Cookies with a Snowman Melt
Although these animated cookies look like melting snowmen, they are guaranteed to make your guests smile! They are adorable and original, easy to make, and again, you can make them with store-bought cookies if you’re short on time. Take an efficient tip from commentator BakingBot who recommends, “Ice the treat, thud on marshmallow and microwave the whole treat for 10 seconds. [ It’s a lot simpler than individually heating marshmallows.”
13. Santa Cupcakes for Christmas
To make these adorable Santa cupcakes, search your pantry for white chocolate chips, red sprinkles, and coconut shavings. You can use any cupcake mix from a box to make them (we won’t tell!) Red velvet cake, on the other hand, keeps the Christmas colors consistent throughout.
14. Cakes with Santa Legs
Mix it up by making half cupcakes with Santa’s face and the other half with these adorable “Santa Leg” cupcakes that look like they’re going down the chimney to deliver gifts if you really want to impress. If you are unable to locate fondant, you can substitute red licorice for the legs, frosting for the trim, and black jelly beans for Santa’s boots in this recipe.
15. Truffles with Polar Bear Cheesecake
We couldn’t help but include these new cheesecake truffles on the list, which are another treat from Allstar Kim that is based on polar bears. They taste fantastic, combining everything you love about rich, creamy cheesecake and a graham cracker crust in a single (large) bite, as is the case with all of Kim’s confections.
16. Cookies with Candies
These candy cane cookies, a Christmas classic, are a welcome addition to any cookie platter! “Instead of rolling the hot cookies in the crushed candy cane, we’ve always mixed a little bit of water with confectioner’s sugar and brushed it on the tops of the cooled cookies and then rolled them in the crushed candy cane,” says reviewer AOLGUIN05. Works perfectly!
17. Cookie Hedgehog
We are now moving on to the seriously adorable, albeit time-consuming, recipes. “Needing something else to decorate a tree trunk cake, so baby hedgehogs seemed to be the perfect match,” says recipe author Kitty Johnson. The cutest Christmas cookies on the block are guaranteed when topped with a small amount of white frosting and red or raspberry candy.
18. Bear Cookies with Maple Shortbread and Brown Butter
These brown butter and maple-flavored shortbread are sure to satisfy your craving for a sweet treat that looks as good as it tastes. You might in fact make earthy colored bears by adding a couple of tablespoons of cocoa powder to the mixture (whoop to commentator andrewshilogmailcom for that tip). These bear treats are so darn charming, they may simply get everyone’s attention and eclipse some other treats on the platter. Try not to say we didn’t caution you!
19. Best Soft Cookies for Christmas
With well over 1000 5-star reviews, these soft Christmas cookies are as timeless as they come. Sometimes, you can’t beat the oldies. According to BakingFun, a reviewer, “you can roll and re-roll them as many times as you need to get all those fun cut-out shapes with no waste.” This makes them ideal for making with children. This recipe is magnificent! Today, I baked them with my 4.5-year-old. These can be rolled again without any issues; the first cookies are just as good as the last ones.” Here, you can find ideas for decorating and instructions on how to decorate cookies with royal icing.
20. Cornelius Pull-Apart Cupcake Cake from Yukon
This one is expert-level, but now is the time to work on a pull-out cupcake “cake” inspired by a favorite childhood character! Even though you don’t have to make the cupcakes and filling from scratch to achieve the same result, we have to admit that the combination of dark chocolate cake and peppermint-white chocolate ganache in this recipe has our attention. Put on a Christmas movie, particularly Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and get lost in the experience—it’s the holiday season!
21. Christmas Tree Surprise Cake
Try making this holiday bundt cake for the ultimate showpiece. Slice it to reveal a green Christmas tree, or you can use the same method with a different shape, like yellow stars or red hearts. Just be ready to amaze the crowd and explain how you managed to sneak that surprise in. The rosemary and sugared cranberries are merely the cherry (or cranberry) on top.
