With Christmas approaching, everyone is planning the perfect Christmas dinner, and nothing says “Christmas” quite like desserts that make you feel all fuzzy and warm inside. It’s a key factor to your best Christmas dinner!
We’ve rounded up 10 of the most tempting desserts that you can easily – and quickly – make (no pro baking experience required here), that we are sure will be crowd-pleasers.
- TRIPLE CHOCOLATE S’MORES BARK
What sounds better than hearing the words chocolate bark – or in this case, triple chocolate bark? Nothing! It’s basically a giant chocolate bar made up of everything you love! It’s easy to make, easy to snack on, and it satisfies everyone’s sweet tooth.
Ingredients:
- 680g dark chocolate (or milk chocolate)
- 225g white chocolate
- ¾ cup graham crackers broken into pieces
- ½ cup marshmallows bits
- 80g milk chocolate bars (or dark chocolate), broken into pieces
Instructions:
- Line a cookie tray with parchment paper.
- Melt dark chocolate, making sure to stir occasionally.
- Melt white chocolate, making sure to stir occasionally.
- Spread melted dark chocolate onto a prepared cookie sheet. Spoon white chocolate over the top. Swirl white chocolate through dark chocolate using a knife.
- Sprinkle with graham cracker pieces, marshmallow bits, and broken chocolate bars. Lightly press topping into chocolate.
- Place in refrigerator for at least one hour to cool and set.
- Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.
http://www.a-kitchen-addiction.com/triple-chocolate-smores-bark/
- GINGERBREAD CHEESECAKE DIP
We know what you’re thinking! But apparently, YES, that is an actual dessert! Combining the universal favourite gingerbread man with the feel of a decadent cheesecake – and turning that into a party dip – perfect, right? No one said that dips had to be savoury to be delicious.
Ingredients:
- 1 225g package cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 tablespoons molasses
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Dash nutmeg
- 4 oz Cool Whip (or 1½ cups freshly whipped cream)
- Graham crackers for serving
Instructions:
- Beat the cream cheese until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Pour in the sugars and molasses and beat on medium speed until smooth and combined, about 1 minute.
- Next, add the ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix until combined.
- Finally, add the Cool Whip/whipped cream and beat until combined, about 30 seconds.
- Transfer dip to a serving bowl and chill until ready to serve.
- Serve with graham crackers. Dip can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
http://foodfolksandfun.net/2013/12/gingerbread-cheesecake-dip/
Our optional recommendation – add milk or white chocolate chips to the dip because…the more the merrier!
- CINNAMON-ROLL SUGAR COOKIES
There’s nothing that everyone loves more than a perfectly baked cookie. Even better, cinnamon roll in the form of a cookie! This is an easy recipe but a sure way to make you seem like a professional gourmet baker. This definitely will not fail you!
Ingredients:
Cookie:
- Basic sugar cookie recipe
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Icing:
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 4 tbsp milk
Instructions:
- Start with the basic sugar cookie dough. Shape the dough into 2 disks; roll each disk between 2 sheets of lightly floured parchment paper into a 7 x 10-inch rectangle, 1/4 inch thick. Chill until firm but pliable, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F.
- Line 4 large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine light brown sugar, granulated sugar and ground cinnamon.
- Sprinkle the disks with the sugar mixture. Starting with one of the long ends facing you, tightly roll up 1 disk using the parchment paper to neatly guide the dough (pressing the dough back together if it cracks).
- Working quickly, repeat with the remaining disk of dough. Return 1 roll of dough to the refrigerator. Cut the other roll into 1/4-inch-thick slices and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 1 inch apart. Bake, rotating the positions of the pans halfway through, until light golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes.
- Let cool on the sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough, letting it soften just until pliable, but still firm, before slicing.
- For the Icing: In a small bowl, combine 1 cup confectioners’ sugar with 4 teaspoons whole milk. Drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies.
Follow this link to get the separate recipe for the sugar cookie base (which you can actually decorate and serve alone if you like) and the upgrade of that cookie base to cinnamon roll perfection.
Recipe:
http://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/recipes/a34832/cinnamon-roll-sugar-cookies-recipe-wdy1214/
- RED VELVET HOT CHOCOLATE
Before you start thinking that the last thing the world needs is a new version of red velvet anything – trust us – take a look at this recipe! Think of perfect chocolatey hot chocolate, with the addition of melted white chocolate, and a marshmallow topping. Not an edible dessert, but nothing makes us happier during the winter than hot chocolate, and this specific hot chocolate will take you and your loved ones over the moon.
Ingredients (Makes 2 cups, but double or triple the amounts for more hot chocolate!):
- 1/2 cup sea salt caramel chips (or caramel sauce to drizzle)
- 1 teaspoon dark cocoa
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup half cream milk
- 2 teaspoons red food colour
- 8 drops blue food colour
- 12 drops yellow food colour
- Small marshmallows
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions:
- Melt the white chocolate chips with both kinds of milk
- Add cocoa and whisk over medium heat, bring to a boil then simmer
- Add the food colouring and stir
- If you opted for the caramel chocolate chips, melt them with the coconut oil
- Serve the hot chocolate in a mug topped with the tiny marshmallows and caramel sauce.
Bonus option: if you have a blowtorch, feel free to toast the marshmallows as well!
- MARS CRUNCH LAZY CAKE
“Lazy” is a relevant term here because this insanely good dessert is literally made up of only 3 ingredients, will take you less than 30 minutes to make AND is still amazing! Probably made specifically for the few people who just aren’t kitchen friendly. We promise though, for this dessert in particular, no skills are required, but it is still perfectly satisfying to your chocolate addiction!
Ingredients:
- 20 regular size Mars chocolate bars
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 (250g) boxes Digestive biscuits (or any other butter biscuits)
- 100g chocolate bar, any type, for chocolate shavings (optional) or 3 bags Maltesers for decorating (optional)
Instructions:
- In a large, microwave-safe bowl, cut the Mars bars into large chunks. Pour the cream over the chocolate chunks.
- Heat together in the microwave, stirring every minute, until the Mars is almost melted; about 3 minutes. Remove and stir again, allowing the residual heat to melt the remaining chocolate.
- Roughly break some biscuits and arrange into a single layer to cover the bottom of a serving bowl.
- Pour some Mars sauce over the biscuit layer, and repeat this process ending with the Mars sauce as the final layer.
- Allow the dessert to cool down slightly for at least 30 minutes in the fridge before decorating with chocolate shavings or Maltesers.
- Serve warm, at room temperature or cold straight from the fridge – whichever you prefer.
http://cleobuttera.com/desserts/mars-crunch-lazy-cake/
- SALTED CARAMEL SCOTCHEROOS
We all go crazy for salted caramel anything, but this recipe takes the game one step further combining it with chocolate AND peanut butter. We honestly can’t think of a better arrangement. PLUS, once again as promised, it is such an easy dessert to make.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 6 cups Rice Krispies (cereal)
- 4 cups milk or semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions:
- Grease a 9×13 baking pan with butter, then line with parchment paper.
- In a small saucepan, heat the sugar on low heat until it’s completely melted, swirling the pan gently every 20 seconds or so. Remove from heat immediately and stir in butter. The mixture will bubble.
- Pour in the heavy cream and sea salt. Stir until everything is combined. Use a whisk to stir in peanut butter.
- Pour Rice Krispies into a large mixing bowl. Pour salted caramel peanut butter mixture and fold gently to combine.
- Place mixture into prepared baking pan, pushing it evenly into the pan. Set aside.
- Heat the chocolate chips in a double boiler over low heat until fully melted. Pour melted chocolate over the Krispies, smoothing to the edges. Allow to cool completely (about 1 hour) before cutting into 2-inch squares.
http://bromabakery.com/2016/12/salted-caramel-scotcheroos.html
- PEANUT BUTTER HOT CHOCOLATE FLOAT
We already mentioned how perfect we think hot chocolate is for a Christmas treat. This is basically a peanut butter cup in liquid form. Pretty sure that sounds just as amazing to you as it does to us. Why can’t it be Christmas every day?
Ingredients:
- For Decorating the Cups, optional:
- ¼ cup (2oz) chopped chocolate, any kind, melted
- 3 tablespoons chopped peanuts
- For the Floats:
- 2 cups (500ml) milk
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch (cornflour)
- 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- A heaping ¼ cup (2oz/ 50g) milk chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons (1oz/ 25g) semisweet or dark chocolate, finely chopped
- ¼ cup (2oz) smooth peanut butter
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving, at least one scoop per cup
- Sweetened whipped cream and chocolate syrup for garnish, optional.
- Peanut butter cups like Reese’s, for garnish, optional
For all you hot chocolate lovers, we assume the ingredients are enough for you to figure out how this insane drink is made – but for you amateurs, follow this link for detailed instructions on how to make it and how to perfectly decorate your serving cups for an added Christmasy feel.
http://cleobuttera.com/drinks/peanut-butter-hot-chocolate-float/
- HOT FUDGE CHOCOLATE PUDDING CAKE
There’s nothing that we don’t love about this recipe. Fudge, pudding AND cake all combined into one giant plate of chocolate heaven. It’s warm, gooey and will most likely give unparalleled satisfaction. Follow the link to see a video of how to create this beauty while we sit here drooling all over our phones. We’ll definitely be shopping for this ingredients list tonight!
Ingredients:
CAKE:
- 1 cup plain or all-purpose flour
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
FUDGE SAUCE:
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 cups boiling water
Go ahead and click on this link – you know you want to!
http://cafedelites.com/2016/11/20/hot-fudge-chocolate-pudding-cake/
- NUTELLA-STUFFED CHURROS
For those of you obsessed with the classic churros and hot chocolate combination; this is sort of the same but even better, because who doesn’t LOVE Nutella? Not that you really need to stuff Nutella inside a churro to appreciate its creamy hazelnut-chocolatey goodness, but the added warm pastry, cinnamon and sugar really does helps with winter blues. This is actual Christmas spirit in food form!
Ingredients:
Cinnamon sugar:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Churros:
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup flour
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1/2 cup Nutella, melted until pourable
Follow this link for a how-to video, which makes this recipe much easier to follow (especially for those of you who think churros are slightly out of your league). Much easier than it looks, so take a look at the video for yourself and bake, bake, bake! Also, feel free to step up your game and serve these with one of the previously mentioned hot chocolate recipes – YUM!
https://www.handletheheat.com/nutella-stuffed-churros/
- GINGERBREAD BROWNIES
If it isn’t already clear, we love desserts that combine two or more of our favourite sweet treats. We believe this is a complete game changer – gingerbread meets brownie! If it isn’t satisfying enough to have crispy gingerbread men, combine that flavor with a gooey brownie to create these fudgy squares of absolute happiness. Chocolate, cinnamon, ginger and all the essentials of a perfect Christmas – did you really think we’d write a Christmas dessert list that didn’t include some form of gingerbread?
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2oz bittersweet chocolate
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×9-inch baking dish; set aside.
- In a large saucepan, melt butter and chocolate together over low heat, stirring frequently.
- Remove from heat, and whisk in molasses and sugars.
- Whisk in eggs until combined.
- Add flour, salt, cinnamon and ginger; whisk until just incorporated.
- Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake for 22-35 minutes.
- Let cool in pan and serve dusted with powdered sugar, if desired.
I think with any one of these, it’s safe to say we’ve got you covered. Indulge and enjoy because really, what’s Christmas if you’re not loading up on calories and calories worth of sugar?