Holiday plans often fill the calendar before there is time to plan dessert. These 17 picks include pies, cakes, bars, cookies, and chilled fruit desserts, with several made ahead so the last few hours before guests arrive stay manageable. Choose a sliceable bake for a potluck table, a small treat for a cookie swap, or a cool dessert when the oven is already busy.
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Silky slices and a spiced cookie crust give Pumpkin Cheesecake a place beside the holiday pies. The recipe serves 12 and takes 6 hours 20 minutes, including its long chill, with pumpkin puree, cinnamon, brown sugar, and Biscoff cookies in the crust. A water bath helps the filling set smoothly, while caramel and whipped cream finish each slice. Make it the day before a party so it is chilled and ready to cut when dessert is served.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Crackly tops and soft centers make Double Chocolate Chip Cookies easy to stack on a holiday treat tray. The 24-cookie batch takes 20 minutes, with cocoa powder in the dough and chocolate chips folded through for extra richness. Brown sugar keeps the centers tender while the edges set. Pack them for a cookie exchange, or set out a plate after dinner when guests want a small chocolate dessert with coffee.
Get the Recipe: Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Apple Pie
Flaky pastry and cinnamon-scented apples make Apple Pie a familiar choice for a holiday dessert table. It takes 3 hours 20 minutes and serves eight, with Granny Smith apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pastry crust. The filling softens as the pie bakes, so give it time to cool before slicing. Serve it at a family holiday table with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on the side.
Get the Recipe: Apple Pie
Chocolate Cake
Dark, tender layers turn Chocolate Cake into a reliable centerpiece for a birthday or holiday party. The recipe makes eight servings in 1 hour 25 minutes, using cocoa, buttermilk, brewed coffee, and a chocolate buttercream. Coffee deepens the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee, and the frosting gives the layers a smooth finish. Bake it for a potluck when a classic cake is easier to share than individual pastries.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Cake
Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting
Soft, spiced squares make Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting simple to portion for a crowded dessert spread. The recipe yields 24 bars in 37 minutes, combining pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice under a tangy cream cheese frosting. A sheet-pan shape means no individual decorating is needed, and the bars travel neatly once cooled. Cut them ahead for a holiday potluck or arrange them on a platter beside cookies and pie.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting
Banana Cream Pie
Cool custard, banana slices, and a cloud of whipped cream layer into Banana Cream Pie, a chilled option for a busy holiday menu. It serves eight and takes 4 hours 40 minutes, including time for the filling to set in its crust. The creamy center and fresh banana make each slice feel different from the season’s spiced bakes. Prepare it ahead, then bring it out after a large dinner when guests may prefer a cool dessert.
Get the Recipe: Banana Cream Pie
Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey & Lime Dressing
Colorful pieces of fruit and a light citrus dressing keep Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey & Lime Dressing bright among richer holiday desserts. It takes 10 minutes and serves 10, with strawberries, pineapple, blueberries, grapes, kiwi, mango, and mandarin oranges tossed with honey and lime. The quick prep leaves no oven to compete for space, and the bowl can be chilled until serving. Bring it to brunch or a potluck for a fresh, spoonable choice.
Get the Recipe: Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey & Lime Dressing
Coconut Cream Pie
Tall swirls of cream and a cool coconut custard make Coconut Cream Pie a welcome change from the usual fall flavors. The eight-serving pie takes 1 hour 10 minutes, with shredded coconut, coconut milk, and half-and-half cooked into the filling before it is spooned into a crust. Chill it before slicing so the layers hold together. Bring it to a holiday meal when you want a creamy pie with a little tropical contrast.
Get the Recipe: Coconut Cream Pie
Vegan Amaretti Cookies
Chewy centers beneath cracked tops, Vegan Amaretti Cookies make a small, packable addition to holiday cookie tins. The recipe yields 35 cookies in 1 hour 10 minutes, using almond flour, aquafaba, sugar, lemon zest, and amaretto. Their powdered-sugar coating gives the tops a snowy finish without icing. Add them to a cookie exchange or serve them with coffee when a few sweet bites are enough after dinner.
Get the Recipe: Vegan Amaretti Cookies
Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Pie
Custard-soft slices give Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Pie the cozy flavor of a spiced holiday bake in a simple pie form. It serves eight and takes 2 hours 45 minutes, with cream cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and heavy cream in a flaky crust. Let the filling cool and set before cutting for neat portions. Bring it to a potluck with whipped cream, or serve it after dinner when the table already has several fruit desserts.
Get the Recipe: Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Pie
No Bake Maple Pecan Cookies
No oven is needed for No Bake Maple Pecan Cookies, which frees up kitchen space during the holiday baking rush. The batch makes 24 and takes 2 hours 20 minutes, mostly for setting, with oats, pecans, maple syrup, and butter forming the chewy cookies. Once firm, they are easy to layer in a tin or carry on a plate. Make them before a party when the oven is full of pies, casseroles, or main dishes.
Get the Recipe: No Bake Maple Pecan Cookies
Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie
Chilled, creamy filling and a chocolate-speckled crust make Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie a rich finish for a holiday meal. It serves 10 and takes 2 hours 25 minutes, with peanut butter, cream cheese, whipped topping, and mini Reese’s cups in the filling. The no-bake style saves oven space, while the chilled texture helps each slice hold its shape. Prepare it ahead for a party where chocolate and peanut butter are sure to be welcome.
Get the Recipe: Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie
Spiced Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Tender crumb and a pecan streusel top set Spiced Pumpkin Coffee Cake apart from frosted holiday cakes. The nine-serving bake takes 1 hour, combining pumpkin puree, sour cream, brown sugar, and pumpkin spice beneath a crunchy topping. It slices easily once cooled and works for dessert or a late-morning brunch. Bring it to a brunch or potluck or place it on the dessert table for guests who want a simple square with coffee.
Get the Recipe: Spiced Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Mississippi Mud Pie
Stacked chocolate layers makes Mississippi Mud Pie a dramatic choice for a chocolate-heavy dessert table. It serves 12 and takes 4 hours 30 minutes, with an Oreo crust, chocolate filling, espresso, and toasted pecans. The chilled layers need time to firm, so the pie can be made well before guests arrive. Bring it to a holiday party when a generous, sliceable dessert is easier to serve than a tray of small sweets.
Get the Recipe: Mississippi Mud Pie
Caramel Apple Bark
Crisp shards with a glossy finish give Caramel Apple Bark a playful place on a holiday candy tray. The recipe makes 12 portions and takes 3 hours 15 minutes, including setting time, with Granny Smith apples, chocolate, pretzels, caramel, and a touch of sea salt. Break the bark into pieces after it firms, then pack them between layers of parchment. It is easy to carry to a cookie swap or add to a mixed dessert platter.
Get the Recipe: Caramel Apple Bark
Grape Salad
The chilled, creamy coating with a little crunch on top, Grape Salad brings a chilled option to a table full of baked desserts. It serves 12 and takes just 5 minutes, coating red and green grapes in cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla, and sugar before chopped walnuts or pecans go on top. Keep the bowl cold until serving, then scoop it alongside pie or cake. Bring it to a potluck when an easy, make-ahead fruit dish fits the menu.
Get the Recipe: Grape Salad
Easy Whoopie Pie
Pillowy chocolate cakes with a creamy center make Easy Whoopie Pie convenient to pass around at holiday parties. The recipe yields 12 in 22 minutes, using cocoa powder for the cakes and a vanilla buttercream filling tucked between them. Their individual portions travel more easily than a frosted layer cake and need no serving knife. Pack them in a single layer for a cookie swap or set them out for guests to pick up after dinner.
Get the Recipe: Easy Whoopie Pie