Delicious holiday dessert recipes

The holidays are all about indulging, and what better way to do that than by eating a ton of sweets? These tried-and-true Christmas desserts are made with holiday favourites like cranberry and chocolate, so they’ll satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth.

Cranberry sugar cookies and red velvet cheesecake make the perfect desserts to bring to cookie exchanges, office parties and cocktail soirees. Just be warned: You may want to double the recipe so you can sneak some for yourself!

Cranberry sugar cookies

Serving size 24

Ingredients: 

• 1-1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons egg beaters (or half an egg)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2/3 cup chopped cranberries

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray, and set it aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter together until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix until fully combined. Add in the flour, baking soda and baking powder, and beat until a dough forms. Stir in the cranberries with a wooden spoon.
3. Drop 1-teaspoon-size balls of dough onto the cookie sheet, an inch apart from one another.
4. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Red velvet cheesecake

Serving size 12

Ingredients: 

For the red velvet cake layer: 

• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1-1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
•  3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons red food colouring
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar

For the cheesecake layer: 

• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup granulated white sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup Greek yogourt
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: 

1. To make the cheesecake, beat the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, yogourt, whipping cream and vanilla together. Pour the batter into a heavily greased cake pan, and bake for about 45 minutes at 325 degrees F. Once done, carefully remove the cake from the pan, and let it cool on a wire cooling rack.
2. Once cool, place the cheesecake in the fridge to chill.
3. To make the red velvet cake, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the eggs, oil, buttermilk, food colouring, vanilla and vinegar to the flour mixture. Beat the mixture for about 1-1/2 minutes or until mixed.
4. Grease a circular cake pan. Pour the batter into the cake pan, and bake 30–35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
5. Place the cake on a cooling rack. When you’re ready to assemble, place the cheesecake layer on top of the red velvet cake layer.
6. Frost the sides of the cheesecake layer with extra cream cheese icing. Garnish the top with chocolate shavings.

More holiday recipes

Chocolate cake in a mug recipe
Creamy tapioca pudding
Old-fashioned gingersnap cookies