Biscuit Cinnamon Sweet Rolls
Credit: Alison Miksch; Styling: Lydia Degaris Pursell
The holidays are busy enough, so put some of that stress aside with easy dessert recipes everyone will love. Whether your holiday season calls for gingerbread, cake, brownies, chocolate bark, cookies, or fruity cobbler, we've got a simple, delicious dessert that will fit your occasion.
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The Ultimate Unbaked Brownies
The Ultimate Unbaked Brownies
Credit: Lara Ferroni
The Ultimate Unbaked Brownies Recipe
These incredible brownies are a lot of things all at once: they're no-bake, vegan, and gluten-free. They're also incredibly delicious, and feature a luxurious layer of chocolate ganache on top.
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Easiest Peach Cobbler Ever
Easiest Peach Cobbler Ever image
Credit: Meredith Food Studios
Easiest Peach Cobbler Ever Recipe
Peach cobbler is already easy, but with only three ingredients, this one takes the cake (mix). If these items aren’t already in your pantry or fridge, you can pick everything up at the store for well under $10. The end result is super sweet, but not in a way that makes you cringe, and offers plenty of juicy peaches and cobbler topping to go around. If you prefer to use fresh peaches, just macerate them in sugar so they’ll be nice and juicy before you stick them in the oven. Add cinnamon or sliced almonds to the topping for an extra touch, and don’t forget the scoop of vanilla ice cream.
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Pistachio Tahini Cinnamon Rolls
Tahini Cinnamon Rolls image
Credit: Meredith Food Studios
Pistachio Tahini Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Delicious and not too sweet, the flavors of tahini, pistachios, and cardamom combine beautifully in a fluffy, light roll. These cinnamon rolls take a little extra time, but they’re so worth the effort—especially since most of the work is hands-off. Working with yeast is nothing to be afraid of. If you’re worried about your water being too warm or cool, use a thermometer to keep the temperature in check. These rolls would be fantastic at breakfast or brunch, but they’re also perfect for a snack or treat with a cup of coffee or hot tea.
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Butternut-Nut Butter Bars
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Credit: Aaron Kirk; Prop Stylist: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall
Butternut-Nut Butter Bars Recipe
If zucchini and pumpkin can make a name for themselves in the dessert realm—why not butternut squash? These gluten-free cookie bars pack an impressive level of toasty, fall flavor into every bite thanks to a combination of nutty brown butter, roasted butternut squash, nut butter, and a downright addictive creamy cashew butter-cream cheese icing (seriously, you’re gonna wanna spread this on everything—make a double batch) that’s elevated with a crunchy topper of toasted pepitas and cashews. We opt for rice flour over all-purpose because this gluten-free alternative can better absorb moisture from the squash to yield a delightfully tender—not wet or overtly cakey—texture. While roasting fresh squash contributes a depth of caramelized flavor you really don’t want to miss out on, you can find canned butternut squash in some supermarkets and online if you need a speedier swap; in fact, you could even use canned pumpkin in place of the pureed squash. In short, these brown butter butternut blondies will give every bit of convincing you may need need to believe that golden, sweet butternut squash deserves a spot on the holiday dessert table as much as any pumpkin-based treat.
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Million Dollar Pie
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Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall and Kady Wohlfarth; Prop Styling: Kay Clarke
Million Dollar Pie Recipe
Don't be fooled by the name, this Million Dollar Pie is actually quite inexpensive to make—but it tastes like a million bucks.Plus, it couldn't be simpler to toss together and requires no baking. Whip it up for a holiday meal or spur-of-the-moment party.
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White Chocolate OREO Cookie Balls
mr- white chocolate oreo cookie balls
Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck
White Chocolate OREO Cookie Balls Recipe
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Red Velvet Pudding Shots
Red Velvet Pudding Shots image
Credit: Lauren Musgrove
Red Velvet Pudding Shots Recipe
Nothing tastes and looks like the holidays quite like a classic red velevet cake. Easier to prepare, these dessert shots capture all of therich goodness of red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting; it's a boozy treat everyone is sure to love. Make these shots as instructedfor a Christmas party or top with edible metallic sprinkles for a festive New Years treat.
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Hot Toddy Cake
Hot Toddy Cake image
Credit: Caroline Arcangeli; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Sarah Epperson
Hot Toddy Cake Recipe
Incorporating black tea into the batter imbues this incredibly tender, co*cktail-inspired cake with moisture and a gentle tea flavor. Brushing the brown-sugary spice cake with a rich whiskey syrup puts the bundt’s cozy factor over the top. And finally, finishing the cake with a zippy fresh lemon and ginger glaze delivers that perfect, sunny touch of brightness needed for a balanced co*cktail. It’s all the soothing warmth of a steamy hot toddy, baked into an eye-catching bundt cake—what more could you ask for?
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Cinnamon Apple Pull-Apart Bread
mr-Cinnamon Apple Pull-Apart Bread image
Credit: Annie Campbell
Cinnamon Apple Pull-Apart Bread Recipe
For a special breakfast that’s sure to impress, this easy Cinnamon Apple Pull-Apart Bread is a must. Not only is it a looker, but every fluffy crevice and golden fold of this loaf is smattered with irresistibly buttery, apple and cinnamon-brown sugar goodness. Using canned biscuits keeps this pull-apart bread recipe simple enough for bakers of all skill levels; however, it’s what you bring to the convenience dough product that yields a treat that tastes completely homemade. If you find that your melted butter begins to re-solidify slightly after you’ve stirred in the vanilla extract, no worries—just pop it back into the microwave for a few seconds and proceed with brushing the biscuit dough rounds. When arranging the stacks of dough into your pan, keep in mind that the dough will need space to rise and expand a bit as it bakes. A tangy cream cheese drizzle over the warm cinnamon-apple bread is certainly a welcome finishing touch, but it’s not essential if you’d rather dig in immediately.
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Salted Caramel Gingerbread Poke Cake with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting
Salted Caramel Gingerbread Poke Cake with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting image
Credit: Daniel Agee
Salted Caramel Gingerbread Poke Cake with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
The flavors of gingerbread, salted caramel filling, and pumpkin cream cheese frosting marry to become the ultimate fall and holiday poke cake. This cake is a great snack cake or dessert and it's pretty enough to serve to guests. One taste and you're sure to bring this cake to potlucks all season long.
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Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark
Credit: Jeffery Cross; Styling: Kelly Allen
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark Recipe
Melt chocolate, spread it out, and add your favorite toppings--that's almost all there is to making bark. We added one important step, though: tempering the chocolate (carefully melting and cooling it to specific temperatures while adding large chunks of unmelted chocolate) so the bark stays shiny and snappy. For other flavor options, try White Chocolate, Pistachio, and Apricot Bark or Nutella Bark.
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Hello Dolly Bars
Hello Dolly Bars
Credit: Oxmoor House
Hello Dolly Bars Recipe
These bar cookies are also known as seven-layer bars. They take less than 30 minutes to make and call for just 8 ingredients, making Hello Dolly Bars the perfect dessert for taking along, well, just about anywhere!
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Chocolate Infinity Pie
Chocolate Infinity Pie
Credit: Lara Ferroni
Chocolate Infinity Pie Recipe
This pie has it all. It's full of chocolate flavor, has a silky-smooth texture, and it's also gluten-free. Also, to make this pie vegan, be sure to use vegan chocolate chips.With this fantastic pie recipe, everyone gets to indulge.
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Twix Pie
Twix Pie image
Credit: Time Inc. Video Studio
Twix Pie Recipe
This decadent, candy bar inspired pie was created with Twix lovers in mind. You can find Twix spread at World Market or on Amazon.
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Spiced Pear Cobbler with Ricotta-Thyme Biscuits
Spiced Pear Cobbler with Ricotta-Thyme Biscuits image
Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners
Spiced Pear Cobbler with Ricotta-Thyme Biscuits Recipe
There are all kinds of tricks for light, fluffy biscuits, but adding ricotta might not have been one you've heard of before. The cheese adds a richness to the top of this cobbler, as well as being an excellent way to soak up all that delicious juice released from the pears as they cook. The result is a cobbler with a crispy brown top, a flavorful biscuitmiddle, and a stew of perfectly spiced brandy-stewed pears at the bottom.
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Chai Swirl Cheesecake Bars
Chai Swirl Cheesecake Bars image
Credit: Jen Causey; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Pam Lolley
Chai Swirl Cheesecake Bars Recipe
These eye-catching dessert bars taste like your favorite chai latte, reimagined in cheesecake form. Featuring flavorful swirls of chai-infused cream cheese filling, each bite offers richly aromatic, spiced flavor set against a cool and creamy vanilla cheesecake backdrop. They’re a simple dessert to make, but undeniably impressive.
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Eggnog Cookies
mr-eggnog-cookies-with-eggnog-bourbon-buttercream
Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall and Kady Wohlfarth; Prop Styling: Kay Clarke
Eggnog Cookies Recipe
Picky eater? No problem. Even if you don't love eggnog, you'll love this easy cookie. Whether you make it for Santa or for yourself (no judgment here), this festive recipe is the perfect way to celebrate the holiday season. Though they're delicious without any bells and whistles, the boozy, four-ingredientEggnog-Bourbon Buttercream is what truly makes these cookies shine. Want something with a bit more spice? Try these Chai Tea Eggnog Cookies next.
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No-Bake Fudgy Toffee Bars
No-Bake Fudgy Toffee Bars image
Credit: Iain Bagwell; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine
No-Bake Fudgy Toffee Bars Recipe
These gooey bars will be your new favorite no-bake cookie. Serve chilled for less mess.
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Classic Pumpkin Pie
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Credit: Jen Causey, Food Styling: Gordon Sawyer and Tina Stamos, Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell
Classic Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Refrigerated pie dough makes this classic pumpkin pie recipe simple to prepare. Bake the pie on a baking sheet in the lower third of the oven to encourage a crisp crust.
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No-Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake
No bake Chocolate Eclair Cake
Credit: LynneLong
No-Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake Recipe
Make this easy dessert a day before serving, as you'll have to refrigerate it overnight.
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Butterfinger Pie
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Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall and Kady Wohlfarth; Prop Styling: Kay Clarke
Butterfinger Pie Recipe
For aneasy dessert that’s sure to please, look no further than our decadent Butterfinger Pie. Although it takes only 15 minutes to whip up, this candy bar-inspired treat is the peanut butter pie upgrade you won’t soon forget.
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Baileys Pecan Pie
mr-Baileys Pecan Pie
Credit: Jen Causey; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Baileys Pecan Pie Recipe
Pecan pie’s classic custardy texture gets a boozy punch thanks to the addition of Baileys. The dark brown sugar and dark corn syrup make for a dark custard, but you could certainly use light brown sugar and light corn syrup if you prefer. For the ultimate boost in flavor, brush the finished warm pie with the remaining teaspoon of Baileys. Finish everything up with whipped cream or ice cream, or serve it for post-Thanksgiving breakfast with a cup of coffee.
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Ultimate Coconut Cake
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Credit: Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey and Elise Mayfield; Prop Styling: Kay Clarke and Laura Evans
Ultimate Coconut Cake Recipe
"Ultimate" is no exaggeration here—this cake features coconut flour, coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut cream, coconut sugar, coconut extract, and (of course) flaked coconut. Given this cake's incrediblymoist layers, intensecoconut flavor, and lighter-than-air filling, our test kitchen chefs fought over the leftovers.
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Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies image
Credit: Caroline Arcangeli; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Sarah Epperson
Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
You’ve probably heard of olive oil cake, and if you’ve ever tasted one, you know how much rich character olive oil can bring to a dessert. And that’s certainly the case for these anything-but-average chocolate chip cookies. With their crispy edges and perfectly gooey center, they’re downright dreamy. Fruity olive oil subtly shines, complementing the melt-in-your mouth chocolaty factor in this distinctly delicious twist on the cookie jar classic. Although it’s tempting to go straight from the bowl to the oven, it’s important that the cookie dough is thoroughly chilled before baking. Not only will this step make scooping the cookies easier, but refrigeration solidifies the oil, which keeps the cookies from spreading too fast and becoming too thin. Being that olive oil is the star ingredient in this chocolate chip cookie recipe, be sure to use a good quality oil.
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Orange Blossom-Thyme Scones
Orange Blossom-Thyme Scones image
Credit: Whitney Ott; Food Styling: Mary-Claire Britton; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Orange Blossom-Thyme Scones Recipe
Light as a feather, buttery scones with a hint of orange and just the perfect touch of thyme. Ideal for breakfast or brunch, these delightful scones would be delicious split and topped with strawberries and whipped cream. You find orange blossom water at Whole Foods and other specialty markets, or order itonline.
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Sticky Cinnamon Roll Babka Buns
EC: Magic Happens When Sticky Cinnamon Rolls Meet Babka
Credit: Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Blakeslee Giles / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis
Sticky Cinnamon Roll Babka Buns Recipe
If you're looking for decadence, you're in the right place. Though the dough requires multiple steps, the result is a bun that is sweeter, stickier, and more gooey than any bun you've had before. Our chefs joke about wanting to take a nap after experiencing the richness of this dessert.Saigon cinnamon is recommended for a stronger spicy-sweet flavor, but regular cinnamon can be easily substituted. Serve with coffee at brunch or as an afternoon treat.
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Peanut Butter Pie
Peanut Butter Pie
Credit: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lydia DeGaris-Pursell
Peanut Butter Pie Recipe
Treat yourself to a light version of peanut butter pie. It tastes like eating a peanut butter and chocolate candy bar, but lightened ingredients like reduced-fat peanut butter, fat-free condensed milk, and light cream cheese keep fat and calories in check without sacrificing any flavor.
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Mudslide Cake
Mudslide Cake image
Credit: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Sarah Epperson
Mudslide Cake Recipe
You know how some co*cktails are so good they're basically dessert? This mudslide cake takes that even further, making the classic dessert co*cktail into an actual dessert. The inclusion of bothIrish and coffee liqueurs give the cake depth of flavor, and the chocolate glaze and cherries give a nod to the traditional mudslide garnishes. Eat it with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream. No straw required.
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Sheet Pan Oatmeal Toffee-Orange Cream Bars
Sheet Pan Oatmeal Toffee-Orange Cream Bars image
Credit: Time Inc. Video Studio
Sheet Pan Oatmeal Toffee-Orange Cream Bars Recipe
These toasty-sweet, sheet pan sandwich cookies are fantastic for potlucks or tailgates—heck, whip a batch up on the weekend and enjoy for after-school snacks or dessert throughout the week. Toffee bits and cinnamon kick up the flavor of a traditional oatmeal cookie, while adding fresh orange zest to the filling adds a special touch or bright flavor to these tasty bars. Be sure the cookie is completely cool (out of the pan) before cutting it, or it will crumble. And to ensure a smooth cut, you’ll want to chill the filled cookie really well before slicing into bars.
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Ginger Shortbread Cookies with Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting
Ginger Shortbread Cookies with Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting
Credit: Alison Miksch; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
Ginger Shortbread Cookies with Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Leap for Spring with 6-ingredient, Ginger Shortbread Cookies. Look for minced crystallized ginger at your local grocery on the bottled spice aisle.
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Oreo Cookie Pie
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Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall and Kady Wohlfarth; Prop Styling: Kay Clarke
Oreo Cookie Pie Recipe
Oreos on Oreos on Oreos. This Oreo pie recipe is super easy and a must-make for any fan of Milk's Favorite Cookie.
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Bananas Foster Coffee Cake with Vanilla-Rum Sauce
Bananas Foster Coffee Cake with Vanilla-Rum Sauce
Credit: Alison Miksch; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
Bananas Foster Coffee Cake with Vanilla-Rum Sauce Recipe
Substitute extra cream for rum in the sauce, if you prefer.
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Best Fudgy Brownies
Best Fudgy Brownie
Credit: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck; Food Styling: Pam Lolley
Best Fudgy Brownies Recipe
Meet your new go-to recipe for homemade brownies. These decadenttreats are extra rich and fudgy, thanksto a double hit of baking chocolate and bittersweet chocolate morsels. They’re incredibly easy to make, plus you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry already. And while we’re definitely not above boxed brownie mixes, these homemade brownies would certainly steal the show at any party or get-together.
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Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies
Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Fudgy Flourless Chocolate-Pecan Cookies Recipe
Believe it or not, these chewy, brownie-like cookies are gluten free. Try not to eat them all in one sitting--our Test Kitchen found them especially hard to resist.
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Biscuit Cinnamon Sweet Rolls
Biscuit Cinnamon Sweet Rolls
Credit: Alison Miksch; Styling: Lydia Degaris Pursell
Biscuit Cinnamon Sweet Rolls Recipe
Make sure the butter you spread over the tender dough is very soft; otherwise, the dough will tear.