The 5 Best Winter Desserts to Impress Your Guests

Holiday baking is in full swing, which means it’s time to fire up the oven and give your recipe book a refresh. These front runners will earn your guests’ seal of approval from moist cake to nutty, rich chocolates. 

These recipes are also perfectly suited for a night in as you slip into your cozy flannel pjs and settle in for a holiday movie marathon. Satisfy your sweet tooth by the open fire with the best winter desserts.

1. Chocolate Marshmallow Bars

Creamy peanut butter, gooey marshmallows, and melted chocolate – the killer combo we all need to make it through a frosty day. These bars are the perfect blend of sweet, crunchy, and soft. They couldn’t be easier to make. 

This recipe from Taste of Home makes 3 dozen in under an hour, making it one of the best winter desserts to share with a group of people. This delightful handheld dessert will be the talk of the evening. 

Ingredients

¾ cup butter, softened

1 ½ cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ⅓ cups all purpose flour

3 tablespoons baking cocoa

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped nuts

4 cups mini marshmallows

Ingredients for the topping:

1 ⅓ cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter

3 tablespoons butter

2 cups Rice Krispies

Directions

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla next.

Then, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add into the creamed mixture. Mix in the nuts before spreading it into a greased baking pan at the recommended size of 15x10x1 inch.

Bake for about 15-18 minutes or until set. Sprinkle with marshmallows and bake 2-3 minutes longer or until they’ve melted. Place the pan on a wire rack. Using a knife dipped in water, spread marshmallows evenly over the top. Allow it to cool completely.

For your topping, combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a small saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat until blended. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Rice Krispies. Immediately spread over the bars and chill. 

2. Cherry Snowball Cookies

These simple cookies are buttery and versatile. For the ultimate holiday treat, add food coloring to tint them green to compliment the red surprise in the center. Take the flavor to the next level and add a teaspoon of almond or vanilla, depending on your preference. 

Sort these delicious snowballs on a tray and serve them up all winter! 

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

½ cups confectioners’ sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 jar (6 ounces) maraschino cherries without stems, drained and halved 

Additional confectioners sugar

Directions

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour and mix well.

Shape a tablespoonful of dough around each cherry, forming a ball. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. 

Bake your cookies for 18-20 minutes or until the bottoms are browned. Roll warm cookies in confectioners’ sugar and cool on wire racks. 

3. Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies with Dulce de Leche 

These gingerbread cookies are soft, chewy, and spiced with a taste of ginger and cinnamon. Only the best winter desserts include caramel filling. You won’t be able to eat just one of these classic cookies with a twist. 

These addictive cookies come together fast and make a ton so they’re certainly worth adding to your baking line-up this winter. 

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

6 tablespoons salted butter, softened

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

½ cup dark molasses

1 large egg

6 tablespoons dulce de leche or caramel sauce

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until fluffy. This should take about 2 minutes. Drizzle in the molasses, mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed. Beat in the egg.

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three batches, beating until combined. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until it’s firm for at least 2 hours. Overnight would be best.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough and roll into smooth round balls. Place two inches apart on the baking sheets and gently press your thumb into the center of each. 

Bake for about 14 minutes or until the cookies are set but still soft. Let them cool slightly and press the handle of a spoon into the center of each cookie to re-indent. Remove the cookies to a rack to cool completely. Fill each cookie with ½ teaspoon dulce de leche. 

4. Peppermint Meringues

Winter is the time to kick aside pumpkin spice and make room for all things peppermint for the best winter desserts. These light and airy peppermint swirls make for a delicious meringue cookie. Enjoy these cookies as they are or dissolve one into your morning coffee or hot cocoa. 

Add red and green food coloring for Christmas or blue for Hanukkah. One pro tip is to make sure you double check your oven temperature and no not allow it to get hotter than 225 degrees. Also, never use foil because your meringues will slide right off! 

Ingredients

2 egg whites

⅛ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar

½ cup white sugar

2 peppermint candy canes, crushed 

Directions

First, preheat the oven to 225 degrees and line 2 cookie sheets with foil. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar to form stiff peaks. Drop by spoonfuls 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Sprinkle crushed peppermint candy over the cookies. 

Bake for 1 ½ hours. Meringues should be completely dry on the inside. Be careful not to allow them to brown. Turn off your oven, open the door and let the meringues sit until completely cool. Loosen from foil with metal spatula and store loosely covered in cool dry place for up to 2 months. 

5. Cranberry Orange Upside-Down Cake

It’s the time of year to add cranberries to anything and everything, including cake. The jeweled berries surrounded by a caramelized sauce make for a beautiful topping on the surface. This cake recipe provides an orange zesty taste and orange juice acts like buttermilk, making the cake super moist. 

Up-side down cakes are so easy to make and you can skip the extra step of frosting. 

Ingredients for the topping

¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries

Ingredients for the cake

1 ¾ cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Scant pinch ground cloves

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 ½ cups white granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon orange zest

½ cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)

¼ cup milk 

Directions

Set your oven to 350 degrees. Butter your 9-inch pan generously.

Start making your caramel topping by placing 3 tablespoons of butter and ¾ cups of packed brown sugar in a saucepan. On medium high heat, stir the sugar as the butter melts. Once the butter is melted, mix in the sugar well and stop stirring. Let the mixture simmer for 15 seconds or longer. Pour the sugar mix into the prepared cake pan and spread the cranberries on top. 

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground cloves in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter until light. Add the sugar and beat together the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the orange zest.

Mix a third of the dry ingredients into the mixture. Beat in half of the sour cream or yogurt. Mix in another third of the dry ingredients. Mix in the sour cream. Beat the remaining dry ingredients and add the milk. 

Pour the batter over the cranberries in the cake pan and smooth the surface. Lower the heat in the oven from 350 to 325 and bake. When pressing down on the cake, the surface should bounce back. This should take up to 55 or 60 minutes. Once time is up, cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. 

Loosen the cake from the sides of a pan before turning it over on a platter. Enjoy! 

Indulge in one of these tasty desserts right after cooking up a delicious winter dinner.