14 Festive Recipes to Sweeten Your Holiday Baking

Meredith Francis

December 9, 2024

Various holiday cookies spread out on a table

Credit: iStock

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Plug in the twinkle lights, pour yourself a cup of hot chocolate, and turn up the holiday music, because it’s holiday baking season. We’ve compiled some of our favorite baking recipes that we think would add a little something different to your holiday table this year. We’ve got twists on old classics and cookies galore. Many of these recipes are kid-friendly if you’ve got a tiny sous-chef in the kitchen.

Cranberry Curd Tart

We’ll kick off the list with this vibrant classic cranberry curd tart from America’s Test Kitchen. With its almond crust and tart filling, it’s great for any holiday celebration.

Kanelbullar (Swedish Cinnamon Buns)

Kanelbullar buns on a wooden serving board — Credit: America's Test Kitchen

On December 13, Swedes celebrate St. Lucia's Day in a festival of lights at the darkest time of year. Among the baked goods traditionally served are ginger cookies called pepparkakor and saffron buns known as lussekatter. But these spiced Swedish buns, called kanelbullar, are also worth trying for their fragrant cardamom.

Spruce Tree Shortbread

Christmas tree cookies decorated with green icing on a marble countertop, surrounded by spruce leaves — Credit: PBS Kitchen Vignettes

This recipe, which comes from Aube Giroux of PBS’s Kitchen Vignettes, calls for actual spruce needles and fills up the house with the fragrance of a sweet-scented forest.

S’mores Bars with Toasted Meringue

A single s'mores bar on a wooden backdrop — Credit: Milk Street

If you’ve got a house full of kids for the holidays, try this sweet treat from Milk Street. Adults who may have grown out of their love of marshmallows can try it too, since the marshmallows here have been replaced with an airy meringue.

Kid-Friendly Challah

A woman and girl smiling while lifting challah off a baking tray — Credit: iStock

This straightforward challah recipe is great for anyone who has kids eager to help with the holiday baking.

Budín de Pan (Puerto Rican Bread Pudding)

A slice of Budin de Pan on a white dish, cut out from a larger wooden dish — Credit: PBS Kids

Every family and region has their own cherished holiday traditions that can bring a family together over good food. In Puerto Rico, budín de pan or bread pudding is typically served during Nochebuena or Christmas Eve. This recipe from PBS KIDS' Jessica Martinez is adapted from her grandmother, who took out the traditional raisins in favor of making the budín like a pineapple upside-down cake.

Buckwheat Brownies

Three brownies with an intricate powdered sugar design sprinkled on top, sitting on a red plate — Credit: Bread Head: Baking for the Road Less Traveled, September 2022.

This recipe comes from a cookbook by Greg Wade of Publican Quality Bread. It calls for buckwheat flour, which Wade pairs with chocolate, and makes for a fudgy final product.

Holiday Fruitcake

A woman slicing through a loaf of fruitcake while a girl looks on — Credit: PBS Kids

Fruitcake may be a polarizing holiday dish, but if you make it fresh at home with your children, it can become a memorable new tradition – and it's easily customizable in terms of what fruit and nuts you include in it. Try this kid-friendly recipe from PBS KIDS’ Jennie Preece.

Chocolate Ginger Molasses Cookies

It can be difficult to find recipes that please both children and adults, but these cookies from Martha Stewart manage to do so by adding chocolate chunks to ooey-gooey molasses cookies with warm spices.

Pumpkin Spice Chewy Snickerdoodles

Pumpkin spice snickerdoodles spread out over a white background — Credit: Fresh Tastes / PBS

Who says pumpkin can’t extend beyond Thanksgiving? Try these pumpkin spice snickerdoodles from Adrianna Adarme of Fresh Tastes on PBS.

Bizcotela Vestida (Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies)

Bizcotela Vestida cookies spread out over a a sheet pan — Credit: Pati's Mexican Table

Pati Jinich of Pati’s Mexican Table learned to make these sugar cookies in Mexico’s town of Mocorito, Sinaloa. She calls it bizcotela vestida, which translates roughly to “dressed up lady,” and says it's her “favorite cookie of ALL time.” With two crystal-coated thick sugar cookies sandwiching rich dulce de leche or cajeta (caramel made from goat’s milk), it’s certainly a decadent treat.