12 Christmas Chocolate Desserts That Make the Holidays Taste Magical

There is something about December that makes chocolate taste even better. Maybe it is the cold air, the twinkling lights, or the excuse to bake for everyone you love. These Christmas chocolate desserts cover every mood, from a cozy mug of cocoa to a showstopping yule log for the big dinner. Some take ten minutes, some take a little patience, but every one comes with a simple recipe. Chocolate lovers, this one is for you..

Christmas Chocolate Desserts Start With Easy Truffles

Look at that table. A yule log, a molten lava cake, a mug of cocoa and a plate of glossy truffles. That is what Christmas chocolate desserts are all about: cozy, generous and a little bit magical. We start with truffles because they are the easiest win. Just two main ingredients, a bowl and your hands. Would you roll yours in cocoa, sprinkles or crushed nuts?

You will need: 8 oz good dark chocolate (chopped), 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 tbsp butter, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt, cocoa powder, chopped nuts or sprinkles for rolling.

How to make it: 1. Heat the cream until steaming and pour it over the chopped chocolate. 2. Wait 2 minutes, then stir until smooth. 3. Stir in butter, vanilla and salt. 4. Chill for 2 hours until firm enough to scoop. 5. Scoop small balls and roll them quickly between your palms. 6. Roll in cocoa, nuts or sprinkles and keep in the fridge.

Christmas Chocolate Desserts in Cupcake Form

Cupcakes are the easiest way to feed a classroom party or an office potluck. These rich chocolate cupcakes get a tall swirl of whipped vanilla frosting and a sprinkle of crushed candy or cookie crumbs on top. One bowl, no mixer needed for the batter, and they bake in twenty minutes. Kids love to decorate them. Poll: A) red sprinkles, B) crushed candy canes, C) mini marshmallows, D) keep it simple?

You will need: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 egg, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup hot coffee or water, 1/4 cup oil, 1 tsp vanilla. Frosting: 1 cup soft butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, 2 tbsp cream, 1 tsp vanilla.

How to make it: 1. Heat oven to 350°F and line a 12 cup muffin pan. 2. Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, soda and salt. 3. Add egg, milk, oil and vanilla, then stir in the hot coffee. 4. Fill the liners two thirds full and bake 18 to 20 minutes. 5. Beat butter, powdered sugar, cream and vanilla until fluffy. 6. Pipe onto the cooled cupcakes and decorate.

Dark Chocolate Fig and Pistachio Tart

This is the dessert to bring when you want people to gasp a little. A crisp cookie crust is filled with smooth dark chocolate ganache that sets like velvet. Fresh figs, chopped pistachios and a few orange slices on top make it look like a jewelry box. The filling needs no baking, just a few hours in the fridge. Would you serve it with coffee or a scoop of ice cream?

You will need: 1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs, 5 tbsp melted butter, 10 oz dark chocolate, 1 1/4 cups heavy cream, 2 tbsp butter, pinch of salt, 3 fresh figs, 2 tbsp chopped pistachios.

How to make it: 1. Heat oven to 350°F. Press the crumbs and melted butter into a 9 inch tart pan and bake 10 minutes. 2. Cool the crust. 3. Heat the cream until steaming and pour it over the chopped chocolate. 4. Stir in butter and salt until glossy. 5. Pour into the crust and chill 3 hours. 6. Top with sliced figs and pistachios just before serving.

Molten Lava Cakes for Two on Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve after the kids are asleep calls for something just for the grown ups. These might be the most romantic Christmas chocolate desserts of all. Lava cakes look like restaurant magic, but they take fifteen minutes from start to finish. The edges bake into soft cake while the center stays warm and flowing. Add vanilla ice cream for that hot and cold bliss. Who are you sharing this with?

You will need: 4 oz dark chocolate, 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 eggs, 2 egg yolks, 1 tsp vanilla, 6 tbsp flour, butter and cocoa for the ramekins.

How to make it: 1. Heat oven to 425°F and butter and cocoa dust 4 ramekins. 2. Melt the chocolate and butter together. 3. Whisk in the powdered sugar, then the eggs, yolks and vanilla. 4. Fold in the flour. 5. Fill the ramekins and bake 12 to 13 minutes until the edges are firm. 6. Rest 1 minute, run a knife around the edges and flip onto plates.

Thick Homemade Hot Cocoa for Snowy Nights

Forget the powder packets. Hot cocoa might be the simplest of all Christmas chocolate desserts, and real cocoa made with chopped chocolate is thick, silky and rich. Make a big pot after sledding or while wrapping presents and watch everyone wander into the kitchen. Which camp are you in: A) whipped cream, B) marshmallows, C) both, D) nothing, just cocoa?

You will need: 4 cups whole milk, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 6 oz chopped semisweet chocolate, 3 tbsp cocoa powder, 3 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt, toppings of choice.

How to make it: 1. Warm the milk and cream in a pot over medium heat. 2. Whisk in cocoa, sugar and salt until smooth. 3. Add the chopped chocolate and whisk until melted. 4. Simmer gently for 2 minutes to thicken. 5. Stir in the vanilla. 6. Pour into mugs and add your favorite toppings.

Old Fashioned Chocolate Covered Cherries

Remember the boxes of chocolate covered cherries that showed up every Christmas at grandma’s house? Homemade ones are even better. A soft fondant wraps around each cherry, then it gets dipped in chocolate. After a few days the fondant melts into a sweet liquid center, just like the old store bought kind. They make a beautiful gift in little paper cups. Did you love them or pass them along?

You will need: 1 jar (10 oz) maraschino cherries with stems, 3 tbsp soft butter, 3 tbsp light corn syrup, 2 cups powdered sugar, 12 oz semisweet chocolate, 1 tbsp coconut oil.

How to make it: 1. Drain the cherries and dry them well on paper towels. 2. Mix butter, corn syrup and powdered sugar into a soft dough. 3. Wrap a small piece around each cherry and chill 1 hour. 4. Melt the chocolate with coconut oil. 5. Dip each cherry by the stem and set it on parchment. 6. Store in a covered container for 3 to 7 days so the centers turn liquid.

White Chocolate Dipped Pretzels for Gift Bags

Sweet and salty snacks disappear first at every holiday party. Pretzels dipped in white chocolate and dusted with sprinkles are fast, cheap and perfect for little helpers. Fill cellophane bags with them, tie a ribbon, and you have teacher gifts done in an afternoon. Try dark chocolate with crushed peppermint for a second batch. How many bags could you fill before snacking on them?

You will need: 1 bag (16 oz) mini pretzel twists, 12 oz white chocolate or candy melts, 1 tsp coconut oil, holiday sprinkles or crushed candy canes.

How to make it: 1. Line two trays with parchment. 2. Melt the white chocolate with coconut oil in short bursts, stirring often. 3. Dip each pretzel halfway or all the way. 4. Let the extra drip off and set it on the tray. 5. Add sprinkles right away before the chocolate sets. 6. Let them set for 30 minutes and store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Bread Pudding With Warm Chocolate Sauce

Got leftover bread or brioche after the holidays? Turn it into the coziest dessert of the season. Cubes of bread soak in a chocolate custard and bake into something soft in the middle and crisp on top. Pour on warm chocolate sauce and it becomes pure comfort. It is one of those Christmas chocolate desserts that feeds a crowd without fuss. Is this dessert or breakfast in your house?

You will need: 6 cups cubed day old bread or brioche, 2 cups milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 6 oz chopped chocolate, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, pinch of salt. Sauce: 4 oz chocolate, 1/2 cup cream.

How to make it: 1. Heat oven to 350°F and butter a 9×13 dish. 2. Warm the milk and cream, then melt in the chocolate and sugar. 3. Whisk eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and salt, then whisk in the chocolate milk. 4. Pour over the bread and let it soak 20 minutes. 5. Bake 40 to 45 minutes until set. 6. Melt chocolate with cream for the sauce and pour over warm servings.

Two Layer Peppermint Bark Everyone Asks For

Peppermint bark is the candy that shows up in fancy tins and costs a small fortune. Make it at home for a fraction of the price. It is one of the most giftable Christmas chocolate desserts: a layer of dark chocolate, a layer of white chocolate, and a shower of crushed candy canes. Break it into rough pieces and pack it into jars. Would you keep it or give it away?

You will need: 12 oz dark chocolate, 12 oz white chocolate, 1/2 tsp peppermint extract (divided), 1/2 cup crushed candy canes.

How to make it: 1. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment. 2. Melt the dark chocolate, stir in 1/4 tsp peppermint extract, and spread it in the pan. 3. Chill 15 minutes until just set. 4. Melt the white chocolate with the rest of the extract and spread it on top. 5. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes and press lightly. 6. Chill until firm and break into pieces.

Christmas Morning Babka, One of the Coziest Chocolate Desserts

Babka is a soft, buttery bread twisted with ribbons of chocolate. It takes some time, but the dough can rise overnight in the fridge, so you wake up on Christmas morning, shape it and bake it while presents are opened. The whole house will smell like a bakery. Slice it thick and toast it with butter the next day. Have you ever twisted a babka before?

You will need: Dough: 2 1/4 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tsp instant yeast, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup warm milk, 1/3 cup soft butter. Filling: 4 oz chocolate, 1/3 cup butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 3 tbsp cocoa.

How to make it: 1. Mix the dough ingredients and knead 8 minutes until smooth. 2. Let it rise 2 hours, or overnight in the fridge. 3. Melt the chocolate and butter, then stir in powdered sugar and cocoa. 4. Roll the dough into a rectangle, spread the filling and roll it up. 5. Cut it in half lengthwise, twist the two pieces together and place in a loaf pan. 6. Rise 1 hour and bake at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes.

Chocolate Yule Log, the Star of Christmas Chocolate Desserts

The yule log is the crown jewel of the season. A soft chocolate sponge is rolled around whipped cream, then covered in fudgy frosting and scraped with a fork to look like tree bark. Set gingerbread cookies around it and dust it with powdered sugar snow. It looks like it came from a French bakery, but you made it in your own kitchen. Is this the year you finally try one?

You will need: Cake: 4 eggs, 2/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, pinch of salt. Filling: 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 3 tbsp powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla. Frosting: 8 oz dark chocolate, 3/4 cup heavy cream, 2 tbsp butter. Powdered sugar to dust.

How to make it: 1. Heat oven to 375°F and line a 10×15 sheet pan. 2. Beat eggs and sugar for 5 minutes until thick, then fold in flour, cocoa and salt. 3. Spread in the pan and bake 10 minutes. 4. Roll the warm cake up in a towel and let it cool. 5. Unroll, spread the whipped filling, and roll it up again. 6. Melt chocolate with cream and butter, cool until thick, spread over the log, drag a fork along it and dust with powdered sugar.

Chocolate Pecan Pie to Finish the Feast

Classic pecan pie gets even better with melted chocolate in the filling. It tastes like a candy bar baked in a buttery crust. Serve it slightly warm with whipped cream and it will be the first pie gone from the table. Want more? See our chocolate desserts so good you will want to lick the plate. So which of these Christmas chocolate desserts will you make first? Tell us in the comments.

You will need: 1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust, 3 eggs, 3/4 cup corn syrup, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 4 tbsp melted butter, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt, 1 1/2 cups pecan halves, 3/4 cup chocolate chips.

How to make it: 1. Heat oven to 350°F. 2. Scatter the chocolate chips and pecans in the pie crust. 3. Whisk eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and salt. 4. Pour the filling over the pecans. 5. Bake 50 to 55 minutes until the center is just set. 6. Cool at least 2 hours before slicing.