Red Velvet Christmas Desserts: 15 Ruby-Red Bakes That Steal the Show at Every Holiday Table

Red velvet Christmas desserts are the easiest way to make a holiday table look like it belongs on a greeting card. That deep ruby crumb and snowy white frosting already wear the colors of the season, so there is no need for fussy piping or food coloring tricks with ten different shades. Short videos of bakers turning red velvet batter into Christmas cookies and cupcakes have pulled hundreds of thousands of views as the baking season starts, and it is easy to see why. One bowl of cocoa-kissed, buttermilk-tender batter can become a towering layer cake, a wreath for the dessert table, a stack of Christmas morning pancakes or a tin of fudge for the neighbors. Here are 15 festive red velvet bakes, from showstoppers to five-minute treats, with what you need and how to make each one..

Classic Red Velvet Layer Cake, the Queen of Christmas Desserts

Every list of red velvet Christmas desserts has to start with the cake that made the name famous. Three tall crimson layers, thick swirls of tangy cream cheese frosting and a crown of fine red crumbs make it the centerpiece that stops conversation when it hits the table. The tender crumb comes from buttermilk, a little vinegar and a modest spoon of cocoa, which give the cake its soft, velvety bite rather than a heavy chocolate flavor. Bake the layers a day ahead, wrap them well and frost on Christmas Eve for clean, easy slices..

You will need: 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 1 1/2 cups oil, 1 cup buttermilk, 2 eggs, 2 tbsp red food coloring, 1 tsp vinegar, 2 tsp vanilla, 16 oz cream cheese, 1 cup butter, 4 cups powdered sugar.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and grease three 8-inch pans. 2. Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. 3. Beat in the oil, buttermilk, eggs, coloring, vinegar and 1 tsp vanilla until smooth. 4. Divide between the pans and bake 22 to 25 minutes. 5. Cool completely. 6. Beat the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and remaining vanilla until fluffy, then stack, frost and sprinkle with crumbs trimmed from the tops.

Soft Red Velvet Cookies With White Chocolate Chips

These thick, chewy cookies taste like the edge of a red velvet cake that somebody turned into a handheld treat. White chocolate chips melt into creamy pockets that echo the classic frosting, and the dough needs no rolling, cutting or icing, which makes it a lifesaver for cookie exchanges. A short chill keeps the cookies tall and soft in the center. Bake a double batch, because a plate of these red velvet Christmas desserts vanishes faster than the sugar cookies, and the dough freezes beautifully in scoops for fresh-baked cookies whenever company knocks.

You will need: 2 1/4 cups flour, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 cup softened butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tbsp milk, 1 tbsp red food coloring, 2 tsp vanilla, 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips.

How to make it: 1. Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. 2. Beat the butter and both sugars until fluffy, then beat in the egg, milk, coloring and vanilla. 3. Mix in the dry ingredients and fold in the chips. 4. Chill the dough 30 minutes. 5. Scoop 2-tbsp balls onto lined sheets and bake at 350F for 10 to 11 minutes. 6. Press a few extra chips on top while warm and cool on the sheet for 5 minutes.

Red Velvet Cupcakes With Snowy Frosting Swirls

Cupcakes turn the big cake into something you can hand to a child, pack in a school party box or line up on a tiered stand like a little red forest. Pipe the cream cheese frosting high with a large star tip so it looks like a fresh snowdrift, then finish with red sprinkles, crushed peppermint or a single sugared cranberry. The batter is thinner than most cake batters, so fill the liners only two thirds full for neat domes. They stay moist for two days in a covered container, which makes these red velvet Christmas desserts perfect for busy December weekends.

You will need: 1 1/4 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tbsp cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 3/4 cup oil, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1 egg, 1 tbsp red food coloring, 1/2 tsp vinegar, 1 tsp vanilla, cream cheese frosting, red sprinkles.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and line a 12-cup muffin pan. 2. Whisk the dry ingredients together. 3. Whisk in the oil, buttermilk, egg, coloring, vinegar and vanilla until smooth. 4. Fill the liners two thirds full. 5. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. 6. Cool, then pipe tall swirls of frosting and add sprinkles.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Fudgy red velvet brownies get a ribbon of tangy cheesecake dragged through the top, so every square looks like a little marble painting. The two batters bake together in one pan, which means you get the cake and the frosting in a single neat bite with no layering or decorating. Use a butter knife to swirl in figure eights, and stop before the colors turn muddy. Chill the pan for an hour before cutting with a hot knife, and the squares come out clean enough for the fanciest tray of red velvet Christmas desserts.

You will need: 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tbsp red food coloring, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp vanilla, 3/4 cup flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 8 oz cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg yolk.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and line an 8-inch square pan. 2. Stir the butter, sugar, eggs, coloring, cocoa and vanilla, then fold in the flour and salt. 3. Spread most of the batter in the pan. 4. Beat the cream cheese, sugar and yolk, then dollop over the batter. 5. Drop the remaining red batter between the dollops and swirl with a knife. 6. Bake 28 to 32 minutes, cool and chill before slicing.

Red Velvet Christmas Wreath Bundt Cake, a Centerpiece Dessert

A bundt pan does the hard work here, giving you a perfect ring that only needs a glossy cream cheese glaze and a few sprigs of rosemary to become an edible wreath. Sugared cranberries tucked between the herbs look like holly berries and add a bright tart pop against the sweet glaze. Grease every ridge of the pan generously and dust it with cocoa instead of flour so no white film shows on the red cake. Of all the red velvet Christmas desserts on this list, this one looks the most impressive for the least effort.

You will need: 1 red velvet layer cake batter recipe, cocoa powder for the pan, 4 oz cream cheese, 2 tbsp butter, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 to 3 tbsp milk, fresh rosemary sprigs, sugared cranberries.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and grease a 10-cup bundt pan, then dust it with cocoa. 2. Pour in the batter and smooth the top. 3. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. 4. Cool 15 minutes in the pan, then turn out and cool completely. 5. Beat the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and milk into a pourable glaze and spoon it over the top. 6. Decorate with rosemary and sugared cranberries.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Squares, a Christmas Dessert for a Crowd

When the whole family is coming, a sheet pan of red velvet cheesecake squares feeds a crowd and looks like a holiday quilt once it is sliced. A thin red velvet cake base supports a creamy cheesecake layer, and each square gets a rosette of whipped cream and a pinch of red crumbs. Because the bars must chill overnight, they belong with the other make-ahead Christmas desserts you can finish before the holiday rush. Wipe the knife between cuts for sharp edges, and keep the squares cold until the moment you serve them.

You will need: Half a batch of red velvet layer cake batter, 24 oz cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup whipped cream, red velvet crumbs.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 325F and line a 9×13-inch pan. 2. Spread the half batch of red velvet batter in the pan and bake 12 minutes. 3. Beat the cream cheese and sugar, then add the eggs, sour cream and vanilla. 4. Pour over the warm base. 5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the center barely jiggles. 6. Cool, chill overnight, cut into squares and top each with whipped cream and crumbs.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Whoopie pies are the soft, cakey sandwich cookies that New England and Pennsylvania Dutch bakers have long claimed as their own, and a red velvet version looks made for December. Two pillowy red rounds hug a thick layer of cream cheese filling, so each one tastes like a slice of cake you can carry around the party. Scoop the batter with a cookie scoop for even sizes, and match the halves by shape before filling. Wrapped one by one in clear bags with a red ribbon, these red velvet Christmas desserts make a sweet last-minute gift for teachers and neighbors.

You will need: 2 cups flour, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 cup buttermilk, 1 tbsp red food coloring, 1 tsp vanilla, cream cheese frosting.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 375F and line two baking sheets. 2. Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. 3. Beat the butter and brown sugar, then add the egg, buttermilk, coloring and vanilla. 4. Mix in the dry ingredients. 5. Drop 2-tbsp mounds 2 inches apart and bake 9 to 11 minutes. 6. Cool completely, then sandwich pairs with frosting.

Red Velvet Pancakes for Christmas Morning

Christmas morning deserves something more exciting than plain flapjacks, and a tall stack of red velvet pancakes, one of the sweetest Christmas desserts for breakfast, delivers the wow before the gifts are even opened. A spoon of cocoa and a splash of coloring turn a basic buttermilk batter bright red, and a drizzle of cream cheese icing takes the place of syrup. Mix the dry ingredients in a jar the night before so breakfast only needs the wet ingredients and a hot griddle. Top with fresh raspberries or a dusting of powdered sugar that looks like fresh snow.

You will need: 2 cups flour, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 3/4 cups buttermilk, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup melted butter, 1 tbsp red food coloring, 1 tsp vanilla, 4 oz cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, 3 tbsp milk.

How to make it: 1. Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 2. Whisk the buttermilk, eggs, butter, coloring and vanilla, then stir into the dry mix until just combined. 3. Heat a buttered griddle over medium-low heat. 4. Pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake and cook until bubbles form, then flip. 5. Beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and milk into a drizzle. 6. Stack the pancakes and pour the icing over the top.

Red Velvet Cake Balls, Bite-Size Christmas Desserts in White Chocolate

Cake balls are the clever way to use cake scraps, trimmed domes or a leftover layer, and the red velvet version hides a bright surprise under a white shell. Crumbled cake is mixed with just enough cream cheese frosting to hold together, rolled into balls and dunked in melted white chocolate. A pinch of red and green sprinkles before the coating sets turns them into tiny ornaments for the dessert tray. Freeze the rolled balls for 15 minutes before dipping so they hold their shape, and the coating sets smooth and shiny.

You will need: 1 baked red velvet cake (9×13 or two layers), 1/2 cup cream cheese frosting, 16 oz white chocolate or candy melts, 1 tsp coconut oil, red and green sprinkles.

How to make it: 1. Crumble the cooled cake into fine crumbs. 2. Mix in the frosting until the mixture holds together when squeezed. 3. Roll into 1-inch balls and freeze 15 minutes. 4. Melt the white chocolate with the coconut oil. 5. Dip each ball, let the excess drip off and set it on parchment. 6. Add sprinkles before the coating sets and chill until firm.

Mini Red Velvet Layer Cakes

Individual layer cakes feel like a fancy bakery treat, yet they come from one sheet of cake and a round cutter. Stack three small rounds with frosting, leave the sides bare so the red stripes show, and pipe little kisses of cream cheese frosting on top with a pinch of crumbs. Each guest gets a whole cake, which makes these red velvet Christmas desserts feel special without a single slice to cut. Bake the sheet a day ahead and chill it before cutting, because cold cake gives neat edges and far fewer crumbs.

You will need: 1 red velvet layer cake batter recipe, cream cheese frosting, a 3-inch round cutter, red velvet crumbs for topping.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and line a half sheet pan. 2. Spread the batter evenly and bake 15 to 18 minutes. 3. Cool, then chill the cake for an hour. 4. Cut out rounds with the cutter. 5. Stack three rounds with a layer of frosting between each. 6. Pipe small dots of frosting on top, sprinkle with crumbs and chill until serving.

Red Velvet Hot Cocoa

This cozy mug tastes like red velvet cake melted into a drink, with white chocolate for the frosting flavor and a little cocoa for that gentle chocolate note. It takes about ten minutes on the stove, so it is perfect after sledding, tree trimming or a long night of wrapping presents. Pile on whipped cream, then shower it with crumbs from any leftover red velvet cake or cookies for a bakery-style finish. It counts as one of the coziest red velvet Christmas desserts you can sip, so make a big pot for a crowd and keep it warm in a slow cooker on the low setting.

You will need: 4 cups whole milk, 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 2 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp red food coloring, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt, whipped cream, red velvet crumbs, white chocolate shavings.

How to make it: 1. Warm the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. 2. Whisk in the cocoa, sugar and salt until smooth. 3. Add the white chocolate chips and whisk until melted. 4. Stir in the coloring and vanilla. 5. Pour into mugs. 6. Top with whipped cream, crumbs and white chocolate shavings.

Red Velvet Waffles With Cream Cheese Drizzle

Waffle irons give red velvet batter crisp edges and deep pockets that catch every drop of cream cheese drizzle. Serve them as a holiday brunch centerpiece, or stack them with frosting between the layers for a playful waffle cake that the kids will talk about all year. Keep finished waffles warm on a rack in a low oven so they stay crisp while the rest of the batch cooks. Leftovers freeze well, and a quick trip through the toaster brings them back to life on a busy school morning in December.

You will need: 2 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 eggs, 1 3/4 cups buttermilk, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 tbsp red food coloring, 1 tsp vanilla, cream cheese drizzle.

How to make it: 1. Preheat the waffle iron and brush it with butter. 2. Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt. 3. Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, butter, coloring and vanilla, then stir into the dry mix. 4. Ladle batter into the iron and cook until crisp, about 4 minutes. 5. Keep warm in a 200F oven. 6. Serve with cream cheese drizzle or stack with frosting for a waffle cake.

Crumb-Coated Red Velvet Christmas Cake

Instead of smoothing frosting perfectly, press red velvet crumbs all over the outside of the cake for a cozy, sparkly look that hides every imperfection. It is the most forgiving decorating trick for red velvet Christmas desserts, and it makes beginner bakers look like pros. Simply trim the domed tops of your layers, crumble them and keep them in a bowl until the cake is frosted. Holding the cake on one hand over a sheet pan, gently pat the crumbs onto the sides so they stick in an even coat.

You will need: 2 or 3 baked red velvet cake layers, cream cheese frosting, a serrated knife, a sheet pan to catch crumbs.

How to make it: 1. Level each cooled layer with a serrated knife and save the trimmed tops. 2. Crumble the tops into fine crumbs. 3. Stack the layers with frosting between them. 4. Cover the outside with a thin layer of frosting. 5. Press the crumbs onto the top and sides by the handful. 6. Chill 30 minutes before slicing.

Old-Fashioned Red Velvet Cake With Ermine Frosting

Long before cream cheese frosting became standard, many Southern bakers topped their red velvet cake with ermine frosting, a silky cooked milk and flour icing that tastes like whipped vanilla cream. The cake itself became a Southern favorite, and it gained new fame in the 1989 film Steel Magnolias with its famous armadillo groom’s cake. Ermine frosting is less sweet than buttercream and holds up well at room temperature. For a vintage holiday dinner, this nostalgic version of red velvet Christmas desserts brings back the flavor many grandmothers remember.

You will need: 1 red velvet layer cake (two 9-inch layers), 1 cup milk, 5 tbsp flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup softened butter, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt.

How to make it: 1. Whisk the milk and flour in a saucepan over medium heat until very thick, like pudding. 2. Press plastic wrap on top and cool completely to room temperature. 3. Beat the butter and sugar for 5 minutes until fluffy and the sugar dissolves. 4. Add the cooled milk paste a spoonful at a time. 5. Beat in the vanilla and salt until silky. 6. Fill and frost the layers.

Red Velvet Fudge, the Easiest Christmas Dessert Gift

Red velvet fudge is the easiest gift on this list, with no candy thermometer and only a few minutes at the stove. White chocolate and sweetened condensed milk melt into a creamy base, a spoonful of cocoa and a little coloring turn it ruby red, and a swirl of plain white fudge on top looks like frosting. Line the pan with parchment so the block lifts out in one piece for neat squares. Packed in clear bags with a ribbon, these red velvet Christmas desserts make a cheerful homemade gift that keeps for a week in the fridge.

You will need: 3 cups white chocolate chips (divided), 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (divided), 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp red food coloring, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt, red velvet crumbs or white nonpareils.

How to make it: 1. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment. 2. Melt 2 1/2 cups of the chips with most of the condensed milk over low heat, stirring constantly. 3. Stir in the cocoa, coloring, vanilla and salt and spread in the pan. 4. Melt the remaining chips with the remaining condensed milk. 5. Dollop on top and swirl with a knife, then add crumbs or nonpareils. 6. Chill 3 hours and cut into small squares.