142 holiday dessert recipes

Cranberries and pistachios are the complementary flavors of this cookie recipe submitted by Jane Bortz of Beaver Dam.

Cranberry sorbet simmers cranberries with orange juice and sugar syrup, purées smooth, then freezes with a splash of Chambord. A bright palate-cleansing holiday dessert.

Creamy cranberry sherbet whips fresh cranberries with evaporated skim milk and gelatin into a tart, frosty scoop. A low-calorie holiday dessert with rosy color and fluffy texture.

Silky pumpkin mousse pie made with whipped egg whites, evaporated skim milk, and a hint of orange zest. A no-bake holiday dessert that's lighter than traditional pumpkin pie.

Mincemeat bars with a buttery oat-walnut crust sandwiching a thickened mincemeat filling. Old-fashioned holiday dessert squares that store beautifully in a tin.

No-bake pumpkin crunch cream pie with vanilla pudding folded into pumpkin, slivered almonds, and chocolate chips, all in a graham cracker crust. Easy holiday dessert with chocolate-pumpkin twist.

This is a wonderful and light dessert to offer people as a contrast to the heavy holiday meals and desserts normally offered at this time.

Orange gelatin dessert ring made with sweet white wine and apricot syrup, filled with fresh apricots, grapes, and banana. A retro molded dessert for parties and holidays.

Kutia, a traditional Polish Christmas pudding made with wheat berries, ground poppy seeds, honey, walnuts, almonds, figs, dates, and rum-soaked currants. A treasured holiday dessert.

Cranberry star mold: a retro raspberry gelatin dessert folded with whipped cream, pineapple, and orange sections, chilled in a star mold. A classic holiday side or light dessert.

Frozen Christmas pudding made by folding brandy-soaked dried fruit with cocoa and orange zest into softened vanilla ice cream. A no-bake, make-ahead holiday dessert.

Plums in Port preserves whole plums in a cinnamon-orange syrup spiked with tawny port wine. A stunning canned fruit for cheese boards, desserts, and holiday gifts.

Pear-apple mincemeat pie: a lattice-topped classic with homemade or jarred pear-apple mincemeat, extra sugar, and buttery pastry. Old-fashioned holiday dessert at its best.

Eggnog gelatin mold sets chilled eggnog with ground almonds, then unmolds onto a platter with mandarin oranges and whipped topping. A nostalgic holiday dessert.

Fruit tzimmes with mixed dried fruits, brown rice, and honey, thickened with a traditional einbren roux and broiled until golden. A warm Jewish holiday dessert.

Cranberry mousse with whole cranberry sauce, crushed pineapple, sour cream, and pecans set in a gelatin mold. A tangy, creamy holiday dessert or side dish.