Every year, right around this stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I turn into a totally different person in the kitchen.
I don’t want salads.
I don’t want “just a snack.”
I don’t want something sensible.
I want dessert.
Like — actual dessert.
The holiday season just has its own flavor, right?
It feels like permission to bake more than usual — almost like the only rule from mid-November through New Year’s Eve is that sugar is allowed to take up more space than normal.
Some years I’ve been overwhelmed during the holidays.
Some years I’ve been stressed and rushing.
Some years I didn’t even decorate much.
But this year — I’m giving myself one small tradition to hold onto:
There should always be something sweet cooling on the counter.
Because when there’s a plate of something homemade — even if it’s small — the whole house feels more like memory and less like chaos.
So today I’m sharing five desserts — all from Pinterest — that I actually saved and am making now. Not “someday,” not “maybe,” not “wishful thinking.”
These are my real holiday bakes this season.
I’ll note where the pins go — you will embed them right under each section.
Dessert #1: the “holiday season starter dessert”
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/283515739038068784/
This one is the dessert that kicks off the season for me.
It’s simple.
It’s classic.
It’s the kind of sweet that tastes like “we’re officially in cozy season.”
I have this theory — the first dessert you bake in November sets the tone for the next two months.
Some people decorate the tree as their signal.
Some people play Mariah Carey.
Some people light a candle.
Me?
I bake something like this.
It’s not fancy. It doesn’t require specialty tools. It’s not fussy.
It’s approachable — the kind of dessert that welcomes you back to the kitchen after summer and fall and busy everything.
It feels like the appetizer to all the holiday cheer.
It’s the dessert that says:
“It’s officially dessert season now. Let’s get into it.”
Dessert #2: the “bring this to a gathering — people will lose their minds” one
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/422281211895442/
This one gives hostess-energy.
This is the dessert I’d take if someone invited me to a Friendsgiving or a holiday potluck and I wanted to impress people without spending 9 hours decorating tiny sugar-snowman faces by hand.
It’s cute.
It’s fun.
It’s instantly festive.
And sometimes that’s all you need.
The thing I love about holiday desserts is how they carry vibe — long before the first bite.
This one has that wow factor — the kind that gets comments before forks even touch plates.
Holiday desserts should feel celebratory — otherwise they’re just food.
This pin?
This one feels like a party.
Dessert #3: the “put this out on a quiet night and everything feels softer” dessert
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/68748708686/
The holidays are not always loud and glittery.
There are nights where kitchen lights are low, a blanket is over your lap, something cozy is playing in the background, and the world feels still.
This is that dessert.
These are the moments I love most in the season — the quiet moments in between all the noise.
When you are not rushing.
Not prepping for a party.
Not managing a schedule.
Just experiencing the simple comfort of something warm and sweet in your own home.
This dessert feels like a December night where snow is maybe coming, but doesn’t need to — the air already feels magical on its own.
And that — to me — is the part of the holidays I want more of.
Dessert #4: the “this could be on a restaurant dessert menu” one
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/1407443630183661/
This one is fancy — but not complicated.
It has that elevated feel — the kind of dessert that makes people raise their eyebrows in surprise.
Holiday dessert #4 is the one I turn to when I want the table to feel elevated like:
- dinner became an experience
- not just a meal
This dessert isn’t loud — it’s elegant.
The holidays are not only about sprinkles and candy canes and red-and-green everything.
They’re also about adults having adult joy.
Full-flavored joy.
Sophisticated joy.
This dessert is that.
It makes the holidays feel grown and warm and rich — like you should have a soft playlist on and a candle glowing somewhere.
Dessert #5: the “I want people here, in my kitchen, laughing and talking” dessert
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/844493675339568/
This is the dessert that makes me want to invite people.
Not for a big party.
Not for a multi-course meal.
Just… come over.
Sit at the counter.
Eat something sweet.
Talk.
Laugh.
Let time slow down for an hour.
When I saw this pin I immediately thought:
“Yes. I want THIS this year.”
Holiday dessert #5 is the dessert that reminds me that food isn’t just flavor — it is connection.
The holidays are supposed to be experienced with people — even if it’s just one or two.
This dessert feels like community.
It’s the “let’s end the night with a little something” dessert — and that feels like the true heart of the whole season.
The real message behind all of this …
The holidays are not perfect.
We have stress.
We have budgets.
We have busy schedules and complicated emotions and expectations that don’t always match reality.
But the small things matter more than we think.
A warm dessert cooling on the counter can change the whole mood of a room.
It can make a Tuesday night feel like an event.
It can make a house feel like home.
It can slow down the pace just enough to notice the good things.
This is why dessert matters to me this time of year.
Not because it’s indulgent.
Not because it’s sugar.
But because it’s a pause.
A small act of soft joy inside a season that sometimes asks too much of us.
And this year — I’m choosing to bake.
Not perfectly.
Not constantly.
Not for show.
Just intentionally.
Because dessert is happiness we can hold in our hands.
And this year — I want to taste that more often.
So—if you want to start?
Pick one of the five.
You don’t need a reason.
Holiday joy doesn’t need a holiday
Sometimes it’s just a dessert cooling on the counter and a moment that feels like yours.
Need a few starters for your party? Check out 5 Guest-Ready Holiday Appetizers — every recipe feels special but comes together fast.
Want to end on a sweet note? Check out 10 Desserts Everyone Is Craving — you’ll want to make them all.
Here are some of the tools I keep in my own kitchen and use often when prepping recipes like this one:
Silicone Cooking Spatula Set — https://amzn.to/4ipMhzv
Stainless Steel Knife Set — https://amzn.to/4pBn7jF
Premium Heat-Resistant Ground Beef Smasher — https://amzn.to/43Zzwpb
Multi-Purpose Stainless Steel Scraper/Chopper — https://amzn.to/3M4LzLU
KitchenAid Ribbed Soft Silicone Oven Mitt 2-Pack Set — https://amzn.to/4rx3kDY
The Original Pro Chopper – Vegetable Chopper and Spiralizer — https://amzn.to/48aqgBf
Silicone Baking Mat, 3 Pack Reusable Baking Mat, Non-Stick — https://amzn.to/48jzMAI
Measuring Cups and Spoons Set Stainless Steel 10 Piece for Cooking and Baking — https://amzn.to/3Y2uPaB
Pyrex Essentials (3-Piece) Glass Mixing Bowls Set For Prepping, Baking and Cooking — https://amzn.to/4p5UMC2
