Have a blast making these oh-so-divine cookies, cakes and other sweet treats that suit any skill level.
Whoever said a fresh start begins on January 1? When it comes to making desserts, try a new and improved easy dessert recipes with few ingredients – something that takes you out of your holiday comfort zone. Make cookie balls instead of sugar cookies; add some peppermint flavoring to a plain cheesecake, and dress up traditional cupcakes using holiday decorations. No matter your skill set in the kitchen, there are many ways to cook outside the box this holiday season—all you need are a few ingredients and a lot of cheer!
The Easy Dessert Recipes with few ingredients
With all the obligations that accompany the holidays, not everyone has time to fiddle with making over-the-top treats. And let’s face it: some people just don’t have the knack for baking. If your ability-to-bake level is somewhere between Dessert Take-Out and Easy-Bake Oven, the following recipes are right up your alley. In fact, round up the kids—these desserts are easy and fun for the whole fam!
1) Oreo Snowman Cookie Balls
Servings: 48
What You Need:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese softened
1 pkg. (16.6 oz.) Oreo Cookies, finely crushed
2 pkg. (8 squares each) Baker’s White Chocolate, melted
1 tsp. black decorating gel
2 tsp. orange decorating icing
How It’s Done:
Mix cream cheese cookie crumbs until well blended.
Shape into 48 (1-inch) balls. Freeze 10 minutes. Dip balls in melted chocolate; place in single layer in shallow waxed paper-lined pan. Decorate with remaining ingredients to resemble snowmen.
Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.
2) Festive Mint Thins
Servings: 12
What You Need:
1 pkg. (8 squares) Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted, slightly cooled
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
1 sleeve Ritz Crackers (36 crackers)
1 candy cane (6 inches), crushed
How It’s Done:
Mix chocolate and extract.
Dip crackers in chocolate mixture, turning to completely coat each cracker. Carefully scrape off excess chocolate. Place crackers in single layer on waxed paper-covered baking sheets; sprinkle with crushed candy.
Refrigerate 30 minutes or until chocolate is firm.
3) Holiday Poke Cupcakes
Servings: 24
What You Need:
1 pkg. (2-layer size) white cake mix
1 cup boiling water
1 pkg. (3 oz.) JELL-O Gelatin, any red flavor
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed
Red or green food coloring
Suggested decorations: colored sugar, colored sprinkles, crushed candy canes and/or holiday marshmallows
How It’s Done:
Prepare cake batter and bake as directed for cupcakes. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Pierce tops with a fork.
Add boiling water to gelatin mix; stir 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Spoon over cupcakes. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Remove from pans.
Tint Cool Whip with food coloring; spread onto cupcakes. Decorate as desired.
The Intermediate Desserts
So your baking skills are somewhere in the middle of super cinch and ridiculously difficult—that’s no problemo! Look at it this way: there has to be a middle class in every group, including baking. If you’re looking for middle-of-the-road recipes, these desserts will provide just enough challenge without causing frustration. Sweet!
4) Merry Cherry Dessert
Servings: 18
What You Need:
1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling, divided
1-1/2 cups boiling water
1 pkg. (6 oz.) JELL-O Cherry Flavor Gelatin
1-1/2 cups cold water
4 cups angel food cake cubes
2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
3 cups cold milk
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
How It’s Done:
Reserve 1/3 cup cherry pie filling for garnish; set aside. Add boiling water to gelatin mix in large bowl; stir at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water and remaining cherry pie filling. Refrigerate 45 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Place cake cubes in 3-qt. serving bowl; cover with gelatin mixture. Refrigerate 45 minutes or until gelatin layer is set but not firm.
Beat pudding mixes and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 minutes. Stir in 2 cups Cool Whip; spoon over gelatin layer in bowl. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Top with remaining Cool Whip and reserved cherry pie filling.
5) Angelic Apple-Cranberry Pie
Servings: 8
What You Need:
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust (1/2 of 15-oz. pkg.)
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese softened
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 Golden Delicious apples (1 lb.)
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
How It’s Done:
Heat oven to 425ºF.
Bring cranberries, water, and 6 Tbsp. sugar to boil in small saucepan on medium-high heat; simmer on low heat 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.
Place pie crust in 9-inch pie plate, pleating edge as necessary to fit. Beat cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the remaining sugar, egg and vanilla in a bowl with mixer until well blended; spread onto bottom of crust. Cover with cranberry sauce.
Peel apples; cut in half and remove cores. Place, cut-sides down, on cutting board; cut into thin slices, keeping slices for each apple half intact. Arrange over pie. Mix remaining 2 Tbsp. sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over apples.
Bake 28 to 30 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown.
6) Winter Wonderland White Chocolate-Peppermint Cheesecake
Servings: 16
What You Need:
1-1/2 cups Honey Maid Graham Cracker Crumbs
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
1 cup sour cream
4 squares Baker’s White Chocolate, melted
4 eggs
1 cup thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping
16 miniature candy canes
How It’s Done:
Heat oven to 325°F.
Line 13×9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Mix graham crumbs, 3 Tbsp. sugar and butter; press onto bottom of a pan. Bake 10 minutes.
Beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and extract in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add sour cream and chocolate; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
Bake 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 4 hours. Use foil handles to lift cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve. Top each piece with a dollop of Cool Whip and candy cane.
The Show Stoppers
Pull out the red carpet and let’s get glamorous—it’s showtime! These advanced-level recipes include the festive bells and whistles of baking. In other words, you need to know your way around the kitchen, blindfolded. The following cakes are so incredibly ornate that they may be better served as holiday decorations. Move over Julia Child—it’s time for [Your Name Here] to take center stage.
7) Very Vanilla Snowflake Cake
Servings: 16
What You Need:
1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding, divided
6 squares Baker’s White Chocolate
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup cold milk
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed
1/4 cup raspberry jam, warmed, strained
How It’s Done:
Heat oven to 350ºF.
Prepare cake batter and bake as directed on package for 2 (9-inch) round layers, blending 1 pkg. dry pudding mix into batter before pouring into prepared pans. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes; invert onto wire racks. Gently remove pans; cool cakes completely.
Meanwhile, draw 3 or 4 snowflake shapes on paper, ranging in size from 1 to 3 inches in diameter. Place on tray; cover with waxed paper. Melt chocolate as directed on package; cool 5 minutes. Spoon into small resealable plastic bag; cut a small corner off bottom of a bag. Trace over snowflake patterns with chocolate, rearranging patterns as needed to make a total of 35 chocolate snowflakes. Freeze 10 minutes or until chocolate is firm. Carefully transfer snowflakes to plate; refrigerate until ready to use.
Beat remaining dry pudding mix, sugar and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 minutes. Stir in Cool Whip. Place 1 cake layer on plate; spread with jam, then 1/3 of the pudding mixture. Cover with remaining cake layer. Frost top and side of cake with remaining pudding mixture. Decorate with chocolate snowflakes. Keep refrigerated.
8 ) Tis the Season Starlight Mint Cake
Servings: 16
What You Need:
1 pkg. (2-layer size) white cake mix
1 cup boiling water
1 pkg. (3 oz.) JELL-O Cherry Flavor Gelatin
28 starlight mints, divided
3 squares Baker’s White Chocolate, melted
2 Tbsp. sour cream
2 drops red food coloring
2 cups thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping
How It’s Done:
Prepare cake batter and bake as directed on package for 2 (9-inch) round cake layers. Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes. Pierce cakes with large fork at 1/2-inch intervals. Add boiling water to gelatin mix; stir 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Pour over cakes. Refrigerate 3 hours.
Heat oven to 350ºF. Reserve 5 mints for later use. Place 12 of the remaining mints, about 4 inches apart, on parchment paper-covered baking sheet. Bake 5 minutes or until mints are melted and each spreads out to 1-1/2- to 2-inch circle. Remove from oven; cool completely before removing from parchment paper. Meanwhile, repeat with remaining 11 mints.
Blend 5 reserved mints in a blender until finely crushed; place in small bowl. Stir in melted chocolate, sour cream, and food coloring.
Dip bottom of 1 cake pan in warm water 10 seconds; unmold onto serving plate. Spread cake with chocolate mixture. Unmold second cake layer; place on the first layer. Frost with Cool Whip. Decorate with melted mints. Keep refrigerated.
9) Totally Fabulous Turtle Cake
Servings: 16
What You Need:
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip Whipped Topping (Do not thaw.)
1 pkg. (2-layer size) devil’s food cake mix
1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
38 Kraft Caramels
1-1/2 Tbsp. water
6 oz. (3/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese softened
5 squares Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided
16 Nilla Wafers
16 Planters Pecan Halves
How It’s Done:
Spoon half the Cool Whip into a bowl; refrigerate to thaw. Return remaining Cool Whip to a freezer. Prepare cake batter and bake as directed on package for 2 (9-inch) round layers, adding dry pudding mix to cake mix before mixing with liquid ingredients. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes; invert onto wire racks. Remove pans. Cool cakes completely.
Meanwhile, microwave caramels and water in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 minutes or until smooth, stirring every 45 seconds. Cool slightly.
Beat cream cheese in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Add caramel sauce; mix well. Blend in thawed Cool Whip. Stack cake layers on plate, filling and frosting top with cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Microwave froze Cool Whip and 3 chocolate squares in microwaveable bowl 3 minutes or until well blended, stirring after each minute. Cool 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt remaining chocolate squares as directed on package. Dip half of each wafer in chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Top with nuts. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Spread Cool Whip mixture onto top of the cake. Garnish with wafers. Keep refrigerated.
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