CA GROWN Blog
Discover. Learn. Connect.
The Most Delicious Recipes For Holiday Desserts
Meet Them Here
Read Bios »The Most Delicious Recipes For Holiday Desserts
Recipes for holiday desserts are pretty abundant on the internet, but we think this collection of traditional holiday desserts from our California Grown Creators will really wow you, your family and your friends this holiday season.
From fruitcakes to cookies – we have gathered the best of the best all in one place so you don’t even have to search!
Traditional recipes for holiday desserts to make this season.
Carols and tales of holidays past are full of stories about traditional recipes for holiday desserts like Sugar Plums and Fruitcake, but have you ever actually indulged in them? This year we welcome you to explore the classic desserts of the holiday season – one delicious bite at a time.
Traditional Sugar Plums
Are sugar plums real? Yes!!
This traditional holiday candy is full of dried fruit, toasted nuts, and crunchy sugar.
This recipe from the G Free Foodie is completely delicious and incredibly easy to make. Taste one, and you’ll find most of the holiday flavors you love wrapped up in one bite!
Click here for this recipe for holiday dessert!
Red Wine-Laced Figgy Pudding
Our recipe for figgy pudding is a real showstopper! From the devilishly easy-to-make batter that has a medley of dried California figs, prunes, and dates, to a trifecta of dessert flavor combinations like red wine, dark chocolate, and warm caramel sauce, this sensational dessert hits every desired note from start to finish!
Click here for this recipe for holiday dessert.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Butter Pie
You read that right! Pumpkin. Butter. Pie. This delicious twist on the traditional holiday dessert recipe is from Alison of A Girl Defloured.
Alison uses pumpkin puree to make the pumpkin butter, which becomes the filling of this incredible pie!
Click here for this recipe for holiday dessert!
Sweet Potato Sour Cream Cake
This recipe from Bakes by Brown Sugar combines cooked sweet potatoes with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to create an incredibly flavored cake. Sour cream helps create a tender crumb and a bit of bourbon adds a hint of sweetness.
Click here for this recipe for dessert.
Torta Caprese
Torta Caprese, a classic Italian flourless chocolate cake, is a decadent and rich dessert made with almond flour, dark chocolate, and eggs. This refined sugar-free and dairy-free version from Nom Nom Paleo is just as delicious and easy to make as the original!
Click here for this recipe for holiday dessert.
Flourless Chocolate Tart With Pistachio Crust
Luscious dark chocolate filling and a colorful pistachio crust make this chocolate tart from G Free Foodie a dessert that not only might be the best thing you’ll ever taste, but the prettiest thing you’ve ever made.
Click here for this festive dessert recipe.
Gluten-Free Bake & Eat Fruitcake
This Gluten-Free Fruitcake recipe from This Mess is Ours is low on booze and perfect for those of us that are a bit impatient and don’t want to wait for the aging process to indulge in a slice.
Click here for this recipe for holiday dessert!
Cardamom Cake with Maple Buttercream
This Cardamom Cake recipe from Britney Breaks Bread is fluffy and moist spiced cake layered with salted maple buttercream! Each bite is bursting with cardamom flavor with creamy hint of maple for a delightfully cozy dessert. Enjoy with a scoop of ice cream for a delightful holiday dessert!
Click here for this holiday dessert recipe.
Vegan Peppermint Brownies
This one-bowl brownie recipe from Displaced Housewife is so flipping delicious no one will suspect that they are vegan.
Rebecca uses a combination of pureed California prunes, flaxseeds, and olive oil to create holiday magic.
Click here for more recipes for holiday desserts!
Aged Gluten-Free Fruitcake Recipe with Citrus
This Aged Gluten-Free Fruitcake recipe from This Mess is Ours is not as dense as other fruitcakes, is heavy on the citrus, and is steeped in booze and tradition.
Click here for this recipe for holiday dessert.
Maple Apple Pie
This classic apple pie recipe from Britney Breaks Bread is enhanced with a little maple syrup to make a cozy, irresistible pie that tastes heavenly! It has a flaky pie crust and a delicious apple filling that’s caramelized and saucy and spiced to perfection!
Click here for this and more recipes for holiday desserts.
Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
This southern sweet potato pie recipe from Britney Breaks Bread is her family’s recipe that has been passed down for generations! It has an all-butter flaky homemade pie crust and a smooth and creamy brown butter sweet potato filling that will literally melt in your mouth!
This sweet potato pie recipe is the perfect pie for holiday meals.
Click here for this recipe for holiday dessert.
Salted Honey Pear Crostata
This perfectly imperfect crostata from Displaced Housewife is stuffed with fresh California Bosc pears and bathed in Salted Honey Caramel. Heaven.
Click here for this recipe for holiday dessert.
Apple Cake with Pistachios
This delicious cake from Bakes by Brown Sugar is full of Granny Smith and Fuji apples and crunchy pistachios. The cake is moist and dense with a hint of lemon that pairs really well with the sweetness of the cake and the tart apples. If you’re looking for a recipe for all those apples you just bought or picked, this is the one you need.
Click here for this holiday dessert recipe.
Apple Pie Stuffed Cheesecake
This recipe from Britney Breaks Bread has the deliciousness of an apple pie and the decadence of a creamy cheesecake! It’s a no-bake cheesecake that you make with apple pie filling layered inside of a creamy cheesecake and topped with a buttery cinnamon crumble. It’s a cheesecake lover’s dream!
Click here for this recipe for holiday dessert.
This round-up of recipes for holiday desserts wouldn’t be complete without a few cookies! Cookies are one of our favorite holiday desserts because you can bake a big batch to gift to family and friends and still have a few left over for yourself. Winning!
Recipes for cookies to try this holiday season.
Snowball-Style Walnut Cookies
These snowball-style Walnut Cookies from A Girl Defloured are made with rich prune purée, a splash of Nocino, and local California-grown walnuts for a nutty, tender, and perfectly spiced holiday treat.
Click here for this recipe for holiday cookies.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with Brown Butter
These classic all-American oatmeal raisin cookies from Eat the Love have nutty and fragrant brown butter in the batter to make them best version of oatmeal raisin cookies possible!
Click here for this recipe for holiday cookies.
Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies
Are you looking for a gluten-free sugar cookie recipe that’s perfect for icing? This Mess is Ours’ gluten-free sugar cookies are heavily vanilla-scented and super easy to make. Plus, they roll out in a breeze, don’t spread when baking, and are sturdy enough to decorate with icing! Did we mention how delicious they are?
Click here for this recipe for holiday cookies.
Chocolate Chip Christmas Tree Cookie Bars
These cute cookies from Britney Breaks Bread are the perfect way to bring in the holiday season in both a creative and delicious way. These cookie bars are the perfect texture for both crafting and eating. They are full of chocolate chips, brown sugar, and butter which make these treats perfect for the holidays!
Click here for this recipe for holiday cookies.
Sugar Plum Shortbread Cookies
This tender buttery cookie from This Mess is Ours is laced with all the makings of traditional sugar plums folded into the batter like finely diced California prunes, cranberries, dates, and almonds.
Click here for this recipe for holiday cookies!
Noni’s Italian Walnut Shortbread Cookie Recipe
These cookies from Salt & Wind are always a hit because of their texture and subtle flavor. They’re a perfect mix of crumbly and chewy and a bit sweet and salty. The butter makes these cookies super tasty. We bet you can’t eat just one!
Click here for this recipe for holiday cookies.
Gluten-Free Jam-Filled Thumbprint Cookies
Wheat by the Wayside’s Thumbprint Cookies filled with your favorite jam are the perfect holiday bite!
These buttery shortbread cookies are rolled in coconut and are so easy to make! The cookies pictured are filled with apricot and raspberry jam, but you can choose your favorite!
Click here for this recipe for holiday cookies!
BE SURE TO SHARE YOUR FAVORITE RECIPES FOR HOLIDAY DESSERTS WITH US BY SNAPPING A PIC AND TAGGING US ON SOCIAL USING #CAGROWN.
Craving more CA Grown goodness? Follow us on Pinterest for fresh and fabulous recipe inspiration!