31 Mini Christmas Desserts That Are Equal Parts Delightful and Delicious

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 6

They look like a fancy bakery treat, but they have a secret: frozen puff pastry. "The trick to making these bite-size pies look totally profesh is easy," former PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen explains. "After you cut the puff pastry into individual squares, you'll score a smaller square inside each piece, then layer the apple slices inside. This keeps the buttery pastry from puffing up in the middle."

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: 12

The pumpkin craze doesn't have to end with Thanksgiving. Plus, a mini pie is everything your guests could ever want. "I recommend making a double batch of your favorite dough the day ahead and chilling it in the freezer," Gillen says. "But I know holidays are a time to pull out your favorite cooking shortcuts, so feel free to use a store-bought pie crust instead." While the pies bake, keep the kids entertained with a festive Christmas craft and by the time they’re done crafting, dessert will be ready to enjoy!

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, make ahead, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 24 cookies

Picky kids and Santa alike will be thrilled to dig into these teeny-tiny handhelds, making them the perfect holiday activity for kids. "As an added bonus, this mini Christmas dessert is a one-bowl situation, because I'm far more interested in eating cookies than doing dishes," Gillen asserts.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, <500 calories
• Serves: 12

You may be accustomed to dry, store-bought panettone, but I promise this version is unlike anything you’ve had before. Not only are they fun-size, but they’re also light, airy and moist. Excuse me while I help myself to seconds (and thirds).

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
• Serves: 24 pies

Two desserts in one bite? Don’t mind if I do. Just look at those Instagrammable caramel drips. (You’ll start with store-bought pie crust, so don’t stress over the pies' drool-worthy appearance—they're basically foolproof.)

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
• Serves: 12

"Why bake a whole cake when you could whip up an adorable batch of mini citrus monkey bread?" recipe developer Erin McDowell inquires. "It's definitely OK to consecutively devour two (or five)." You can make the dough yourself or use premade pizza dough from the supermarket. Just serve these cuties with coffee and a tall pile of napkins.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: no cook, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 8

"Thanks to store-bought red currant jelly, these little guys take ten minutes to whip up and then magically come together in the fridge," McDowell writes. Even better, your oven will be free to accommodate dinner and sides since you don't need to bake these cheesecakes.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
• Serves: 6 to 8

Tonight, sharing is optional. These pies can be split between two people, but if you enjoy them as personal pies, I won't judge. "It's easily modified to any size," McDowell says, "so you could even make it in a nine-inch square baking dish if that's what you have." Oh, and that gorgeous crust? It's frozen puff pastry.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: no cook, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 20 truffles

You can start with store-bought sugar cookies to save yourself some time. (And no, you don't have to reveal your shortcut to stay off the naughty list.) These two-bite babies will be gone within seconds, since they're super poppable and kid-friendly.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours
• Why I Love It: no cook, make ahead, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
• Serves: 6 cakes

If you aren't familiar with icebox desserts, they're typically no-bake, only requiring assembly and a long chill in the fridge. These warm-spiced stacks are perfect for ending your Christmas Eve dinner on a sweet note—but try not to drool just yet! They still need to be drizzled with caramel sauce before being devoured.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: 8 cakes

You’re about to win the lunchbox snack game and the classroom holiday party in one fell swoop. For a festive (and kitschy) twist, try tossing the shredded coconut in a touch of green or red food dye before coating the cakes.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients, make ahead
• Serves: 4

Don’t mind if I tirami-do. This elegant mini Christmas dessert requires a 45-minute chill before serving, but feel free to keep it in the fridge overnight instead. That way, the flavors will have plenty of time to deeply meld.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 6

If you've ever ventured to the U.K., there's a chance you've tried banoffee pie. The dessert combines sweet bananas, fresh whipped cream and a thick, toffee-like caramel sauce atop a buttery biscuit. Here, dulce de leche and graham crackers step in for convenience and brown sugar-y flavor.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 85 cookies

In case you haven't already, it's officially time to bust out the seasonal candy you've been hiding in the pantry. These are wonderful fillers for this cookie recipe that may ultimately become a favorite of your friends and family. Fair warning: The tinier the cookies, the faster they disappear.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 35 bites

Because they're miniature, they're also easy and bake in a flash. They're so simple, in fact, that you could whip them up every week if you wanted to. The chewy edges and gooey centers will keep you coming back for more.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 22 trees

I’ve always wanted to stroll through a forest of tiny, sugar-topped trees. Even better, the “trunks” are peanut butter cups and the tops are coconut macaroons. Good luck stopping after just one, friend.

• Time Commitment: 3 hours (plus drying time)
• Why I Love It: make ahead, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 10 to 12 houses

The gingerbread is sturdy enough to rest on the rim of a hot cup of tea, but not so sturdy that it tastes like cardboard—an important consideration when it comes to this warm-spiced cookie. Watch a holiday movie while you assemble the houses for maximum cheer.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours
• Why I Love It: gluten free, crowd-pleaser, <500 calories, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 8

The winter fruit selection can feel bleak, minus vibrant, juicy, bittersweet citrus. For an eye-catching effect, use a mix of different varieties to top this mini Christmas dessert, like blood oranges, tangerines and grapefruit.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 30 cookies

Mini thumbprints, anyone? Lindsay Ostrom, the recipe developer behind Pinch of Yum, refers to them as "fudgy bliss," and she isn't wrong. Top them with holiday sprinkles of your choice for a festive finishing touch.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, gluten free
• Serves: 18 sandwich cookies

I love the combination of melt-in-your-mouth meringues and rich, sweet Nutella. For a shortcut, feel free to use use store-bought meringue cookies. Your guests won't know the difference, promise.

• Time Commitment: 4 hours and 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, make ahead
• Serves: 30 truffles

Introducing your new go-to party dessert—and last-minute holiday gift. Not having to buy a laundry list of ingredients is a game-changer, especially when you have a million other things to bake. Best of all, everyone will be so impressed by the truffles' sophisticated appearance.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly, <500 calories
• Serves: 13 cupcakes

Who needs to share a loaf of gingerbread when you can have a mini Christmas dessert all to yourself instead? That cinnamon-brown butter cream cheese frosting offers nutty, tangy flavor to every bite that will definitely make you crave seconds.

• Time Commitment: 3 hours
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 18 cupcakes

These aren't just any chocolate cupcakes. They're topped with a massive mound of minty marshmallow frosting and coated in a thin layer of chocolate glaze. I'll take a dozen, please.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes (plus chilling time)
• Why I Love It: make ahead, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, gluten free, <30 minutes
• Serves: 6

It’s a three-ingredient dessert, but doesn’t taste like it. It’s also a great way to use up leftover eggnog, but I digress. Even though panna cotta can be a difficult treat to conquer (as I've seen on Top Chef), this one is simple enough for newbies to tackle.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, <10 ingredients, gluten free, make ahead
• Serves: 36 candies

These classic candies are easier to make at home than you think. (After all, you’ll need something to do while you watch your favorite Christmas movie, like Christmas Vacation, for the hundredth time.)Since you can store them in an airtight container for up to a week, you can gift them to all your friends to boot.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour (plus chilling time)
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: 15 tarts

This mini Christmas dessert doesn’t call for traditional pie crust, but that’s not holding it back. You can turn anything into a pie (or a tart) with the right mindset—and a little holiday magic. The brioche dough can even be made ahead and frozen for up to a month.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
• Serves: 6

Before you get lost in those swoops and swirls, dust off your trusty (albeit underused) muffin tin. Just make sure to use caution when you're toasting the meringue with a kitchen torch—I wouldn't want your holiday shindig to go South (Pole).

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 6

This is a beyond cute addition to your mini Christmas dessert feast that no one will see coming. The best part? You can reuse the jars for some boozy shots of eggnog or hot chocolate later.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 20 cheesecakes

Greek yogurt replaces half the cream cheese, so these minis are lighter and tangier than the O.G. The pomegranate topping is undeniably wintry making them the perfect pairing for your favorite holiday drink. So go ahead, have three (or five).

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 6 to 8

This nostalgic delight tastes like a day at the carnival. Don't forget to drain them over paper towels to soak up the excess oil. Oh, and go wild with the confectioners' sugar on top—it's like edible snow.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 15 cakes

Made with spiced cider, apple butter and cinnamon, these minis are the epitome of cozy. The chocolate adornments are just a tasty bonus. Serve them with espresso, lattes, hot cocoa or whiskey-spiked cider, if you're feeling like a holiday cocktail.