Winter is nearly here, so we’re all feeling extra excited to spend time around our families and friends and enjoy the holidays. Of course, the best part of any celebration is the food. And if you love chocolate as much as we do (especially in desserts), this holiday season is going to be extra fun. Since Christmas is one of the big choco-holidays, we have five of our favorite chocolate-inspired holiday recipes for you!
There’s nothing quite like a good chocolate dessert, but let’s spice it up with a little Christmas cheer. We’ve gathered five top chocolate recipes that we think you will enjoy, from delicious hot cocoa to macadamia cookies to sinful flourless chocolate cake and more. These sweet treats will put a little extra “ho ho ho” in your holiday celebrations.
Best Christmas desserts with chocolate
1. Best ever hot chocolate.
Warm the hearts and hands of your family and friends by making this rich and decadent Best Ever Hot Chocolate recipe during the holiday season.
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups bittersweet chocolate (72% cocoa)
- 3 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
- Mini candy cane
Method
- In a saucepan, bring the cream, milk, and chocolate to a simmer.
- As it starts to bubble, whisk it until it starts to thicken.
- Remove from heat and taste. If you would like it a little sweeter, add sugar or your choice of alternative sweeteners.
- Top with mini marshmallows and a candy cane to stir it all together.
2. White chocolate macadamia cookies
White chocolate macadamia cookies are a delicious Christmas dessert with an added Hawaiian flare (did you know that Hawaii is the only state in the US that commercially grows cacao!). They’re easy to make, have only a handful of ingredients, and look festive on the holiday table. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup roasted salted macadamia nuts, chopped
- 1–2 tsp of milk
Method
- Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugars together on medium speed until light in color and fluffy.
- Add the egg and egg yolk one at a time and mix until well combined after each addition.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough just comes together.
- Add a teaspoon of milk and mix on low speed until just incorporated.
- Stir in the white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
- Create balls of cookie dough about 2 tablespoons in size.
- Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 2-3 hours or overnight. After refrigerating them, let them sit at room temperature for about 20 min before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake cookies for 8-9 minutes. Remove just as the edges begin to turn golden.
- Remove cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on baking sheets for 4-5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Chocolate Fondue
Ingredients
- 1 cup (8 ounces) heavy cream
- Pinch salt
- 12 ounces milk or dark chocolate (chips or roughly chopped bar)
Method
- In a small saucepan, heat the cream with a pinch of salt over medium heat until tiny bubbles start to form.
- Remove from heat, add the chocolate, and whisk until smooth and fully incorporated. For an added holiday kicker, add a tablespoon of Grand Marnier or your favorite liqueur.
- Transfer the chocolate mixture to a fondue pot pre-heated on low or with a low flame (of course, you can serve it straight from the pot!).
- Arrange dip-able fruits and cake bites on plates around the pot of chocolate fondue.
Enjoy immediately!
4. Dark chocolate truffles
Dark chocolate truffles are an impressive-looking dessert that are actually quite easy to make. These truffles taste great, and they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month (although they probably won’t last that long, especially if you have everyone visiting for the holidays).
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces high-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher)
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- Toppings: sprinkles, chopped nuts, coconut, cocoa powder, or powdered sugar
Method
- Finely chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-safe bowl.
- Place cream in a separate bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- Pour hot cream over the chocolate.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and then let sit for 5 minutes.
- Stir the mixture until smooth.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours (you can cheat and put it in the freezer but don’t forget about it!).
- Line a small pan or baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and set aside.
- Once the chocolate mixture is firm to the touch, use a small cookie scoop or spoon to scoop the chocolate into bite-size pieces. Place them on the pan. Place the pan in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
- Place toppings in small bowls.
- Take the pan out of the freezer and roll the truffle scoops into balls. Roll the balls into the toppings to coat them completely. If they get too sticky to work with, place them back in the freezer for a few minutes.
- Store your truffles in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to serve.
5. Flourless chocolate cake
This is a rich and decadent flourless chocolate cake that won’t disappoint. It’s one of those classic, reliable chocolate cake recipes that you turn to, especially during the holidays!
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups bittersweet chocolate (72% cocoa)
- 1 cup of butter
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a large microwaveable bowl, melt the chocolate and butter together.
- Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites.
- When the chocolate has cooled, whisk in sugar, then add egg yolks, one at a time.
- Add the vanilla extract
- Sift cocoa and salt over the chocolate mixture and whisk to combine.
- In a stand mixer, beat the egg white at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Gently stir a small portion of the egg whites into the chocolate mix. This will loosen up the chocolate mixture and ready it for the rest of the egg whites. Gently fold in the remaining whites until fully incorporated, taking care to maintain the air bubbles in the eggs.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 min or until it is just set.
- Let the cake cool fully before serving
For an extra-special touch, you can top the flourless cake with ganache or use it to coat your truffles.
Ganache
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups dark chocolate (72% cocoa)
- 1 cup heavy cream
Method
- Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan. When it reaches a simmer, take it off the heat and pour it over the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for 3-4 minutes and then whisk until the chocolate is fully melted.
- Drizzle the ganache over the flourless chocolate cake.
- Let the ganache set
And there you have it—now you have no excuses! You can be this year’s favorite holiday baker with these five amazing chocolate dessert recipes.
We hope you enjoyed this post and we will be back with more awesome chocolate recipes. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact us through our social media networks.
We are @cocoterra_co on Instagram and Pinterest and @cocoterraco on Twitter and Facebook.
