47 Delightful New Year’s Eve Desserts to Ring in 2025
New year, same sweet tooth.
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As 2024 comes to a close (crazy how time flies), it’s time to celebrate — and there’s no better way than to pop that sparkling wine, put on your favorite tunes and dig into the best New Year’s Eve desserts.
If you’re still recovering from the baking sprint from Christmas, we have low-lift recipes that doctor up store-bought ingredients or use leftovers from your pie-making extravaganza. You’ll also find several make-ahead options, from easy icebox cakes to creamy frozen treats and so much more. When dreaming up what dessert to make, consider if you’ll be hosting at home or headed out to a bash: Fresh fare like donuts or a stunning Baked Alaska are best served on the spot, while cookies and brownies are safer bets for commuting.
No matter how your 2024 has been, ending the year on a sweet note with these festive New Year’s Eve desserts is a no-brainer. You can’t go wrong with any of these incredible dessert recipes!
Best-Ever Chocolate Cake
Chocolate cake is always in style, especially f0r NYE. This one uses mayo (!), which gives the cake a delectable richness and an uber-tender crumb.
Get the Best-Ever Chocolate Cake recipe.
Black & White Cookies
These cakey, frosted cookies are a classic — and a classy choice for any end-of-year gathering. They’re not as large as traditional versions, which means you can have more than one.
Get the Black & White Cookies recipe.
Pandan Checkerboard Cookies
Native to Southeast Asia, pandan lends a sweet, vanilla-y flavor, as well as a beautiful hue, to these fun and festive cookies.
Get the Pandan Checkerboard Cookies recipe.
Earl Grey Bundt Cake
Dust off that Bundt pan and whip up this simple but impressive cake infused with a delicate Earl Grey flavor and accented with bright citrus zest. A shower of confectioners’ sugar is all it needs!
Get the Earl Grey Bundt Cake recipe.
Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies
Roll the cream cheese mixture into balls, freeze until firm and pinch dough around the filling to make these delicious treats with a sweet surprise inside.
Get the Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies recipe.
RELATED: 20 Best Red Velvet Recipes
Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
It may be cold outside, but it’s always ice cream season in our book! Store-bought ice cream sandwiches + strawberry ice cream layered in between + whipped cream = one easy, craveable dessert that screams celebration.
Get the Ice Cream Sandwich Cake recipe.
White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
These nutty, buttery cookies are too good to pass up. Make and scoop the dough 3 days ahead and bake to order for a crowd-pleasing (and stress-free!) treat.
Bittersweet Chocolate Truffle Tart
This fudgy, decadent tart from Joanne Chang’s 2010 cookbook, Flour, will please any chocoholic. It’s the perfect dessert to cap off the night — and the year!
Get the Bittersweet Chocolate Truffle Tart recipe.
RELATED: The Best Baking Cookbooks
Baked Alaska
This show-stopping dessert takes some time to put together, but it's completely worth it. Top it off with sparklers when serving for an extra-festive New Year's Eve feel.
Get the Baked Alaska recipe.
Cinnamon-Scented Icebox Cake
Chocolate and vanilla puddings, plus whipped cream and a crunchy cinnamon graham cracker crust, come together for a dreamy dessert everyone will love. Plus, it's simple to make ahead of time.
Get the Cinnamon-Scented Icebox Cake recipe.
Chocolate Malt Ice Cream
Forget champagne — we'll be passing around glasses of this homemade ice cream at midnight! The malted milk powder and chopped malted milk balls make every bite creamy and crunchy.
Get the Chocolate Malt Ice Cream recipe.
RELATED: 6 Best Ice Cream Makers
Mini Chocolate Pecan Pies
You get a pie! And you get a pie! With this recipe, everyone gets to enjoy their own personal pie loaded with bittersweet chocolate and crunchy, sugar-coated pecans.
Get the Mini Chocolate Pecan Pies recipe.
Ricotta-Orange Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting
It's hard to think of a brighter start to the new year than these flavorful cupcakes infused with homemade ricotta, orange zest and orange juice.
Get the Ricotta-Orange Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting recipe.
Apple Pie Sorbet
This delicious dessert is made with homemade applesauce, brown sugar, cinnamon and a dusting of crumbled gingersnaps. It's the perfect way to celebrate any fall or winter holiday.
Get the Apple Pie Sorbet recipe.
Black Forest Cookies
The brandied cherries make this a perfect cookie for any party. And who doesn't love chocolate?
Get the Black Forest Cookies recipe.
Gingerbread Bundt Cake
This eye-catching cake gets a flavor boost from black pepper, grated ginger and a blend of warm baking spices.
Get the Gingerbread Bundt Cake recipe.
Chocolate Spritz Sandwiches
The secret to these picture-perfect cookies is a cookie press. You can eat them as they are, or add a creamy filling for an extra-special treat.
Get the Chocolate Spritz Sandwiches recipe.
Jammy Pie Twists
Still got some frozen pie dough left after all the holiday parties of the season? Put it to use with this creative dessert idea.
Get the Jammy Pie Twists recipe.
Cranberry Curd Tart
Looking for a beautiful dessert to bring to the New Year's Eve soiree this year? Look no further than this jewel-toned tart.
Get the Cranberry Curd Tart recipe.
Matcha Snowball Cookies
By the time New Year's Eve rolls around, most people have spent a few weeks eating cookies. But we're willing to bet these creative pastel cookies will feel fun and fresh at any party!
Get the Matcha Snowball Cookies recipe.
Samantha (she/her) is the Senior Editor at Delish, where she edits the most-talked-about food news and features on the internet. In her previous role as Assistant Editor in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, she taste-tested hundreds of products and recipes (tough job!). A graduate of Fordham University, she considers the kitchen to be her happiest place.
Joy (she/her) is an assistant food editor in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, where she develops and tests recipes to ensure both deliciousness and accuracy before they appear in titles like Good Housekeeping, Women’s Health, Woman’s Day, Prevention and Country Living. After graduating from UChicago with a major in political science, she made the (best) decision to pursue her passion for food by enrolling in pastry school and working at her dream restaurant, Gramercy Tavern. Before joining the GH team, Joy assisted on cookbook and editorial shoots, ran an Instagram micro bakery, and worked as a freelance writer and developer with bylines appearing in Eater, Food52, Simply Recipes, Food Network and more. Joy has a special place in her heart for croissants and tiramisu, and is always on the hunt for the next cafe to explore in the city (a journey that never ends!).
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