The best chocolate Christmas desserts are a chocolate yule log, cocoa-dusted truffles, chocolate crinkle and peppermint cookies, cocoa fudge, red velvet cake and hot cocoa bombs, and every one of them can be made with unsweetened cocoa powder, most of them a day or more ahead. That means one pantry staple covers the whole chocolate side of the holiday table, from the showpiece cake to the gift tins.
Below is a quick guide to which dessert fits which job, the no-bake options for a busy week, what travels well as a gift, and a make-ahead plan that keeps Christmas Eve calm.
What are the best chocolate Christmas desserts?
| Dessert | Make ahead | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate yule log | Up to 2 days, covered in the fridge | The classic Christmas centerpiece |
| Red velvet cake | Unfrosted layers freeze up to 3 months | A festive red layer cake for a crowd |
| Chocolate Christmas cookies | Dough freezes up to 3 months | Five cookies from one cocoa dough |
| Chocolate peppermint cookies | Dough balls freeze up to 3 months | The candy cane cookie on every tray |
| Chocolate crinkle cookies | Up to 5 days in a tin | Snowy powdered-sugar crackles |
| Chocolate truffles | Up to 1 week in the fridge | Small, elegant bites and gifts |
| Cocoa powder fudge | Up to 2 weeks in the fridge | Gift tins and cookie boxes |
| Hot cocoa bombs | Up to 2 weeks in a cool, dry place | A fun gift kids can help make |
| Chocolate mousse | Up to 1 day ahead | A light finish after a big dinner |
| Chocolate lava cake | Fill ramekins the day before | Christmas dinner for two |
What are some easy no-bake chocolate Christmas desserts?
When the oven is full of ham or roast, these five need only a saucepan, a bowl or the fridge:
- Truffles: a simple ganache, chilled, rolled and dusted in cocoa powder.
- Fudge: cooked on the stove, set in a pan, then cut into squares.
- Chocolate mousse: whipped and chilled in glasses, ready to serve straight from the fridge.
- Hot cocoa bombs: chocolate shells filled with cocoa mix and marshmallows.
- No-bake cookies: oats, peanut butter and cocoa that set on the counter in about 30 minutes.
What chocolate Christmas desserts can you give as gifts?
The best gift desserts are firm, keep for a week or more, and do not need a fridge on the way. Choose from this list:
| Gift | How to pack it |
|---|---|
| Fudge | Squares between layers of parchment in a tin; tell the recipient to keep it in the fridge |
| Truffles | Mini paper cups in a small box; give them within a few days and keep cold |
| Crinkle and peppermint cookies | One variety per tin so the textures stay right |
| Hot cocoa bombs | Single bombs in clear treat bags tied with ribbon, with a tag: “Pour 1 cup hot milk over me.” |
| Hot cocoa mix gift jar | Layered in a mason jar with a recipe card; it keeps for months in a cool cupboard |
How do you make a Christmas dessert platter?
- Pick 4 to 6 items with different shapes and textures: one cookie, one candy (fudge or truffles), one soft bite (brownie squares or cake), plus fresh fruit.
- Start with the biggest pieces on a large board or tray, then fill the gaps with smaller treats.
- Add color with strawberries, raspberries, clementine slices, candy canes and a few sprigs of rosemary.
- Plan about 3 to 4 pieces per guest when the platter follows a full dinner.
- Dust with cocoa and powdered sugar right before serving for a snowy finish.
Serve it with a pot of Christmas hot chocolate or set up a hot cocoa bar so guests can build their own mugs.
What can you make ahead for Christmas?
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Early December | Freeze cookie dough balls and unfrosted red velvet layers; make the hot cocoa mix jars |
| 1 to 2 weeks before | Make the fudge and hot cocoa bombs |
| Up to 1 week before | Roll the truffles; bake cookies from the frozen dough |
| 2 days before | Bake, fill and frost the yule log; frost the red velvet cake |
| Christmas Eve | Make the chocolate mousse and fill lava cake ramekins |
| Christmas Day | Dust the yule log with powdered sugar, top cocoa with chocolate whipped cream, and bake the lava cakes after dinner |
Which cocoa powder should you use?
Most of these desserts work with natural or Dutch-process cocoa. Truffles, fudge, mousse and hot cocoa do not need to rise, so any good unsweetened cocoa works. Cookies and cakes that rise with baking soda, like the crinkles, peppermint cookies and red velvet cake, need the acidity of natural cocoa; the full rule is in baking with cocoa powder.
Grevista is a one-ingredient natural cocoa powder from Vietnamese Trinitario cacao, with a bright, fruity chocolate flavor. Compare sizes on the Grevista cocoa powder page. Planning the whole list? A yule log, a batch of cookies, truffles and fudge together use about 1½ to 2 cups of cocoa powder, so check your pantry before the December rush.
Celebrating Hanukkah too? Our Hanukkah chocolate desserts cover eight nights of chocolate ideas.
Planning past Christmas? Our New Year’s Eve chocolate desserts carry the cocoa through the countdown.
Frequently asked questions
What is a traditional chocolate Christmas dessert?
The yule log, or bûche de Noël, is the best-known one: a rolled chocolate sponge cake frosted to look like a log, a tradition that comes from France.
What is an easy chocolate dessert for Christmas?
Cocoa-dusted truffles or a chocolate mug cake for a last-minute treat. Both use a few ingredients and very little equipment.
How far ahead can you make Christmas desserts?
Cookie dough and unfrosted cake layers freeze for up to 3 months, fudge keeps up to 2 weeks in the fridge, and truffles up to 1 week. Leave mousse, whipped cream and the final dusting of powdered sugar for the last day.
Written by the Grevista Editorial Team. Last updated November 4, 2026. How we check facts: Editorial Policy.