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The best New Year’s Eve desserts are small, made ahead and a little bit sparkly: chocolate pots de crème, cocoa-dusted truffles, brownie bites with gold sprinkles, mousse shooters, mini chocolate cupcakes, cocoa meringue kisses and lava cakes baked just before midnight. Every one of them can be made with unsweetened cocoa powder, and most are finished a day or more before the party.
A New Year’s Eve party is a long night of standing, talking and holding a glass, so the best desserts are the ones guests eat in one or two bites and the host never has to babysit. Below: ten ideas, a make-ahead timeline and our recipe for silky cocoa pots de crème.
What are the best New Year’s Eve desserts with chocolate?
Here are ten that suit a midnight party, from the most elegant to the most fun.
1. Chocolate pots de crème
Pots de crème are small baked chocolate custards, richer than pudding and smoother than mousse. They chill for up to 3 days in their ramekins and come out of the fridge ready to serve. Our recipe is below.
2. Cocoa-dusted truffles
Chocolate truffles are the ideal one-bite party sweet. Roll them in cocoa powder, then dip a few in gold sprinkles or edible gold dust so the platter glints under the party lights. They keep up to a week in the fridge, so they can be the first thing you make.
3. Brownie bites with gold sprinkles
Bake a pan of cocoa powder brownies, chill it, cut 1-inch squares and top each with a dot of frosting and gold sprinkles. Uncut brownies stay fudgy for 2 days wrapped at room temperature.
4. Chocolate mousse shooters
Spoon chocolate mousse with cocoa powder into shot glasses or small coupes and finish with a raspberry and a dusting of cocoa. The mousse needs only cream, cocoa and sugar, whips in 10 minutes and holds in the fridge until the next day.
5. Mini chocolate cupcakes with gold frosting
The batter for our chocolate cake with cocoa powder fills several dozen mini cupcake cups; bake them at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Pipe a swirl of chocolate frosting on top and add gold or silver sprinkles. Bake the day before and frost on the morning of December 31.
6. Cocoa meringue kisses
Light, crisp and very make-ahead. Beat 2 large egg whites with a pinch of salt to soft peaks, add ½ cup (100 g) sugar a spoonful at a time until stiff and glossy, then fold in 2 tablespoons of sifted cocoa powder. Pipe 1-inch kisses, bake at 225°F (107°C) for 1 hour, and leave them in the turned-off oven for another hour. They keep up to a week in an airtight tin.
7. Midnight clock cookie platter
Bake small double chocolate chip cookies and arrange 12 of them in a circle on a round board like a clock face, with two pretzel sticks for hands pointing to 12. Kids love counting down by eating the hours, and the dough freezes for up to 3 months.
8. Chocolate pie slivers
A cocoa chocolate pie needs at least 4 hours in the fridge, which makes it perfect to bake on December 30. Cut it into thin slivers so guests can take a taste between toasts, and top each one with a spoon of chocolate whipped cream.
9. Lava cakes at 11:30
For a small party or a dinner for two, fill the ramekins for chocolate lava cake in the morning and refrigerate them. Bake them at 425°F about half an hour before midnight, adding a minute or two since they come straight from the fridge, and serve them warm with the countdown on TV.
10. After-midnight hot chocolate
After the fireworks, a pot of hot chocolate made with cocoa powder warms everyone up. Keep it on low heat with whipped cream and marshmallows on the side.
What dessert goes well with champagne?
Chocolate desserts that are not too sweet pair best with bubbly, and truffles, pots de crème and meringues made with unsweetened cocoa keep the sugar in check. If you pour sparkling wine, a demi-sec or a rosé sits more comfortably beside chocolate than a very dry brut. Sparkling cider makes an equally festive toast for kids and anyone skipping alcohol.
How do you plan New Year’s Eve desserts ahead?
Spread the work across the week so that, on the night, all you do is arrange plates and bake one thing.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Up to 1 week before | Roll the truffles; bake the meringue kisses; scoop and freeze the cookie dough |
| 2 to 3 days before | Bake the pots de crème and the brownies (keep the brownies whole) |
| December 30 | Bake the chocolate pie and the mini cupcakes |
| Morning of December 31 | Frost the cupcakes, bake the cookies, make the mousse, fill the lava cake ramekins |
| 1 hour before guests arrive | Cut the brownie bites, build the platters, add gold sprinkles and a dusting of cocoa |
| 11:30 p.m. | Bake the lava cakes, whip the cream, warm the hot chocolate |
| Midnight | Top the pots de crème, pour the bubbly or sparkling cider, and count down |
Plan on 3 to 4 small pieces per guest after a full dinner, or 5 to 6 if dessert is the main event of the night.
Chocolate pots de crème: ingredients (6 servings)
- 1½ cups (360 ml) heavy cream
- ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
- ⅓ cup (28 g) unsweetened natural cocoa or cacao powder
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
- Chocolate whipped cream and gold sprinkles, for topping
How do you make chocolate pots de crème with cocoa powder?
- Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Set six 4-ounce (120 ml) ramekins in a baking dish and bring a kettle of water to a boil.
- In a saucepan, whisk the cocoa powder, sugar, salt and espresso powder. Whisk in a splash of the milk to make a smooth paste, then the rest of the milk and the cream.
- Warm over medium heat, whisking, until steaming with small bubbles at the edge, about 5 minutes. Do not let it boil.
- Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl. Slowly pour in the hot cocoa cream, whisking all the time, then stir in the vanilla.
- Strain the custard through a fine sieve into a pitcher, skim off any foam, and pour it into the ramekins.
- Pour hot water into the baking dish to come halfway up the ramekins. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still jiggle like gelatin.
- Lift the ramekins out, cool 30 minutes, then cover and chill at least 4 hours or up to 3 days. Top just before serving.
Tips for silky pots de crème
- Make a cocoa paste first: mixing the cocoa with sugar and a little milk before adding the rest keeps lumps out of the custard.
- Bake low and gentle: the water bath and 300°F oven set the yolks slowly, so the texture stays creamy instead of grainy.
- Trust the jiggle: the centers firm up as they chill. If they look fully set in the oven, they have baked too long.
There is no baking soda here, so natural or Dutch-process cocoa both work; natural cocoa gives a brighter, fruitier chocolate flavor. Grevista is a natural, non-alkalized, unsweetened cocoa powder made from single-origin Trinitario cacao grown in Dak Lak, Vietnam. See sizes on the Grevista cocoa powder page. Hosting more than one party this season? See our chocolate Christmas desserts and Hanukkah chocolate desserts.
Planning ahead for February? Our Valentine’s Day chocolate desserts are scaled for two and use the same cocoa powder.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good dessert for a New Year’s Eve party?
Bite-size desserts that are made ahead work best: truffles, brownie bites, mini cupcakes, meringue kisses and mousse in small glasses. Guests can eat them with one hand while holding a glass.
What desserts can I make ahead for New Year’s Eve?
Truffles and meringues keep up to a week, pots de crème up to 3 days, and cookie dough freezes for months. Leave whipped cream, sprinkles and the final dusting of cocoa for the last hour.
Can you make pots de crème without chocolate?
Yes. This recipe uses only unsweetened cocoa powder, so there is no chocolate to chop or melt, and the flavor is deep and clean.
Can I make these New Year’s Eve desserts with cacao powder?
Yes. In the U.S., unsweetened cacao powder and unsweetened cocoa powder are usually the same product sold under two names, so swap them 1:1. That holds for every dessert in this roundup that calls for unsweetened cocoa; for the baked ones, keep the leavening as written. More in cacao vs cocoa powder.
Written by the Grevista Editorial Team. Last updated November 7, 2026. How we check facts: Editorial Policy.
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