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Holiday·UPDATED

Let the holiday baking begin! We made you a list of 70 of our favourite recipes

Start your ovens for these cookies, cakes and confections.

Start your ovens for these cookies, cakes and confections

Brittany Toole · CBC Life ·
A batch of Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies sitting on parchment paper on a cooling rack, next to a bottle of raspberry jam.
(Photo: David Bagosy, Styling: Melissa Direnzo)

This article was originally published Nov. 5, 2019 and was updated Nov. 15, 2023.

It's time to build out your holiday baking game plan. Now's the time to figure out what goodies to make first for shipping afar, and for the serious cookie exchange bakers out there, to divide and conquer. So get your reserves ready for a solid six weeks of sprinkles. We dug deep into our archives to bring you all the baking inspiration you need for the sweet, sweet season ahead. 

Creative (and incredible) cakes

Anna Olson's Gingerbread White Chocolate Mousse Cake

A cake with white icing on a gold serving plate. Gingerbread cookies cut into small diamond shapes make a pattern on the top of the cake.
(Photography by Janis Nicolay)

Half-Made Homemade Angel Cake

Cake cut in the shape of an angel and decorated to look like an angel. It's sitting on a white surface with silver tinsel next to it.
(Photo credit: Zac Williams)

Lauren Toyota's Black Forest Loaf Cake

overhead shot of a chocolate loaf cake on a wooden cutting board. the cake is topped with whipped cream and whole cherries and one slice of it is laying flat on the cutting board.
(Photography by Lauren Toyota)

Mena Massoud's Basbousa

Overhead shot of basbousa cake cut into squares.
(Photo credit: Andrew Rowley)

Half-Made Homemade Penguin Cake

A penguin-shaped cake decorated with white and black icing. It's sitting on a blue surface with a penguin ornament next to it.
(Photography by Zac Williams)

Orange Spice Pudding with Cognac Caramel Sauce

A slice of Orange Spice Pudding cake on a white plate on a white table. Caramel sauce is being drizzled onto the cake slice.
(Photography: Barry C. Parsons)

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

A carrot cake with one slice cut from it. It's sitting on a white plate on a wooden table. The slice of cake is on a blue plate in front of the full cake.

Classic New York-Style Cheesecake with Cherry Topping

Overhead shot of a cheesecake sitting on a serving plate on a wooden table. The cheesecake is topped with cherry topping.
(Photography by Allison Day)

Manitoba Vínarterta

Overhead shot of a Vinarterta cake on a wooden serving tray. The cake consists of multiple layers of biscuits sandwiched together with a homemade jam, and topped with buttercream and garnished with candied kumquats, sugared currants and rosemary.
(Geoff George / The Great Canadian Baking Show)

Belinda's Flourless Coconut and Chocolate Cake

2 small cakes on a cooling rack, drizzled with chocolate ganache
(Photography by Peden + Munk)

Jamie Oliver's Beautiful Black Forest Gateau

3-layer black forest cake topped with Chantilly cream, cherry pie filling, chocolate and cherries, sitting on a white cake pedestal.
(Credit: David Loftus)

Flourless Lemon Ricotta Cake with Almonds

Overhead shot of a cake topped with almond slices and drizzled with white icing. It's sitting on a white marble cutting board on a white table. 2 slices are cut from the cake and one slice is sitting on a white plate next to it.
(Photography by Michael Gozum)

Cassata

A decorative cake with yellow sponge cake and green marzipan alternating along the sides and candied fruit arranged i a floral design on top.
(Photo by Geoff George)

Pie perfection

Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie

Overhead shot of a pecan pie in a glass pie plate, sitting on a light blue kitchen towel, on a grey wooden surface. A piece of the pie sits on a white plate in the bottom left corner.
(Photography by Florence Grunfelder; food styling by Sabrina Falone)

Butternut Squash Pie with Oat Crust

Overhead shot of a pie sitting on a wooden cutting board on a white surface. The pie is topped with whipped cream. A slice of it is on a white plate in the bottom right corner.
(Photography by Rachel Conners)

Cranberry Apple Candied Ginger Pie

Side-by-side overhead shots of an unbaked pie and an image of it after it's baked. The pie crust design is a partridge sitting in a pear tree.
(Photography by David Bagosy)

Rum Raisin and Cider Pear Pie

Side-by-side overhead shots of an unbaked pie and an image of it after it's baked. The pie crust design is 4 blackbirds in a tree.
(Photography by David Bagosey)

Classic Pumpkin Pie

Overhead shot of a pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream on a wooden table. A slice of the pie is sitting on a black plate.
(Photography by Betty Binon)

Farmer's Saskatoon Pie

A slice of Saskatoon berry pie on a white plate sitting on a table with a purple tablecloth.
(Credit: Duchess Bake Shop)

Apple Cheddar Pie

Overhead shot of an apple pie on a dark grey kitchen towel. The pie crust on top of the pie is shaped like leaves.
(Photography by Marcella DiLonardo)

Classic Tourtière

Side-by-side overhead shots of an unbaked pie and an image of it after it's baked. The pie crust design is a drummer drumming.

Santa Stocking and Pinecone Hand Pies

2 plates of cookies on a wooden table. One plate has 4 red and white stocking-shaped cookies. The other plate has 5 hand pies made to look like pine cones.
(Photo credit: David Bagosy)

Flaky Berry Pie Squares

Overhead shot of 2 rectangular pastry tarts on a marble surface. They're topped with pink icing. Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries sit on the left side of the image, along with a small white jar of berry jam.
(Photography by Rachel Conners)

Cookie exchange standouts

Hazelnut Espresso Shortbread Crescents

Overhead shot of Shortbread Crescents on parchment paper cooling on a baking rack. They're dusted with icing sugar and a bowl of the sugar sits next to the rack.
(Photo: David Bagosy, Styling: Melissa Direnzo)

Dark Chocolate and Molasses Cookies

Overhead shot of three large chocolate chip cookies on a lime green plate, on a dark blue and white tile surface.
(Photography by Suech and Beck)

Fudgy Brownie Cookies

Overhead shot of fudge brownie cookies cooling on a baking rack. Some cookies sit on a plate next to the rack, next to 2 glasses of milk.
(Photography by Michael Gozum)

Shooting Star Sugar Cookie Cake

Overhead shot of a large star-shaped sugar cookie topped with icing, sprinkles, raspberries, macarons, marshmallows. It's sitting on a marble cutting board.
(Photo credit: David Bagosy)

Ginger Sparkle Cookies

Closeup on a stack of ginger sparkle cookies on a plate with a glass of milk in the background.
(Photo credit: Jackson Roy)

Gingerbread Cookie Advent Calendar

An advent calendar made of gingerbread with colourful icing.

Sugar Cookie Dreidel

A dreidel made from a sugar cookie topped with blue and white icing. Gold coins sit around it.

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

A stack of Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies filled with peanut butter buttercream icing. They're sitting on a light pink plate.
(Photo: David Bagosy, Styling: Melissa Direnzo)

Whole Grain Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies

A stack of Chocolate Chunk Cookies on a plate. More of the cookies on a baking rack and a glass jar of milk are in the background.
(Photo: David Bagosy, Styling: Melissa Direnzo)

Spiced Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Closeup on a plate of Chocolate Crinkle Cookies dusted with icing sugar.

Linzer Cookies

Overhead shot of linzer cookies on a platter.

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

A batch of Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies sitting on parchment paper on a cooling rack, next to a bottle of raspberry jam.
(Photo: David Bagosy, Styling: Melissa Direnzo)

Gefüllte Herzen

More than a dozen chocolate-covered, heart-shaped cookies with white chocolate drizzled on top, sitting on a wooden serving platter.
(Photo by: Darren Goldstein/DSG Photo)

Pastries, confections and other delicious desserts

Saffron-Almond Baklava

Four baklava squares on a dessert display with chopped almonds and threads of saffron sprinkled on top
(Photo by: Darren Goldstein/DSG Photo)

Chocolate Soufflé

Torso of a person standing at a kitchen island in front of a white baking dish with a chocolate soufflé in it. A bowl of raspberries and a green baking bowl sit next to the soufflé.

Eggnog Tiramisu

Overhead shot of a glass serving dish with eggnog tiramisu. A plate with some of the tiramisu on it sits next the dish.

Nadiya's Éclair Roll

Closeup on a chocolate eclair roll on a long platter, sitting on a table.
(Credit: Danny Rohrer)

Orange-Scented Date Crumb Bars

Three date squares on a marble surface. More of the squares sit in the background.
(Photography by Michael Gozum)

French Macarons

Closeup on a glass plate with pink macarons on it.

Old-Fashioned Madeleines

Madeleines dusted with icing sugar, sitting on a pink plate.

Flognarde with Plums or Berries or Pears

closeup on a cake in a shallow white dish on a wooden table. the cake is dotted with small plums and sprinkled with icing sugar.
(Photography by Ellen Silverman)

Swiss Meringue Reindeer

A white meringue shaped like a reindeer head on a bright blue cake.
(Photography by David Bagosy)

Hazelnut Espresso Millionaire Bars

7 Hazelnut Espresso Millionaire Bars sitting on a grey countertop.
(Photography by Michael Gozum)

Brûlée Lemon Tart

A mini lemon tart sitting on a white plate on a wooden table.
(Photography by Kayla Rocco)

Tartes Tatin

Overhead shot of a circular apple tart sitting on a plate on a white cloth napkin on a table. A fork sits on the left of the plate.
(Photography by Kevin Clark)

Vanilla Bean Crème Brulée

A Crème Brulée in a white baking dish on a marble surface. The Crème Brulée is topped with raspberries and blueberries.

Salted Tahini Chocolate Swirl Brownies

A wooden cutting board with a stack of brownies on top.
(Photo: David Bagosy, Styling: Melissa Direnzo)

Sufganiyah (Hanukkah Donut)

Sufganiyah arranged in the shape of a menorah, with blue and white lit candles in them.

Ice Box Lemon Squares

Overhead shot of a marble cutting board with yellow, lemon squares on it.

Brown Butter Blondies

Closeup on a stack of blondies squares.
(Photo: Jodi Pudge)

Chocolate Cream Profiterole Wreath

Overhead shot of a bunch of Profiteroles arranged into the shape of a wreath on a wooden cutting board.

Gougères

A serving plate stacked with cheese puffs made with choux pastry.

Chaat Tarts

Six baked tarts filled with a potato-chickpea filling and topped with a bit of cilantro and a drizzle of white sauce (dahi). Beside the tarts are two white bowls: one filled with a light green dipping sauce and the other filled with a deep reddish-brown sauce.
(Photo by: Darren Goldstein/DSG Photo)

Black Sesame Pinwheels

Overhead shot of a plate of Black Sesame Pinwheel pastries.

Roselle's Banana Cream Pie Éclairs

overhead shot of 2 eclairs on a pink plate on a beige surface. the eclairs are filled with white cream and sprinkled with icing sugar.
(Photography by Ryan Szulc)

Jamie Oliver's Bonkers Bread & Butter Panettone Pudding Tart

A bread pudding tart in a silver tart pan on top of a silver baking sheet.
(Credit: David Loftus)

Lovely loaves, buns and breads

Chocolate Babka

Overhead shot of a loaf of chocolate babka on a wooden cutting board on top of a wooden table.

Deb Perelman's Better-Than-Classic Pound Cake

an overhead shot of a pound cake in a loaf pan on top of a baking sheet
(Photography by Deb Perelman, styling by Barrett Washburne)

Rosca de Reyes

A bread ring on a wooden circle platter. The bread ring has decorative strips of white and chocolate cookie topping alternating with strips of quince paste and candied fruits including red and green maraschino cherries and half-moon orange slices.
(Credit: Geoff George)

Rye Sourdough Bread

Closeup on a loaf of bread in a bread pan, on a grey table with a black background.
(Photography by Ben Dearnley)

Braided Challah with Homemade Butter and Apple Butter

A loaf of braided challah topped with sesame seeds on a wooden cutting board.

Pull-Apart Garlic Bread

Overhead shot of a table set for 2. A cast iron pan with Pull-Apart Garlic Bread in it sits in the middle, and a plate of spaghetti sits to the side.

Chocolate Walnut Banana Bread

Closeup on a loaf of Chocolate Walnut Banana Bread sitting on a wooden cutting board. 3 slices have been cut from it and are sitting next to it.

Kelly Vanderbeek's Sourdough Bread

Overhead shot of a round loaf of sourdough bread on a wooden cutting board.

Cinnamon Crumble Coffee Cake

Closeup on a loaf of coffee cake topped with cinnamon crumble, sitting on a table. Slices are cut from the loaf, and it's sitting on a cutting board on top of a purple cloth napkin.

Breakfast Pinwheels

Overhead shot of a white platter of pastries shaped like pinwheels.

Blood Orange Pound Cake

A loaf of pound cake with slices of blood orange on the top. Half of the cake has been sliced and some slices are sitting on a plate next to it.

Cinnamon Buns

Overhead closeup on a pan of cinnamon rolls drizzled with white icing.

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