Effortless Holiday Baking Guide

Effortless Holiday Baking Guide

Moving into the colder months means a bit more hibernation and more time to dedicate to baking and home cooked meals. With all the chaos of the last quarter almost behind us, we can gift ourselves the pleasantries of having a sweet treat on hand–all while saving a bit of dough that can be redistributed to buying gifts for loved ones. 

For all you Doordashers, Uber Eats, and restaurant hoppers, we encourage you to shake your routine up a bit and try out these timeless, low-effort home cooked treats. We know how difficult it can be to kick a sweet tooth, so why not learn a few simple dessert recipes that you can grab and snack at any time, from the comfort of your own home? 

Check below for a list of no-bake desserts and minimal ingredient baked goods that you can whip up on the fly–your house guests will thank you for your kind service.

No Bake Desserts

Peppermint Bark Bites

This irresistible dessert is rampant on the shelves of every supermarket during the holidays, but for a high price. Sure Ghirardelli makes a satiating peppermint bark, but how much greater would it taste with fresh ingredients, made by yours truly? If you love peppermint bark as much as we do, you’ll definitely want to try this no-bake recipe on for size! Peppermint is a great herb to aid digestive problems, ward off colds and sinus infections, and ease headaches and muscle tension. Sweet and beneficial? Say less!

Ingredients:

• Dark or milk chocolate
• White baking chocolate
• Peppermint extract
• Candy canes–crushed
• Option–peppermint garnish

Step 1: Gather a muffin tin and paper muffin cup holders, or a sheet pan and parchment paper

Step 2: Use a saucepan up, add a splash of water, heat and melt the dark or milk chocolate on low. Stir constantly to avoid hardening or burnt chocolate.

Step 3: Once fully melted, pour heated chocolate into paper muffin cups or on parchment paper

Step 4: Place chocolate in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to let cool

Step 5: Repeat the process with white baking chocolate, adding in a couple of drops of peppermint extract

Step 6: Sprinkle crushed up candy cane before white baking chocolate hardens

Step 7: Place in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes, remove and enjoy! Pairs perfectly with hot cocoa.

Minty Grasshopper Pies

Get festive with a vibrant green bite-sized pie, perfect for a holiday party. If you love combining coarse textures with creamy and fluffy filling, you’ll get a kick out of this. The best part? It only takes a few minutes to make, and its wildly bright colors will certainly get you in the holiday spirit.

Ingredients:

• Oreo cookies–coarsely crushed
• Mint extract
• Green food coloring
• Whipping cream
• Milk–preferably cow milk but any will do
• Mini marshmallows
• Optional–fresh mint and candy canes

Before getting started, grab some tiny jars or shot glasses for serving!

Step 1: Scrape off frosting from Oreos and crush oreos to place at the bottom of the glass jars

Step 2: Melt marshmallows with milk over simmer. Stir often until mixture is set

Step 3: Pour a few drops of mint extract into the marshmallow and milk mixture once it is thick and set. Place on top of crushed Oreos

Step 4: Whip the whipping cream until fluffy, delicately dollop into each jar

Step 5: Garnish with fresh mint leaves and candy canes

Simple Ingredient Desserts

Gingerdoodles–The Perfect Hybrid of Gingerbread and Snickerdoodle

Santa needs milk and cookies, obviously. He told us he’s growing tired of chocolate chip and sugar cookies, so let’s give him an upgrade and make a cookie that is both light and airy, yet wholesome and delicious? 

Gingerdoodles are a cross between classic Snickerdoodles and Gingerbread cookies, complete with cloves, cinnamon, and ginger. Cinnamon helps support blood sugar control and reduces inflammation while ginger works to flush the gut, and cloves can kill bacteria and contain important nutrients and antioxidants that your body will love.

Ingredients:

• All-purpose flour
• Light brown sugar
• Granulated white sugar
• Unsalted butter
• Eggs
• Molasses
• Ginger
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Vanilla extract

First, make a cinnamon sugar mixture of 1/3rd cup granulated white sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 1: Put all dry ingredients in one bowl, and wet ingredients in another bowl

Step 2: Mix all wet ingredients together and whip until fluffy

Step 3: Roll into balls

Step 4: Coat cookie dough balls with cinnamon sugar concoction

Step 5: Option to cut out into fun shapes

Step 6: Let cookies bake for 10-14 minutes, depending on preference

Serve with a nice glass of eggnog, milk or milk alternative while cookies are still warm. Santa will be so excited that he might get you an extra gift or two!

Clove and Clementine Cookies

Not your average holiday recipe, but just one bite of these zesty cookies gives you all the reason to add them to your holiday baking bucket list. These cookies are an immaculate blend of citrus and fruity, warming and rich. Clove and Clementine as a duo offer a refreshing and nourishing sweet treat for you to store and nibble at whenever your heart desires. 

Ingredients:

• Butter
• Clementines
• Cloves–ground
• Granulated Sugar
• Egg
• Vanilla Extract
• Clementine juice
• Clementine zest
• Salt
• Flour
• Optional–almond extract for a unique flavoring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and gather a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone covering

Step 1: Whip cream, sugar, and butter together in a bowl until silky smooth and airy

Step 2: Add egg, clementine juice, and all other ingredients minus the zest. You can add some zest inside the cookies but it is mostly for garnish.

Step 3: Scoop cookie dough into small balls–option to use cookie cutter for adorable shaped cookies

Step 4: Sprinkle clementine zest on top of cookies

Step 5: Bake in oven for 8-15 minutes

Eat up! Your guests will be amazed by the simplicity yet tastiness of these not-so-average holiday cookies. 

Next time you opt for ordering food delivery for a sweet treat, look to this list and get to baking instead! Let us know what baked goods are your favorite for the holidays–we’d love to hear your classics! Thank you and happy baking :).