4 Unusual holiday party desserts

Santa gets into an apartment

With the holiday season comes an abundance of indulgent foods. And while we all like to partake in the traditions that families and friends have upheld for generations, it can be fun to switch it up and try something new. Serving something out of the ordinary side by side with those tried-and-true dishes can keep things fun and interesting. Dessert is one spot on the festive menu that can use a little refreshing every now and then, which is why this list of unusual holiday party desserts might just come in handy as you plan.

Red Velvet Fudge. Candy is always welcome around the holiday table. Kids and adults alike will love the rich flavor of this simple recipe, which uses cream cheese, white chocolate, and milk chocolate (among other things) to create a confection that folks will pile up on their plate. Plus, the color scheme of white and red fits right in with the look of the season.

Chocolate and Peppermint Cheesecake. Chocolate and peppermint go hand-in-hand during the holiday season. Whether you choose to serve this cheesecake whole or as individual mini-cakes, the combination of mint and chocolate is one that is as eye-opening as it is decadent. The cool and refreshing peppermint acts as a good balance to cheesecake’s classic sweetness, and might just become a staple of your dessert lineup for years to come.

Caramel Pecan Bars. Operating somewhere between a cookie, a candy bar, and fudge, dessert bars are hard to resist. The combination of pecans and caramel is a classic one that evokes nostalgia of childhood sweets. Put these things together and you have a dessert that everyone else will wish they had brought. This twist on a chocolate turtle dessert can be eaten by hand, making everyone feel like a kid again!

Trifles. This layered wonder is fully customizable to your liking. Ideally, trifles should have four components: whipped cream, cake, pudding or custard, and fruit. How you decide to combine these things is entirely up to you, which can really help your dessert stand out from the rest this year. You can choose to keep the layers consistent throughout, or change things up as you build!

Coconut Macadamia Pound Cake. This dessert is decadent without being overwhelmingly rich or sweet, which can be a nice change of pace around the holidays. The key to pulling off this dessert is lightly toasting the macadamia nuts, which brings out their buttery flavor. The final flourish of this cake is the rum glaze, a concoction of gold rum, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Or, you could forego the glaze and serve the pound cake with a scoop of ice cream instead!

Try these great ideas out when serving dessert at your next holiday party. They have all the potential of becoming a new crowd favorite!

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