Food & Wine’s Best Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for Holiday Baking

Holiday baking season brings me back to being a sneaky seven-year-old licking icing off of wax paper while freshly frosted pumpkin cakes dried. Cutting out sugar cookies and decorating with kids, or putting the final touches on a gingerbread house, immediately signals that it’s the best time of the year. Warmth in the kitchen spreads not just from our ovens, but from making memories and baking up joyful bites to share with friends and family. Baking season combines nostalgia, brown sugar, and a little bit of sweet magic. 

Here, you’ll find elevated versions of classics, like Bûche de Noël and Brown Bag Apple Pie, along with creative upgrades on desserts to try, including Eggnog Cheesecake and Creamy Caramel Pudding. If you’re feeling nervous about baking, we’ve got you covered there, too. Tips for buying the best store-bought piecrust and instant pudding hacks to upgrade your dessert, mean not everything has to be from scratch to stand out.

The best baking starts with great technique, and it’s also all about the ingredients. Understanding how each one works can make or break your results. Here, we share essential baking tips and tricks, from knowing when to use baking soda vs. baking powder to avoiding common baking mistakes that lead to flat cakes or tough cookies. Plus, we’ve got you covered with quick, foolproof cookie recipes that come together in 30 minutes or less, perfect for any craving or last-minute treat.

When it comes to dessert that’s cozy and still spectacular, pie wins for us hands down. For a non-traditional approach that’s super-sharable, our pie bars are the perfect choice. If you’d rather skip the rolling pins and oven timers, a trifle is your secret weapon. It’s effortlessly elegant, endlessly customizable, and completely make-ahead friendly.

Puddings provide nostalgia and creamy richness in every bite. You’ll love our favorite pudding recipes, including chocolate puddings and banana pudding. Most of them can be made ahead and chilled, so they’re ideal if you’re juggling multiple dishes or baking projects. Trifles take the creaminess we love in puddings, and kick things up by layering creamy custards with cakes, fruits, and sauces. They’re the perfect dish to star on your dessert table. And if at this point, you’ve run out of steam for from-scratch baking, try our instant-pudding hacks to get the most out of your box of pudding.

Get out your stand mixer and your flour jar, it’s time to make some dazzling desserts.