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🥧 25 Holiday Pies, Tarts & Festive Pastry Desserts

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December is the month when pies and tarts really shine. They’re simple, classic, and perfect for holiday dinners, weekend gatherings, potlucks, or just keeping something cozy on the counter. I pulled all my best winter pies, holiday bars, strudels, and pastry desserts into one place so you can find what you need quickly without scrolling through the whole site.

An assortment of holiday pies, tarts, and pastries including apple pie, pecan pie, chocolate tart, and festive puff pastry desserts.
Holiday pies, tarts, and pastries — simple, festive treats for the season.

Nothing complicated — just the reliable, comforting holiday bakes that always work.

6. 🥧Pies (Classic & Holiday Favorites)

Best Homemade Apple Pie

A classic double-crust apple pie with soft, cinnamon-spiced apples. Perfect for any December table.

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A pie in a pie pan with apples.

How to Make Apple Pie

Are you tired of settling for mediocre apple pies from the store? The kind that looks promising but disappoints? Well, it's time to take matters into your own hands. By following these five easy steps, you can make the best apple pie that surpasses any store-bought version. Treat yourself and your loved ones to the ultimate comfort dessert with this flavorful homemade recipe from scratch.
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Caramel Dutch Apple Pie

Sweet apples tossed with caramel and topped with a buttery crumble. A cozy twist on a holiday favorite.

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A slice of apple pie on the plate with caramel sauce.

Caramel Dutch Apple Pie

When it comes to fall desserts, you can’t go wrong with a caramel Dutch Apple Pie! It’s one of the simplest pies to make and has a delicious apple filling topped with a crunchy crumb topping and of course the best ever caramel sauce.
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Best Dutch Apple Pie

Tender apples, warm spices, and a crisp crumble topping. Ideal for potlucks, dinners, and gifting.

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A plate of apple pie with ice cream

Best Dutch Apple Pie (Apple Crumble Pie)

Make the best Dutch apple pie with a flaky homemade crust, juicy spiced apple filling, and a crisp, buttery crumble topping. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any fall dessert table.
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Maple Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin custard sweetened with warm maple syrup for a deeper flavor. A beautiful holiday centerpiece.

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Slice of pumpkin pie on plate.

Maple Pumpkin Pie Recipe with Flaky Homemade Crust

This maple pumpkin pie has a smooth custard filling, flaky homemade crust, and warm fall spices. A cozy, make-ahead fall dessert that’s perfect for Thanksgiving or any autumn gathering.
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Classic Pecan Pie

Rich, sweet, and buttery with toasted pecans on top. A must-have for holiday dessert trays.

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Pecan pie in a pie pan.

Easy Pecan Pie Recipe

Some Thanksgiving pies are finicky and time-consuming to make, but pecan pie is not one of them. Find out how to make the easiest pie with this simple recipe. Made with homemade all-butter pie crust the most delicious pean pie filling ever.
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Chocolate Pecan Pie

All the goodness of pecan pie with a layer of rich chocolate. A simple dessert that feels extra festive.

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A sliced pie on a table.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Need the recipe for the best chocolate pecan pie? This pie recipe makes all others pale in comparison. A pie filling made with melted chocolate and loaded with pecans in a rich buttery homemade pie crust.
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8.🍏Tarts (Simple, Elegant, Holiday-Friendly)

Puff Pastry Apple Galette

A rustic, free-form apple tart made with store-bought puff pastry. Quick, easy, and always impressive.

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Pinterest image for puff pastry apple galette with cinnamon sugar.

Apple Galette with Puff Pastry

Make this easy puff pastry peach galette with ripe peaches, flaky puff pastry, and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. This rustic summer dessert is baked until golden and bubbling, then served warm with vanilla ice cream. Perfect for when you want a bakery-style treat without the fuss.
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Chocolate Tart

Rich, silky chocolate filling in a crisp tart shell. A guaranteed crowd-pleaser for chocolate lovers.

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A ganache tart on the with chocolate curls.

Chocolate Tart – Chocolate Ganache Tart

A chocolate tart with ganache filling is probably one of the simplest and easiest chocolate desserts you can put together. Choose between a baked shortcrust pastry or no-bake cookie crust to set this rich, creamy chocolate ganache filling to make the best chocolate ganache tart ever
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Caramel Apple Tartlets

Mini apple tarts topped with caramel. A cute, simple dessert for parties and gifting.

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Mini tart shell filled with caramel apple filling.

Caramel Apple Tartlets – Mini Tarts

Sweet delicious apples in caramel sauce spiced with cinnamon then filled into buttery premade shortcrust pastry tarts. These mini-tarts or caramel apple tartlets are a must-make in fall when apples are in season.
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Lemon Bars

Buttery shortbread base with a bright lemon topping. Great for cookie boxes and dessert trays.

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Yellow lemon bars on the table in a stack.

Lemon Bars Recipe

These lemon bars are my go-to for any get-together with friends. Their tangy lemon flavor and buttery crust always steal the show. I've even had requests for the recipe—they're that good!
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2. 🍂Strudels & Pastry Desserts

Apple Strudel (Puff Pastry)

Thin layers of flaky pastry wrapped around warm apples and spices. Quick, easy, and festive.

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Two baked apple strudel with puff pastry on the wooden board.

Easy Apple Strudel Recipe with Puff Pastry

This easy recipe for apple strudel combines puff pastry, cinnamon, sugar, and apples to create a classic Austrian favorite. This simple apple strudel recipe will give you a yummy mix of flaky puff pastry and apples.
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Apple Strudel (Filo Pastry)

A lighter version of the classic strudel made with crispy filo sheets. Beautiful with powdered sugar on top.

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How to make a sliced apple strudel on the table.

Easy Apple Strudel Recipe with Filo Pastry

This Easy Apple Strudel recipe is simple and delicious. The sweet apples flavored with warm spices like nutmeg and cinnamon, then wrapped in filo pastry that bakes into a flaky, delicious dessert you will love. The warm spices and abundance of apples in fall make this a perfect dessert for Thanksgiving or holiday celebrations. 
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Apple Pie with Braided Puff Pastry

Made with cooked apple pie filling, which ensures no soggy pastry from the spilling apple juices, and an impressive braided puff pastry.

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Braided puff pastry with apple pie on a wooden board.

Braided Apple Puff Pastry

If you love apple pie, you are going to love this apple puff pastry, which I like to call braided apple strudel. With my method, you will have no soggy pastry or apple juices wasted on the baking pan. A simple, easy, and impressive dessert any time of the year.
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2. 🎄Special Holiday Desserts

Pumpkin Crème Brûlée

A creamy pumpkin custard topped with caramelized sugar. A fancy dessert that’s surprisingly easy.

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Ramekins with creme brulee.

Pumpkin Creme Brûlée Recipe

Capture the essence of autumn with a show-stopping dessert – pumpkin creme brûlée. Follow our step-by-step guide and impress your guests with this perfect blend of pumpkin, caramelized sugar, and creamy custard.
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Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Tart

Chocolate crust, chocolate filling, and a touch of pumpkin spice. A showstopper for chocolate lovers.

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Pumpkin tart on a cake stand.

Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Tart

Celebrate the season of fall with something different this Thanksgiving. This triple chocolate pumpkin tart has three layers of chocolate both white and dark infused with pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice in a homemade buttery shortcrust pastry.
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These pies, tarts, bars, and pastry desserts are perfect for December — simple enough for busy days, festive enough for celebrations, and reliable enough to bake ahead. Pick one (or a few), enjoy the process, and share something warm this season.

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An assortment of holiday pies, tarts, and pastries including apple pie, pecan pie, chocolate tart, and festive puff pastry desserts.
Holiday pies, tarts, and pastries — simple, festive treats for the season.

Hi, I’m Veena Azmanov.

I’m a cook, baker, and former cake decorator sharing dependable recipes for everyday cooking, bread baking, and classic desserts. Everything here is tested, technique-driven, and designed to work in real kitchens — food that’s balanced, full of flavor, and never overcomplicated.

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