6 Christmas Dessert Bars and Brownies for Sharing
Christmas dessert bars give you a pan to bake, cool, cut, and bring to the table. That can be more manageable than several rounds of scooped cookies, especially when you want ready portions for a shared meal or a platter of smaller tastes.
This collection combines three Dessert Hungry recipes with three originals from Sally’s Baking. There are cookie bars, fruit bars, and cheesecake brownies, so choose the texture you want rather than treating every square as the same kind of dessert.
The recipes have different pans, cooling stages, and storage needs. Pick one chocolate choice and one contrasting flavor if the gathering needs two bakes. Let the actual piece size and the rest of the food determine how many pans to make.
1. Christmas Cookie Bars
Dessert Hungry combines chocolate chips, holiday candy, pretzels, and caramel pieces in these pan-baked cookie bars. They supply a colorful, textured choice without shaping separate dough balls. Use them as the main candy-and-chocolate option, then choose fruit or spice for another pan if you want contrast.
Planning note: Cool the pan completely before cutting. Follow the source method for its mix-ins and pan instead of adding extra candy by eye.
2. Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies
A cream cheese swirl runs through the red velvet brownie base in this Dessert Hungry recipe. These bring a contrasting top pattern to a tray of plain cookie bars. Choose them when you want a cheesecake element in a square rather than preparing a separate full-size cheesecake.
Planning note: Include the source’s cooling and chilling stages before slicing. Use its storage directions for the cream cheese component.
3. Christmas Cherry Bars
Cherry pie filling and a glaze give these Dessert Hungry bars a fruit-forward finish. They provide a red fruit option beside darker brownies or gingerbread. The pan format also makes them easier to portion for a buffet than a whole cherry pie that needs cutting at the table.
Planning note: Wait for the pan to cool and the glaze to set before arranging a platter. Protect the tops during transport.
4. Gingerbread Cookie Bars
Sally’s Baking presses a molasses-and-spice cookie dough into a pan instead of rolling and cutting individual shapes. An optional cream cheese frosting gives you a choice of finish. These bring a chewy gingerbread texture to a table that otherwise leans toward chocolate or fruit.
Planning note: The source uses a 9-by-13-inch pan and does not require dough chilling. Cooling still matters before cutting or adding the frosting.
5. Soft M&M Cookie Bars
Chocolate chips and candy pieces make these Sally’s Baking bars a familiar cookie choice for sharing. The source allows candy colors to match the holiday, so a Christmas-colored batch does not require a new dough formula. Choose them instead of another candy-loaded cookie bar if one pan is enough.
Planning note: Use the source’s melted-butter method and allow the pan to cool before portioning. Its recipe is designed for a 9-by-13-inch pan.
6. Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies
Sally’s Baking combines a chocolate brownie with a raspberry cheesecake swirl. The current recipe uses raspberry jam and optional ground freeze-dried raspberries for the berry component. It is a fruit-and-chocolate choice when you want a different flavor from the red velvet cheesecake brownies.
Planning note: Check the current ingredient list rather than adding a handful of fresh berries. Cool completely and follow the source storage guidance.
Two pans can be enough
For contrasting flavors, choose cherry bars with gingerbread cookie bars, or a cheesecake brownie with a plainer candy cookie bar. Making both cheesecake brownie recipes may be useful for a larger group, but it is not necessary just to create variety.
A pan count is not a serving count. A small tasting square and a larger dessert bar will produce different totals from the same recipe. Decide how you intend to serve the bake before dividing the pan.
Cut after the bake is ready
- Line the pan when the source calls for it, leaving the overhang needed to lift the cooled slab.
- Let the center cool and set before slicing. A firm edge does not mean a soft middle is ready.
- Use a suitable cutting board and the knife method in the recipe where given.
- Set glazed or frosted pieces in a shallow layer so their finish is not crushed.
- Keep cheesecake brownies and other cream cheese bakes stored as their own recipes direct.
Pack for a potluck or dessert table
Transport the bars in a container that supports the base and leaves room above the topping. If the dessert is staying in its pan, bring a server that can lift a piece without scraping off a delicate glaze. Put the dessert name beside the tray so guests can identify fruit, nuts, or cream cheese.
Keep a spare portion back until you know how quickly the table is being used. A smaller platter is often easier to replenish than one large stack of soft or glazed bars. For more shapes and serving formats, use the wider Christmas party collection.
Common questions
Are these all brownies?
No. The selection includes cookie bars, cherry bars, and cheesecake brownies. Choose by flavor and texture rather than shape alone.
Can I bake every recipe in one preferred pan size?
Follow the original pan instructions. A different depth changes baking and cutting, so do not assume the same time applies.
Can I stack frosted or glazed pieces?
Let the finish set and protect the actual topping. A shallow layer is easier to transport when the glaze, frosting, or cheesecake surface would be damaged by weight.
