45 New Year’s Eve Desserts to Celebrate in Style
Updated: Apr. 22, 2024
These New Year's Eve desserts pair perfectly with a glass of bubbly or a champagne cocktail. So grab a slice of these treats and toast to the year to come!
Ready to ring in the New Year? Make sure you have a bottle of bubbly at the ready and plenty of New Year’s Eve desserts to sweeten the celebration.
Don’t forget to have some finger foods, cocktails and a New Year’s dinner to complete the spread.
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Grasshopper Baked Alaska
End the year with a bang! A baked Alaska is a showstopping dessert that your guests will love. For extra flair (and fun) you can toast meringue with a kitchen torch.
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Bittersweet Chocolate Cheesecake
New Year’s Eve desserts are meant to be decadent and rich, like this chocolate cheesecake. A sliver of this treat is just right when paired with a flute of sparkling wine.
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Berries in Champagne Jelly
On New Year’s Eve, don’t stop at opening a bottle of champagne just for sipping. You can also use this sparkling wine to make a tasty gelatin. Be sure to top with plenty of fresh berries.
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New Year’s Eve Cupcakes
Looking for super cute New Year’s Eve desserts? These cupcakes fit the bill. To decorate, simply mold taffy candies into champagne bottles, flutes and streamers.
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Champagne Truffles
Champagne truffles might just be one of our best-ever New Year’s Eve desserts. Champagne syrup is stirred into chocolate ganache to make an easy and elegant truffle. For a little extra flair, nestle these candies into gold foil cups.
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Grand Marnier Frozen Souffles
Souffles are always an impressive way to finish a meal. This recipe uses Grand Marnier, an orange liqueur, to infuse the batter with delightful citrus flavor. If Grand Marnier isn’t your style, try another flavorful liqueur in its stead.
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Flourless Chocolate Cake with Rosemary Ganache
This decadent dessert gets a wintry spin with a hint of rosemary infused into the ganache finish.
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Cappuccino Mousse Trifle
Need a hit of caffeine to make it through a night of partying? This espresso-infused trifle makes for a perfect New Year’s Eve dessert. It’s easy to assemble and can even be prepped a day in advance.
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Rainbow Cake
Rainbows are considered a sign of good luck. Bring that sentiment into the New Year as you slice into this multi-colored layer cake.
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Grape and Berry Crumble
We love learning about New Year’s traditions from around the world. In Spain and parts of Latin America, eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight ensures good luck for the coming year. You can take inspiration from this tradition and bake those grapes into a tasty crumble.
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Slow-Cooker Chocolate Pots de Creme
Pot de creme is a traditional French dessert that requires finesse. This recipe uses the same ingredients and flavors, but makes cooking simple by using a slow cooker. This method is perfect since these New Year’s Eve desserts will be ready whenever your guests are.
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Harvey Wallbanger Cake
Have a little fun with your New Year’s Eve desserts by adding a splash of your favorite tipple to the batter. This Harvey Wallbanger cake uses a splash of vodka and Galliano.
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Decadent Chocolate Crepe Cake
New Year’s is the perfect time to pull out all the stops and make a dessert that impresses. This towering crepe cake will test your skills—but the end result is delicious and rewarding.
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Creamy Butterscotch Pudding for 2
Looking for New Year’s Eve desserts for a night in with your sweetheart? This simple pudding makes just enough for two. To make this extra festive, serve this treat in champagne flutes with a wafer cookie garnish.
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Red Velvet Cheesecake
This vibrant red cheesecake will certainly draw attention at your party. It has that classic red velvet cake flavor you love (that’d be a whisper of cocoa) but in an all-new form.
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Winter Wishes Trifle
Match the ambiance of a snowy New Year’s Eve by serving up this wintry white trifle. It’s made with angel food cake (use homemade or packaged), whipped cream, white chocolate and a hint of peppermint.
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Surprise Cake
Start the New Year with a surprise! When guests cut into this cake, they’ll discover an inner chamber full of goodies. The best part: The baker gets to pick the filling. Try candies, sprinkles or even small party favors.
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Chocolate Pomegranate Candies
In several countries including Turkey and Brazil, pomegranates are part of New Year’s celebrations. You can transform this fruit into a dessert by scattering the arils over the top of a chocolate bark.
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Coconut Layer Cake
This snowy white coconut cake looks so festive. Be sure to top with plenty of large coconut flakes to get a unique look.
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Jellied Champagne Dessert
Fill flutes with jellied champagne for festive individual desserts on New Year’s Eve.
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Rich and Creamy Tiramisu
Tiramisu is Italian for pick-me-up, and this one is definitely true to its name! This version of the classic Tuscan trifle has both coffee and espresso for layers of java flavor.
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Salted Dark Chocolate Tart
Dark chocolate, caramel and a hit of salt. What’s not to love? Be prepare to hand out the recipe for this decadent dessert.
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Winter Fruit with Prosecco Sabayon
Want to serve something a little lighter as a New Year’s Eve dessert? This recipe pairs citrus fruits with a simple sparkling wine-infused sauce.
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Icebox Cake
Icebox cakes get a lot of play during the warm months, but they also make great New Year’s Eve desserts! These no-bake treats can be prepped in advance and stashed in the freezer until you’re ready to party.
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Baklava Cheesecake
With sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs, this unique baklava cheesecake makes a grand display for special events and holidays.
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Semisweet Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate mousse is wonderfully light but still rich. It’s a great dessert to serve up in small glasses and share at a party. Top with fresh whipped cream and the fruit of your choice.
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Madeira Cake
This classic British Madeira cake is often served with Madeira wine, which is how it got its name. Similar to a pound cake, it is commonly flavored with lemon. It’s a great match for champagne for a New Year’s Eve party—and can be served with coffee or tea the next morning.
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Rice Pudding
In Sweden and Norway, it’s a tradition to hide an almond in the rice pudding served on New Year’s Eve. Whoever discovers the almond in their dish is thought to have good luck for the year ahead.
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Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
Chocolate-covered strawberries may be simple to make, but are always a hit. For a little extra finish, drizzle with some white chocolate or top with sprinkles or even edible glitter.
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Cherries Jubilee
Made with sweet or tart cherries and doused in brandy, cherries jubilee will be a flaming success!
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Marzipan Bars
In Germany, it’s traditional to eat marzipan shaped like a pig on New Year’s Eve. This is supposed to bring good luck in the coming year. Can’t find these candy piggies? Use this almond-flavored ingredient in these tasty layered bars.
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Pineapple & Macadamia Nut Cake
In the dead of winter, a treat full of tropical flavors like macadamia nuts and pineapple is so welcome. Be prepare for guests to ask for seconds of this pretty layer cake.
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Affogato
Keep the party going and fire up the espresso machine! Pour a shot of espresso over a scoop of gelato to make an affogato, a treat that’s as sweet as it is energizing.
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White Chocolate Truffles
A snowy New Year’s Eve calls for a corresponding treat. These white chocolate truffles are rolled in coarse sugar to make them look like they’ve been touched with a bit of frost.
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Old English Trifle
Loaded with cake cube, fruit and sherry, an old English trifle is always welcome at a holiday dinner. The creamy, homemade custard is well worth the effort.
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Sauerkraut Chocolate Cake
In Germany, it’s a tradition to dine on pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s Day. You can put a sweet spin on this tradition and use that sauerkraut in a chocolate cake—really! Sauerkraut adds moisture and keeps the cake extra tender.
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Honey-Nut Swirls
In Georgia, the Eastern European country, it’s common for folks to enjoy a honeyed walnut candy called gozinaki. Take some inspiration from this Georgian treat and use the flavors to make these spiral sweets full of chopped walnuts, pistachios, honey and cinnamon
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Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Cheesecake
This Kentucky bourbon pecan cheesecake will wow your guests and your taste buds. Use your favorite bourbon in the recipe—and save a little extra to serve alongside each slice.
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Italian Cream Cheese Cake
This five-star cake recipe is one that guests will rave about. It’s full of flavor courtesy of pecans and coconut.
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Million-Dollar Pie
Is there any better way to wish for wealth and prosperity in the New Year than serving up a slice of Million-Dollar Pie? This dessert is wonderfully easy: It starts with a premade crust and it’s no-bake!
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Mini Bundt Cakes
Love the idea of individual cakes but don’t want to go the cupcake route? These mini Bundt cakes are just-right to serve to each guest at your holiday fete.
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Mimosa Butter Cookies
Orange zest, orange juice and champagne make these cookies taste like everyone’s favorite brunch treat. Enjoy them as New Year’s Eve desserts or the next morning at brunch.
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Rich Rum Cake
This contest-winning recipe is full of flavor thanks to plenty of rum, cinnamon, orange juice and nutmeg.
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Chocolate Tart
This rich pastry turns basic ingredients like chocolate, butter, egg and flour into a sublime filling and crust combo that even the most discerning chocolate lover will appreciate.
Originally Published: December 10, 2020
