30+ Best Winter Baking Recipes

Winter is when I struggle most with identifying what makes a seasonal baked good. It’s not as clear to me as pumpkins in Fall or peaches in the Summer. So what makes good Winter Recipes? I think maybe winter baking is just about food that is flavorful with ingredients you can still find on-hand. Oh, and they should be comforting and cozy. And Winter is definitely the time for decadence! With this in mind, here are the 30+ Best Winter Baking Recipes from Live to Sweet!

This post of The Best Winter Baking Recipes has been broken down into these categories:

Cakes & Cupcakes
Pies & Tarts
Cookies & Brownies
Bread & Muffins
Pastries
Cheesecakes
Everything Else!

Of course, I'm a big fan of making whatever you want, whenever you want. That said, these recipes have flavors that are warm, cozy, and indulgent. Make them anytime, but especially in Winter!

Winter Cake & Cupcake Recipes

Cake is definitely a year-round treat! Here are some decadent, cozy, seasonal cake recipes that are perfect for the Winter months!

Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Italian Buttercream

This one is for all the chocolate lovers out there, especially my oldest son, James. This is his "ultimate" birthday cake.

Bake it!

Orange Upside Down Cake

A just-sweet-enough orange olive oil cake topped with candied navel, cara cara, and blood oranges! Served with a sweetened sour cream, you can definitely sneak this one in as breakfast!

Make it!

Caramel Ginger Date Cake

This Caramel Ginger Date Cake combines the warm flavors of ginger, dates, and salted caramel with the goodness of cream cheese frosting!

Bake it!

Mocha Banana Cake

This Mocha Banana Cake is four layers of banana cake filled with espresso cream cheese frosting, cocoa nibs, and grated chocolate!

Make it!

Mini Lemon Meringue Pound Cakes

Sweet and tart, these little beauties would be beautiful to serve year-round!

Check out this recipe!

Chocolate Champagne Cake

This Chocolate Champagne Cake has super chocolatey champagne cake with champagne Italian meringue buttercream and dark chocolate ganache! For your next celebration, or anytime!

Bake it!

Slice of Chocolate Champagne Cake on a black plate.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Three layers of decadent chocolate peanut butter cake frosted with peanut butter Swiss meringue buttercream and topped with dark chocolate ganache.

Make it!

Death by Chocolate Cupcakes

Dark chocolate cupcakes filled with dark chocolate ganache, and topped with the deepest, darkest chocolate cream cheese frosting you've ever seen!

Bake them!

Winter Pie & Tart Recipes

Pies and tarts dominate dessert tables in Summer and Fall, but what about Winter? These pies and tarts feature seasonal fruit and aaaaall the chocolate!

Coconut Mocha Pie

This Coconut Mocha Pie has a toasted coconut pastry crust filled with dark chocolate custard, topped with dalgona coffee swirled with whipped coconut cream! It's toasted coconut meets a mochaccino and I am HERE for it!!

Make it!

Kahlua Brownie Pie

A decadent dark chocolate Kahlua icebox pie with brownie crust, topped with three flavors of whipped cream!

Bake it!

Ginger Grapefruit Tart

Grapefruit rarely get the spotlight, but it's all about the sweet-tart grapefruit in this Ginger Grapefruit Tart! A sweet, grapefruit-and-ginger pastry crust filled with grapefruit curd and topped with toasted honey meringue and crystallized ginger!

Make it!

Mocha Tart

This Mocha Tart has a chocolate shortbread crust filled with chocolate espresso custard and topped with (five shades of) fresh whipped cream!

Bake it!

Chocolate Salted Caramel Hazelnut Tartlets

A chocolate pastry crust filled with homemade salted caramel, toasted hazelnuts, and dark chocolate ganache, all topped with toasted meringue.

Make them!

Chocolate Caramel Tart

This Chocolate Caramel Tart has a chocolate shortbread crust filled with homemade salted caramel sauce and dark chocolate ganache! A decadent classic!

Bake it!

Champagne Citrus Tart

This Champagne Citrus Tart has an orange-scented sweet pastry crust filled with champagne pastry cream and topped with champagne-glazed citrus! A mimosa in dessert form!

Make it!

Champagne Citrus Tart on a white stand with flutes of champagne nearby.

Caramel Banana Cream Pie

A flaky pastry crust filled with salted caramel sauce, caramel pastry cream, and fresh bananas, all topped with fresh whipped cream.

Bake it!

Winter Cookie & Brownie Recipes

Is there anything cozier than curling up with a warm mug of tea, coffee, or hot cocoa with a cookie or two? These flavors (chocolate, dates, lemon, cranberries) just scream Winter to me!

Bailey's Chocolate Chip Cookies

These soft, chewy cookies have Bailey's chocolate chips and homemade Bailey's Irish cream in both the cookies and the buttercream!

Make them!

Cranberry Sage Cookies

These Cranberry Sage Cookies are sage sugar cookies sandwiched with cranberry buttercream! The combination of flavors and textures is outstanding! <3

Bake them!

Stack of three Cranberry Sage Cookies on parchment paper with a candied sage leaf on top.

Date Nut Swirl Cookies

These Date Nut Swirl Cookies have a buttery brown sugar dough filled with swirls of dates and pecans. These babies are crisp, chewy, crunchy, and gooey all in one bite!

Make them!

Oatmeal Brownies

These fudgy Oatmeal Brownies have a buttery, crisp oatmeal crust! A recipe tried-and-true from my childhood, and a regular occurrence at my house during the holidays!

Bake them!

Top view of Oatmeal Brownies with one brownie turned on its side.

Lemon Sugar Cookies

These Lemon Sugar Cookies are simple, lemony perfection!! Crisp on the edges, chewy in the middle, and with fantastic lemon flavor, you won't be able to stop at one!

Make them!

Mocha Swirl Cookies

These crisp Mocha Swirl Cookies combine chocolate cookie dough and espresso-cocoa nib cookie dough for a not-too-sweet treat! Pro tip: for a little extra sweetness, use chopped chocolate-covered espresso beans instead of nibs!

Bake them!

Bread & Muffins

Nothing smells better than freshly baked bread and muffins in your kitchen! I love how baking warms the house up in the Winter, and these recipes are the perfect way to do it!

Butterscotch Banana Muffins

These Butterscotch Banana Muffins are soft, moist banana muffins with butterscotch chips! A twist on a classic! <3

Make them!

Butterscotch banana muffin on a plate with butterscotch chips and banana slices.

Honey Ginger Pear Muffins

These Honey Ginger Pear Muffins are made with whole wheat pastry flour and no refined sugar! The sweetness from the honey and spiciness from the ginger make them a fabulous breakfast (or anytime) treat!

Make them!

(The Best Ever) Banana Bread

This (The Best Ever) Banana Bread is everything banana bread should be: great banana flavor without being heavy or slimy, and light in texture without being dry. I also add a sprinkle of raw sugar to the top of mine just before baking for a sweet crunch. (I save that part for last...my kids eat it first.)

Bake it!

Moist Date Bread

This Date Bread is moist and delicious with dates, spices, and loads of orange zest!

Make it!

Pastries

Here we have pastries with winter coziness and decadence, specifically sweet rolls and cream puffs! This section has the best ways to start and end your Winter days!

Chocolate Rolls with Espresso Glaze

These rolls are filled with chocolate-espresso filling, then topped with espresso glaze and crushed chocolate-covered espresso beans! Like a mocha for breakfast!

Make them!

Square image of partially eaten Chocolate Roll with Espresso Glaze on a white plate.

Dulce de Leche Cream Puffs

These gorgeous Dulce de Leche Cream Puffs are filled with dulce de leche cream, dipped in thick, shiny dark chocolate glaze, then drizzled with more dulce de leche!

Bake them!

Chocolate Dulce de Leche Rolls

These soft Chocolate Dulce de Leche Rolls are filled with chocolate filling and homemade dulce de leche, then topped with dulce de leche cream cheese frosting swirled with chocolate ganache! The ultimate in breakfast decadence!

Make them!

Closeup of partially eaten chocolate and dulce de leche roll.

Cookie Dough Cream Puffs

These Cookie Dough Cream Puffs are filled with a smooth, fluffy, safe-to-eat chocolate chip cookie dough, then drizzled with dark chocolate ganache!

Bake them!

Cheesecakes

I loooove cheesecake, and these recipes have the flavors that I crave in the cold winter months!

Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake with Date Caramel

This beauty is a dark chocolate cheesecake with hazelnut graham cracker crust, topped with date caramel!

Make it!

Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake

A classic graham cracker crust filled with creamy vanilla bean cheesecake, swirled with homemade cranberry sauce!

Bake it!

Cookie Dough Cheesecake with Brownie Crust

This Cookie Dough Cheesecake with Brownie Crust is three desserts in one! A fudgy brownie is topped with (eggless!) chocolate chip cookie dough, then with a layer of no-bake vanilla bean cheesecake!

Make it!

Top view of Cookie Dough Cheesecake with Brownie Crust.

Everything Else!

Last but not least, here's the miscellaneous section! Not to be overlooked, these recipes for candy, meringues, and hot cocoa mix bring the cozy all season long!

Hazelnut Espresso Truffles

Dark chocolate, hazelnuts, and espresso combine into a decadent treat! Beautiful and delicious!

Make them!