Holidays & Occasions New Year's 23 New Year's Eve Desserts Ring in the new year with these delectable desserts. By Alana Al-Hatlani Alana Al-Hatlani Alana Al-Hatlani is an Assistant Food Editor at Southern Living. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on April 18, 2024 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Christine Kelly Whether or not you plan to stay up until midnight, ring in the New Year with an impressive and delicious dessert. Indulge in a rich Chocolate Mousse Cake or try something a little boozy, like a Spiked Eggnog Bundt. You might be tired of cookies and pies from the holidays, but consider New Year's Eve your opportunity to make an impressive cake or one more big, beautiful dessert before the year is over and healthier eating commences. Celebrate the cranberries and citrus that are in season or lean into the chocolate desserts that pair perfectly with a glass of champagne and fireworks. 01 of 23 Sea Salt-Caramel Cake Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall This is an impressive cake bound to wow guests. The rich caramel frosting is finished with a touch of flaky sea salt for the right balance of salty and sweet. We'll bet that once friends and family get a taste of this cake, you'll be making it on repeat in the New Year. Get The Recipe 02 of 23 Chocolate Fondue Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley What better way to celebrate the new year than with a bowl of silky chocolate? Chocolate fondue is an instant crowd-pleaser. Everyone will have so much fun dipping all the different bites in chocolate. For a boozy twist, stir a little of your favorite liquor into the pot. Get The Recipe 03 of 23 Chocolate-Coconut Pavlova Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos If you're tired of icing cakes from the holidays, this dessert is for you. Layers of crispy baked meringue and coconut whipped cream make a dreamy dairy-free and gluten-free dessert that looks impressive with very little decorating. Get The Recipe 04 of 23 Cappuccino Swirl Bars Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer These impressive-looking coffee-flavored bars are easier than you would think to pull off. Store-bought chocolate wafer cookies make up the easy crust while chocolate-covered espresso beans are a sophisticated and delicious garnish. Get The Recipe 05 of 23 Hot Buttered Rum Bread Pudding Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Bread pudding gets an upgrade with the help of gold rum in this recipe. With the addition of all of the warm spices (don't skip the black pepper!), it's the perfect cozy winter dessert to eat while watching the fireworks. Get The Recipe 06 of 23 Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Micah A. Leal Have the best of two desserts in one with this recipe. Thanks to a layer of torched granulated sugar, this rich and creamy classic cheesecake has a caramelized top just like crème brûlée. Get The Recipe 07 of 23 Chocolate Mousse Cake Micah Leal Three layers of chocolate combine in this cake for the ultimate chocolate lover's dessert. Tart berries help cut through the richness of this cake, adding a brightness that allows you to enjoy more of the dessert than you could on its own. Get The Recipe 08 of 23 Chocolate Trifle Hector Manuel Sanchez These beautiful individual trifles look like they would take hours to make, but thanks to a handful of grocery store shortcuts, they couldn't be easier. From brownie mix to boxed pudding, this dessert is a breeze for those of us who by New Year's are exhausted from all the holiday baking. Get The Recipe 09 of 23 Butter Pecan Layer Cake with Browned Butter Frosting Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Some say butter makes everything better, but browned butter tops the plain stuff, at least when it comes to frosting. In this cake, the nutty browned butter frosting is the perfect match for the butter pecan cake layers. Get The Recipe 10 of 23 Chocolate Eclair Cake Micah A. Leal This cake is a sight to behold and even more of a delight to eat. Inspired by the French dessert, it has chocolate ganache, crispy pastry, and cream-filled layers. Get The Recipe 11 of 23 Bushwacker Meredith Food Studios A milkshake is dessert, right? And this one spiked with dark rum, coffee liquor, and Irish cream, will help keep the spirits up long past midnight. Get The Recipe 12 of 23 Chocolate Torte Micah Leal A simple and elegant dessert with an intense dark chocolate flavor. Feel free to get creative with how you serve it, from making freshly whipped cream to go with, to adding berries or fruit compotes on top of a slice. Get The Recipe 13 of 23 Mexican Chocolate Pudding Cake Brian Woodcock This ooey-gooey warm chocolate cake is a late-night dessert dream. Serve with vanilla ice cream, a creamy and cool contrast to the rich and slightly spicy cake. Get The Recipe 14 of 23 Salted Caramel Cheesecake Will Dickey; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners From top to bottom, this cheesecake delivers on the caramel. The crust is made with crushed caramel cookies while the top gets a generous drizzle of thick dulce de leche so each bite is full of bittersweet caramel flavors. Get The Recipe 15 of 23 Pecan Spice Cake with Caramel-Rum Glaze Jennifer Davick; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas Would you believe this cake only requires 30 minutes of hands-on cooking? It does! But you wouldn't know that looking at it. Pop this cake in the oven. put your feet up, and relax with some New Year's Eve re-runs while it bakes. Get The Recipe 16 of 23 Coconut-Carrot Cake with Coconut Buttercream Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas In charge of bringing dessert to the party? This sheet cake carrot cake not only feeds a crowd but travels well. Carrot curls and coconut flakes are easy flourishes that make this cake look great without too much extra effort. Get The Recipe 17 of 23 Mini Cranberry-Cheesecake Pies David Malosh; Prop Styling: Robyn Glaser; Food Styling: Maggie Ruggiero Sometimes just a few bites of dessert are all you really need and these mini cranberry cheesecake pies are a satisfying two-bite treat for those times. Plus, you won't need a springform pan or water bath for these mini cheesecake desserts to turn out perfect every time. Get The Recipe 18 of 23 Spiked Eggnog Bundt Cake Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall While you might be done with eggnog for the year, this ultra-rich bundt made with the flavors of the holiday drink is a fun new way to enjoy the seasonal treat. With both nutmeg and bourbon in the batter, this cake is a cozy winter delight. Get The Recipe 19 of 23 Caramel Apple Cake Photo: Hector Sanchez This is a showstopper dessert that nobody will be able to resist. To make it extra decadent, we even topped it with a delicious Apple Brandy-Caramel Sauce, but don't worry this cake comes together easily. Get The Recipe 20 of 23 The Lane Cake Hector Sanchez This classic isn't the easiest to make, but it's the kind of recipe you break out for big celebration. Packed with Southern flavors like toasted pecans, coconut flakes, and dried peaches, it's the perfect way to end the year with a bang! Get The Recipe 21 of 23 7UP Bundt Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner Add a little pop to your New Year's dessert with 7UP. Topped with a lemon-lime cream cheese frosting and sugared citrus peels, this cake might not look like the 7UP bundts your mom made, but we promise it's a delicious update. Get The Recipe 22 of 23 Cranberry-Orange Cake with Orange Buttercream Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors Hall Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Cranberry and orange are a classic flavor pairing for a reason. Here they come together for a moist layer cake that is perfectly sweet and tart. Get The Recipe 23 of 23 Pink Champagne Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Christine Kelly If you're already pulling out the flute glasses for a midnight toast, then maybe this Pink Champagne Cake is the dessert for you. You'll definitely want to pop some champagne for this recipe; we included it in both the cake and icing. Get The Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit