Merry Christmas Desserts!

Merry Christmas to you all!
Thank you for being here on my blog, and a special thank you to those who have followed along since the very beginning. I hope you have a beautiful, healthy Christmas, and that New Year 2026 brings joy, success, and new adventures. Kala Xristougenna, ugeia, kai agapi! ❤️

Today, I’m sharing my final recipes of 2025, but don’t worry—I also have an exciting vasilopita recipe coming in hot very soon!

These are two desserts you can make in no time at all, leaving you plenty of time to relax and enjoy Christmas or New Year’s celebrations. I’m sharing a no-bake Cranberry Gingerbread Pie and our favorite no-bake Lemon Cheesecake. Both come together in 30 minutes or less and are guaranteed crowd-pleasers.

Enjoy, and happy holidays!

This No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake is a light, creamy, and refreshing dessert that’s perfect for the holidays. With a buttery graham cracker crust and a smooth, zesty lemon filling, it’s an easy Christmas dessert recipe that requires no oven—ideal for busy holiday schedules.

Why You’ll Love This No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake

• No baking required
• Bright lemon flavor balances rich holiday meals
• Make-ahead friendly for Christmas parties
• Simple ingredients, festive results

This No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake with Graham Cracker Crust is a refreshing twist on classic Christmas desserts. It’s creamy, zesty, and beautifully festive—perfect for holiday gatherings, Christmas Eve dinners, or winter celebrations.

No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake with Graham Cracker Crust (Easy Christmas Dessert)

Servings: 5-6

Graham Cracker Crust Ingredients:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Lemon Cheesecake Filling Ingredients:

• 16 oz cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (see notes)

 Method:

1. In a bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar until evenly combined.
   Press firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
   Refrigerate for 20–30 minutes to set.
2. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
   Add powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks.
   Gently fold the whipped cream into the lemon cream cheese mixture until light and fluffy.
4. Spread the filling evenly over the chilled crust.
   Smooth the top, cover, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours (overnight is best).

Notes for decorating & serving:

• Pipe whipped cream swirls like snow
• Garnish with rosemary sprigs
• Add lemon wedges over the top
• Decorate with fresh mint leaves or lemon slices

 Tips for the Best No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake

• Use full-fat cream cheese for the creamiest texture
• Fresh lemon juice & zest gives the brightest flavor
• Chill thoroughly to ensure clean slices

 Final Thoughts & Notes

You can replace the vanilla flavoring for almond if you like.

We love lemony things, so we always add more zest or lemon juice to the mixture.

Make up to 2 days ahead of time!

On to the next delicious Christmas’s dessert!

Cranberry gingerbread pie is so good and really light! Again another no bake dessert and really easy to whip up.

This recipe involves making the cranberry curd, but this is the key highlight to this dessert! The color is absolutely beautiful, and it really is full of flavor!

No-Bake Cranberry Pie with Gingerbread Crust

Servings: 5-6

Gingerbread Crust Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups gingerbread cookie crumbs
  (gingersnaps or gingerbread cookies work great)
• 1 cup of walnuts or pecans
• Pinch of sea salt, fine grind
• Pinch of all spice
• 3 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons of butter, melted

Cranberry Filling Ingredients:

• 3 cups of cranberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup of water
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 egg yolks, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons of lemon zest
• 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of sea salt, fine grind
• 4 1/2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in pieces, at room temperature

Method:

1. Prepare the pie crust. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease the inside of the baking pie dish.
2. In a food processor, place the cookies, walnuts or pecans, salt, all spice, and sugar. Pulse to combine then while the machine is running add the melted butter. The mixture should resemble thick sand.
3. Pour the crust into the pie pan and take your hand or a small plate and press the crust down and up the sides to form. Bake in the middle rack for about 12-15 minutes. Keep and eye on the pie as you do not want it to get too brown, but a nice golden brown.  Set aside until ready to use.
4. Place the cranberries inside a medium pot along with the sugar, and water. Simmer the mixture until the cranberries have softened and the liquid has reduced. Cook for about 15 minutes. Then remove from the heat, and puree the mixture using an emulsifier or food processor. Place inside a bowl, and set aside.
5. Start by making the “custard”. Whisk together the eggs, yolks, lemon zest,  lemon juice, salt, 1/2 cup of sugar, and the cranberry puree. Then pour the filling in a medium pot, and cook until it thickens. Make sure you continue to stir with a wooden spoon until thickened. Remove from the heat, and strain any large pieces of cranberry out.
6. Add the curd to a bowl, and stir in the butter. Pour the curd into the already baked pie shell, and then refrigerate the pie until set. I actually made this a day ahead of time, and it was perfect.
7. To serve, decorate with sugared cranberries, mint or rosemary sprigs. You can dust with powdered sugar if you like to make it more festive.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Tips for the best Cranberry Gingerbread pie

• Make this dessert ahead of time! You can easily prepare it up to 2 days in advance.
  Making the curd a day ahead is ideal and helps save time.
• For the cranberry sugar decoration, simply roll damp cranberries in granulated sugar—super easy and festive!
• The curd is the most challenging part of the recipe, but here’s a classic pastry-chef tip: once the curd thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, it’s ready. This is one of the first techniques we learn in pastry school!