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Lifestyle

Easy Last-Minute Desserts for the Holiday Season

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at UCLA chapter.

The holiday season can get pretty overwhelming. From taking finals, finding gifts for everyone, and everything in between, I’m sure many can relate to blanking on what to bring to a holiday party or potluck. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! These three ideas are great last-minute desserts that are sure to be crowd-pleasers. Even better, they are quick, easy, and cheap to make.

1. Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Last-minute dessert
Charisse Tan

There’s always room for dessert, especially if it’s a dessert as light and refreshing as chocolate covered strawberries. Not only are they extremely easy to make last-minute, they are popular no matter the occasion. Lauren Allen has really easy step-by-step instructions on how to make them. The basic chocolate covered strawberry is already good enough, but you can always spice it up by drizzling white chocolate over or adding sprinkles and other festive decorations. One of my favorite designs I’ve ever come across is a strawberry covered in green frosting with candy on top designed to look like a Christmas tree. You can also add festive themed toothpicks or get creative with your plating and spread the strawberries around another featured dessert as done in the image above.

2. Fudge

Photo by Darren Coleshill on Unsplash
Unsplash on unsplash

Who doesn’t love fudge? This sticky, delectable treat is a delightful way to end your meal. For me, fudge always evokes nostalgic childhood late-night snacking memories, and I can’t think of a better dessert to indulge in with friends and family. This recipe is great if you’re looking to make fudge as a last-minute contribution for a potluck or party. It requires just three ingredients and takes just three minutes. With all the extra time you’ve saved by choosing to make this quick dessert, you now have more time to devote to other last-minute holiday businesses, or you can decorate the fudge for the occasion. Like the chocolate covered strawberries, fudge can be decorated to fit any theme. You could add colored frosting, sprinkles, fondant pearls, and whatever else you’d like.

3. Microwave Mug Cakes

Last-minute dessert milk cream
Emma Weir

This dessert will definitely satisfy any sweet tooth cravings. If you have spare mugs or coffee cups lying around, microwave mug cakes are a tasty, creative, and quick option. With the holiday season in mind, this dessert works as a great excuse for you to get some new festive cups or bring out and make use of old ones. It is incredibly quick to prepare and cook. The BBC mug cake recipe only takes two minutes to make, and the result is a mouthwatering, spongy chocolate cake in a cup. Mug cakes have great texture and are perfect to pair with some ice cream. 

Hopefully, these dessert ideas have given you some last-minute inspiration. The holiday season can be stressful at times, but these fast and easy treats should help take some of the pressure off and are sure to steal the show. Happy holidays!