My Favorite Christmas Candies to Make and Share
After sharing my must-make Christmas cookie recipes, it only felt right to round up the Christmas candies we reach for year after year. These are treats my family genuinely loves, the creamy fudge that disappears fastest from the tray, and a snack mix that somehow always ends up being “just one more piece!”

Say Hello to My Christmas Candy Collection!
Every year, right around the holiday season, my kitchen turns into a full-on candy factory. Between school gifts, party trays, and a few sweet surprises for neighbors and friends, it feels like there’s always something melting, setting, or waiting to be dipped in chocolate.
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
This collection is a mix of no-bake favorites, nostalgic recipes passed down through the years, and a few fun, festive treats that look just plain cute on a dessert table or as stocking stuffers! They’re all easy to share, easy to love, and perfect for gift tins, candy trays, or sneaking a piece straight from the fridge.
So without further delay, here are my Favorite Christmas Candies!
Melt-in-Your-Mouth Snowman Oreo Balls

These adorable snowman Oreo balls are always a hit at holiday parties! Creamy, chocolatey, and dressed up with the cutest little faces, they’re easy to make and even more fun to share.
I love making these for dessert trays, school treats, or anytime I want something festive without turning on the oven. Any extra Oreos can be used to make Oreo-stuffed brownies!
Creamy, Decadent Peanut Butter Fudge

This is the kind of peanut butter fudge that’ll satisfy any sweet tooth thanks to its ultra-smooth texture and rich, old-fashioned flavor. It’s easy enough for candy makers of all skill levels, but it tastes like something you’d find behind a glass case at a country candy shop!
Cinnamon Roasted Almonds

If there’s one smell that instantly makes my kitchen feel like the holidays, it’s cinnamon and sugar toasting in the oven. These cinnamon-roasted almonds are made with simple pantry staples, but the flavor is anything but basic.
The egg white helps that sweet, spiced coating cling to every almond, creating a crisp, crunchy bite with warm cinnamon flavor and just the right touch of sweetness.
Homemade Caramels

Store-bought caramel just won’t cut it for you after this! These homemade caramels are soft, buttery, and melt the second they hit your mouth. I love wrapping them in little squares of wax paper for gifting, though I’ll admit a few always stay behind for “sampling.” If you’ve never made candy before, this is a wonderful place to start.
Velvety-Smooth Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

What makes this sweet treat shine is its rich, silky chocolate on the bottom and a creamy peanut butter layer on top that’s smooth, slightly salty, and perfectly balanced. Add a sprinkle of chopped peanut butter cups on top if you want to be extra, or keep it simple and let those smooth, creamy layers speak for themselves!
Sugar Cookie Cake Balls

These sugar cookie cake balls feature soft sugar cookie crumbs mixed with creamy frosting, rolled into bite-sized balls, and dipped in chocolate until perfectly set. They’ve got that nostalgic sugar cookie flavor everyone loves, just dressed up a little fancier for parties and holidays.
My favorite part is how customizable they are; change the colored candy coating or sprinkles to match whatever you’re celebrating!
Golden Grahams Treats

If you love classic Rice Krispies treats but wish they had a little more flavor and crunch, these Golden Grahams treats are about to be your new favorite. Made with just three ingredients (Golden Grahams cereal, marshmallow cream, and butter), they’re rich, gooey, and packed with that cozy honey-cinnamon flavor everyone recognizes.
Creamy Eggnog Fudge

This eggnog fudge is pure holiday comfort in candy form. The white chocolate base is silky and rich, the eggnog flavor is cozy without being overpowering, and that spiced cookie crumble on top adds just the right bit of crunch. Like the other fudge recipes on here, its rich flavor will have you wondering how something so good can be so simple to make!
Cream Cheese Mints

These little mints may look simple, but don’t let that fool you; they’re always the first thing folks sneak off the candy tray! Soft, creamy, and lightly sweet, they truly melt the second you pop one in your mouth. I love how easy they are to customize for any occasion.
Potato Candy Recipe Made The Old Fashioned Way

This old-fashioned potato candy is one of those holiday treats that surprises everyone, in the very best way. Made with mashed potato and peanut butter, it’s soft, sweet, and tastes more like fudgy candy than anything remotely “potato.”
And if the fam likes this one, make sure to check out this Irish potato candy recipe!
Irish Potato Candy

Irish potato candy may look like tiny spuds, but inside they’re soft, sweet, and full of creamy coconut flavor. Made with cream cheese, powdered sugar, and coconut, then rolled in cinnamon, these little candies are rich without being heavy and surprisingly hard to stop eating!
Double-Layered Candy Cane Bark

Made with creamy almond bark, crushed candy canes, and a hint of peppermint, every bite of this candy cane bark is crisp, sweet, and refreshingly minty. It’s so easy to break into pieces for gift tins and cookie trays. Bonus points: it’s a great recipe to make with kids since they get to help crush the candy canes!
A Sweet Ending to the Season
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that Christmas candy doesn’t have to be complicated to be memorable. If you make one or work your way through all these simple recipes, I hope these Christmas candies bring a little extra sweetness to your kitchen this season!

I just looked at Amazon and the kindle version is $9.99.
I took the Cream Cheese Divinity to a Church Christmas party tonight and they were such a hit – several folks said they liked them better than “real” divinity! Thanks Christy
Oh my goodness, I am so happy to hear that Bette!!! I hope you have a Merry Christmas!!
We’ve been making potato candy for years! I didn’t realize that other people made it too. I thought it was just a family recipe.
We have always made this potato candy at Christmas time and I also thought it was just a family recipe since it came from my mother-in-law and I had not seen anyone else make them. If anyone has not tried these, please do. It’s wonderful and believe it or not, it does not taste like potatoes!
Me too
Start with a “really” clean bowl and paddles. One little bitty drop of oil and you will be mixing from now to the new year. Trust me I know!
Christy, I made your Choc. Chip Cloud Clusters. They turned out to be really good. However, I don’t know if I did the meringue correctly. I started beating the egg whites and beat them until they were bubbly and then added the sugar all at once. I must have beat those egg whites with my hand mixer on high it seemed like ten minutes. They never really got to what I would call stiff peaks, so I just added the choc. chips and baked them and hoped for the best. As I said, they are good, but I would like some feedback from you about how to prepare the meringue better. Any ideas from you would be appreciated. And BTW my husband likes them too. So mine were a happy accident. 😉 I will feel better about this cookie when I learn what is the correct way to make the meringue. Thanks, Christy. Barbara
Also, I thought perhaps maybe I should have used my big KitchenAid to whip the eggs into meringue. You can see I am stumped about this.
I have my egg whites at room temperature and I concur, your bowl and beaters must be CLEAN clean, not one little trace of oil or your meringue will fail. I have a Kitchenaid too and use the balloon whisk but made meringue for years with a hand mixer. I would go with the Kitchenaid.
I beat the whites til they are a little foamy then add the sugar gradually, a little bit at a time. Just keep beating and you should get pretty, stiff peaks in a few minutes. I have heard of folks chilling the bowl and the beaters but that’s a little high maintenance for this old gal!
The other day you posted about Spritz cookies and the cookie press you could buy at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby. Over the 60 years I have been baking I have tried many cookie presses and a lot of recipes and have had little success. I had a 50% coupon at Michael’s and purchased the Wilton Cookie Pro Ultra II that you suggested and used your recipe and they turned out really great. It was so easy, I know these will be on my cookie list every year from now on. Thanks
I have a lot of raw peanuts and would like to how to PARCH some
I know to parch corn you use a dry cast skillet and stir the corn all the time until dried out. Suspect peanuts would be the same. You might spread out on a cookie sheet and dry roast in the oven, in either case you need to keep an eye on them as they are likely to go from nicely done to burntblack in seconds.
mama did them in the oven and you do have to keep a good eye on them.
My mom used to parch her peanuts on a cookie sheet in the oven. You can either put them on low heat and parch for awhile or watch carefully and put them on 350 degrees for a few minutes. Good luck!