20 New Year's Eve Desserts That Feel Extra—But Are Surprisingly Easy

Have your cake and eat it too!

By
Theodora Kaloudis
Theodora Kaloudis
Theodora Kaloudis
Theodora's passion for cooking began early on as a young girl, working in the kitchen at her father's Greek diner in Brooklyn, NY. Her recipes have appeared on Delish, Spruce Eats, Today.com, Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon, Dinnerly, Simply Recipes, and in various cookbooks.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Published December 26, 2025
Theodora Kaloudis
Mocha mousse in a bowl with whipped topping, a portion scooped out

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Serve up showstopping desserts for New Year’s Eve that look like they took a lot of effort to make, but don’t. Whether it’s low-effort, make-ahead, or with a little help from premade ingredients, we’ve got an impressive array of simple yet elegant desserts that are sure to dazzle your guests. From a Lazy Crêpe Cake to Millionaire Bars, you’ll be ringing in the new year in sweet style.

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  • Hello Dolly Brownies (10-Minute Prep)

    Overhead view of a white plate of seven hello dolly brownie bars on a brown countertop

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Rachel Vanni / Food Styling by Tiffany Schleigh

    "Any brownie mix will do, but I prefer the Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Premium Brownie Mix, as I find the bittersweet chocolate pairs best with all the other toppings. If you use a different brand of brownie mix, just be sure to follow the preparation instructions on the back of the box; you may need to omit or adjust the water, eggs, and oil called for in the recipe below.” —Molly Adams, Recipe Developer

  • Millionaire Bars

    Closeup view of a stack of Millionaire Shortbread bars on parchment paper with several bars visible in the background

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    "Store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or wrap and freeze individually wrapped for up to 6 months." —Stephanie A Ganz, Recipe Developer

  • Party Pie (5 Ingredients, Make Ahead)

    Granny’s Party Pie slices on dessert plates with forks and beverage glasses

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    "Who wouldn’t want a party in a pie? But really, it was the simplicity of ingredients that had us sold. It had just five of them—chocolate, marshmallows, cream, milk, and a graham cracker crust—so it was an easy decision to try it out, because we already had all of the ingredients on hand." —Jeanette Hurt, Recipe Developer

  • Pavlova (Egg White Meringue Dessert)

    Pavlova
    Elise Bauer

    "The cooled meringues will keep in a tightly sealed container or individually wrapped at room temperature for up to a week if your house is not humid." —Shuna Lydon, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 5 of 20 below

  • Mocha Mousse (4 Ingredients)

    Mocha mousse in a bowl with whipped topping, a portion scooped out

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "This recipe is very versatile because you can use almost any chocolate you have available. However sweet you like your chocolate desserts determines what kind of chocolate you should use. I prefer a slightly less sweet chocolate with more of a bitter note, so semisweet and bittersweet chocolates are my faves. Milk chocolate is also great and usually something everyone around the table will enjoy." —Danielle Campbell, Recipe Developer

  • Flan

    Plate of flan at a table setting with a serving on a plate and a stack of plates with utensils

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    "Though it looks hard to make, flan is easy to pull off and most of the time is patiently waiting for the custard to set in the oven and chill in the fridge. Make it a day or two ahead, and unmold it in front of your family and friends. I promise everyone’s going to be impressed. I’ve made flan for New Year’s Eve for many years and someone always asks me for the recipe." —Myo Quinn, former Associate Editorial Director

  • Easy Crêpe Roll Cake (Make Ahead)

    Rolled crepe cake with berry filling dusted with powdered sugar and garnished with fresh raspberries and blueberries on a platter

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hausser

    "Enter: the lazy crêpe. With this method, instead of making a small mountain of individual pancakes, you can bake the batter all at once in a sheet pan and roll it up with fillings to make a jelly roll-inspired crêpe cake. Best of all, making the batter couldn’t be easier—just throw all of the ingredients in a blender, buzz it up, and you’re ready to go." —Joey Firoben, Recipe Developer

  • Oreo Ice Cream Cake

    Plate of Oreo Ice Cream Cake With a Slice Cut Out

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "Swap store-bought vanilla and cookies and cream ice cream for the no-churn. You’ll need about 2 3/4 cups of each flavor. Let the ice cream sit out at room temperature until soft but not melted." —Kayla Hoang, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 9 of 20 below

  • Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe

    A Slice of Flourless Chocolate Cake Garnished with Fresh Raspberries Lifted on a Pie Server

    Simply Recipes / Cambrea Gordon

    "Don’t overbake the cake. You want some moist crumbs, but no wet batter, clinging onto a toothpick inserted into the center. If the toothpick comes out clean, it’s overbaked.” —Kayla Hoang, Recipe Developer

  • Chocolate Tres Leches Cake

    Chocolate Tres Leches Cake in a Cake Pan Cut into Slices

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "This cake tastes even better the day after you make it—the milk mixture would have had a chance to really soak through the cake.” —Maria J. Ritchie, Recipe Developer

  • Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

    Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake with a Slice Cut

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm 

    "The cookie dough will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. When you’re ready to bake, bake as directed straight from the fridge. The frosting will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week in an airtight container.” —Mark Beahm, Recipe Developer

  • Tiramisu Cake

    Whole tiramisu cake.

    Simply Recipes / Shilpa Uskokovic

    "Make the cake layers up to 24 hours ahead. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature. The filling and soak can be made up to 2 days ahead. Store both in airtight containers in the refrigerator. The cake can be assembled (minus the top layer of cream and dusting of cocoa powder) up to 24 hours ahead. Keep it covered and refrigerated in the cake pan." —Shilpa Uskokovic, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 13 of 20 below

  • Candy Bar Dates

    Candy Bar Dates Surrounded by Crushed Peanuts, Coconut Slivers, Caramel Sauce, and a Bowl of Peanut Butter

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    "Try your own combinations to make your very on candy bar date. Caramel, chopped almonds, and flaky salt is a delicious combo, or fill your dates with Nutella and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts. Experimentation is half the fun.” —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

  • Chocolate Pots de Crème

    Chocolate Pots de Crème on a Spoon with More in Ramekins

    Simply Recipes / Karishma Pradhan

    "Pots de crème come in a variety of flavors, from classic vanilla to salted caramel to chocolate. Traditionally, they are eaten chilled, making them the ideal make-ahead dessert.” —Karishma Pradhan, Recipe Developer

  • Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake Recipe

    Close up of a chocolate cake roll.
    Simply Recipes / Marta Rivera

    "Swiss chocolate rolls need to chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving, so I actually recommend making it ahead of when you’ll want to serve it. You can prepare the stabilized whipped cream a day ahead and store it in an air-tight container in the fridge for 24 hours before using.” —Marta Rivera, Recipe Developer

  • Citrus Olive Oil Cake

    "I made this for friends last night and we all enjoyed it. It's not a light cake, but somewhat dense. Very distinct citrus flavor, which we loved. Definitely make the candied oranges for garnishing the top. They really make it. I have been nibbling on it all day!" —Linda G, Reader

    Continue to 17 of 20 below

  • Caramel Brownie

    Caramel Swirl Brownies on parchment

    Simply Recipes/Alison Bickel

    "To serve Caramel Brownies in an even more spectacular presentation, try them in a brownie sundae! Place a brownie in a dish and top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, drizzle with warm caramel sauce. For the finishing touches add whipped cream, sugared pecans, chocolate sprinkles, and, of course, a cherry on top.” —Rachel Knecht, Recipe Developer

  • Chocolate Truffles

    Overhead view of chocolate truffles covered in cocoa and chopped nuts.
    Eliezer Martinez

    "The best chocolate for making truffles is block chocolate or chocolate bars (not chocolate chips), preferably higher in cacao content. Look in the baking aisle for chocolate with 60% or higher cacao content.” —from the Editors of Simply Recipes

  • Ricotta-Mascarpone Mousse with Balsamic Strawberries

    Ricotta-Mascarpone Mousse with Balsamic Strawberries

    Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

    "Freeze leftovers! Surprisingly, this mousse freezes beautifully. Place leftover mousse and berries in separate zip-top freezer bags and press out any remaining air. Freeze for up to 2 months. To serve, thaw overnight in the fridge. To serve, snip off a corner of the bag of the mousse and use it to neatly pipe right onto the berries” —Elise Bauer, Founder

  • Red Wine Poached Pears

    Poached pear in small white bowl with ice cream.

    Simply Recipes / Hannah Zimmerman

    "Red Wine Poached Pears can be made ahead of time. Once the pears are poached and cooled, transfer them into an airtight glass container and strain in the red wine sauce. Cover the container tightly and store the pears in the fridge for up to three days." —Hannah Zimmerman, Recipe Developer

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