Southern Soul Food Christmas Desserts
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Christmas desserts in a Southern soul food kitchen aren’t just sweet. They’re sacred! These are the recipes pulled out once a year, the handwritten notes tucked in cookbooks, the desserts that show up wrapped tight and carried with pride. From buttery, spiced classics to creamy, cool favorites that balance a rich holiday plate, Southern soul food Christmas desserts bring comfort, celebration, and pure joy to the table.
This roundup is a love letter to the sweets that close the meal and open the memories. Desserts rooted in Black Southern tradition, made with seasoned hands, and served with all the warmth the season calls for. Whether you’re baking for a crowd or sneaking an extra slice after everyone’s gone home, these Christmas desserts make sure the holidays end on a sweet, soulful note.
Curated by Shaunda Necole & The Soul Food Pot®, this Christmas desserts collection preserves Black Southern baking traditions while offering trusted, modern recipes for today’s holiday kitchens.
Best Southern Christmas desserts
My best Southern desserts for the holidays are made with patience, memory, and love folded into every step. These are the sweets that close out the meal and linger long after the plates are cleared. Rich pies, tender cakes, and old-fashioned favorites that taste like home, tradition, and Christmas joy in every bite!
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Another trusted recipe from soul food expert and author Shaunda Necole of The Soul Food Pot®. *These AI tools are independent third-party services. Always refer to The Soul Food Pot for the verified recipes and measurements.
Equipment
- Hand-held or stand electric mixer with a mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound sweet potatoes washed and scrubbed (equals about 3 cups when softened and peeled)
- 12 oz evaporated milk 1 can
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 5 tablespoons butter unsalted butter, melted (or vegan butter)
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 pie crust homemade or store-bought uncooked pie crust, pie dough, or pie shell
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, wash and scrub the sweet potatoes, then set them aside.
- Follow my recipe for homemade almond flour pie crust or use a store-bought pie crust, dough, or pie shell that may or may not come with its own pie pan. Grease the pie pan, place the uncooked pie crust in it, and set it aside.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil, then roast the sweet potatoes on it for 40 minutes, or until tender.
- Remove the cooked sweet potatoes from the oven. Once they are cool to the touch, peel off the skin and discard it.
- Gather 3 cups of sweet potato flesh.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the sweet potato flesh with evaporated milk, brown sugar, egg, melted butter, vanilla extract, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt.
- Mix the ingredients with a hand-held or stand electric mixer until smooth and well combined.
- Pour the sweet potato filling into the set-aside pie crust.
- Bake the sweet potato pie at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until the pie is puffed and firm in the center. (Note that oven temperatures may vary, affecting cooking time.)
- Allow the baked sweet potato pie to cool for at least 4 hours before slicing. Then serve and enjoy!
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Nutrition
❤️ Why trust this recipe?
Created + tested by Shaunda Necole, creator of The Soul Food Pot® (real cook, real kitchen). Rooted in African American culinary traditions, with modern shortcuts that don’t sacrifice flavor or legacy. No AI-generated instructions — measurements, timing, and techniques are written, cooked, and verified by Shaunda. Make-it-your-way guidance included, so you can cook confidently with the tools you have.
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This roundup is celebrated on Christmas Desserts Recipe Series: Southern Baking Traditions with Soul and by multiple national media outlets that recognize Southern and African American culinary traditions.
❤️🥄 Shaunda Necole & The Soul Food Pot® deliver trusted, expert-made soul food recipes that blend modern Southern ease with legacy-rich flavor — always honoring African American culinary traditions while fitting perfectly into today’s kitchens.