Make-ahead Christmas dessert recipes
No one wants to be stuck in the kitchen making pudding after a massive Christmas lunch – use one of our best make-ahead Christmas dessert recipes so that you can relax on the big day. Many of the options we’ve included are decadent, but still really easy to make, like this Bailey’s chocolate trifle, and we’ve also got some more budget Christmas dessert ideas to inspire you as well.
Need help narrowing it down? Here’s our separate collections for trifles, chocolate tarts, Christmas puddings and cheesecakes.
Showing 1-16 of 109 recipes
Italian dessert recipes
Bonet (Italian chocolate and amaretti pudding)
Bonet is a classic Piedmontese dessert showcasing two of the region’s favourite things – chocolate and amaretti biscuits. Gently cooked...
Almond recipes
Almond cheesecake meringue nests
Scoops of pillowy amaretto-spiked mascarpone top golden sugar meringue nests to make these individual festive desserts. The meringues can be...
Christmas baking recipes
Tres leches eggnog cake
Inspired by both the Mexican milk-soaked cake and the flavours of the classic Christmas cocktail, this tres leches eggnog cake...
Trifle recipes
Coconut pannacotta and raspberry trifle
Dreamy layers of coconut cake, pannacotta and cream make this trifle with a twist exciting enough, but the surprise layer...
Show-stopping Christmas dessert recipes
Triple chocolate baubles
Decoration or dessert? These beautiful baubles require patience but they’re fairly easy to make. With a triple-threat of white chocolate...
Ice cream recipes
Spiced fruit and mascarpone ice cream sandwiches
These festive ice cream sandwiches are inspired by our popular Christmassy spiced fruit and mascarpone semifreddo recipe. The sponge is...
Show-stopping Christmas dessert recipes
Black forest ‘forest’ trifle
This dramatic dessert embraces the elements of a black forest gateau – cherries, chocolate and kirsch – using layers similar...
Chocolate tarts, tortes and pies
Ravneet Gill’s gianduja chocolate tart
Ravneet Gill’s rich chocolate and hazelnut tart is the perfect dessert to impress friends at an autumn gathering. Ravneet says:...
Pavlova recipes
Caramelised walnut and coffee pavlova
Chetna Makan’s easy pavlova is topped with cream and beautifully caramelized walnuts, then drizzled with dark chocolate ganache – the...
Chestnut recipes
Chestnut parfait with chocolate bourbon caramel
Creamy chestnut purée is perfect for making into all sorts of wonderful desserts, including this decadent parfait, which comes topped...
Meringue recipes
Snow eggs with almond crumb, mango sorbet and passion fruit
This snow egg recipe from food writer and photographer Elainea Emmott is a simple showstopper dessert packed with fresh tropical...
Quick and easy dessert recipes
Sweet filo triangles with cardamom, clementine and pistachios
Say hello to sweet filo triangles! Fragrant cardamom, sticky citrus, crunchy nuts and crisp pastry – this beautiful, festive dessert...
Trifle recipes
Orange and ginger cake trifle
Orange trifle makes a glorious Christmas dessert. Orange jelly is topped with ginger cake, white choc pannacotta and an unapologetically...
Trifle recipes
Traditional English trifle
Raspberry jelly, thick vanilla custard, sherry-soaked sponge fingers and pillowy mounds of whipped cream: it’s the ultimate traditional trifle recipe....
Christmas baking recipes
Mince pie treacle tart
Lola Milne’s sublime yet simple pudding is an amalgamation of treacle tart and mince pie: sticky, spicy, fruity and unashamedly...
Make-ahead Christmas dessert recipes
Mince pie ice cream sandwiches
Looking for an easy but impressive Christmas dessert? Mince pie ice cream sandwiches, served in golden brioche, tick all the...
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