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Our best ever Christmas dessert recipes

Finish your Christmas dinner with one of these show-stopping desserts, guaranteed to impress everyone!

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best christmas dessert

If you're looking for a Christmas dessert that isn't a Christmas pudding then you've come to the right place! These are all our favourite non-traditional Christmas dessert recipes to satisfy every sweet tooth.

Top of your Christmas dessert ideas should be a trusty trifle recipe. Our clementine and prosecco trifle is a real show-stopper with an orange and prosecco jelly and clementine-infused custard.

We’ve also taken inspiration from the classic snowball cocktail and created a snowball cocktail tart for the ultimate kitsch Christmas dessert. It’s topped with whipped cream and glace cherries, of course, and Advocaat custard.

For another grown-up dessert, there's our espresso martini meringue tart. It has fluffy, sweet meringue on top and taste just like the famous drink – it’s a real crowd pleaser.

A good cheesecake is hard to beat, and this Christmas pudding cheesecake has all the flavours of a Christmas pudding, plus a tangy Cointreau and brandy glaze.

Make a sophisticated yet speedy centrepiece with our pannetone party bombe – which is a hollowed out panettone, filled with ice cream, pistachios, almonds and glace cherries. You can make this dessert even easier by buying vanilla ice cream, rather than making the easy no-churn version. Either way, it will be delicious.

Individual dessert recipes are great for smaller groups and gatherings. These brandy butter caramel chocolate fondants are decadent, but if time is of the essence then these Black Forest trifle pots can be assembled in 10 minutes, leaving you more time to celebrate with friends and family.

1

Chocolate Brownie Trifle

best christmas recipes
Mike English

Isn't this dessert stunning? And you won't believe us when we tell you it's ready in only 30 mins.

Recipe: Chocolate Brownie Trifle

2

Coconut & Pistachio Snowy Yule Log

coconut and pistachio log
Mike English

Coconut and pistachio are two flavours we can't get enough of so we combined them in this snowy yule log!

Recipe: Coconut & Pistachio Snowy Yule Log

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3

Salted Caramel Profiterole Wreath

salted caramel profiterole wreath
Mike English

Choux pastry is easy to master if you follow our tips - and this striking dessert is so easy to serve - just dig in with your hands!

Recipe: Salted Caramel Profiterole Wreath

4

Eggnog and Berry Jelly

eggnog and berry jelly

Jelly is back! This one is a dual flavoured jelly: one part eggnog and one part berry and it is utterly delicious.

Recipe: Eggnog and Berry Jelly

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5

Cherry & White Chocolate Pavlova

best christmas recipes
Mike English

If you can't be bothered making the pavlova from scratch, use shop bought and it'll shave off a lot of stress and time for Christmas day pud!

Recipe: Cherry & White Chocolate Pavlova

6

Chocolate and Orange Panettone

chocolate and orange panettone

Any leftover stale panettone makes for stellar French toast or bread-and-butter pudding.

Recipe: Chocolate and Orange Panettone

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7

Tahini and Sesame Choc Chip Blondies

tahini and sesame choc chip blondies

This blondie combination, with its sugar-sesame-salt sprinkle is mightily addictive. You have been warned!

Recipe: Tahini and Sesame Choc Chip Blondies

8

No-Bake Irish Cream and White Chocolate Tart

best christmas desserts no bake irish cream and white chocolate tart

The tangy flavour of crème fraîche in this Christmas dessert helps balance the sweetness from the white chocolate, but you could use extra double cream, if you prefer.

Recipe: No-Bake Irish Cream and White Chocolate Tart

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9

Gingerbread Latte Tear and Share Bread

best christmas dessert recipes gingerbread latte tear and share bread

If, like us, you love a gingerbread latte during the festive season, then you need to try these warming spiced buns. Don’t want the extra caffeine kick in the icing? Replace the espresso with decaf or water.

Recipe: Gingerbread Latte Tear and Share Bread

10

Clementine and Prosecco Trifle

best christmas dessert recipes clementine and prosecco trifle

Trifles should mean you're never stuck for a Christmas dessert idea! The retro mix of almonds and sugar sprinkles gives much-needed crunch to the topping on this fruity but rich pud, but you could use some pared orange zest instead.

Recipe: Clementine and Prosecco Trifle

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11

Profiterole Pick ‘N’ Mix Wreath

best christmas dessert recipes profiterole pick and mix wreath

Adorn this Christmas profiterole dessert wreath with any of your favourite Pick ‘n’ Mix sweets! This can be enjoyed all year round, using any colours you like to dye your chocolate.

Recipes: Profiterole Pick ‘N’ Mix Wreath

12

Gingerbread Gin Apple and Blackberry Crumble

best crumble recipes gingerbread gin apple and blackberry crumble

For a low-key Christmas dessert idea, this boozy and warming crumble will put a smile on your guest’s faces. The gingerbread mixture makes more biscuits than you need, but they keep well and are delicious with a cup of tea or hot milk.

Recipe: Gingerbread Gin Apple and Blackberry Crumble

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13

Eggnog Panna Cotta with Boozy Mulled Figs

best christmas desserts eggnog panna cotta with boozy mulled figs

Boozy, rich and delicious, this elegant Christmas dessert is a great alternative if you’re not a fan of Christmas pudding but still want something suitably festive.

Recipe: Eggnog Panna Cotta with Boozy Mulled Figs

14

Snowball Cocktail Tart

best christmas dessert recipes snowball cocktail tart

Christmas desserts don't get more retro than this boozy custard tart. This old-school classic, with a nostalgic festive twist, is perfect for a dinner party.

Recipe: Snowball Cocktail Tart

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15

Candy cane roulade

best christmas dessert recipes candy cane roulade

This vibrant Christmas dessert is guaranteed to impress your guests at Christmas.

Recipe: Candy cane roulade

16

Triple chocolate Bûche de Noël

best christmas dessert recipes triple chocolate buche de noel
Good Housekeeping UK

The whole family will love our triple-chocolate version of this traditional Christmas recipe.

Recipe: Triple chocolate Bûche de Noël

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17

Meringue kiss tower

best christmas dessert recipes meringue kiss tower
Good Housekeeping

A tower of these meringue kisses will look stunning on your Christmas table. Dust with edible glitter for a final festive flourish.

Recipe: Meringue kiss tower

18

Christmas cake crepes

best christmas dessert recipes christmas cake crepes
Good Housekeeping UK

Turn leftover Christmas cake into a whole new dessert, with these quick festive crepes.

Recipe: Christmas cake crepes

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19

Chocolate orange panettone pudding

best christmas dessert recipes panettone bread pudding
Good Housekeeping

Yes, you can make a last-minute pud that everyone loves. This takes minutes to cook in the oven while you’re enjoying your roast turkey and trimmings.

Recipe: Chocolate orange panettone pudding

20

Espresso martini tart

best christmas dessert recipes espresso martini meringue tart

This boozy and decadent tart is the perfect dinner party dessert. Combining all of the rich flavours of an espresso martini, such as vodka, coffee liqueur and chocolate, encased in buttery pastry and then topped with fluffy and sweet meringue, it's a true crowd pleaser!

Recipe: Espresso martini tart

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