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.

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Bonet (Italian chocolate and amaretti pudding)

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...

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Almond cheesecake meringue nests

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...

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Tres leches eggnog cake

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...

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Coconut pannacotta and raspberry trifle

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...

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Triple chocolate baubles

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...

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Spiced fruit and mascarpone ice cream sandwiches

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...

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Black forest ‘forest’ trifle

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...

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Ravneet Gill’s gianduja chocolate tart

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 a gathering. Ravneet says: “This...

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Caramelised walnut and coffee pavlova

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...

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Chestnut parfait with chocolate bourbon caramel

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...

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Snow eggs with almond crumb, mango sorbet and passion fruit

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...

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Sweet filo triangles with cardamom, clementine and pistachios

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...

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Orange and ginger cake trifle

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...

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Traditional English trifle

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....

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Mince pie treacle tart

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...

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Mince pie ice cream sandwiches

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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