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. We’ve also got some budget Christmas dessert ideas to inspire you as well.
Some of our most popular desserts include a dramatic (but simple!) black forest ‘forest’ trifle and snowy tres leches eggnog cake – or go classic with a Christmas Yule log. Chocolate mousse is always a crowdpleaser and our version includes a simple orange gel for a cheffy touch. Prefer something totally fruity? Pop these rhubarb and grapefruit possets in the fridge.
Need help narrowing it down? Here’s our separate collections for trifles, chocolate tarts, Christmas puddings and cheesecakes.
Showing 1-16 of 126 recipes
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Baked cheesecakes
Japanese soufflé cheesecake with yuzu-caramel sauce
Japanese soufflé cheesecake is all about the light, airy texture. Yuzu-caramel sauce adds a pop of zesty sweetness to the fluffy cheesecake.
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Easy
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Tropical desserts
Passion fruit tart no-bake cheesecake
The tangy zing of the passion fruit topping offers just the right contrast to the rich creaminess below in this no-bake cheesecake recipe .
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Easy
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Baked cheesecakes
Basque forest cheesecake
We've given Basque cheesecake a decadent Black Forest spin, with cherries, cream and chocolate. it’s a cheesecake you’ll keep coming back to.
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Easy
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Show-stopping Christmas desserts
Mulled wine snowdrift meringue pie
Now here’s how you create some drama at the Christmas table! This mulled wine snowdrift pie is a festive twist on lemon meringue pie.
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Medium
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Sponsored by Camp Coffee
Tiramisu
Pandoro tiramisu tree cake
Smple slicing turns a pandoro into a Christmas tree cake. Douse in coffee liqueur, mascarpone cream and grated choc for a tiramisu upgrade.
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Easy
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Patisserie
Tipsy snowman choux buns
These adorable bite-size choux snowmen are filled with a Baileys-spiked cream – which may explain why they’re so merry.
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Medium
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Celebrity chef Christmas recipes
Philip Khoury’s pistachio, chocolate and cherry yule log
Create a magical woodland scene with this yule log from Phill Khoury. The pistachio sponge is studded with cherries and coated with ganache.
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Parfaits
Maple-peanut parfait with peanut brittle and boozy prunes
Parfait is the ultimate make-ahead dessert. This parfait recipe amps things up with crunchy peanut brittle and rum-soaked prunes.
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Medium
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Rhubarb
Rhubarb and pink grapefruit possets with poppy seed and pistachio shortbread
These possets make the most of winter’s citrus and the pleasant tang of rhubarb. An impressive make-ahead dessert for Christmas entertaining.
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Medium
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Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate mousse with blood orange gel and hazelnut crumb
Dark chocolate mousse is a delight with toasted hazelnut crumb and sweet-sharp blood orange gel in this festive make-ahead dessert.
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Medium
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Christmas air fryer recipes
Air fryer eggnog cheesecake
Cheesecakes are brilliant baked in the air fryer. The top is less likely to crack, providing a cheesecake that looks as good as it tastes.
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Easy
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Frozen dessert
Mini baked alaskas
Introducing our failsafe mini baked alaskas: chocolate no-churn ice cream, sturdy sponge base, no-cook jam and silky torched swiss meringue.
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Chocolate cakes
Chocolate, blood orange and hazelnut cake
This terrific chocolate hazelnut cake gets its moistness from whole cooked oranges, and is topped with candied orange peel.
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Easy
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Italian desserts
Bonet (Italian chocolate and amaretti pudding)
Bonet is a classic Piedmontese dessert showcasing two of the Italian region’s favourite things – chocolate and amaretti biscuits.
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Easy
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Almond
Almond cheesecake meringue nests
Scoops of pillowy amaretto-spiked mascarpone top golden sugar meringue nests to make these individual festive desserts.
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Easy
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Christmas baking
Tres leches eggnog cake
This tres leches eggnog cake puts a festive spin on the Mexican milk-soaked cake. The snowy bake is light, fluffy and subtly spiced.
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Medium
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