Make-ahead dessert recipes
Browse our best make-ahead dessert recipes – all can be made in advance, with the finishing touches added on the day. Perfect to take some stress out of throwing a dinner party.
Choose from crowdpleasing classics such as eton mess and Michel Roux Jr’s chocolate mousse or lemon tart, or new favourites including Japanese soufflé cheesecake and a mango twist on tiramisu.
In the mood for chocolate? We love these molten middle chocolate fondants and our chocolate tart inspired by After Eights. If fruit’s your thing, we have plenty of make-ahead dessert recipes in that vein, too. For summer, opt for a strawberry daiquiri tart; for winter, try our pear and butterscotch cheesecake. And if you’re a pavlova fan, you’ll be spoilt for choice with our topping ideas, from caramelised walnut and coffee to peach bellini and pink praline.
Need starter ideas for your soirée? Check out our recipes, including smoky garlic prawn cocktail and a halloumi and clementine salad.
Showing 1-16 of 194 recipes
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Rice puddings
Rice pudding brûlée with caramel bananas
If you love rice pudding, you'll love this indulgent rice pudding brûlée with caramel bananas from dinner party expert Rosie Mackean.
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Easy
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Blueberries
Blueberry latte cheesecake
This beautiful blueberry latte cheesecake balances the flavours of blueberries and coffee, with a chocolate crumb base.
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Medium
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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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Baked cheesecakes
Mint ‘Viennetta’ New York cheesecake
Packed with nostalgic retro flavours, this mint chocolate cheesecake is baked in a loaf tin to give it that classic ‘Viennetta’ look and feel
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Medium
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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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Dinner party desserts
Chocolate pannacottas with pine nut and puffed rice praline
These chocolate pannacottas are silky and rich, and a showstopper dessert for a dinner party. Top with a pine nut and puffed rice praline.
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Medium
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Chocolate mousse
Avocado mousse and chocolate ganache
Silky avocado mousse, rich chocolate ganache and crunchy cashews: this make-ahead dessert by Indonesian chef Petty Elliot is a delight.
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Easy
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Patisserie
Hazelnut paris-brest
TV judge and top pastry chef Benoit Blin shows how to master a paris-brest. This famous French bake was invented to celebrate a bicycle race.
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Challenge
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Rhubarb
Honeyed mascarpone tart with ovenpoached rhubarb
This honey tart is sweet and creamy, with a mascarpone filling. It works perfectly with the subtle sharpness of oven-poached rhubarb.
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Easy
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Pavlova
Mini chocolate and blood orange pavlovas
Need an easy but delicious winter dessert? These mini chocolate and blood orange pavlovas need just six ingredients and 20 mins to assemble.
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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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Make-ahead desserts
Passion fruit and coconut crème brûlée
Looking for an easy make-ahead dessert recipe for a special occasion? Try Ravinder Bhogal's passion fruit and coconut crème brûlée to share.
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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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Christmas cupcakes and small bakes
Gingercake bites
Sticky gingercake gets better with age, so it’s perfect for giving as a Christmas gift. We’ve coated each cube of cake with a lemony icing.
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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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