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Make-ahead summer dessert

Make-ahead summer dessert recipes

These make-ahead dessert recipes are the secret to relaxed summer entertaining.

Spend more time with guests and less time stressing in the kitchen. Each of these puds can be made ahead of time and then stashed in the fridge or freezer. Some can be made entirely in advance, some just need you to add the finishing touches, like fresh berries, icing or whipped cream.

Make the most of summer produce in your sweet creations. Bake a French strawberry tart, stay cool with raspberry cheesecake ice cream or impress with a gooseberry and elderflower pavlova.

Tropical desserts are always popular in summer. Chill mango mousse in the fridge. Bake easy pineapple puff pastry tarts, or a zesty nectarine and tahini layer cake. There’s a make-ahead pud for every summer celebration…

Showing 1-16 of 122 recipes

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Crumble recipes

Meliz Berg’s spiced fruit baklava crumble

Freezable Vegetarian

Easy

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Dinner party dessert recipes

Best-of-the-best summer swiss roll

With a light but springy sponge, rich mascarpone cream and fresh seasonal fruit, our best swiss roll recipe makes the perfect summer dessert.

Make-ahead

Medium

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Strawberry recipes

Strawberry, black pepper and clotted cream tart

This strawberry tart is one seriously impressive summer dessert. Strawberries macerated with black pepper top a rich clotted cream filling.

Make-ahead

Medium

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Mango dessert recipes

Mango and peanut crumble custard bars

These crumble bars are bursting with the tropical flavours of mango, lime, cardamom and coconut. A showstopper bake for any occasion.

Freezable

Medium

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Mango dessert recipes

Easy mango mousse

With just five ingredients and 15 minutes prep time, this mango mousse is a great recipe to have in your dessert repertoire.

Gluten-free Vegetarian

Easy

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Strawberry recipes

Balsamic-roasted strawberries with mascarpone

Balsamic strawberries with mascarpone make a seriously good grown-up pudding. Try this low-effort, six ingredient summer dessert today.

Make-ahead

Easy

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Frozen dessert recipes

Baklava ricotta semifreddo

Georgina Hayden's spectacular baklava semifreddo has a caramelised filo top and fragrant ricotta and rosewater base. Frozen dessert heaven.

Make-ahead

Easy

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Sweet tart recipes

Michel Roux Jr’s almond and raspberry frangipane tart

Devote an afternoon to making Michel Roux Jr’s classy frangipane tart. “This French version of a bakewell tart is one of my favourites,” he says.

Freezable

Easy

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Frozen dessert recipes

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.

Freezable Vegetarian Make-ahead

Challenge

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Pavlova recipes

Gooseberry and toasted coconut pavlova

This showpiece pavlova from food writer Angela Clutton anticipates summer's arrival, combining elderflowers and early-season gooseberries.

Gluten-free Make-ahead

Medium

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Make-ahead dessert recipes

Galatopita (Greek filo custard pie)

Galatopita is a sweet milk pie from Greece. Georgina Hayden shares her recipe for this classic Greek pud, using golden filo pastry.

Make-ahead

Easy

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Cheesecake recipes

Japanese soufflé cheesecake

Chef Jeremy Pang shares his recipe for a perfectly fluffy Japanese souffle cheesecake. Try this technical bake and impress your friends.

Vegetarian

Medium

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Peanut butter recipes

Peanut butter frangipane and fresh jam tart

Nutty pastry and a creamy peanut butter frangipane are balanced with sweet-sharp fresh jam in this delight of a dessert. Keeping the berries whole in the jam creates welcome nuggets of juicy fruit to bite into.

Freezable Vegetarian

Easy

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Pineapple recipes

Pineapple frangipane puff pastry tarts

These pineapple puff pastry tarts are filled with almond and coconut frangipane on top of crisp puff pastry. Served warm with ice cream, this makes a delicious dessert.

Vegetarian