35 show-stopping Christmas dessert recipes (2024)

The festive season is upon us, and what better way to unwind after a long, arduous year than with a decadent spread of divine cakes and treats. Following the mains and sides, were you planning to serve up a show-stopping trifle or is a classic pavlova more up your ally?

Get started on road-testing and planning your baking now, as you'll want to try more than one of these delectable desserts.

We've rounded up BHG's 30 best Christmas desserts to help you impress all your guests. Whether it's a boozy Christmas pudding or a decadent cheesecake, we've got you covered.

1.Double chocolate mousse trifle

You can’t beat this stunningly decadent take on a traditional trifle! A homemade chocolate case is filled with white chocolate custard, sponge, fruit, jelly and nuts – what’s not to love?

2. Pavlova cheesecake

There are so many ways to make pavlova, but if you're after a show-stopping dish to impress your guests, look no further.

3.Christmas fruitcake

Give your traditional fruitcake a speccy makeover. Decorate with sparklers and pretty sprigs from the garden, wrapping the stems in foil.

4. Choco-caramel popcorn ice-cream cake

Cake-it-away with this ice-cream dream. Turn a tub of yum into lolly-filled layers of amazing – and it’s so easy!

5.World's easiest Christmas pudding wreath

If making atraditional Christmas puddingorfruitcakeis way too time consuming, this incredibly simple but delicious dessert is the answer to your seasonal prayers.

6.Pavlova Christmas tree

If you normally opt for a classic circular shaped pav,how about giving the Christmas centrepiece a merry, tree-shaped makeover.

7. Mango no-bake cheesecake tart

When you’re looking for an easy dessert to bake this Christmas… don’t. Bake, that is! You should definitely make dessert, just don’t turn on the oven, as it’s not needed for this terrific mango tart.

8.Berries and cream mille-feuille

Give your Christmas cake a summer makeover with berries, ice-cream and flaky pastry.

9. Classic steamed pudding

Love a traditional Christmas pudding? Your search is over.Serve your perfectly turned-out pudding drizzled with creme anglaise - which is the fancy way to say homemade pouring custard.

10.Watermelon star pavlova with rosewater cream

This modern twist on the classic pav will be the crowning glory of your dessert table. Cut watermelon slices into stars using different-sized cutters for a nice festive touch.

11.Rum-soaked fig, ginger and whitechocolate ice-cream

Serve up this sophisticated sweet this year that takes ice‑cream to dizzying new heights.

12. Pina colada trifle

Give your favourite dessert a pina-colada co*cktail-inspired taste twist with coconut-flavoured cream, pineapple jelly, fresh fruit and toasted coconut flakes.

13. Cranberry chocolate crunch bundt

This spectacular sweet is easy to achieve with a ring-shaped mould and shards of chocolate.

14. Coffee and fig fruit cakes

Get in quick! These rich, snowflake-shaped cakes won't last long.

15. Chocolate semifreddo with raspberries and honeycomb

Ice-cream lovers will devour this decadent chilled dark-chocolate semifreddo.

16. Chocolate, cherry and brandy yule log

Layered withcake, jam, cream, icing and chocolate bark. We're drooling.

17.Cheat's pavlova

Create your own masterpiece on a shop-bought meringue base. Talk about minimal effort, maximum impact!

18. Dark chocolate, fig and spiced rum cakes

Shards of chocolate resembling tree bark surround cakes full of spiced, rum-soaked prunes, raisins and figs.

19.Grand marnier ganache-filled Christmas pudding

Bake a ganache ball - made with chocolate and cream - in your Guinness-flavoured pud for a rich, gooey, to-die-for dessert.

20.Mango ice-cream cake

Divinely decadent, this Weiss Bar-inspired cake uses mango sorbet and macadamia ice cream – made by you – topped withRafaelloballs. Wow!

21.Luxe dessert platter

A divine dessert spread is as easy as fresh fruit, nuts and indulgent choccies, teamed with sweet cheat’s tarts and pavs. Amazing!

22.Summer fruit cheesecake with lemon ginger crust

It may look elaborate, but this no-bake cheesecake is easy to make and exciting to decorate.

23.Paris-Brest with plums and honey mascarpone

Con Poulos photography

An elegant addition to your dessert table,it will have everyone talking.

24.Mini lime pies

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Add your own festive flair to this famous dessert.You just add white chocolate swooshes to custard-filled, cream-topped pies to give them wings!

25.Mini strawberry yoghurt bundt cakes

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Piled with fairy floss and rose petals, these bite-sized bundt cakes haveall the grace and style of beautiful swooshing dancing dresses.

26.Miniature spiced choc-cherry ripple cakes

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These luscious mini drums make forthe most delicious beats around! Thetiny drumsticks are edible, too.

27.Choc-caramel rocky road pavlova

Loaded with classic rocky road flavours and textures, this is your most divine pavlova ever. The choc-caramel shard toppers look super fancy but are a cinch – just melt, swirl, roll and crack.

28. Fruit cake and peach trifle

Con Poulos

The hero ingredients fora luxe trifle with a twist could be hiding in your fridge and pantry!

29.Festive ice-cream sandwiches

These bite-sized beauties are styled for a white Christmas but designed for warm-weather festivities.

30.Berry tiramisu

Serve your guests a very merry and berry Christmas with this decadent dessert, layered up with bikkies, berries, jam and cream. Flavourwith Chambord for adults only, orgo PG with cherry juice.

31.Christmas kahlúa and chocolate tart

a naughty but oh-so-nice Noël tart that chocolate lovers will rejoice over! Make the crust from store-bought bickies for a smart shortcut.

32. Mini pavlova Christmas trees

Turn your Christmas dessert into a whimsical masterpiece with these mini pavlova Christmas trees.

33.Tangy passionfruit and lemon meringue ice cream pie

Put a twist on lemon meringue and turn it into anice cream pie.

34. Ginger, mango and honey cheesecake

A dreamy dessert to star on your table topped with ribbons of mango and crumbled pistachios!

35.Frozen burnt brandy butter Christmas pudding

Scoop your way to the coolest dessert of the season with brandy-infused fruit, ice-cream and shards of toffee and honeycomb!

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35 show-stopping Christmas dessert recipes (30)
Eunice Oh

Based in Sydney, Eunice Oh is a content producer, K-beauty expert and major foodie. Her work has appeared in That's Life, Woman's Day, Girlfriend Magazine, 7News and BEAUTYcrew.

35 show-stopping Christmas dessert recipes (2024)

FAQs

How many desserts for Christmas dinner? ›

How Many Desserts to Make
GuestsCake/Tart/PastryCreamy Dessert
55 slices20 oz.
1010 slices40 oz.
2020 slices80 oz.
5050 slices200 oz.
Nov 29, 2021

Does Pavlova contain gluten? ›

That's three completely different textures in one single bite. The crunchy edges are just like meringue cookies. Pavlova loves to be dressed up with assorted toppings, mainly fresh whipped cream and piles of fresh fruit. Naturally gluten free, pavlova is light, sweet, and screams warm weather favorite.

Is cake a dessert? ›

The term dessert can apply to many sweets, such as biscuits, cakes, cookies, custards, gelatins, ice creams, pastries, pies, puddings, macaroons, sweet soups, tarts, and fruit salad (fruit is commonly found in dessert courses because of its naturally occurring sweetness).

What to put on a Christmas dessert platter? ›

Candies: Here are some sweet candy options: sugar cookie truffles, eggnog fudge, sugar cookie fudge, chocolate-covered pretzels, candied walnuts or pecans, candy canes, and Christmas M&M's (red and green). Cookies: Butter cookies, sugar cookies, and Christmas monster cookies made the cut for my board.

How many cookies do you need per person for Christmas? ›

A good rule to follow is for every guest to bake a half dozen cookies per each attendee. So, if 10 people attend, each guest would bring five dozen cookies to share. We've put together a chart to help you figure out just how many cookies to ask your guests to make.

Can celiacs eat custard? ›

Most homemade custards are made from milk, sugar and eggs which are naturally gluten-free ingredients. That being said, some big brands of pre-packaged custard could have issues with cross-contamination and/or using gluten ingredients as thickeners. Please read the ingredient and nutrition label carefully.

Can celiacs eat egg rolls? ›

Egg rolls are a staple of American-Chinese food. This recipe provides a gluten-free alternative to the traditional wheat flour wrap, but doesn't sacrifice any of the taste. Substitute fillings to your taste and enjoy!

Do eggs have a lot of gluten? ›

Eggs are naturally gluten-free. Any gluten present in a hen's diet is completely broken down during the hen's digestive process, meaning there is no gluten that makes it way to the egg.

What was the first cake ever made? ›

The earliest cakes were very different from the cakes we know today. They were more like bread and were sometimes even savory. The first mention of cake dates back to the 4th century BC when a Greek writer mentioned a cake made with honey and wheat flour.

What was the first dessert ever made? ›

It's likely that the first 'desserts' were made of concentrated juices from grapes, dates, figs, pomegranates, etc. mixed with boiled grains. These are known from ancient Greece, Rome, and Persia. Of course, honey could be put on grains or bread, too.

What is typically hidden inside of this traditional Christmas dessert? ›

It was common practice to include small silver coins in the pudding mixture, which could be kept by the person whose serving included them. The usual choice was a silver threepence or a sixpence.

What finger foods go with a charcuterie board? ›

Select a variety of cheeses, making sure to include an aged variety, a creamy cheese, a blue cheese and perhaps a smoked cheese. Round out the platter with cold cuts, bread, an abundance of seasonal fruits, dried fruit, crudité, nuts and olives.

What item is traditionally put in a Christmas pudding? ›

Silver Christmas pudding coins, charms or tokens

This lovely tradition may date back as early as the 1300s when a dried pea or sometimes a small silver ring or crown was baked into a Twelfth Night Cake. The finder of the token was said to be king or queen for the night.

How many desserts do I need for 25 guests? ›

We recommend 2-4 items per guest, but don't worry, we'll help make sure you have enough servings to go around!

How many desserts do French people have on Christmas? ›

Christmas Dinner

Another celebration, in some parts of France, is that 13 different desserts are eaten!

How many mini desserts for 50 guests? ›

​So how many desserts do you really need? If you are offering a full size dessert like a cupcake or a full size brownie, count on 1-2 per guest. With smaller desserts like cookies, macarons, bite size brownies, or mini tarts you can count on each guest taking 3 items from the various options.

How many desserts for 12 people? ›

The first thing you may want to calculate when planning your party is how many desserts to order. You'll want to make sure you have a beautiful display, but, more importantly, you want to make sure you have enough for your guests to eat! The general rule of thumb is to calculate 3 mini desserts per person.

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