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

Con Poulos photography

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

Con Poulos photography

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

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.

What kind of desserts are you going to make if there is a celebration at home? ›

We favor desserts made in individual portions, such as cookies and cupcakes, or ones that can be easily portioned out—think bar cookies, sheet cakes, and Bundts—so there is less to fuss over at the last minute. We have included a few easy treats, like fruit crisps, that you could scoop and serve at the party.

What to eat on Christmas dessert? ›

66 Most Popular Christmas Desserts To Make Your Holidays Bright
  • 01 of 66. Spiced Pecan Pie Bars. ...
  • 02 of 66. Peppermint Bark. ...
  • 03 of 66. Fruitcake. ...
  • 04 of 66. The Redbird Cake. ...
  • 05 of 66. Vanilla Chiffon Trifle. ...
  • 06 of 66. White Christmas Bûche de Noël. ...
  • 07 of 66. Peanut Butter Balls. ...
  • 08 of 66. Easy Crème Brûlée.
Dec 16, 2023

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.

How do you make a dessert table look good? ›

These details might be small, but can give a huge impact when you see everything put together. Use eye-catching containers to display your desserts. Glass jars, vintage trays, and elegant platters can add charm to your table. Again, make sure the containers match your theme and color combination.

What is the hardest dessert to make at home? ›

The 11 Most Difficult Desserts, Ever
  • Epic 12 Layer Chocolate Cake | Cleobuttera. Epic 12 Layer Chocolate Cake | Cleobuttera. While not difficult to make, this is a multi-step, highly involved cake that requires planning ahead. ...
  • 1:04. Lemon Meringue Eclairs. ...
  • Latte Chiffon. Latte Chiffon. ...
  • Tulband basisrecept. Tulband basisrecept.
Apr 11, 2022

What is 13 dessert Christmas? ›

The thirteen desserts (Occitan: lei tretze dessèrts) are the traditional dessert foods used to celebrate Christmas in the French region of Provence. The "big supper" (le gros souper) ends with a ritual 13 desserts, representing Jesus Christ and the 12 apostles.

What is the most popular Christmas treat? ›

The winner: cheesecake, coming out on top in 28 states.

Wisevoter, a bipartisan educational platform, delved into America's favorite Christmas treats this year by state. Cheesecake won the Christmas favorite this year by coming out on top in 28 states, followed by sugar cookies winning the hearts of 17 states.

What is the most expensive Christmas dessert? ›

Diamond fruitcake – $1,650,000 ($ 1.65 million) World's Most Expensive Desserts - Diamond Fruitcake Sold on Christmas 2005, this cake was also created by a Japanese pastry chef. Creating the cake required six months of conceptualization and another month to produce it. It's decorated with 223 diamonds.

What can go on a dessert board? ›

Think of other items you can add to the board besides cookies. These might include bite-size cake pieces (store-bought or homemade), dried fruit, macarons, mini cupcakes, chocolate bars broken into small pieces, rolled wafers, small meringues, and even candy.

What do you put on a sweet platter? ›

Mini milktart, mini Koeksisters, Mini vanilla cupcakes with caramel & cream, caramel cups, dadelballetjies, ystervarkies/lemingtons, brownie blocks, carrot cake blocks, mini choc eclairs & mini custard slices.

What do you put on a dessert board? ›

Dessert Charcuterie Board Ideas
  1. Mint chocolate cremes.
  2. Strawberry sour belts.
  3. Chocolate covered pretzel rods.
  4. Yogurt covered pretzels.
  5. Meringue pinwheels.
  6. Checkerboard cookies.
  7. Pizzelle cookies.
  8. Chocolate hazelnut biscotti.
Jan 20, 2023

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