8 decadent make-ahead desserts perfect for Christmas Day
As we all know, one of the best parts of Christmas Day is the exorbitant amount of delicious food you get to eat, guilt free. After all, calories don’t count on Christmas, right? Right!
However, for those of us that have experienced the trials and tribulations that come with hosting duties, you know that you rarely get a minute to sit back and actually enjoy the spread of food you’ve spent hours and hours slaving away over — let alone have time to whip up absolutely every dish from scratch on the day itself.
That’s why we’ve created this fool-proof list of absolutely scrumptious dessert recipes perfect for the festive season. The best part? They can all be made well in advance, perfect for a (relatively) stress-free Christmas Day!
Baileys Cheesecake
A personal favourite recipe, this sumptuous cheesecake is super light yet full of that festive boozy flavour which is sure to put a smile on any dinner guest’s face. Plus you can absolutely make it one or two days in advance.
Profiteroles
So simple, yet quite impressive. You can really make these even a month in advance if you want. Make the choux buns and fill them with your cream mix before popping in the freezer. Take them out on Christmas morning to defrost, and then pour over your hot chocolate sauce before serving.
Christmas Trifle
A traditional Christmas Day dessert, and a severely underrated one in my opinion. The festive season just wouldn't be complete without my mum’s homemade sherry trifle complete with custard, jam, sponge and a hefty dose of sherry. Trifle can be made two or three days in advance, as long as it's covered in cling film and stored in the fridge or freezer.
Chocolate Cream Pie With A Graham Cracker Crust
If you’re a little less confident in the kitchen or lacking the baking skills then this is the recipe for you. You’ll absolutely love how the silky smooth, rich chocolate filling combines with the crunch crumb base in this no-bake pie. This is another one you can either make the day before hand, or make it the month before hand. Simply take it out of the freezer 10 minutes before serving to give it enough time to thaw slightly, and voilà!
Christmas Pavlova Wreath
It’s light, it’s fruity, it’s delicious! You just can’t go wrong with a pavlova. No need to get fussy about making it look perfect either, as this rustic dessert can look quite exquisite when topped with a healthy topping of mixed berries and icing sugar. You can make the base, covering it in cling-film, up to four days before serving, as long as you add your cream and berries the day of.
Tiramisu Chocolate Cake
We know people usually serve the tea and coffees after/with dessert, but have you ever tried serving coffee in the dessert? It really is a game-changer! Frankly, tiramisu only gets better with age as the flavours sink in and enhance over time, and would be just perfect if you make it two to three days before Christmas.
Gingerbread Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce.
These adorable little puddings look way fancier than they actually are. If you're in need of something utterly scrumptious to impress your dinner guests with this year, then we highly recommend this recipe. Simply make in advance and pop in the freezer. Take them out on the day and pop in the oven before pouring over your decadent bourbon sauce — yum.
Berry Chantilly Cake
Another fantastic option if you’re looking for something on the lighter side, after devouring your heavy turkey feast. This fruity cake is just beautiful, both in taste and appearance. If you let it rest a day before serving then the cake will be all the better for it, having let the fruity flavour seep into the sponge and chantilly frosting.
