A cherry trifle in a large glass trifle bowl with fairy lights in the background

Best make-ahead Christmas dessert recipes

Sour cherry trifle with almonds

Dazzle your guests with irresistible layers of vanilla-flecked custard cream, sour cherries, sherry-soaked sponge and toasted almonds – it's the perfect Christmas Day dessert. The sour cherry filling, homemade custard and other components can be prepped in advance, so all you need to do is assemble the trifle before serving. We love a trifle: see more trifle recipes to try this festive season and beyond.

Make-ahead Christmas cake

Get ahead with your Christmas baking and rustle up our gently spiced, orange and ginger wine-spiked fruit cake. This beautiful bake is a classic for a reason, enjoy a slice as an after dinner treat.

A fruit cake covered in white icing with a slice taken out of it

Classic Christmas pudding

This is a classic recipe for luxurious homemade Christmas pudding. You can make this a couple of months ahead and keep it wrapped in the basin in a dark cupboard until the big day.

Espresso martini cheesecake

Make this bittersweet cheesecake when entertaining a crowd – it can be prepared a few days ahead, then simply pour over the boozy coffee syrup to serve. See more cheesecake recipes to try.

Brown-glazed cheesecake cut into squares sat on a wooden board with a brown marbled background

Salted caramel and chocolate tart

Christmas time = treat time. You may want to serve this rich, salty caramel tart with Greek yogurt to offset the sweetness. It’ll last in the fridge for 4-5 days. Discover more decadent salted caramel recipes.

Baileys tiramisu trifle

Make our stunning trifle with Baileys, chocolate swiss roll and lightly whipped espresso cream for a Christmas centrepiece. Once assembled, it will keep for a day in the fridge, or, make the custard a few days ahead and chill until you're ready to put it together. Don't let the rest of your bottle of Baileys go to waste: see more Baileys recipes, from brownies to cupcakes.

Multi-layered chocolate and Baileys cream trifle in a glass bowl

Vegan Christmas cake

Everyone will enjoy a slice of this Christmas cake, which can be baked and matured up to eight weeks before Christmas. Feed the cake weekly with your choice of brandy, rum or whisky for extra moisture and a warming flavour.

Raspberry trifle fridge cake

All the flavours of trifle but in a layered no-bake cake. This is a great one to make ahead as it needs overnight setting. Discover more easy fridge cake recipes.

Double chocolate and passion fruit tart

Easy to prepare ahead of time, this dessert has wow factor without any of the effort. This zingy tart is unbelievably quick to make thanks to a few ready-made ingredients.

No-bake chocolate tart with PX sherry

This festive dessert ticks all the boxes – plenty of chocolate, alcohol and cream. It’s also a no-bake recipe, so can be whipped up with little effort and will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Classic trifle

The amaretti biscuits add a lovely texture and flavour to this classic trifle – the perfect way to conclude your Christmas day feast. Make a day ahead of time and chill overnight.

Biscoff cheesecake

Check out our indulgent cheesecake recipe with crunchy Biscoff biscuits, creamy biscuit spread, and lightly whipped cream. Chill overnight and serve up a slice of this rich dessert with pride. Try more irresistible Biscoff recipes, including cookies and fudge.

Christmas tart

Fill a shop-bought tart case with brandy-soaked dried fruit and two types of almond for an effortless festive dessert. You can make it day before and refrigerate. To serve, gently warm it in the oven and accompany with brandy butter or cream.

Black forest ice cream cake

We've combined two old-school dessert classics to create a decadent ice cream terrine which is surprisingly low effort and requires no oven cooking. This impressive make-ahead dessert uses shop-bought ice cream and is sure to wow guests.

An ice cream terrine with berries and chocolate shards

Gingerbread trifle

Edd Kimber's super festive trifle has lashings of rum cardamom custard, gingerbread Christmas trees, juicy pears and caramel cream. Chill until ready to serve and top with gingerbread trees.

Nougat terrine with caramel

This is a beautiful dessert to end a special dinner, the red glacé cherries looks especially Christmassy. It can be made in advance and kept in the freezer until you are ready to finish with the caramel.

Mint chocolate mousse pots

Want to serve individual desserts to your guests this Christmas? Try our creamy chocolate and peppermint pots for an impressive way to finish your dinner party.

Espresso panna cotta

This silky smooth panna cotta with espresso syrup is an ideal way to end the festivities, it's also gluten-free. Leave overnight in the fridge and bring out to impressed 'oohs' and 'ahs'.

Black Forest cheesecakes

These BlackForest cheesecake bombes are a real showstopper. Make ahead and stash in the freezer – they’ll keep nicely for a month or so.

Chocolate and hazelnut torte

This chocolate and hazelnut torte is a seriously indulgent treat. It only takes 30 minutes to whip up, chills overnight and can feed up to 12 people. Minimal effort, maximum flavour.

Chocolate raspberry terrine

This cake is the ultimate in kitsch. Drizzle the ganache on top so that the pretty striped layers of peanut butter and raspberry jam show through. Make a day ahead and chill overnight for a stress-free day with your guests.