The festive season is upon us, and what better way to unwind after a long, arduous year than with a decadent spread of Christmas desserts? Following the mains and sides, whether you’re planning to serve up a show-stopping trifle or a classic pavlova for your loved ones, it’s time to start planning.
And if you’re in need of some Christmas dessert ideas, we’ve got you covered. Here are our best Christmas dessert recipes that are guaranteed to impress all your guests – from boozy Christmas puddings to decadent cheesecakes and more.
Our top 46 Christmas desserts
(Credits: (Photography Tim Roberts; styling Lucy Busuttil; recipes Jessica Brook and Sarah Murphy; food preparation Ismat Awan and Tamika O’Neill))
Inspired by candy cane lollies, these shortbread cookies are the perfect gift to give this Christmas. With a hint of mint, it’s perfect with a cup of tea or on its own!
(Credits: (Photography Tim Roberts; styling Lucy Busuttil; recipes Jessica Brook and Sarah Murphy; food preparation Ismat Awan and Tamika O’Neill))
Bring a white Christmas into your home with this delicious white chocolate Christmas mousse cake. It tastes as good as it looks!
(Credits: (Photography Tim Roberts; styling Lucy Busuttil; recipes Jessica Brook and Sarah Murphy; food preparation Ismat Awan and Tamika O’Neill))
Everybody loves receiving sweet treats for Christmas, and these Santa hat and bauble cupcakes are sure to be a hit!
Macadamia and chocolate are a match made in heaven, so add them to a flourless torte with honeycomb pieces, and you have a dessert to marvel at!
There’s a reason this sour cherry and almond roulade was the Editor’s pick from the December issue! Encased by a deliciously sweet and crispy meringue is a fluffy amaretto (or Cointreau) cream and fresh berry compote. It’s like a flavour explosion in your mouth and an absolute winner at the dinner table.
Create this ahh-worthy marvel for a show-stopping moment at the Christmas table this year with this deliciously gorgeous wreath dessert.
(Photography Tim Roberts; styling Lucy Busuttil; recipes Jessica Brook and Sarah Murphy; food preparation Ismat Awan and Tamika O’Neill)
Make your Christmas desserts an absolute showstopper this year with these gorgeous mini coconut Christmas trees. They’re easy to make and would look so cute as a present.
(Photography Tim Roberts; styling Lucy Busuttil; recipes Jessica Brook and Sarah Murphy; food preparation Ismat Awan and Tamika O’Neill)
This chocolate caramel Christmas crack will win over even the pickiest eaters. Made with a perfect combination of crispy salada biscuits, chocolate and caramel, they’ll make perfect gifts for loved ones.
(Photography Tim Roberts; styling Lucy Busuttil; recipes Jessica Brook and Sarah Murphy; food preparation Ismat Awan and Tamika O’Neill)
One of the most popular Christmas desserts is fruit cake, and making these mini versions as gifts for your guests is an idea that they’ll thank you for. Spread cheer with these moist, delicious and fun mini fruit cakes.
This panna cotta trifle recipe features silky Italian panna cotta and generous helpings of vibrant, seasonal fruit, it’s the perfect end to Christmas lunch or dinner.
(Photography: Tim Roberts, Styling: Michele Cranston)
If you don’t want to turn the oven on this Christmas, this 10-minute pudding is made in the microwave! With zesty orange, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger, it’s quintessentially Christmas.
(Credits: Brett Stevens)
What could be better than a little bit of tradition on Christmas Eve? This Christmas pudding recipe is the perfect way to kick off celebrations before you need to put out the cookies and milk for Saint Nick.
You’ll jingle all the way with this recipe! The beauty of it is, it makes one big cake for your family, as well as three littlies for gifts. Done and done!
(Credits: Sarah Murphy)
Desserts made during the festive period need to be quick and easy. So If you’re looking for a simple cake-pop like mini pud you need to try this epic mudcake hack.
(Photography: Rob Palmer)
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?
There are so many ways to make pavlova, but if you’re after a show-stopping dish to impress your guests, look no further.
Give your traditional fruitcake a speccy makeover. Decorate with sparklers and pretty sprigs from the garden, wrapping the stems in foil.
Cake-it-away with this ice-cream dream. Turn a tub of yum into lolly-filled layers of amazing – and it’s so easy!
If making a traditional Christmas pudding or fruitcake is too time-consuming, this incredibly simple but delicious dessert is the answer to your seasonal prayers.
If you usually opt for a classic circular-shaped pav, how about giving the Christmas centrepiece a merry, tree-shaped makeover?
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.
Give your Christmas cake a summer makeover with berries, ice cream and flaky pastry.
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.
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.
Serve up this sophisticated sweet this year that takes ice cream to dizzying new heights.
Give your favourite dessert a pina-colada cocktail-inspired taste twist with coconut-flavoured cream, pineapple jelly, fresh fruit and toasted coconut flakes.
This spectacular sweet is easy to achieve with a ring-shaped mould and shards of chocolate.
Get in quick! These rich, snowflake-shaped cakes won’t last long.
Ice-cream lovers will devour this decadent chilled dark-chocolate semifreddo.
Layered with cake, jam, cream, icing and chocolate bark. We’re drooling.
Create your own masterpiece on a shop-bought meringue base. Talk about minimal effort, maximum impact!
Dark chocolate, fig and spiced rum cakes
Shards of chocolate resembling tree bark surround cakes full of spiced, rum-soaked prunes, raisins and figs.
Bake a ganache ball – made with chocolate and cream – in your Guinness-flavoured pud for a rich, gooey, to-die-for dessert.
Divinely decadent, this Weiss Bar-inspired cake uses mango sorbet and macadamia ice cream – made by you – topped with Rafaello balls. Wow!
A divine dessert spread is as easy as fresh fruit, nuts and indulgent choccies, teamed with sweet cheat’s tarts and pavs. Amazing!
It may look elaborate, but this no-bake cheesecake is easy to make and exciting to decorate.
An elegant addition to your Christmas table, this dessert will have everyone talking.
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!
Piled with fairy floss and rose petals, these bite-sized bundt cakes have all the grace and style of beautiful swooshing dancing dresses.
These luscious mini drums make for the most delicious beats around! The tiny drumsticks are edible, too.
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.
The hero ingredients for a luxe trifle with a twist could be hiding in your fridge and pantry!
These bite-sized beauties are styled for a white Christmas but designed for warm-weather festivities.
Serve your guests a very merry and berry Christmas with this decadent dessert, layered up with bikkies, berries, jam and cream. Flavour with Chambord for adults only, or go PG with cherry juice.
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.
Turn your Christmas dessert into a whimsical masterpiece with these mini pavlova Christmas trees.
Put a twist on lemon meringue and turn it into an ice cream pie.
A dreamy dessert to star on your table topped with ribbons of mango and crumbled pistachios!
Scoop your way to the coolest dessert of the season with brandy-infused fruit, ice cream and shards of toffee and honeycomb!
A classic holiday treat that’s just as comforting today as it was decades ago, remember to serve with brandy-flavoured whipped cream for the ultimate treat.
Perfectly creamy, sweet and fruity, topped with juicy peaches, it’s a dessert you can make without even turning on the oven (yes, really).
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Rachel Iorfino
Senior content producer
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