I tried Iceland’s festive desserts – two scored highly but one was a disappointment

From a trifle-inspired bauble to a pavlova tree, Reach’s Rebecca Koncienzcy tested Iceland’s festive desserts for 2025 and found brilliant options for those who skip Christmas puddingRebecca Koncienzcy Content Editor for Spare Time and Chloe Dobinson Digital Production Editor

13:35, 26 Dec 2025

Rebecca rated two of the desserts highly scoring them an eight out of 10(Image: Rebecca Koncienzcy)

Whipping up a Christmas feast can be a right palaver, and that’s before you’ve even thought about the sweet finale. If you’re catering for picky eaters who turn their noses up at traditional Christmas pud, or you fancy offering a smorgasbord of sugary delights, it can feel like a juggling act.

But fear not, even the most meticulous host can get away with a sneaky supermarket dessert to cap off the festive banquet. And Iceland has come up trumps with a slew of new puds that are just the ticket for the festive season.

Reach’s Rebecca Koncienzcy had the pleasure of taste-testing four of their top offerings for 2025, and there are some real crackers here, along with one you might want to give a miss to dodge any Yuletide letdowns, reports the Express.

The supermarket had some great desserts on offer for 2025(Image: Rebecca Koncienzcy)

Belgian Chocolate Profiterole Star – was £10, now £5

Despite being a defrosted delight, this pastry keeps its lightness and boasts that delightful chewiness we all love in choux pastry. The chocolate sauce drizzled on top is tasty enough, but could do with a bit of an upgrade in the quality department

The profiteroles themselves are generously stuffed with a cloud-like cream, and you could easily polish off three without batting an eyelid. The presentation is spot-on and the ease of simply defrosting them is a bonus.

There’s a tad less chocolate sauce on the bottom layer of profiteroles, but overall, this is a cracking dessert that’ll go down a storm at any festive gathering.

8/10

Iceland Strawberries and Cream Bauble – £4.75

Rebecca wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this one, but she was won over by its Christmassy charm. Another fuss-free pud, just yank it out of the freezer six hours before you plan to serve it.

Upon unboxing, it was perfectly wrapped and easy to slice into. It’s certainly generous enough to serve eight as suggested.

Boasting a dense sponge base with a delightfully light sponge on top and through the middle, it’s essentially a trifle sans fruit pieces – and I’m smitten. It evokes a sense of nostalgia, despite being a new experience for Rebecca.

The soft cream, reminiscent of custard, is scrumptious, while the strawberry gel adds a sweet touch. This would be an ideal alternative for those who typically skip the Christmas pudding on 25 December.

8/10

Luxury Raspberry and Pistachio Pavlova Tree – was £12, now £6

Rebecca is a fan of pistachios, but often find them overly sweet in shop-bought products. Not so here.

The nutty flavour is excellent, pairing well with the tartness of the fresh raspberries.

The light, sweet meringue pairs wonderfully with the cream – when doesn’t it!?

The tree presentation is charming and would make a perfect centrepiece after Christmas dinner or on a party table. Rebecca found herself repeatedly going back for more.

However, she does have one suggestion for Iceland for next year: please package the macarons separately and allow the customer to add them at home once defrosted.

Rebecca’s only gripe is that as it thaws, the bottom of the macarons becomes soggy because they can’t defrost properly and are too close to the cream, which detracts from what could have been her favourite item.

7/10

Luxury Sticky Toffee Cottage – £8

This dessert certainly had the wow factor, promising a tantalising taste of rich, caramelised sugars. However, it’s a stark reminder that not everything can hit the mark, and sadly, this one fell short for me.

The preparation was straightforward – defrost the cake, heat the sauce, drizzle it over, and voila!

It certainly looked the part straight out of the box, and she must admit, there was a certain thrill in pouring the caramel over the cake.

Iceland’s Luxury Sticky Toffee dessert didn’t hit the mark for Rebecca(Image: Rebecca Koncienzcy)

But the issue lay with the cake itself. Even after defrosting, it was just too heavy to be truly enjoyable, and it seemed to lack any real depth of flavour.

The sauce did provide a much-needed boost, adding a pleasant hint of ginger. But it was overwhelmingly sweet, tipping the balance too far for Rebecca’s liking.

This is one dessert Rebecca would be happy to leave on the supermarket shelf.

2/10

All festive desserts and party foods are now available to purchase online or in-store.