From classic pudding to festive log cakes: Christmas dessert recipes to try in 2025

Here is a look at several Christmas desserts that you can service to your guests this holiday season.

The holiday season is here, and Christmas 2025 is just around the corner. This is the time of joy, togetherness, and indulging in the festive spirit with delicious Christmas desserts. From traditional pudding to the aroma of spiced gingerbread cookies, these recipes are more than just food, as they bring families and friends closer. Each of these dishes carries a sense of nostalgia, ranging from decorating sugar cookies during childhood to savoring a slice of yule log after Christmas dinner.

Christmas 2025: Best dessert recipes

Christmas pudding

The holiday season brings joy and togetherness, highlighted by traditional Christmas desserts like pudding and gingerbread cookies. (Representative Image: Unsplash)

This rich, steamed dessert is perfect for the occasion and is packed with dried fruits, spices, and often a splash of brandy. It is traditionally served with custard or brandy butter. Here is the recipe by The Hairy Bikers

Ingredients:

Madeira cake, Christmas pudding, ginger wine or sherry, mango, pineapple, custard, double cream, icing sugar, vanilla (optional), flaked almonds, orange zest, marshmallows (optional).

Method:

Layer Madeira cake and Christmas pudding in a trifle bowl and drizzle with ginger wine. Top with mango and pineapple, then spread custard evenly. Chill for a few hours. Whisk cream with icing sugar and vanilla until soft, then layer over the custard. Finish with toasted almonds, orange zest, and marshmallows, if using.

Yule log

The sponge cake is rolled with cream and decorated with various items to resemble a log. This dish symbolises warmth and festivity. Check out the recipe by Annie Rig.

Ingredients:

Cake: butter, eggs, brown sugar, caster sugar, treacle, plain flour, ground almonds or hazelnuts, baking powder, ginger, mixed spice, cinnamon, salt.

Pecan praline: caster sugar, toasted pecans or hazelnuts.

Spiced buttercream: caster sugar, egg whites, butter, stem ginger, and syrup.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a Swiss roll tin. Whisk eggs, sugars and treacle until pale and thick. Gently fold in the dry ingredients, then the melted butter. Spread into a tin and bake for about 12 minutes until springy. Take out, peel off the paper, and roll up with baking paper.

For praline, melt sugar with a little water to a caramel, stir in nuts, pour onto a lined tray, and let it cool. Cut roughly first, then blend with small pulses.

For buttercream, heat sugar, egg whites, water, and salt over simmering water until dissolved and foamy. Whisk until thick, glossy and cold, then beat in butter, cinnamon and ginger syrup.

Unroll the cake, spread some buttercream, sprinkle praline and ginger, then roll up. Let it cool briefly. Cover with remaining buttercream, decorate with praline and ginger, chill, then slice to serve.

Mince pies

These small-sized spiced pastries are filled with a mix of dried fruits, spices, and suet. It is highly recommended during the winter season. Check out this easy recipe from All Recipes.

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour, confectioners’ sugar, ground cinnamon, butter, orange zest, ice water, mincemeat filling, and egg.

Method:

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Mix flour, half the sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly, then stir in orange zest and enough ice water to form a dough. Roll out and cut larger and smaller circles.

Line muffin or tart tins with larger circles. Fill with mincemeat, top with smaller circles, seal edges, and brush with beaten egg. Bake 15–20 minutes until golden. Cool slightly and dust with remaining sugar before serving.

What to know?

Several of these Christmas desserts, such as puddings, trifles, and cookies, can be prepared by people days in advance. These can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.

Before serving them, warm puddings and pies in a 300°F oven for about five to 10 minutes.

Christmas desserts can be served once families and friends are done with opening gifts and the table is cleared. This is a meal that people keep waiting for and even ask for the recipes. Rather than purchasing the desserts from outside, it is highly recommended to try them out at home to make this Christmas feast a more personal affair. Also, there cannot be a better way to express yourself to your family and friends than preparing these recipes at home.