Easy Christmas dessert recipes

Enjoy an alternative take on Christmas pud. Chestnuts provide sweet, earthy flavour and a nutty texture that works beautifully with chocolate and stem ginger

Transform black forest gateau into an easily shareable traybake. Made with chocolate ganache and kirsch cream, it's ideal to take to a Christmas party

Top these cupcakes with buttercream and your favourite mini biscuits and they're sure to go down a storm. A perfect project for little hands

Make a butterscotch pie for dessert. This one is free from dairy, eggs, soy and gluten, so everyone in the family can enjoy it. Top with chopped nuts, if you like.

Bake these adorable snowmen as a Christmas treat for family visiting over the festive season. Chocolate biscuits are stacked, then decorated with icing

A great Christmas bake for kids over the holidays. You can use a buttercream to ice the cake, but this frosting is much whiter if you want a snowy effect

Bake a festive take on classic brownies. Using red wine and spices like cinnamon and ginger lifts the flavour and fills the home with the aromas of Christmas

A simple, quick and indulgent dessert you can rustle up in 10 minutes. If you want to make a non-alcoholic version, use a can of cherries in syrup instead

This tangy dessert looks impressive but takes very little effort – most of the ingredients are ready-made, so it is simply a matter of construction

Make these cute Christmas trees for a festive party. Made with meringue and topped with hundreds and thousands, kids will love helping to make them

This buttery, Italian bread really is the star of Christmas desserts. Try this light, festive dessert with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate

Treat family and friends to this moreish fridge cake made into the shape of a Christmas tree and decorated with red and green sweets and gold almonds

A twist on a festive favourite, adding a layer of creamy custard and a delectable crumbly topping makes an irresistible and more mellow mince pie

Make these Christmas pud chocolate coins as after-dinner treats or stocking fillers. With dark and white chocolate and glacé cherries, they're easy to make

Use up leftover Christmas pudding or cake with these decadent, boozy sundaes, drizzled with a chocolate orange sauce and finished with toasted chopped hazelnuts

Ferrero Rochers make an indulgent finishing touch to these fudgy chocolate brownie squares studded with chopped nuts

Wow family and friends with this panettone-based dessert filled with cherry ice cream and topped with warm chocolate sauce – it's a feast for the senses

Decorate wedges of chocolate sponge with green icing and sweets to make festive cake pops on sticks - perfect for baking with kids