Make-ahead Christmas dessert recipes

Get ahead at Christmas with this showstopping cake boasting white chocolate, cherries and festive spice. You can bake the sponges, meringues and biscuits the day before assembling

Try this ultimate make-ahead dessert for Christmas: meringue, white chocolate, cream and cherries are combined to make a luscious centrepiece

Give this Mexican-inspired cake a festive twist using ginger and cinnamon. The cake is soaked in a trio of sweetened milks, then topped with whipped cream

Make some homemade nougat studded with pistachio chunks. Add in other festive goodies and wrap up in a presentation box for a thoughtful Christmas gift

Mix up your festive dessert course with an all-in-one sweet feast to share, with peppermint tiffin, gingerbread-spice doughnuts, mini meringues and more

Try this easy no-bake dessert which uses just five ingredients. As well as looking great as a centrepiece, it's easy to carry to a gathering.

Delight guests with a pistachio twist on tiramisu, with a pistachio cream filling and pistachio topping. It's a perfect dessert for a dinner party

Christmas celebrations are not complete without a classic trifle. This stunning dessert recipe features layers of madeira sponge, fruit jelly, custard and cream

You can make this no-cook tiramisu ahead to save on time when hosting a party. Made with Irish cream liqueur, it's a truly grown-up dessert

Try these peanut butter and jam cheesecake squares. We’ve chosen a fruit topping, but you could opt for chocolate – turning it into a giant peanut butter cup.

Turn stollen into bite-size treats. With squidgy, sweet bread studded with fruit and wrapped in marzipan, it’s easy to see why this German bake is so popular.

Update the traditional Christmas pud to include more of what you love - cherries, almonds and figs are a feature of this pudding and make it super special

Make a simplified version of our magical meringue Christmas tree, using shop-bought meringues assembled in a tree shape, then decorated with white chocolate

Challenge budding little MasterChefs to create this chocolate hazelnut yule log decorated with meringue mushrooms. It's a perfect Christmas centrepiece.

We've blended two tempting sweet treats – rocky road and cheesecake – to create this irresistible make-ahead dessert.

Make this grown-up dessert for a celebration dinner, or as an alternative to Christmas pudding. Spiked with coffee liqueur, it’s sophisticated and luxurious

Take trifle to the next level for the festive season. Make the jelly with raspberries and enrich the custard with clotted cream for ultra indulgence

Make this beautifully rich Christmas cake a month ahead of the big day. With brandy-soaked fruit in every bite, it's a taste of the season

Cross a Mississippi mud pie with a marmalade martini and the result is this grown-up Christmas trifle. It makes a wonderful indulgent end to a festive menu

Make this stunning layered, citrussy dessert ahead of time if you're entertaining. It's a crowd-pleaser that's part key lime pie, part cheesecake, part trifle