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

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.

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.

Love trifle? This white chocolate custard and passion fruit combination is really something special – the perfect dessert for a celebration

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

Pair dark chocolate and rum for this grown-up dessert. With raisins and a decadent, hidden layer of salted caramel, they're also completely make-ahead

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

When a mince pie meets baklava, it’s a match made in Christmas heaven. Serve warm with ice cream for dessert, or cut into smaller bites to enjoy with coffee

Easy to transport and serve, this is a great dessert to take to a party. Everyone loves tiramisu and everyone loves cheesecake so it's a winner all round

Chocolate truffles, amaretti biscuits and a few edible Christmas flourishes make these festive brownies an extra-special dessert no one could resist

Fancy a lighter dessert after a heavy main course? These mojito possets deliver. They have all the flavours of a mojito cocktail, including a rum cream

Cross a Christmas pudding with a cheesecake and what do you get? A fantastic alternative festive dessert with a crunchy ginger base and creamy filling

You'd never guess that this spectacular dessert is dairy-free, decorated with a zesty ganache using orange juice instead of cream