Best mince pies and Christmas desserts 2020

Spar luxury mince pies (370g) Available in-store at Spar (£2)
These pies have a lovely golden colour and crumbly, buttery pastry. The filling is sweet and jammy, with chunky pieces of plump, soaked fruit and a good hit of citrus from the candied peel.

The best flavoured mince pies 2020

Waitrose mini mince pie selection (pack of nine) Available from Waitrose & Partners (£3)

A cute selection of mini mince pies in three different, cleverly thought-out flavours. Our judges especially loved the almond-topped variety, followed by the nutty baklava-filled one, and were impressed by the crisp, buttery pastry on all three.

The best gluten-free mince pies 2020

Made Without Wheat gluten-free mince pies (pack of four) Available in-store at M&S (£2.50)
The unanimous winner, we’d be proud to serve these attractive, star-topped pies to guests. The filling is chunky and the pastry golden, buttery and shortbread-like.

The best panettone 2020

Waitrose apricot & peach bellini panettone (500g) Available from Waitrose & Partners (£6.66)

A twist on a classic panettone, this has a sweet, jammy peach and apricot filling. Our judges praised it for its super-soft, rich, and deliciously buttery dough, reminiscent of a good brioche.

The best Christmas cake 2020

M&S Collection perfectly matured rich fruit cake (907g) Available in-store at M&S (£10)
This well-balanced fruit cake is rich and treacly, with a perfect amount of spice. Whole cherries give an extra pop of fruity flavour. It boasts a thick layer of marzipan and pretty snowflake design, too.

The best sharing dessert 2020

Aldi Specially Selected Belgian chocolate & praline bombe (500g) Available in-store at Aldi (£5.99)
This stunning chocolate bombe was a real hit with our judges. The thin chocolate dome encases a light, creamy hazelnut mousse and crispy feuilletine base.

The best vegan dessert 2020

M&S Gastropub chocolate torte (twin pack, 140g) Available in-store at M&S (£3.50)

A delicious dessert for any chocolate lover – vegan or not – this torte combines super-rich, silky-smooth dark chocolate ganache with a crunchy biscuit base. Although the twin-pack is only available in-store, you can also order a large torte, to serve six, online (£12).

The best Christmas pudding 2020

Specially Selected damson, plum and pink gin pudding (800g) Available in-store at Aldi (£8.99)
A soft pudding with whole chunks of juicy dried fruits and almonds, our judges enjoyed the sweet, almost jelly-like plum centre. It’s finished with a shimmering gold lustre for an extra-special end to the Christmas meal.

The best stollen 2020

M&S Collection stollen slices (250g) Available in-store at M&S (£3)

These super-squishy, buttery stollen slices feature layers of marzipan, a smattering of dried fruit and a dusting of icing sugar. Already cut into neat pieces, they’re great for serving to guests with a cup of tea or coffee throughout the festive season.

The best yule log 2020

M&S woodland yule log (1.05kg) Available from M&S (£20)

A family crowd-pleaser, this tree stump design cake has soft sponge, sweet chocolate buttercream and rich chocolate ganache for a moist, fudgy texture and taste.

More Christmas shopping pages

BBC Good Food Christmas Taste Awards full results
Our ultimate foodie gift guide
The best Christmas hampers
The best boozy gifts
The best foodie baubles
The best secret Santa gifts
Unboxing + review: charcuterie hampers
Unboxing + review: chocolate gifts

This review was last updated in November 2020. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.