Alternative Christmas desserts

Done with tradition? Ditch the classic brandy-soaked pudding in favour of one of these contemporary Christmas desserts

Chocolate orange cake with clotted cream frosting

The best bit of a traditional Christmas pudding is the theatrics of setting it alight, so you won’t miss out on the drama if you plump for this sparkler-topped chocolate orange cake (pictured top) on the big day.

Clotted cream frosting adds layers of decadence to the three light and fluffy chocolate-orange sponges, plus there’s an added boozy hit thanks to the hearty glug of Cointreau stirred into the cream.

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Cranberry and chestnut bread and butter pudding

This festive spin on the classic winter-warmer pudding calls for lashing of velvety homemade custard.

Instead of using up stale bread as is traditional, this recipe employs panettone for an indulgently Christmassy take on a classic. Cranberry and chestnut are the suggested adornments but there’s everything to play for when you get creative and add your favourite festive flavours.

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Eggnog cheesecake

Add a retro spin to your Christmas feast with this festive cheesecake. Advocaat, nutmeg and orange zest conjure up the classic eggnog flavours, while a trad digestive-biscuit base adds a buttery crunch. Serve with a Snowball cocktail, a side order of Wham’s Last Christmas, and take the 80s nostalgia to the max.

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Gingerbread caramel brownies

Brownies are a guaranteed hit with all the family and this gingerbread-spiked version makes the perfect alternative Christmas dessert. We recommend making homemade gingerbread caramel to swirl through the brownie batter – it’s well worth the effort.

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Spiced chocolate fondant

All the classic Christmas pudding flavours but in a melt-in-the-middle dessert … it doesn’t get much better than this festive spiced chocolate fondant. Encased under a lightly spiced sponge spotted with currants and white chocolate is a molten Drambuie and mincemeat centre. Drool.

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Like 5 of the best alternative Christmas desserts? Check out our Christmas cocktails collection.