Showstopping Christmas dessert recipes

Christmas is coming!

You know what that means, seemingly endless holiday events that you have to bring a dish to. What should you bring?

Use these straightforward dessert recipes to impress your friends and families this Christmas season!

They’re easy to follow and different from the regular pudding.

Find the best dessert recipes to try out this holiday season below:

Sticky caramel banana bread ice-cream cake recipe

Ingredients:

• 500g pkt banana bread slices

• 2 x 500ml tubs caramel & macadamia ice-cream

• 2 litres vanilla ice-cream

• ¼ cup caramel spread, plus extra to serve

• 300ml thickened cream

• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste

• white chocolate curls, gold star sprinkles, to decorate

To make:

1. Grease a 20cm square cake pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 5cm above edges of pan.

2. Cut 5 slices of banana bread in half horizontally (to form 10 thin slices). Set aside 5 pieces, then roughly chop remaining.

3. Place ice-cream in a large bowl and soften slightly. Add chopped banana bread and fold through. Swirl caramel through ice-cream. Spoon mixture into prepared pan, smooth top and push ice-cream into corners. Arrange reserved whole bread slices on top of ice-cream, trimming if needed and pressing gently into ice-cream. Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze until firm.

4. Using an electric mixer, beat cream and vanilla until soft peaks form.

5. Turn ice-cream cake onto a serving platter, cake-side down. Dollop with cream. Serve drizzled with extra caramel, plus chocolate curls and sprinkles.

Christmas smash cake recipe

Ingredients:

• 1¾ cups self-raising flour

• ½ cup cocoa powder

• ¾ cup caster sugar

• 1 cup milk

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

• 125g butter, melted, cooled

• 400g tub chocolate frosting

• 1½ x 200g pkt chocolate finger biscuits

• 2-3 cups assorted lollies

• coloured sprinkles

• mini candy canes, to decorate

• ²/³ cup white chocolate melts, melted

• spearmint leaves, red M&M’s, to decorate

For the dome:

• 250g dark chocolate melts

To make:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a deep 20cm round cake pan. Line base and sides with baking paper.

2. Sift flour and cocoa into a large bowl. Stir in sugar. Make a well in centre. Add milk, egg and butter. Whisk until well combined. Pour mixture into prepared pan, spreading to level top. Bake 50-55 mins or until a skewer inserted in centre of cake comes out clean. Stand in pan for 10 mins before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.

3. To make the chocolate dome, chill a 20cm round metal or melamine bowl. Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on High 1-2 mins or until melted and smooth. Stand 5 mins. Spray inside of bowl with oil. Brush chocolate over inside of bowl to coat. Refrigerate 5 mins. Repeat with remaining chocolate to create a thick coating. Refrigerate until set (you’ll notice chocolate will start to pull away from edge of bowl).

4. Place on a serving plate. Spread top and side of cake with frosting. Press biscuits around edge of cake. Pile lollies and some of the mini candy canes in centre of cake.

5. Carefully remove chocolate dome from bowl. Place over lollies to cover. Refrigerate 10 mins.

6. Using a little of the melted white chocolate, secure mini candy canes around side of cake. Spoon remaining chocolate over top of dome. Decorate with spearmint leaves and M&M’s.

White Christmas pavlova recipe

Ingredients:

• 8 egg whites, at room temperature

• pinch of cream of tartar

• 2 cups caster sugar

• 1 tsp cornflour

• 1 tsp white vinegar

• rose pink liquid food colouring

• 600ml thickened cream, whipped

• 250g raspberries

• 190g Turkish delight, torn (see Tip)

• White Christmas:

• 180g white chocolate, chopped

• 1½ tbsp coconut oil

• 2 cups rice bubbles

• pink and gold sprinkles, to decorate

To make:

1. Preheat oven to 110°C. Mark an 18cm circle on two sheets of baking paper. Place each sheet onto a baking tray, marked-side down.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until firm peaks form. Gradually beat in caster sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, beating until sugar is dissolved after each addition. Beat in cornflour and vinegar.

3. Divide mixture evenly between the two circles on prepared trays. Dip a skewer into food colouring and run around edge of meringue. Using a small spatula, shape meringue into pavlovas, creating a light marbled effect. Bake 1 hour 30 mins to 1 hour 45 mins or until meringues are crisp and dry. Turn oven off. Cool meringues in oven with door ajar.

4. White Christmas Place white chocolate and oil in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on High 1 to 2 mins or until melted and smooth. Add rice bubbles, stirring well to coat. Spread out onto a baking paper-lined tray. Decorate with sprinkles. Refrigerate until set.

5. Roughly crumble white Christmas. Place one pavlova on a serving plate. Top with half the cream, raspberries, Turkish delight and white Christmas. Repeat with remaining pavlova and toppings. Serve immediately.

Profiterole tree with boozy berries recipe

Tip: You could also arrange profiteroles in a wreath shape for an easy and festive way to present the dessert.

Ingredients:

• 2 x 125g punnets raspberries (or 250g strawberries), finely chopped

• 1½ tbsp Kahlua

• 24 shop-bought custard-filled profiteroles (we used 3 x 8 packs)

• 300ml thickened cream, whipped to soft peaks

• icing sugar, for dusting

To make:

1 Combine raspberries or strawberries and Kahlua in a bowl. Set aside 30 mins for flavours to develop.

2 Using a small serrated knife, cut profiteroles in half (slice slightly closer 
to the base to avoid cracking the chocolate)

3 Fold berry mixture through cream. Dollop cream over bases and return chocolate tops.

4 Arrange in a tree shape. Serve dusted with icing sugar.

Peppermint ice-cream cake bombe recipe

Ingredients:

• 250g pkt Nice biscuits

• 165g pkt white chocolate Tim Tam biscuits

• 125g butter, melted, cooled

• 2 litres vanilla ice-cream

• 1 cup frozen raspberries, roughly chopped

• 8 large candy canes, roughly chopped, plus extra, crushed, to decorate

• ¼ cup finely grated white chocolate

• 4 egg whites

• 1 cup caster sugar

To make:

1. Grease a 22cm round springform pan. Line base with baking paper.

2. Place both biscuits in a food processor. Process until coarse crumbs. Add butter and process until mixture just comes together. Press mixture evenly over base and side of prepared pan. Refrigerate while preparing filling.

3. Stand ice-cream at room temperature 10 mins or until softened but not melted. Fold in raspberries, candy cane and chocolate. Spoon mixture into prepared pan, levelling top. Freeze at least 8 hours or overnight.

4. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, beating until dissolved after each addition. Beat 5 mins or until thick and glossy.

5. Place ice-cream cake on a serving plate. Dollop top with meringue. Using a kitchen blowtorch, toast meringue until browned. Serve immediately topped with crushed candy canes.

Pina colada cheesecake recipe

Ingredients:

• 250g Biscoff biscuits

• 100g butter, melted

• 750g cream cheese, at room temperature

• ¾ cup caster sugar

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 tsp finely grated lime rind

• 3 eggs

• ½ cup coconut cream

• 227g can crushed pineapple, well-drained

• chargrilled pineapple, toasted flaked coconut, maraschino cherries, to decorate

Coconut rum syrup:

• 1/3 cup caster sugar

• 2 tbsp brown sugar

• ¼ cup water

• 2 tbsp lime juice

• 1 tbsp Malibu rum

To make:

1. Preheat oven to 150°C. Grease a 22cm-round springform pan. Line base and side with baking paper, extending paper 2cm above edge of pan. Place springform pan on a baking tray.

2. Process biscuits until fine crumbs. Add butter. Process until just combined. Press mixture over base of prepared pan. Refrigerate while preparing filling.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth and fluffy. Add vanilla and lime rind, beating until just combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined after each addition. Add coconut cream and beat until just combined. Fold in crushed pineapple.

4. Pour mixture over prepared base. Bake for 1 hour or until cheesecake is just set (mixture will still wobble slightly in the centre). Turn oven off. Cool cheesecake in oven with door ajar. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

5. For the coconut rum syrup: Combine sugars and water in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir over heat, without boiling, 5 mins or until sugar is dissolved. Stir in lime juice and rum. Increase heat to high. Bring to boil. Boil, without stirring, 6 to 8 mins or until syrup thickens. Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.

6. Decorate cheesecake with cherries and pineapple. Drizzle with some of the syrup. Serve cheesecake with remaining syrup.

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