10 Jamie Oliver Chocolate Desserts for Christmas

For many people, Christmas is not complete without something gloriously chocolatey. These ten desserts, inspired by Jamie Oliver’s generous, crowd-pleasing puddings, cover every chocolate craving, from an elegant chocolate orange tart and a hazelnut yule log to a gooey self-saucing pudding, fudgy brownies and a showstopping chocolate pavlova.

Several can be made ahead, and a couple double as edible gifts. Use good dark chocolate with around 70 percent cocoa solids for the best flavour.

1. Chocolate Hazelnut Yule Log

A light chocolate sponge rolled with hazelnut cream and covered in chocolate icing is the ultimate Christmas centrepiece. Toasted hazelnuts on top add crunch.

Servings: 10 · Total time: 1 hour, plus cooling

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 100g caster sugar
• 65g self-raising flour
• 40g cocoa powder
• 450ml double cream
• 3 tbsp chocolate hazelnut spread
• 150g dark chocolate, chopped
• 50g hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
• Icing sugar, to dust

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan), gas mark 6. Line a 23 x 33cm Swiss roll tin. Whisk the eggs and sugar until thick, fold in the flour and cocoa and bake for 8–10 minutes.
2. Turn out onto sugared paper, roll up with the paper and cool.
3. Heat 150ml cream, pour over the chocolate and stir until smooth; leave to thicken. Whip the remaining cream with the hazelnut spread.
4. Unroll the sponge, spread with hazelnut cream and re-roll. Cover with the chocolate, mark like bark, scatter with hazelnuts and dust with icing sugar. Keep chilled.

2. Chocolate Orange Tart

A crisp pastry case filled with glossy chocolate and orange ganache is rich, elegant and needs no baking once the case is done. Make it the day before.

Servings: 10 · Total time: 45 minutes, plus chilling

Ingredients

• 320g ready-rolled sweet shortcrust pastry
• 300ml double cream
• 250g dark chocolate, chopped
• 25g butter
• Zest of 2 oranges
• 1 tbsp runny honey
• 1 orange, segmented, to decorate

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan), gas mark 6. Line a 23cm tart tin and bake blind for 15 minutes, then 10 minutes without beans. Cool.
2. Heat the cream until steaming and pour over the chocolate, butter, zest and honey. Stir until smooth.
3. Pour into the case and chill for at least 3 hours.
4. Decorate with orange segments and zest before serving.

3. Chocolate Cream Pots

Silky chocolate cream pots are rich, simple and ready in ten minutes. Top with a little cream and grated chocolate.

Servings: 6 · Total time: 10 minutes, plus chilling

Ingredients

• 200g dark chocolate, chopped
• 300ml double cream
• 150ml whole milk
• 2 tbsp runny honey
• Pinch of sea salt
• Crème fraîche and grated chocolate, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat the cream, milk, honey and salt until steaming.
2. Pour over the chocolate and stir until smooth.
3. Pour into 6 small glasses and chill for at least 3 hours. Top with crème fraîche and grated chocolate.

4. Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding

A light chocolate sponge bakes over its own rich chocolate sauce, giving a gooey treat in every spoonful. It is ready in under 45 minutes.

Servings: 6 · Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 175g self-raising flour
• 40g cocoa powder, plus 3 tbsp for the sauce
• 150g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 150ml whole milk
• 75g butter, melted
• 150g light brown sugar
• 400ml boiling water
• Ice cream, to serve

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan), gas mark 4. Grease a 2 litre ovenproof dish.
2. Mix the flour, 40g cocoa and caster sugar, then whisk in the eggs, milk and butter. Spread in the dish.
3. Mix the brown sugar and remaining cocoa, sprinkle over and carefully pour over the boiling water.
4. Bake for 35 minutes until the sponge is risen and set on top with sauce underneath. Serve with ice cream.

5. Chocolate Cranberry Brownies

Fudgy brownies studded with tart cranberries and dusted with icing sugar like snow are perfect for parties and gifts. They keep for days in a tin.

Servings: 16 squares · Total time: 45 minutes, plus cooling

Ingredients

• 200g dark chocolate
• 200g butter
• 3 large eggs
• 250g caster sugar
• 100g plain flour
• 40g cocoa powder
• 100g dried cranberries
• Icing sugar, to dust

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan), gas mark 4. Line a 20cm square tin.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter. Whisk the eggs and sugar until thick, then fold in the chocolate mixture.
3. Fold in the flour, cocoa and cranberries. Pour into the tin and bake for 25 minutes until just set.
4. Cool completely, cut into squares and dust with icing sugar.

6. Chocolate Orange Truffles

Dark chocolate truffles rolled in cocoa, nuts or coconut make a lovely homemade gift or after-dinner treat. They keep for a week in the fridge.

Servings: 24 truffles · Total time: 20 minutes, plus chilling

Ingredients

• 200g dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 150ml double cream
• 25g butter
• Zest of 1 orange
• Cocoa powder, chopped pistachios or desiccated coconut, for rolling

Instructions

1. Heat the cream and butter until steaming, pour over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Stir in the orange zest.
2. Chill for 2 hours until firm.
3. Roll teaspoonfuls into balls and coat in cocoa, pistachios or coconut.

7. Chocolate Pavlova with Cherries

A cocoa meringue with a crisp shell and marshmallowy middle, piled with cream, cherries and chocolate shavings, makes a dramatic finale. Bake the meringue a few days ahead.

Servings: 10 · Total time: 1 hour 45 minutes, plus cooling

Ingredients

• 4 large egg whites
• 250g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 50g dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 400ml double cream
• 300g fresh or defrosted frozen cherries, pitted
• Chocolate shavings, to decorate

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 140°C (120°C fan), gas mark 1. Whisk the whites to stiff peaks, then whisk in the sugar a spoonful at a time until glossy.
2. Sift over the cocoa, add the vinegar and chopped chocolate and fold in gently.
3. Spoon into a 23cm circle on a lined tray and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and cool inside.
4. Whip the cream, pile on top and finish with cherries and chocolate shavings.

8. Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding

Golden brioche baked in a rich chocolate custard is a wonderfully indulgent twist on a British classic. It is a great way to use up stale bread.

Servings: 6 · Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 300g brioche, sliced
• 50g butter, softened
• 150g dark chocolate, chopped
• 300ml double cream
• 300ml whole milk
• 3 large eggs
• 75g caster sugar
• Zest of 1 orange

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan), gas mark 4. Butter the brioche and arrange in a buttered dish, scattering half the chocolate between the layers.
2. Heat the cream and milk, take off the heat and stir in the remaining chocolate until melted.
3. Whisk the eggs, sugar and zest, then whisk in the chocolate milk. Pour over the brioche and leave to soak for 15 minutes.
4. Bake for 35–40 minutes until the custard is set and the top is crisp.

9. Christmas Rocky Road

Chunky rocky road with biscuits, glacé cherries, cranberries and pistachios is a no-bake festive treat that children love to help with. Cut into squares for gifts.

Servings: 16 squares · Total time: 15 minutes, plus chilling

Ingredients

• 300g dark chocolate
• 125g butter
• 3 tbsp golden syrup
• 200g digestive biscuits, broken
• 100g glacé cherries, halved
• 75g dried cranberries
• 50g pistachios
• Icing sugar, to dust

Instructions

1. Melt the chocolate, butter and golden syrup together.
2. Stir in the biscuits, glacé cherries, cranberries and pistachios.
3. Press into a lined 20cm square tin and chill for at least 3 hours. Dust with icing sugar and cut into squares.

10. Chocolate Fudge Cake

A tall, moist chocolate cake with thick fudge icing is a crowd-pleasing celebration cake for Christmas or Boxing Day. It keeps well for three days.

Servings: 12 · Total time: 1 hour, plus cooling

Ingredients

• 225g self-raising flour
• 50g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 225g caster sugar
• 225g butter, softened
• 4 large eggs
• 4 tbsp whole milk
• For the icing: 200g dark chocolate
• For the icing: 150g butter
• For the icing: 250g icing sugar
• For the icing: 4 tbsp whole milk

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan), gas mark 4. Grease and line two 20cm sandwich tins.
2. Beat all the cake ingredients together until smooth, divide between the tins and bake for 25–30 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
3. Melt the chocolate and butter for the icing, then beat in the icing sugar and milk until thick and glossy.
4. Sandwich and cover the cakes with the icing, swirling the top.