15 Jamie Oliver Christmas Desserts

Pudding is the grand finale of Christmas dinner, and there are plenty of ways to end the meal beyond the traditional steamed pudding. These fifteen desserts, inspired by Jamie Oliver’s generous, rustic style, range from showstoppers like a yule log and pavlova wreath to comforting crumbles, baked apples and a creamy rice pudding.

Many can be made a day or more ahead, which is exactly what you want on a busy Christmas Day. Choose something light after a heavy roast, or go all out with chocolate and cream.

1. Chocolate and Cherry Yule Log

A light chocolate sponge rolled with cream and cherries and covered in rich chocolate makes a stunning centrepiece. It can be made two days ahead.

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
• 150g dark chocolate, chopped
• 200g fresh or defrosted frozen cherries, pitted
• 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 sifted 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.
4. Unroll, spread with cream and half the cherries, then re-roll. Cover with the chocolate, mark like bark, top with cherries and dust with icing sugar. Keep chilled.

2. Clementine Trifle

Layers of sponge, clementines, custard and cream make a bright, zesty trifle. It is best made the day before.

Servings: 10 · Total time: 30 minutes, plus chilling

Ingredients

• 250g plain sponge cake, sliced
• 4 tbsp marmalade
• 150ml fresh orange juice
• 6 clementines, segmented
• 500ml ready-made fresh custard
• 400ml double cream
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• 25g flaked almonds, toasted

Instructions

1. Spread the sponge with marmalade, arrange in a glass bowl and spoon over the orange juice.
2. Add the clementines and pour over the custard. Chill for 2 hours.
3. Whip the cream with the icing sugar, spread on top and chill for up to 24 hours. Scatter with almonds.

3. Berry Pavlova Wreath

A ring of crisp meringue piled with cream and red berries looks just like a Christmas wreath. Bake the meringue up to a week ahead.

Servings: 12 · Total time: 2 hours 30 minutes, plus cooling

Ingredients

• 6 large egg whites
• 350g caster sugar
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 600ml double cream
• 400g raspberries and redcurrants
• Seeds of 1 pomegranate
• Small handful fresh mint leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 140°C (120°C fan), gas mark 1. Draw a 28cm circle on baking paper and lay on a tray.
2. Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, then whisk in the sugar a spoonful at a time. Fold in the cornflour and vinegar.
3. Spoon in dollops around the circle to make a ring and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and cool inside.
4. Whip the cream, spoon over and top with the fruit and mint just before serving.

4. Sticky Toffee Pudding

A soft date sponge drenched in glossy toffee sauce is the ultimate comfort pudding. Both sponge and sauce reheat beautifully.

Servings: 8 · Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 200g pitted dates, chopped
• 250ml boiling water
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 75g butter, softened
• 150g light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 175g self-raising flour
• For the sauce: 100g butter
• For the sauce: 125g light brown sugar
• For the sauce: 200ml double cream

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan), gas mark 4. Soak the dates in the water with the bicarbonate of soda for 10 minutes.
2. Beat the butter and sugar, add the eggs, then fold in the flour and dates with their liquid.
3. Bake in a greased 20 x 30cm dish for 30–35 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
4. Melt the sauce ingredients together and bubble for 2 minutes. Pour over the warm pudding.

5. Chocolate Orange Tart

A crisp pastry case filled with silky chocolate and orange ganache is rich and elegant. It sets in the fridge, so 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
• Cocoa powder, to dust

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan), gas mark 6. Line a 23cm tart tin with the pastry and bake blind for 15 minutes, then 10 minutes without beans until golden. Cool.
2. Heat the cream until steaming, pour over the chocolate, butter, orange zest and honey and stir until smooth.
3. Pour into the case and chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
4. Dust with cocoa and serve in thin slices.

6. Clementine and Almond Cake

Whole clementines blended into a moist almond cake give a bright, sticky citrus flavour. It keeps beautifully for several days.

Servings: 10 · Total time: 2 hours 45 minutes, plus cooling

Ingredients

• 4 clementines (about 375g)
• 6 large eggs
• 225g caster sugar
• 250g ground almonds
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Icing sugar, to dust

Instructions

1. Simmer the whole clementines in water for 2 hours. Cool, remove pips and blitz to a pulp.
2. Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan), gas mark 5. Line a 21cm springform tin.
3. Beat the eggs and sugar, then stir in the almonds, baking powder and clementine pulp.
4. Bake for 50–60 minutes, covering after 40, until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin and dust with icing sugar.

7. Baked Apples with Cinnamon and Walnuts

Whole apples stuffed with walnuts, dried fruit and cinnamon bake into a soft, fragrant, simple pudding. Serve them with hot custard.

Servings: 6 · Total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 red eating apples
• 50g walnuts, chopped
• 50g raisins
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 25g butter
• 150ml apple juice
• Custard, to serve

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan), gas mark 4. Core the apples and score around their middles.
2. Mix the walnuts, raisins, sugar and cinnamon and pack into the apples. Top each with a little butter.
3. Place in a dish, pour in the apple juice and bake for 35–40 minutes until soft, basting once.
4. Serve with the syrupy juices and custard.

8. Christmas Pudding Ice Cream

A no-churn ice cream studded with dried fruit soaked in orange juice tastes just like Christmas pudding. It is a cool, fun alternative.

Servings: 10 · Total time: 20 minutes, plus soaking and freezing

Ingredients

• 150g mixed dried fruit
• 100ml fresh orange juice
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 600ml double cream
• 1 x 397g tin condensed milk

Instructions

1. Soak the dried fruit with the orange juice, zest and spice for at least 1 hour.
2. Whip the cream and condensed milk together to soft peaks.
3. Fold in the fruit and any juice, spoon into a 900g loaf tin lined with cling film and freeze overnight.
4. Turn out and slice to serve.

9. Pear and Ginger Crumble

Soft pears with a hint of ginger under a crunchy oat crumble make a warming, homely pudding. It is lovely with custard or cream.

Servings: 6 · Total time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 ripe pears, peeled, cored and chopped
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 150g plain flour
• 100g cold butter, cubed
• 75g demerara sugar
• 50g rolled oats

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan), gas mark 5. Toss the pears with the brown sugar, ginger and lemon zest and tip into a baking dish.
2. Rub the flour and butter together, then stir in the demerara sugar and oats.
3. Scatter over the pears and bake for 35–40 minutes until golden and bubbling.

10. Cranberry Bakewell Tart

A buttery almond tart with a layer of cranberry is a festive twist on a British classic. Serve it warm with cream.

Servings: 8 · Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 320g ready-rolled shortcrust pastry
• 4 tbsp cranberry sauce
• 125g butter, softened
• 125g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 125g ground almonds
• 25g plain flour
• 25g flaked almonds

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 5 without beans.
2. Reduce to 180°C (160°C fan), gas mark 4. Spread the cranberry sauce over the base.
3. Beat the butter and sugar, add the eggs, then fold in the ground almonds and flour. Spread over and scatter with flaked almonds.
4. Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden and set.

11. Gingerbread Cheesecake

A creamy baked cheesecake spiced with ginger, cinnamon and treacle on a gingernut base tastes like Christmas. Make it a day ahead.

Servings: 12 · Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes, plus cooling and chilling

Ingredients

• 250g gingernut biscuits, crushed
• 75g butter, melted
• 600g full-fat cream cheese
• 150g light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 150ml soured cream
• 2 tbsp black treacle
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan), gas mark 3. Mix the biscuits (keeping a few crumbs) and butter and press into a lined 23cm springform tin.
2. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, soured cream, treacle and spices until smooth. Pour over the base.
3. Bake for 50–55 minutes until set with a slight wobble. Turn off the oven and cool inside with the door ajar.
4. Chill overnight and top with the reserved crumbs.

12. Chocolate Brownie Pudding with Fudge Sauce

A gooey chocolate brownie pudding with hot fudge sauce is rich, simple and loved by children and adults alike. Serve with ice cream.

Servings: 8 · Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 150g dark chocolate
• 150g butter
• 3 large eggs
• 200g caster sugar
• 100g plain flour
• 30g cocoa powder
• For the sauce: 100g light brown sugar
• For the sauce: 50g butter
• For the sauce: 150ml double cream

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan), gas mark 4. Grease a 20cm square dish.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter. Whisk the eggs and sugar, fold in the chocolate, then the flour and cocoa.
3. Pour into the dish and bake for 25–30 minutes until just set.
4. Melt the sauce ingredients together and bubble for 2 minutes. Pour over the warm pudding.

13. Rice Pudding with Spiced Plums

Creamy baked rice pudding topped with spiced roasted plums is pure winter comfort. The plums can be roasted ahead.

Servings: 6 · Total time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 100g pudding rice
• 50g caster sugar
• 1 litre whole milk
• 25g butter
• Pinch of grated nutmeg
• 6 plums, halved and stoned
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• Juice of 1 orange

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan), gas mark 2. Put the rice, sugar and milk in a buttered dish, dot with butter and grate over nutmeg.
2. Bake for 2 hours until creamy with a golden skin.
3. Meanwhile, roast the plums with the brown sugar, spices and orange juice at 180°C (160°C fan), gas mark 4 for 20 minutes until soft and syrupy.
4. Serve the rice pudding topped with the plums and syrup.

14. Lemon Posset with Shortbread

A silky lemon posset needs just cream, sugar and lemon and sets in the fridge. It is a wonderfully light finish after a rich meal.

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

Ingredients

• 600ml double cream
• 150g caster sugar
• Zest and juice of 3 lemons
• Shortbread biscuits, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat the cream and sugar in a pan, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, then boil for 3 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice.
3. Pour into 6 small glasses and chill for at least 3 hours. Serve with shortbread.

15. Eton Mess with Pomegranate

Broken meringue, whipped cream, berries and pomegranate make a no-bake pudding that looks stunning. Assemble it just before serving.

Servings: 6 · Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 450ml double cream
• 6 ready-made meringue nests, broken
• 250g strawberries, halved
• 150g raspberries
• Seeds of 1 pomegranate
• Small handful fresh mint

Instructions

1. Whip the cream to soft peaks.
2. Fold in the meringue and most of the fruit.
3. Pile into a bowl and top with the remaining fruit, pomegranate and mint.