24 Christmas Recipes Dessert Easy Enough to Make While the Kettle Boils

These christmas recipes dessert easy enough to pull off in fifteen minutes are for the cook who looked at the clock, looked at the table, and realised pudding did not happen. No panic.

Every recipe here starts in a cupboard that already exists in December: chocolate, cream, biscuits, fruit, a jar of something sticky. Assembly only. No baking, no mixer, no special trip to the shops.

The list runs in order of speed, starting at four minutes flat.

Some can be made ahead by up to an hour; those notes are flagged in each section.

For more holiday inspiration, explore the full guide to christmas treats, browse christmas cupcakes, discover crowd-pleasing christmas cake pops, or raid the list of christmas snacks ideas for the rest of the table.

Alcohol appears in a handful of recipes (marked in the heading). Serve those to adults only, and keep an eye on quantities when guests are driving. Contains dairy, gluten, nuts and egg in various sections; allergens are called out in each intro.

This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Chocolate and Cream Pots

Four minutes from cupboard to table. Dark chocolate, double cream and a pinch of salt: that is the whole argument. The surface sets just enough to look deliberate, and a single flake of sea salt on top signals that someone cared. Contains dairy. Make ahead by up to one hour; cover loosely and leave at room temperature rather than chilling.

Prep: 4 min | Total: 4 min | Yield: 4 small pots

Ingredients

• 200 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), finely chopped
• 240 ml double cream
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of fine sea salt, plus extra flakes to finish
• Optional: 1 tbsp brandy or strong coffee

Instructions

1. Heat the double cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to steam. Do not let it boil.
2. Remove from heat, add the chopped chocolate, sugar, vanilla and salt. Leave untouched for 90 seconds.
3. Stir slowly from the centre outward until the mixture is completely smooth and glossy.
4. Stir in brandy or coffee if using.
5. Pour into four small cups, glasses or ramekins.
6. Drop a few sea salt flakes on each surface. Serve immediately or within one hour.

Affogato with a Biscuit

Five minutes. Two ingredients with one optional extra. The drama comes from pouring hot espresso over cold ice cream at the table so guests watch it melt. Tuck a crisp biscotti or amaretti beside the glass and the whole thing looks considered.

Contains dairy, gluten, and possibly nuts depending on the biscuit. The coffee must be freshly brewed and very hot.

Prep: 5 min | Total: 5 min | Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 scoops (about 500 ml) good vanilla ice cream
• 180 ml freshly brewed espresso or very strong coffee, hot
• 4 amaretti or biscotti biscuits
• 1 tbsp coffee liqueur per glass (optional)

Instructions

1. Place one generous scoop of ice cream into each of four small glasses or cups.
2. If using liqueur, add 1 tbsp to each glass now, before the coffee.
3. Pour approximately 45 ml of hot espresso directly over each scoop at the table.
4. Rest one biscuit on the rim or beside the glass. Serve immediately.

Warm Berries Over Ice Cream

Six minutes. Frozen berries straight from the freezer, a knob of butter and a spoonful of sugar, and the fruit collapses into a glossy compote that turns vanilla ice cream into something that looks planned. Contains dairy. A splash of port or cassis deepens the colour and the flavour. Any frozen berry mix works here.

Prep: 2 min | Total: 6 min | Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 300 g frozen mixed berries
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 15 g unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp port, cassis or orange juice
• 4 scoops vanilla ice cream

Instructions

1. Tip the frozen berries, sugar, butter and port into a small saucepan.
2. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes until the berries have softened and the liquid is syrupy.
3. Scoop ice cream into four bowls.
4. Spoon the warm berries and all their syrup over the ice cream. Serve straight away.

Burnt Honey Ice Cream Topping

Six minutes. Honey caramelises fast and smells magnificent. Pour it hot over good vanilla ice cream with a handful of salted nuts and the result reads as a restaurant trick. Contains dairy and tree nuts.

Watch the honey closely; it goes from golden to bitter in under thirty seconds. Swap salted cashews for salted almonds if that is what the cupboard holds.

Prep: 1 min | Total: 6 min | Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 80 ml runny honey
• 30 g salted roasted nuts (cashews, almonds or pecans)
• Pinch of flaky sea salt
• 4 scoops vanilla ice cream

Instructions

1. Pour honey into a small, light-coloured saucepan so you can monitor the colour.
2. Heat over medium-high heat without stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, until the honey darkens to a deep amber and smells toasty.
3. Remove from heat immediately. Stir in a pinch of flaky salt.
4. Scoop ice cream into four bowls. Pour the burnt honey over each portion.
5. Scatter the salted nuts on top. Serve straight away before the honey sets.

Quick Chocolate Sauce Over Pears

Seven minutes. Tinned or ripe fresh pears fan beautifully on a plate; dark chocolate sauce turns them into a classic. The sauce itself takes three minutes and keeps warm in the pan. Contains dairy. A splash of brandy in the sauce is optional but persuasive.

Tinned pears in juice (drained) work better than pears in syrup for this, which hold more water.

Prep: 2 min | Total: 7 min | Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 ripe pears or 2 x 400 g tins pears in juice, drained
• 120 g dark chocolate (70%), finely chopped
• 120 ml double cream
• 1 tbsp golden syrup or runny honey
• 1 tbsp brandy (optional)

Instructions

1. If using fresh pears, peel, halve and core them. If using tinned, drain thoroughly on kitchen paper.
2. Arrange two pear halves per plate, cut side up, fanned if possible.
3. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Remove from heat.
4. Add the chocolate and golden syrup. Leave for 60 seconds, then stir until completely smooth.
5. Stir in brandy if using. Pour generously over the pears and serve.

Apple Slices with Hot Caramel

Eight minutes. Crisp apple slices arranged in a fan with hot caramel poured over the top is the kind of thing that looks architectural on a plate but costs nothing. Contains dairy.

Use a sharp apple, such as Granny Smith or Braeburn, for contrast against the sweet sauce. The caramel is a quick pan version; it does not require a thermometer.

Prep: 3 min | Total: 8 min | Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 crisp apples (Granny Smith or Braeburn), cored and thinly sliced
• 100 g unsalted butter
• 150 g light brown sugar
• 100 ml double cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of fine salt

Instructions

1. Arrange the apple slices in a fan across four plates.
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and stir for 2 minutes until dissolved.
3. Pour in the cream carefully (it will bubble). Stir constantly for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats a spoon.
4. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and salt.
5. Pour the hot caramel over the apples immediately. Serve before the caramel sets firm.

Panettone Toasted with Butter

Eight minutes. A thick slice of panettone in a dry pan goes golden and crisp on the outside while staying custardy inside. Butter it while it is hot, dust with icing sugar and serve with a spoonful of mascarpone alongside. Contains dairy and gluten.

This is the best use of a panettone that has started to dry out. One good loaf gives eight generous portions.

Prep: 2 min | Total: 8 min | Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 thick slices panettone (about 3 cm each)
• 30 g unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tbsp icing sugar, for dusting
• 4 heaped tbsp mascarpone
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (stirred into the mascarpone)

Instructions

1. Heat a large dry frying pan over medium-high heat until hot.
2. Add the panettone slices in a single layer. Toast for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and slightly caramelised at the edges.
3. Remove from the pan and immediately spread a little butter over each slice while hot.
4. Stir vanilla into the mascarpone in a small bowl.
5. Place each slice on a plate, dust with icing sugar and add a generous spoonful of vanilla mascarpone. Serve immediately.

Banana and Caramel Stacks

Eight minutes. Layers of sliced banana, caramel sauce from a tin and crushed biscuits stacked in a glass: assembly dessert at its most honest. Contains dairy and gluten. Use a good tinned caramel or dulce de leche; this is not the moment to make your own. Crush digestives in their packet with a rolling pin for zero washing up.

Prep: 5 min | Total: 8 min | Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced into rounds
• 200 g tinned caramel or dulce de leche
• 8 digestive biscuits, crushed
• 200 ml double cream, softly whipped by hand (about 90 seconds of brisk whisking in a cold bowl)
• Pinch of flaky salt

Instructions

1. Whisk the double cream in a cold bowl by hand until it just holds soft peaks; this takes about 90 seconds.
2. Spoon a layer of crushed biscuit into the base of four glasses.
3. Add a layer of banana slices, then a spoonful of caramel, then a spoonful of cream.
4. Repeat the layers once more, finishing with cream on top.
5. Dot a little extra caramel on each surface and scatter a pinch of flaky salt. Serve within 30 minutes so the biscuit keeps some crunch.

Mascarpone with Honey and Nuts

Five minutes. Nothing to cook. Spoon mascarpone into a shallow bowl, pour over runny honey, scatter with toasted nuts and a crack of black pepper if you are feeling bold. Contains dairy and tree nuts.

This is the dessert that looks like you considered it for far longer than you did. Warm the honey in the jar in a bowl of hot water for thirty seconds if it has stiffened in the cold cupboard.

Prep: 5 min | Total: 5 min | Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 250 g mascarpone
• 4 tbsp runny honey
• 60 g mixed roasted and salted nuts, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Optional: a few cracks of black pepper or a pinch of cinnamon
• 4 small shortbread biscuits or crackers, to serve

Instructions

1. Stir vanilla into the mascarpone until combined; taste and add a pinch of salt if it needs lifting.
2. Divide the mascarpone between four shallow bowls or plates, spreading it slightly.
3. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of honey over each portion.
4. Scatter the chopped nuts generously on top.
5. Add black pepper or cinnamon if using. Serve with shortbread on the side.

Whipped Cream and Jam Layer

Six minutes. This is a fool in spirit: cream whipped by hand to soft peaks, layered with a good jam, rippled and served. Contains dairy and gluten if served with biscuits.

Use whatever jam is open: raspberry works best, but strawberry, apricot or even marmalade are all welcome here. The orange version with a crumbled amaretti on top is particularly good at Christmas.

Prep: 6 min | Total: 6 min | Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 300 ml double cream
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 tbsp good-quality jam (raspberry, strawberry or apricot)
• 4 amaretti or shortbread biscuits, crumbled (optional)

Instructions

1. Pour the double cream into a large cold bowl. Add icing sugar and vanilla.
2. Whisk briskly by hand for 2 to 3 minutes until the cream holds soft, floppy peaks. Do not over-whip.
3. Spoon roughly half the cream into four glasses.
4. Add a tablespoon of jam to each glass; drag a spoon through it once or twice to create a ripple rather than mixing it in fully.
5. Spoon the remaining cream on top, add another small spoon of jam, and crumble biscuits over if using. Serve immediately.

Mandarin and Dark Chocolate Plate

Six minutes. No cooking at all. Peel and segment mandarins; arrange on a plate with broken dark chocolate, a drizzle of honey and a tiny pinch of chilli flakes or cinnamon.

The combination is fruit-and-chocolate, which everyone already loves, but the presentation looks like a restaurant cheese board. Contains dairy-free by default. This plate scales to any number without any extra work.

Prep: 6 min | Total: 6 min | Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 6 mandarins or clementines, peeled and segmented
• 100 g dark chocolate (70%), broken into rough pieces
• 2 tbsp runny honey
• Pinch of chilli flakes or ground cinnamon
• Optional: a small handful of salted pistachios or toasted almonds

Instructions

1. Peel and segment all the mandarins; remove any large strings of pith.
2. Arrange the segments across a large flat plate or board, leaving gaps.
3. Tuck pieces of broken chocolate between and around the fruit.
4. Drizzle honey over the whole plate.
5. Scatter chilli flakes or cinnamon and nuts if using. Serve at the table for everyone to pick from.

Grilled Pineapple with Rum

Ten minutes. Adults only: this recipe contains rum. The heat caramelises the pineapple’s natural sugar and the rum flambees if you let it; skip that step and just pour it on if the occasion calls for calm. Contains no common allergens by default.

Tinned pineapple rings in juice work if fresh is not available; just pat them very dry before they hit the pan. One pineapple ring per person is enough given the richness of the sauce.

Prep: 3 min | Total: 10 min | Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 thick rings fresh pineapple (or 8 tinned rings, drained and dried)
• 30 g unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 3 tbsp dark rum
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 scoops vanilla ice cream, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat a griddle pan or heavy frying pan over high heat until very hot.
2. Place pineapple rings in the pan and cook without moving for 2 minutes per side, until dark char lines appear.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add butter and brown sugar to the pan; let them melt together around the pineapple, about 1 minute.
4. Pour rum into the pan away from any flame. Stir to combine with the buttery juices and cook for 1 minute more until slightly syrupy.
5. Dust with cinnamon. Transfer pineapple to plates, pour sauce over and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Biscuit Tiramisu in a Mug

Ten minutes. One mug per person; no dish to wash. Layer coffee-soaked digestives or savoiardi with sweetened mascarpone, dust generously with cocoa and serve warm-ish or at room temperature.

Contains dairy, gluten and egg if the mascarpone is mixed with a yolk; this version skips the egg entirely for speed and safety. The coffee must be strong and the cocoa must be unsweetened for the contrast to work.

Prep: 10 min | Total: 10 min | Yield: 4 mugs

Ingredients

• 250 g mascarpone
• 3 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 120 ml strong espresso or very strong coffee, cooled slightly
• 1 tbsp coffee liqueur or dark rum (optional)
• 8 to 12 digestive biscuits or savoiardi (ladyfinger biscuits)
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

1. Stir icing sugar and vanilla into the mascarpone in a bowl until smooth.
2. Mix the coffee with the liqueur or rum if using in a shallow dish.
3. Dip biscuits briefly (1 to 2 seconds per side) into the coffee; they should be damp but not falling apart.
4. Break the soaked biscuits to fit and place a layer in the bottom of each mug.
5. Add a generous spoonful of the mascarpone mixture on top.
6. Repeat once more: biscuit layer, then mascarpone.
7. Sift cocoa powder generously over each mug and serve.

Peanut Butter and Oat Bites

Ten minutes, plus one hour in the fridge (or fifteen minutes in the freezer). No baking, no oven. These hold together because peanut butter and honey act as the binder, and oats provide the bulk. Contains peanuts and gluten (oats).

Make the full batch: they keep for three days in a tin and double as a midnight snack. Roll them in cocoa powder or desiccated coconut to make them look finished.

Prep: 10 min | Total: 10 min active (plus 15 min freezer chill) | Yield: about 18 bites

Ingredients

• 200 g rolled oats
• 150 g smooth peanut butter
• 60 ml runny honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of fine salt
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder or desiccated coconut, for rolling

Instructions

1. Combine oats, peanut butter, honey, vanilla and salt in a large bowl.
2. Stir until everything clumps together; if it is very dry, add 1 extra teaspoon of honey.
3. Roll tablespoon-sized portions of the mixture between your palms into compact balls.
4. Roll each ball in cocoa powder or coconut to coat.
5. Place on a plate or tray and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or freeze for 15 minutes. Serve cold.

Yoghurt with Roasted Plums

Ten minutes. Plums halved and placed cut-side down in a hot pan caramelise within four minutes and make a stunning ruby sauce. Spoon over thick Greek yoghurt and the colour contrast is immediately beautiful. Contains dairy.

Use the darkest plums available; if only tinned plums are on hand, drain them very well and skip the cooking step entirely for a four-minute version. A pinch of star anise in the pan adds a very Christmassy note.

Prep: 2 min | Total: 10 min | Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 6 ripe plums, halved and stoned
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 15 g unsalted butter
• Pinch of ground star anise or cinnamon
• 500 g full-fat Greek yoghurt
• 2 tbsp runny honey

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add sugar and stir briefly.
2. Place plum halves cut-side down in the pan. Cook without moving for 3 to 4 minutes until the cut side is golden and caramelised.
3. Turn plums; cook 1 minute more. Add star anise or cinnamon to the pan juices.
4. Divide yoghurt between four bowls. Lay three plum halves on each bowl.
5. Drizzle the sticky pan juices and honey over the top. Serve immediately.

Chocolate and Orange Fondue

Ten minutes. A small saucepan of dark chocolate melted with cream and orange zest, kept warm in the middle of the table with a candle or just passed around while hot. Dippers: orange segments, shortbread, marshmallows, pretzel sticks, whatever the cupboard holds.

Contains dairy and gluten depending on dippers. This is the dessert that becomes its own entertainment. Adults only if you add a tablespoon of Grand Marnier or Cointreau to the pot.

Prep: 3 min | Total: 10 min | Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 200 g dark chocolate (70%), finely chopped
• 150 ml double cream
• Zest of 1 large orange
• 1 tbsp golden syrup
• 1 tbsp orange liqueur (optional, adults only)
• To dip: orange segments, shortbread fingers, marshmallows, pretzel sticks

Instructions

1. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Remove from heat.
2. Add chopped chocolate, orange zest and golden syrup to the cream. Leave for 90 seconds.
3. Stir from the centre outward until completely smooth. Stir in liqueur if using.
4. Transfer to a small heatproof bowl or keep in the saucepan. Arrange dippers on a board or plate.
5. Serve immediately; the sauce will stay pourable for about 10 to 15 minutes in a warm kitchen.

Coconut and Lime Cream Pot

Ten minutes, no cooking. Coconut cream whipped by hand with lime juice and zest, sweetened with icing sugar and poured into small glasses: dairy-free and completely refreshing against everything rich on the rest of the Christmas table.

Contains no common allergens by default; check the label on the coconut cream. Chill the tin for thirty minutes before opening for a thicker result; use what you have at room temperature if there is no time, it will still work.

Prep: 10 min | Total: 10 min | Yield: 4 pots

Ingredients

• 400 ml full-fat coconut cream (chilled if possible)
• Zest and juice of 2 limes
• 3 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp desiccated coconut, toasted in a dry pan for 2 minutes, to top

Instructions

1. Open the chilled coconut cream and scoop the thick part into a large bowl. If unchilled, use the whole tin.
2. Add lime zest, lime juice, icing sugar and vanilla.
3. Whisk vigorously by hand for 2 minutes until slightly thickened and smooth.
4. Pour into four small glasses or pots.
5. Toast desiccated coconut in a dry pan for 2 minutes until golden; scatter on top. Serve immediately or within one hour.

Toasted Brioche with Mascarpone

Eight minutes. Thick slices of brioche, toasted in a pan until the crust caramelises to a deep gold, then spread with cold mascarpone and finished with strawberry jam or orange marmalade. Contains dairy and gluten.

This is the kind of dessert that works because the contrast of temperatures is doing most of the work: hot bread, cold cream, sharp jam. A drizzle of honey instead of jam is equally convincing.

Prep: 2 min | Total: 8 min | Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 thick slices brioche (at least 3 cm)
• 30 g unsalted butter
• 200 g mascarpone
• 4 tbsp good strawberry jam or fine-cut marmalade
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Icing sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add brioche slices and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until deep golden brown on both cut surfaces.
3. Stir vanilla into the mascarpone.
4. Remove brioche from the pan; place on plates while hot.
5. Spread a generous tablespoon of mascarpone over each slice.
6. Top with a spoonful of jam or marmalade. Dust with icing sugar and serve at once.

Frozen Berry and Cream Blend

Eight minutes. No blender needed: frozen berries thaw enough in five minutes to be mashed with a fork, then folded through lightly whipped cream for a pink, almost ice-cream-like texture. Contains dairy. Use any mix of frozen berries; strawberry gives the strongest colour.

Serve in chilled glasses if possible, but it works in anything. This is the closest the cupboard gets to a semifreddo with zero effort.

Prep: 8 min | Total: 8 min | Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 300 g frozen mixed berries (strawberry-heavy if possible)
• 3 tbsp icing sugar, divided
• 250 ml double cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Fresh mint or a spare berry to garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Spread frozen berries on a plate and leave at room temperature for 5 minutes until partially thawed.
2. Mash berries with a fork until mostly crushed, with some chunks remaining. Stir in 2 tablespoons of icing sugar.
3. In a separate cold bowl, whisk cream with vanilla and the remaining tablespoon of icing sugar to soft peaks by hand.
4. Fold the crushed berry mixture through the cream in three to four strokes; do not fully combine. The swirl effect is the visual hook.
5. Spoon into four glasses and serve immediately, or freeze for up to 20 minutes for a firmer texture.

Condensed Milk Fudge Sauce Over Anything

Eight minutes. Condensed milk plus butter plus a pinch of salt, stirred over medium heat until the mixture deepens to a pale fudge colour: that is the sauce. Pour it over vanilla ice cream, sliced banana, toasted brioche, pears or a plate of shortbread.

Contains dairy. It sets firmer as it cools, so serve it immediately while still pourable. One tin makes more sauce than four people can reasonably eat, which is the point.

Prep: 1 min | Total: 8 min | Yield: about 350 ml (serves 6 to 8)

Ingredients

• 397 g tin sweetened condensed milk
• 50 g unsalted butter
• Pinch of fine sea salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• To serve: vanilla ice cream, banana slices, shortbread or any combination

Instructions

1. Put the condensed milk and butter in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat.
2. Stir constantly as the mixture heats; it will begin to smell caramelised and turn a pale honey colour after 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in salt and vanilla.
4. Pour immediately over the chosen base. Serve at once while liquid.

Stem Ginger and Cream Fool

Ten minutes, no cooking. Stem ginger from a jar (a December cupboard staple) folded through whipped cream with a spoon of the syrup from the jar: it has heat, sweetness and that unmistakably festive flavour. Contains dairy.

A digestive biscuit crumbled on top provides the textural contrast that stops this tipping into bland. Check the jar for the syrup; it is as important as the ginger itself.

Prep: 10 min | Total: 10 min | Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 300 ml double cream
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 balls stem ginger from a jar, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp stem ginger syrup (from the same jar)
• 4 digestive biscuits, crumbled

Instructions

1. Whisk double cream, icing sugar and vanilla in a cold bowl by hand until it holds soft peaks, about 2 minutes.
2. Fold in the chopped stem ginger and 2 tablespoons of the syrup gently, keeping the mixture airy.
3. Spoon into four glasses or bowls.
4. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of syrup over each portion.
5. Crumble a digestive biscuit on top of each. Serve immediately.

Shortbread and Lemon Curd Stack

Ten minutes. A stack of three shortbread biscuits with lemon curd and whipped cream between each layer, the top dusted with icing sugar. It photographs like a mille-feuille and takes less than the time it takes to describe. Contains dairy and gluten.

Bought shortbread fingers are fine; the higher the butter content, the better they hold under the cream. This works as a single large stack per person or as a sharing board with the layers loose for guests to assemble themselves.

Prep: 10 min | Total: 10 min | Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 12 shortbread biscuit fingers or rounds
• 8 tbsp good-quality lemon curd
• 200 ml double cream, whipped by hand to soft peaks
• 1 tbsp icing sugar, for dusting
• Zest of 1 lemon (optional, for the top)

Instructions

1. Whisk the double cream by hand in a cold bowl to soft peaks, about 2 minutes.
2. Place one shortbread biscuit on each plate.
3. Spread 1 tablespoon of lemon curd on top, then a spoonful of cream.
4. Repeat: second biscuit, more lemon curd, more cream.
5. Place the third biscuit on top and press very gently so the stack holds.
6. Dust with icing sugar and a little lemon zest. Serve immediately before the biscuits soften.

Hot Chocolate Pudding in a Mug

Twelve minutes. This is a proper microwave mug cake with no baking in an oven and no mixer. The chocolate hits hard because there is both cocoa and melted dark chocolate in the batter. Contains dairy, gluten and egg.

Every microwave is different; start at 90 seconds on high and add 15-second bursts from there. The centre should still look barely set when you take it out; it carries on cooking from the heat of the mug.

Serve with a spoonful of cream or a scoop of ice cream dropped on top.

Prep: 5 min | Total: 12 min | Yield: 4 mugs

Ingredients

• 50 g dark chocolate (70%), broken into pieces
• 60 g unsalted butter
• 80 g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 40 g plain flour
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• Pinch of fine salt
• To serve: double cream or vanilla ice cream

Instructions

1. Melt the dark chocolate and butter together in a large microwave-safe bowl in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until completely smooth.
2. Whisk in caster sugar and eggs until the mixture is combined and slightly glossy.
3. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Stir until just combined; do not over-mix.
4. Divide the batter equally between four mugs.
5. Microwave each mug individually on high for 90 seconds. Check: the edges should be set and the centre slightly wobbly. Add 15-second bursts if needed.
6. Leave to rest for 1 minute before serving. Add cream or ice cream on top.

Rum Soaked Raisin Cream

Twelve minutes, adults only. This recipe contains rum.

Raisins soaked in a small splash of dark rum for ten minutes become plump and fragrant; fold them through softly whipped cream with a spoon of brown sugar and a pinch of cinnamon and the result is deeply, unabashedly festive. Contains dairy.

Serve in small glasses so the richness does not overwhelm. Leftover cream keeps refrigerated for up to four hours, which makes this the strongest make-ahead option in this list.

Prep: 10 min | Total: 12 min | Yield: 4 small glasses

Ingredients

• 80 g raisins or sultanas
• 3 tbsp dark rum
• 300 ml double cream
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Combine raisins and rum in a small bowl. Leave to soak for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice.
2. Pour the double cream into a cold bowl. Add brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.
3. Whisk by hand for 2 to 3 minutes until the cream holds soft, floppy peaks.
4. Tip the rum-soaked raisins and any remaining rum into the cream. Fold gently in two or three strokes.
5. Spoon into four small glasses. Chill until serving, or serve immediately. Dust with a tiny pinch of extra cinnamon.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the quickest Christmas dessert?

The quickest option in this list is Chocolate and Cream Pots, ready in four minutes: heat double cream, pour it over chopped dark chocolate with a pinch of salt, stir smooth and serve in small cups. The affogato (five minutes) is even simpler if a shot of espresso is already brewing.

What dessert can I make with no baking?

Every recipe in this list requires zero baking. Good examples include biscuit tiramisu in a mug (layered and served cold), banana and caramel stacks (assembled in glasses), shortbread and lemon curd stacks (three biscuits with cream and curd between each layer) and peanut butter and oat bites (set in the freezer for 15 minutes).

What can I make with cupboard ingredients?

All 24 recipes here use only ingredients that a typical December kitchen already holds: chocolate, cream, tinned fruit, biscuits, jam, honey, oats, peanut butter, frozen berries, ice cream and basic spices. Nothing on any list requires a special trip to the shops.

What dessert can be made in advance?

The rum soaked raisin cream keeps refrigerated for up to four hours. Peanut butter and oat bites keep for three days in a tin. Chocolate and cream pots can be made up to one hour ahead and left at room temperature.

Biscuit tiramisu in a mug is best assembled just before serving, but the mascarpone mixture can be prepared an hour ahead.