5 Delicious Puddings That Make Your Christmas Dinner Complete

The Christmas pudding, or dessert course, should be the grand finale of your holiday feast. Whether you favour the dense, dark fruits of tradition or prefer a lighter, creamy comfort, these five puddings are guaranteed to provide a sweet, satisfying, and memorable end to your Christmas dinner.

5 Delicious Puddings That Make Your Christmas Dinner Complete

1. Classic Christmas Plum Pudding 

This is the quintessential British Christmas dessert, steeped in tradition and rich history. It is a dense, dark cake made with dried fruits (plums, raisins, currants), spices, and often doused in brandy or rum.

• The Flavour Profile: Complex, boozy, and deeply spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. It’s often prepared weeks or months in advance to deepen the flavour.
• Serving Tip: Traditionally served hot, flambéed with brandy at the table, and topped with a creamy hard sauce.

2. Sticky Toffee Pudding

Originating in England, this is a warm, moist sponge cake made with chopped dates, covered in a luxurious, buttery toffee sauce. It’s universally loved for its rich, caramelised sweetness.

• The Flavour Profile: Warm, rich brown sugar and treacle notes, softened by the dates, with a wonderfully moist, dense texture.
• Serving Tip: Must be served warm, drenched in the accompanying toffee sauce, and typically served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or custard to cut the richness.

3. Eggnog Creme Brulee 

This pudding takes the classic French dessert and infuses it with seasonal Christmas flavour. The custard base is flavoured with rich eggnog, nutmeg, and bourbon, offering a sophisticated holiday twist.

• The Flavour Profile: Creamy, spiced custard with the distinct warmth of nutmeg and vanilla, contrasted by the satisfying crack of the caramelised sugar crust.
• Serving Tip: Serve chilled, with the caramelised sugar crust freshly torched just before serving for that perfect temperature contrast.

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4. Panettone Bread Pudding

A fantastic way to use the traditional Italian Christmas sweet bread, Panettone. The bread is soaked in a rich vanilla-custard mixture, baked until golden, and served warm.

• The Flavour Profile: Light, fluffy, and aromatic, featuring the citrus zest and candied fruits already in the Panettone, baked into a rich, comforting pudding texture.
• Serving Tip: Serve warm with a dusting of powdered sugar or a fresh vanilla bean sauce. It’s much lighter than the traditional plum pudding.

5. Chocolate Lava Cakes with Peppermint Ice Cream

While not a traditional ‘pudding,’ the lava cake offers the drama and richness necessary for a grand finale. The dark, molten chocolate centre is deeply satisfying, and the peppermint ice cream provides a refreshing, festive contrast.

• The Flavour Profile: Intense, warm dark chocolate melting out of the cake, cooled by the sharp, minty freshness of the ice cream.
• Serving Tip: Bake just before serving so the centre remains perfectly liquid. Present individually dusted with powdered sugar.

Image credits: Freepik

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