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Rumberry sundae.

Recipe collection

30+ make-ahead festive sweets and desserts

Celebrate the festive season without the fuss with these easy make-ahead treats you can assemble and serve at the last minute.

32 recipes
Raw chocolate mousse.
EASY

Raw chocolate mousse

  • < 30 mins
  • Emily Williamson
Cherry Ripe in frozen from.
EASY

Roasted-cherry ripe ice-cream cake recipe

  • 2 hrs +
  • Katrina Meynink
Just a handful of ingredients and a few hours in the fridge.

No-bake crunchy chocolate-almond tart

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Alison Roman
Alison Roman's Frozen honey yoghurt.
EASY

Frozen honey yoghurt

  • 2 hrs +
  • Alison Roman
Kataifi pastry nests topped with yuzu cheesecake.

Yuzu 'cheesecake' with kataifi pastry and pistachio

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Helen Goh
Quick cherry ice cream.

Cherry sorbet

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Caroline Velik
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Spiced sweet potato cake with 'marshmallow' topping.

Sweet potato 'marshmallow' cake

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Helen Goh
Banoffee pie in frozen form.

Vegan frozen banoffee pie

  • 2 hrs +
  • Helen Goh
Lemon meringue possets.

Easy lemon meringue possets

  • < 30 mins
  • Jill Dupelix and Jill Dupleix
Matt Moran's festive dessert: White chocolate panna cotta.

White chocolate panna cotta recipe

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Matt Moran
White chocolate cheesecake with tamarillo topping.

Baked white chocolate cheesecake with tamarillos

  • 2 hrs +
  • Helen Goh
Rumberry sundae.
EASY

Rumberry sundae

  • < 30 mins
  • Adam Liaw
Scones meet strawberry shortcakes - the creme fraiche makes for a deliciously tender dough.

Strawberry, lime and creme fraiche scones

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Helen Goh
Neil Perry tiramisu.

Tiramisu

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Neil Perry
Fried ice-cream with caramel sauce.

Fried ice-cream recipe

  • < 30 mins
  • Adam Liaw
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A summery Chrissamisu for dessert this year?
EASY

Christmas dessert recipe: Adam Liaw's Chrissamisu

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Adam Liaw
Finish with raspberry frose with cream.

Raspberry frose with rose cream

  • < 30 mins
  • Jill Dupleix
Adam Liaw Christmas food.

Christmas pudding ice-cream with pavlova shards

  • 2 hrs +
  • Adam Liaw
Cherry Garcia slice. Updated slice recipes for Good Food, March 2020. Images and recipes by Katrina Meynink. Good Food use only.
EASY

Cherry Garcia slice

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Katrina Meynink
Meringues with berries and candy-cane cream.

Meringues with berries and candy-cane cream

  • 2 hrs +
  • Jill Dupleix
Chocolate and cherry semifreddo with pistachio praline.

Pistachio semifreddo with chocolate and cherries

  • 2 hrs +
  • Helen Goh
Dan Lepard's spicy chestnut ginger Christmas biscuits.
EASY

Chestnut ginger biscuits recipe

  • < 30 mins
  • Dan Lepard
Cherries with mascarpone sabayon.

Cherries with mascarpone sabayon

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Neil Perry
Paneforte bianco natale with white chocolate, pistachios, almonds and cherries.

Panforte bianco with pistachios, almonds and cherries

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Karen Martini
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Plum pudding ice-cream with caramel sauce and hazelnut praline.
EASY

Plum pudding ice-cream with caramel sauce and hazelnut praline

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
Crumbled gingerbread is an easy way to add a sweet crunch.
EASY

Donna Hay's Christmas popsicles

  • 2 hrs +
  • Donna Hay
Donna Hay's caramel pecan wreath.

Donna Hay's caramel pecan wreath with gingerbread glaze

  • 2 hrs +
  • Donna Hay
Christmas chocolate bars.

Chocolate bars

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Karen Martini
Christmas trifle.

Christmas trifle

  • 2 hrs +
  • Adam Liaw
Mango and passionfruit Viennetta-inspired ice-cream cake.

Cheat's Christmas Viennetta

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Katrina Meynink
If you like mince pies, you'll love this share-friendly spiced slice.
EASY

Christmas mince pie slice

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Katrina Meynink
Summer pudding

Summer pudding

  • 2 hrs +
  • Neil Perry
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