Christmas dessert does not have to mean one heavy pudding and a tin of cookies. A good dessert table has something rich, something cold and creamy, something fruity, and something you can slice straight from the oven. This list covers all of that, with 20 vegetarian Christmas desserts from real creators.
Every dessert below links to the creator’s own recipe page, and each one carries a make-ahead or storage note only where the creator gave one. Plain cookie recipes are left out on purpose. If cookies are what you want, these vegetarian Christmas cookie recipes have that covered.
1. Cranberry pecan Christmas cake
This is a soft sour cream crumb cake packed with cranberries and finished with a pecan, brown sugar, and cinnamon crumble. An optional orange juice icing gives it a brighter finish.
Idea from Sally’s Baking Addiction: Cranberry Pecan Christmas Cake.
Make-ahead note: Let the cake cool for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Leftovers keep at room temperature for up to 1 day, in the fridge for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
2. Buche de Noel yule log cake
This one is a chocolate Swiss roll with a whipped cream filling, covered in chocolate frosting that is roughed up with a fork so it looks like bark. A diagonal slice set against the side becomes the branch.
Idea from Karon Grieve at Larder Love: Buche de Noel (Christmas Yule Log Cake).
Make-ahead note: The finished log keeps for up to 3 days in the fridge, thanks to the fresh cream filling. Make it the day before and keep the decorating simple.
3. Fluffy gingerbread cake with lemon sauce
This is a soft, molasses-spiced cake baked in a 9 by 13 pan, served warm with a lemon sauce or a spoonful of whipped cream. It is a plain, generous cake that feeds a full house.
Idea from Kevin Williams at Amish 365: Fluffy Gingerbread Cake with Lemon Sauce.
Make-ahead note: The cake improves after sitting overnight, so bake it the day before and warm the lemon sauce just before serving.
4. Vegetarian Christmas pudding
This version uses vegetarian suet and fruit and nuts soaked in dark rum for one to seven days before the pudding is steamed for five hours.
Idea from H is for Home: Vegetarian Christmas pudding.
Make-ahead note: Store the cooked pudding somewhere cool and dark, then reheat it by steaming for about 90 minutes on the day.
5. Christmas sticky toffee pudding
This version uses banana, dates, and pecans in the sponge, Christmas spice and treacle, and a salted caramel and roast pecan sauce. It makes five individual puddings, or one 18 cm round pudding.
Idea from Daffodil Kitchen: Christmas Sticky Toffee Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce.
Make-ahead note: The puddings can be fully made in advance and warmed on the day. The sauce can be refrigerated and gently reheated, and the puddings warmed in the microwave or oven.
6. Christmas pudding cheesecake
If you have leftover Christmas pudding, this is the best use for it. The pudding is pureed with cream cheese and cream and set on a digestive and almond crust, with an orange topping and a rosemary garnish. The source page labels this recipe vegetarian.
Idea from Doves Farm: Christmas Pudding Cheesecake using Digestive Biscuits.
Make-ahead note: Chill the base before filling, then chill the finished cheesecake for at least an hour before serving.
7. No-bake candy cane cheesecake
Six ingredients, no oven, and it still looks like a holiday dessert. A cookie crust holds a cream cheese filling mixed with twelve crushed candy canes, so every bite has a cool peppermint crunch.
Idea from Carlee at Cooking With Carlee: No Bake Candy Cane Cheesecake.
Make-ahead note: Chill for at least 6 hours so it firms up. It keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days and freezes for up to 3 months.
8. Baked cranberry and orange cheesecake
Cranberry and orange are a natural pair in this baked cheesecake. A digestive and ginger snap crust holds a cream cheese and yogurt filling studded with dried cranberries, flavored with orange zest and juice.
Idea from Betty Davies at Slow The Cook Down: Baked Cranberry and Orange Cheesecake.
Make-ahead note: It keeps in the fridge for 6 to 8 days and freezes for around 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
9. Christmas pavlova wreath
Eight piped meringue rounds arranged in a circle make a wreath that doubles as a centerpiece. The meringue bakes low and slow, cools in the closed oven, and is then filled with cream and topped with raspberries, pomegranate seeds, and mint.
Idea from Eat Little Bird: Christmas Pavlova Wreath.
Make-ahead note: Bake the meringue 1 to 2 days ahead and keep it in an airtight container. Add the cream and fruit just before serving, so nothing softens early.
10. Eggnog panna cotta
Panna cotta is one of the easiest make-ahead desserts there is, and the eggnog version needs only two cups of eggnog and powdered unflavored gelatin. The mixture is bloomed, warmed without boiling, poured into cups, and chilled until set.
Idea from Dani at Dani’s Midlife: Eggnog Panna Cotta.
Make-ahead note: Chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Covered tightly, it keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days. As written it sets with standard gelatin, which is not vegetarian, so use a vegetarian setting agent if that matters to you.
11. Gingerbread trifle
Layers of moist gingerbread cake, homemade caramel sauce, and whipped gingerbread cream cheese filling sit in a glass bowl, finished with gingerbread men on top.
Idea from Nina at Nina Kneads to Bake: Gingerbread Trifle.
Make-ahead note: Chill the assembled trifle for at least 4 hours, or overnight. The cake can be baked several days ahead and frozen, and the caramel refrigerated, but do not freeze the finished trifle.
12. Vegan berry trifle
Homemade eggless ladyfingers are layered with raspberries macerated in sugar, vanilla, and Amaretto, white chocolate custard, and whipped coconut cream. It serves about twelve.
Idea from Christina Leopold at Addicted to Dates: Vegan Trifle.
Make-ahead note: Bake the ladyfingers up to 2 days ahead and keep them airtight. Assemble the trifle the day before, hold back the fresh berries and powdered sugar until serving, and keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Do not freeze it.
13. Cranberry pie
The filling is chopped cranberries cooked down with sugar, flour, and cornstarch until jammy, spiced with cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves, and baked under a lattice crust that shows off the deep red filling.
Idea from Faith Gorsky at An Edible Mosaic: Cranberry Pie Recipe (With Fresh or Frozen Cranberries).
Make-ahead note: Chill the filling overnight before baking; the dough keeps for up to 3 days. Once baked, the pie keeps wrapped on the counter for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days. Cool it for about 3 hours before slicing so the filling sets.
14. Panettone bread and butter pudding
Panettone is already a Christmas bread, so this pudding takes very little persuasion. Buttered slices are layered with crumbled leftover Christmas pudding and soaked in plenty of custard, then finished with a layer of sugar caramelized under the grill or with a blowtorch.
Idea from Azlin Bloor at Lin’s Food: Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding with Christmas Pudding.
Make-ahead note: The assembled pudding can rest for half an hour to three hours before baking so the panettone absorbs the custard. The author has eaten it reheated the next day and says it still tasted divine.
15. Orange chocolate mousse
This version keeps it simple: fresh orange juice and zest, 60 percent chocolate, egg yolks and whites, and whipped cream, piped into small cups. The orange cuts through the richness, and the individual cups make serving easy at a party.
Idea from Lokness at The Missing Lokness: Orange Chocolate Mousse.
Make-ahead note: Make it 1 day ahead, covered, in the fridge. Chill until firm, about 2 hours, and decorate when you are ready to serve.
16. Boiled Christmas fruit cake
Boiled fruit cake is the shortcut to a rich, moist Christmas cake without weeks of feeding. The dried fruit is boiled briefly with butter, sugar, and spices, then mixed with sherry and eggs, baked for 45 to 55 minutes, and brushed with brandy while still hot in the tin.
Idea from Wholesome Patisserie: Boiled Christmas Fruit Cake.
Make-ahead note: Store the cooled cake airtight at room temperature for 2 weeks or in the fridge for 1 month. Wrapped well, it freezes for up to 6 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. For an alcohol-free version, swap the sherry and brandy for orange or apple juice, though the creator notes the alcohol helps the cake keep longer.
17. Spiced pear cake
This is a three-layer sponge with ground almonds, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, chopped pears folded through the batter, and layers of fig jam and sweetened mascarpone. Salted caramel drips over the top, with pear slices and fresh figs to finish.
Idea from The Marmalade Teapot: Spiced Pear Cake.
Serving note: The source page gives no storage guidance for this cake, so no shelf life is claimed here. Bake it close to serving and keep the caramel and fruit decoration for the final assembly.
18. Easy Christmas eggnog fudge
Fudge is the dessert you make when the oven is already busy. Butter, sugar, and eggnog are cooked to the soft-ball stage, then white chocolate, marshmallow creme, vanilla, and nutmeg are folded in until the mixture turns thick and silky. It sets at room temperature and cuts into about 24 squares.
Idea from Savory Mom Kitchen: Easy Christmas Eggnog Fudge.
Make-ahead note: Store the squares airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for up to 3 months. Standard marshmallow creme usually contains gelatin, so use a vegetarian marshmallow creme if you need a strictly vegetarian version.
19. Baked apples with brandy-soaked raisins
Large apples are cored and filled with raisins and sultanas plumped in boiling water and mixed with brandy, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves, then baked in orange juice until tender.
Idea from Sam Linsell at Drizzle and Dip: Baked Apples with Brandy-Soaked Raisins Recipe.
Make-ahead note: Assemble up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate unbaked; bring to room temperature for 20 minutes before baking. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat covered at 160 degrees C for 15 to 20 minutes with a splash of orange juice.
20. Chocolate orange self-saucing pudding
A self-saucing pudding looks like a trick the first time you make one. A chocolate orange batter goes into the dish, a cocoa and sugar mixture is sprinkled over it, and boiling water mixed with orange juice is poured gently over the back of a spoon. In the oven it separates into soft cake on top and thick chocolate sauce underneath. It feeds six to eight people.
Idea from Jessica Holmes at Sweetest Menu: Chocolate Orange Self-Saucing Pudding.
Make-ahead note: This is not a make-ahead dessert: serve it straight after baking, since the sauce firms up as it sits, and do not freeze it. Leftovers keep in the fridge and reheat in the microwave.
Planning your Christmas dessert table
Work backward from Christmas Day and sort these desserts by when they need attention. The Christmas pudding and the boiled fruit cake can be made weeks ahead. Cheesecakes, trifles, the panna cotta, the mousse, and the cranberry pie filling can be handled in the days before. Christmas Day itself is for the desserts that must be served fresh.
For the table itself, one showpiece, one cold dessert, and one warm dessert is a good balance. The yule log or the pavlova wreath can be the centerpiece, a trifle or cheesecake covers the cold side, and the sticky toffee pudding or self-saucing pudding gives guests something warm. If you are also planning smaller sweets for gifts, these vegetarian Christmas sweet treats collections cover truffles, candy, and cupcakes.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a Christmas dessert vegetarian?
A vegetarian dessert has no meat, fish, or gelatin, but eggs and dairy are fine. Most desserts on this list fit that definition as written. The two exceptions to check are the eggnog panna cotta, which sets with standard gelatin, and the eggnog fudge, which uses marshmallow creme. Read the label and use vegetarian alternatives if you need a strictly vegetarian result.
Can I make Christmas desserts ahead of time?
Yes, and most of the desserts here are better for it. Trifles need an overnight chill, cheesecakes need hours to set, and the Christmas pudding and fruit cake keep for weeks. The exceptions are the self-saucing pudding, which must be served straight from the oven, and the pavlova wreath, which should only be decorated just before serving.
Which of these desserts freeze well?
The boiled fruit cake freezes for up to 6 months, the cranberry pecan cake for up to 3 months, the candy cane cheesecake for up to 3 months, and the baked cranberry and orange cheesecake for around 6 months. Do not freeze the trifles or the self-saucing pudding.
Are any of these desserts vegan or dairy-free?
One is vegan as written: the vegan berry trifle, which uses eggless ladyfingers, coconut custard, and coconut whipping cream. The rest use butter, cream, cream cheese, milk, or eggs as written. Follow the linked recipe and its notes rather than guessing at substitutions.
Can I skip the alcohol in these recipes?
The boiled fruit cake creator suggests swapping sherry and brandy for orange or apple juice. The berry trifle creator suggests swapping Amaretto for sherry, brandy, kombucha, or fruit juice. The Christmas pudding soaks its fruit in rum with no alternative given, so pick a different dessert if you want no alcohol at all.
How do I choose just one dessert for Christmas Day?
Match the dessert to your schedule. If you have no oven time on the day, pick a trifle, a cheesecake, or the panna cotta, all made ahead. If the oven is free after dinner, the self-saucing pudding or the sticky toffee pudding gives you a warm dessert with little hands-on work. For a centerpiece, make the yule log or the pavlova wreath.
Wrapping up
Twenty desserts is a lot of choice, and that is the point. You do not need to make them all. Make the one that fits your oven, your schedule, and the people coming to dinner, and keep the rest of the list for next year. That is a Christmas dessert table that looks generous without taking over the whole holiday.
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