Christmas desserts aren’t exactly light on the stomach and on a day of festive feasting, the prospect of one more mince pie may be enough to make you throw in the towel. As a result, a lot of home cooks will have leftover treats for days to come. Christmas pudding and cake can often keep for several months, provided they’re sealed and stored somewhere cool. However, other items, like enriched breads, have a much shorter shelf life, so we’ve devised recipes for using them in tempting sweets that will help you keep the party going just a little while longer.
Browse our selection of indulgent desserts below, then check out our leftover Christmas pudding recipes for more inspiration.
How to use… leftover Christmas pudding
1. Christmas pudding cheesecake
Combine two classic desserts to make a luxuriously creamy cheesecake which is sure to convert the most ardent Christmas pudding haters. Christmas pudding is blitzed with brandy, to make a purée which is then folded into the cheesecake mixture. With a crunchy ginger biscuit base and topping of caramelised clementine slices, this dazzling dessert really has the wow factor.
2. Rye Christmas pudding cookies
Christmas pudding is so versatile, it can even be incorporated into cookie dough.Rye flour gives these soft and buttery biscuits a deep nutty flavour which balances perfectly with the sweet fruity pudding. Sandwich the cooled cookies with clotted cream or ice cream to make a decadent dessert.
3. Christmas pudding ice cream
Christmas pudding freezes well and can be turned into an ice cream as easily as stirring some pieces into fresh custard (which can be homemade or shop-bought). This version has a hint of almondy amaretto and is best served with hot toffee sauce. For a truly show stopping dessert, make our Christmas pudding ice cream
4. Ginger & Christmas pud cheesecake with ginger sauce
Not for the faint-hearted, this pudding combines leftover chunks of Christmas pudding with Jamaican ginger cake and stem ginger. Combine with a hot caramel sauce and you’ve got yourself one spicy pud to wake up the tastebuds.
Ginger & Christmas pud cheesecake with ginger sauce
5. Christmas pudding ice cream bombe
Looking for something really special? Rework your leftover Christmas pudding into a stunning ice cream bombe, drizzled in dark chocolate and topped with dried cranberries, glacé cherries and holly leaves. This impressive dessert is gluten-free and can easily be made ahead then stored in the freezer. Try serving it on New Year’s Eve if you’re hosting the last festive get-together of the year.
Christmas pudding ice cream bombe
6. Christmas pudding strudel
Throw a box of ready-made filo pastry into your Christmas shopping trolley, then use it to wrap up your pudding leftovers for a Boxing Day centrepiece. This log is best served warm from the oven with brandy butter, festive ice cream or hot custard.
7. Christmas pudding trifle
Need a speedy post-Christmas dessert? Rustle up this sumptuous trifle in just 15 minutes, featuring a base layer of Christmas pudding topped with Grand Marnier-steeped oranges, custard and whipped cream.
For more ideas, watch our video on how to use up leftover Christmas pudding.
Leftover Christmas cake
8. Festive baked Alaska
Since it’s packed with lots of fruit, nuts and booze, Christmas cake can keep for months on end. However, if you don’t want yours lingering on until summer, use it up in this meringue dessert. The combination of hot topping and cold ice cream is a treat for the senses.
9. Christmas cake soufflés
Reinvent your leftover fruit cake or Christmas pudding in these heavenly light and fluffy soufflés. Serve with a warm caramel sauce for pouring into each pot and watch as they magically melt in the centre.
Leftover mince pies
10. Mince pie brownies
Bored of plain mince pies? This marvellous festive mashup incorporates them into gooey chocolate brownies to make a an utterly moreish sweet treat. Once you’ve tried these squidgy squares, you won’t want to go back!
Leftover panettone
11. Panettone pudding
Once this Italian fruit loaf is taken out of its decorative box, it goes stale quite quickly. Save it from the dustbin by soaking in a mix of eggs, cream and vanilla, then bake it. If that’s not decadent enough for you, serve with softly whipped cream.
12. Crunchy almond panettone French toast
Transform leftover panettone into an indulgent brunch by coasting in a spiced clementine and almond eggy mix, then frying to make French toast. Drizzle in maple syrup and scatter over pomegranates and clementine slices for a final festive flourish. It’s delicious served with yogurt or leftover brandy butter.
Leftover mincemeat
13. Mincemeat banana bread
Already the champion of leftovers, we’ve given banana bread a festive twist by flavouring it with mincemeat and mixed spice, then serving with a whipped cinnamon butter. Make it for a delicious breakfast or afternoon tea treat over the Christmas holidays.
Leftover marzipan
14. Marzipan Eccles tarts
Marzipan is a dry storecupboard ingredient that’ll last much longer than breads and cakes, but if you have a little left over and want to save the cupboard space, use it to enrich these Lancashire-inspired puff pastry bakes.
15. Marzipan & mincemeat apples
For a lighter dessert option, serve baked apples with spoonfuls of mincemeat. Using only four ingredients, they’re so easy to make – and if you crave more indulgence, pour over lots of custard or fresh double cream.
Leftover stollen
16. Christmas stollen pudding
Put this traditional Christmas bread to good use in a good, old-fashioned baked pudding. This recipe also uses up leftover amaretti biscuits for the topping, leaving regular bread & butter pudding with a serious image problem.
Discover more festive dessert recipes…
Christmas pudding recipes
Stollen recipes
Panettone recipes
Christmas cake recipes
Mince pie recipes
Marzipan recipes
Which desserts do you like to make with Christmas leftovers? Leave a comment below…
