Christmas pudding: what are the alternatives?

Christmas day is almost upon us… and for most that means a great deal of time spent cooking – and eating.

But while there’s generally consensus on what should be on your Christmas lunch plate, it’s slightly less clear what to serve up afterwards.

Christmas pudding is, for many, a not greatly anticipated afterthought to the main meal – something to force down without much pleasure.

For others Christmas pudding is a key part of the meal – for these people, Christmas just isn’t Christmas without a traditional pudding.

Pudding prize

If you’re still in the market for a Christmas pudding (despite it being Christmas eve…) we named Iceland’s Christmas pudding the best in this year’s taste test.

Our experts said it was ‘pretty perfect thanks to its rich, boozy flavours and abundance of premium ingredients, nuts in particular, which some of the other puddings were lacking.’

Yum! But what are the alternatives for those who have just had enough of Christmas pudding?

Alternative desserts

Supermarkets have clearly noticed a gap in the market for non-traditional Christmas deserts, and are this year offering a range of weird and wonderful alternatives.

I’ve spotted Waitrose offering ‘Christmas Bubble Dessert’ – made up of a lot of chocolate, caramel and honeycomb, Aldi selling an elaborate sounding ‘chocolate bauble cake… filled and covered with Belgian chocolate buttercream’, while ASDA has come up with a chocolate and salted caramel ‘pyramid pudding’ – like a chocolate sponge pudding but with a caramel centre.

Homemade puddings

Not a fan of shop-bought offerings? Perhaps you prefer making your own Christmas dessert. Our Christmas pudding experts suggested a few options.

Black Forest gateau is a 70s classic involving a chocolate sponge, layered with cream and rich dark fruits to give it a Christmassy feel.

Next they suggested that old classic sticky toffee pudding – be sure to put it under the grill briefly before serving to get a delicious caramel glaze.

Finally, what about a cheesecake featuring mincemeat? One of our expert tasting panel said this dessert gives a milder hit of Christmas pudding flavours – and helps you use leftovers from mince pie baking.

So what do you prefer to eat after Christmas lunch? Are you a traditionalist or open to other options? And do you buy your Christmas dessert or make it yourself?