6 Top British Christmas Desserts and Candy

Christmas is a time of tradition and flavors of home.

When I was growing up a favorite Christmas treat was my grandmother’s delicious rum cake with a decadent sauce that went on top. She also made fruit cake which no one ever ate, mainly because it had those unnaturally colored red and green dried fruits and raisins in it. 

As a traveler I’ve learned a bit about Christmas foods and traditions in other parts of the world, especially the UK. Traditional desserts and British candy treats range from mince pies to shortbread (not like my grandmother’s), and a lot of chocolate. And don’t forget the tea. 

If you’re planning a British-themed Christmas meal or have been invited to one, here are some of the top dessert foods and candy to include, or to take as a contribution to the festivities. There’s quite a broad selection so you should be able to find something for everyone. 

I’ve just added more to the candy section so be sure and read to the end. 

Mince Pie

Mince pies or mincemeat tarts are a staple at any UK Christmas meal. You can make your own or buy them already made in packages of 4-12. Based on how well they sell from my friend’s British import shoppe,  I’d say most people buy the ready made pies. One young lady came in looking for all of the ingredients to make her own but she is an outlier. 

There are a several brands however the top two are Walker’s and Mr. Kipling. Walker’s has different flavors too, like the regular mincemeat pies and the Glenfiddich made with whiskey. There’s also one that’s ginger flavored. Overall Walker’s is considered a premium brand with a crust that’s more richly flavored but Mr. Kipling is also a contender. 

Fun fact: Mincemeat pies used to contain meat for a sweet and savory filled tart but now are only sweet, made with dried fruits, nuts, and suet. You’d think the suet would add a savory note but it does not. 

Christmas Pudding

Christmas puddings are made with a mixture of fruits, nuts, sugar, liquor and suet. While that may sound like the same ingredients as a mincemeat pie, it isn’t the same at all. For one thing, puddings are not baked. 

Christmas pudding can last a long time and is often prepared several months in advance. Steaming helps to pasteurize the final product, while sugar and alcohol act as preservatives.

Christmas puddings are also called figgy puddings. You can substitute any fruit you like for the fig or plum in a Christmas pudding. My grandmother’s rum cake must have been an adaptation of a figgy pudding. 

Before serving the Christmas pudding, it is traditional to flambé it, making a fantastic presentation. I secretly suspect this is the whole reason behind making Christmas pudding.

I confess that I don’t really get the Christmas pudding. It seems to be some kind of strange version of a fruitcake but sticky and shaped like small mounds. For an American, this is not pudding-like at all. 

Fruit Cake

I really like British fruitcake, it seems less sweet than American versions I’ve tried. At Christmas the cakes are usually decorated with a simple white icing and sometimes there’s a design or pattern. I like the ones with images of London landmarks in the frosting like the London Eye and London Bridge.  

If you want to make your fruit cake fancier there are no rules. Add some of that delicious rum or brandy sauce usually reserved for puddings. 

Shortbread

Shortbread can be had any time of year of course, but at Christmas you need to have plenty around, preferably in festive shapes and packaged in a seasonal tin. Walker’s is famous for their shortbread but other brands are good too, including Deans.

For something fancier try Shortbread House of Edinburgh. This shortbread comes in a variety of flavors like ginger, chocolate and orange and clotted cream. It’s also packaged in pretty round tins. You can recognize their packaging by the Scottish thistle.

A cup of English Christmas tea and shortbread is a delicious end to any meal. One look at my waistline and you’ll see that I don’t wait for the holidays. 

Honestly, you can never go wrong with shortbread.

Christmas Chocolates

The Brits do love their chocolate and Christmas is a great time to get some special edition packages. Tubs of mixed chocolates and caramels include Quality Street, Cadbury Roses, Heroes, and Celebrations. All of these items also come in other special sizes and shapes for the holidays from the tubs to large bags, boxes, and seasonal gift bags. 

Cadbury Dairy Milk trays are wildly popular and fly off the shelves. Fry’s does a holiday box with all their dark chocolate favorites. Eclairs, caramel with a chocolate center made by Cadbury, are favorites, too. 

Other British chocolate winners are Terry’s Chocolate Milk Balls that come in flavors like orange, mint, dark chocolate with orange, and caramel. Yummy. Then there are After Eight Mints, Maltesers White Chocolate Milk Truffle gift package. 

Liquor-filled chocolate

Liquor-filled chocolates from around the world are a fun and there are so many options. Most quality brands use at least 50% cacao and each piece is foil wrapped for freshness. The liquor content is about 2% per piece. 

Anthony Berg brand uses dark chocolate and has a large variety of liquor fillings and focused ones like malt whiskey chocolates. The packages come in all sizes so there are a variety of price points, too.

Baileys is another well-loved brand… if you like high quality chocolate combined with Baileys Irish creme liquor, this is a good one. 

The German Böhme chocolates are lovely and won’t break the bank. The brandy and cherry in dark chocolate is a nice upgrade from the traditional chocolate covered cherry candy. I also like the Irish creme though I prefer dark chocolate. 

Finally, there’s Turin, a Mexican brand this is excellent. Try the Fireball which is a nice bittersweet chocolate with just a hint of whiskey. Turin also makes Baileys filled, Kailua and several others. 

Candy

During the holidays, boxes of Maynard’s Jelly Babies, Liquorice Allsorts, Wine Gums, and Swizzels Matlow Sweet Shop Favorites are very nostalgic. Christmas season means you go for the big tub. 

Leave a comment and let me know which are your favorites? 

Happy Christmas!