18 British pudding recipes

Best British desserts

Chocolate sponge with hot chocolate sauce

Make this comforting storecupboard sponge for an easy chocolate dessert for the whole family.

Sticky toffee pudding

The scent of a warm sticky toffee pudding from the oven is enough to make anyone's mouth water. Use Medjool dates if you can – they have a lovely natural toffee flavour and sticky texture. A spongey square of this comforting pudding with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is our ideal Sunday afternoon treat.

Treacle sponge

Make this absolute hug-in-a-bowl British pudding, with lots of fresh lemon zest to cut through the sweet, gooey sponge. Perfect for a Sunday lunch dessert.

Bread pudding

This comforting old-school dessert will never go out of style, plus it's simple to whip up and makes great use of left-over stale bread.

Old-school apple crumble

This simple, traditional dessert is a firm family favourite and you won't go wrong with this foolproof recipe. Serve with lashings of custard or a hearty scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Toast, tea and marmalade bread and butter pudding

What could be more comforting than tea and toast? Tea and toast bread and butter pudding! The sweet, citrussy addition of marmalade adds an extra zing to this squidgy, golden pud.

Brioche bread and butter pudding

Rich brioche makes the perfect base for this classic pudding. Swap the lemon zest for orange zest if you prefer.

Classic Swiss roll

Enjoy a light and airy sponge, coated in crunchy sugar and bursting with fruity jam for a vintage teatime treat. Leaving your sponge to cool while rolled up will make it easier to roll without cracking later on. Elevate this school-day favourite with a batch of homemade strawberry jam.

Bread and butter pudding

Try our best bread and butter pudding recipe with vanilla and sultanas. This homely English classic will put a smile on everyone's faces. Serve with clotted cream for an extra-luxurious touch.

Buttermilk burnt rice pudding

Try this mash-up of two classics; rice pudding and burnt Cambridge cream. You don’t have to caramelise the top but it adds a lovely crunch.

Easy treacle tart

This simple recipe for a classic treacle tart is perfect for Sunday lunch with family and friends. Make it using just five ingredients and serve with a dollop of ice cream.

Bakewell tart

Create a classic British bakewell tart with step-by-step help and our expert advice. Try this recipe with other seasonal fruits such as strawberries or cherries, if you've mastered the traditional version. The layer of golden frangipane adds a nutty flavour to balance the sweet fruit.

The best victoria sponge

Follow these easy steps to get a classic jam and cream victoria sponge sandwich that is lighter than air. A slice of this simple sponge is perfect for afternoon tea or an after-dinner indulgence.

Banoffee pie

We know you love this classic olive magazine recipe – it's been one of our most popular recipes for years! Banoffee pie is a much loved family-favourite. This delicious dish is packed with banana, cream and an oaty-biscuit base, decorated with a drizzle of dark chocolate.

Easy carrot cake

Take some inspiration from the allotment with our squidgy carrot cake. Everyone loves the spiced flavour of the sponge and creamy frosting. We use muscovado sugar for a rich flavour, golden sultanas and pecans for texture and a shot of syrup to sweeten the buttercream.

Eton mess

Nothing says 'British summer time' quite like a creamy eton mess. Layers of crunchy meringue, sweet strawberries and fresh cream are rippled together to create a quick and easy dessert in just 10 minutes. Use homemade meringues if you have time to go the extra mile. Try combining two classic sweets with our rhubarb and custard eton mess.

Summer fruit trifle

Trifle is as British as an afternoon cup of tea and our seasonal version is a technicolour trip back in time. This masterful assembly job features chunks of chocolate swiss roll laced with cassis and sherry, strawberry jelly, fresh summer berries, ready-made custard, cream and the obligatory hundreds and thousands.

Boozy knickerbocker glory

When the sun start shining, whip up our towering boozy knickerbocker glory with Pimm's jelly. This will be a hit with adults! Dip the wafer in icing or melted chocolate, then in sprinkles, if you like.