So you’ve stuffed your face with turkey and all the trimmings alongside enough mince pies to sink a reasonably-sized sleigh. 

But have you got room for dessert? OF COURSE. There’s always room for pudding, but which pudding is the UK’s favourite? 🤔

Is it the very traditional and official pudding of Christmas, THE Christmas pudding? Is it the chocoholic’s favourite, the chocolate yule log? Or perhaps it’s a good ol’ English trifle that takes the top spot? 

We’ve asked our customers which pudding is their favourite and we’ve even looked into the Christmas dessert recipes that are trending in the build up to the big day. 

Here are some that came out on top, along with the final verdict for the UK’s favourite Christmas dessert…

First up, it’s an old time classic, THE Christmas pudding

Here are a few facts…

• The Christmas pudding dates back to the Middle Ages, with the very first baked back in the 1420s.

• The holly on top of the pudding is said to represent the crown of thorns, with the flaming brandy representing the Passion of Christ and its 13 ingredients representing Christ and his 12 apostles.

• Christmas feasting and as a result, the Christmas pudding, were banned back in 1644, where Parliament decreed that Christmas should be a fast day, not a feast day. It wasn’t until King Charles II came to the throne in 1660 that Christmas and all its feasting was restored - hurrah! 

What does the nation think?

Rather like marmite, Brits seem to either love or hate a Christmas pud. Fruity and spicy, this dessert is said to be THE traditional dessert although you’ve probably noticed it gets mixed reviews in each household. 

According to Tesco’s latest Christmas report however, a third of the nation claim it’s actually their favourite. Gen Z are apparently embracing it too,  with the number of 18-24 year olds who plan to eat it this year more than doubling, from 8% in 2021 to 17% in 2022. 

What do our customers think?

Although the Christmas pudding didn’t place last in our customer poll, it did however only just escape, receiving only 9% of the votes as the favourite Christmas dessert! 

Next, it’s a good ol’ English trifle…

Some facts about the English trifle…

• Recipes for trifles date as far back as the 1590s.

• The trifle is said to have evolved from the traditional ‘fool’ - a dessert made by folding puréed stewed fruit into custard.

• The Scots have a very similar dish to the English trifle which is called a ‘tipsy laird’ made with Drambuie or whisky.

The nation’s opinion?

The trifle is certainly popular amongst Brits. One trifle was even named the official pudding for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee back in June; a lemon Swiss roll and Amaretti trifle to be exact. 

One study conducted last year by Del Monte and YouGov revealed that the trifle was actually favoured more so than the Christmas pudding, 41% of people versus 33% in fact. 

What did our customers have to say?

Interestingly, the trifle was the least favourite out of our customer poll, with only 5% claiming it was their favourite pudding! Ouch 😬

The chocolate yule log - a firm favourite for those chocolate lovers

Did you know… 

• Yule logs were brought into the house to burn during the darkest part of the year, said to bring peace and good luck for the coming year. 

• Chocolate yule log decorations such as holly, ivy and evergreens represent ‘new life’, as the burning of the yule log itself would reflect the rising of the son on the morning after winter solstice.

• The world record for the longest chocolate yule log was broken back in 2018 in Lebanon, measuring in at 1136.36 metres, that’s just over ELEVEN football pitches or to be exact, 4,057 Colin the Caterpillar cakes 😅.

The chocolate yule log is a firm fave for Brits

Us Brits LOVE our chocolate, so much so that according to the British Heart Foundation, the average Brit will consume 7,560 chocolate bars, 2,268 slices of chocolate cake and 8,316 chocolate biscuits in a lifetime… cor blimey! 🙃

Not only that but it’s perfect for feeding a large table of guests too. No wonder the chocolate yule log is so highly favoured as the Christmas dessert of choice!

Our customers can’t get enough of them either

The chocolate yule log was in fact THE most favoured Christmas dessert in our customer poll, receiving the majority of the votes, 38% of them in fact! 

Old faithful… it’s the sticky toffee pudding 

Our favourite sticky toffee pudding facts…

• To this day, the origins of the famous sticky toffee pudding are disputed with three regions in the UK claiming they’re the creator, while some even claim its roots are from Canada - I guess we’ll just never know…

• Sticky date pudding is the Australian alternative to the sticky toffee pudding.

• If you’re looking for a healthier(ish) alternative for this dessert, substitute the sugar with artificial sweeteners and soy cream instead of milk and eggs.

The UK and its sticky toffee pudding

Mary Berry, Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay - you name the chef, you bet they’ve done their own take on the famous sticky toffee pudding. 

It’s a firm favourite in the hearts of Brits and you’ll find it on almost every dessert menu too. It’s been crowned Britain's favourite dessert over the years, so it’s no surprise that it makes its way to the Christmas dinner table. However, some might argue it's a little heavy going post-Christmas dinner…

What do our customers think?

Closely following the chocolate yule log was the sticky toffee pudding. It was a close race to the top for these two Christmas desserts, with 34% of our customers favouring this pudding over the rest! 

And last but by no means least, the apple crumble

A few fun facts…

• Apple crumble originated during World War II as a result of food rationing and therefore a lack of flour and sugar.

• Seeing as rationing isn’t an issue today, you can make a simple apple crumble with just four ingredients… flour, butter, sugar and yes, apples - it’s that simple!

• The world’s largest crumble was made right here in the UK and it was an apple and blackberry crumble… they even made 16 litres of custard to go with it 🤯.

What do Brits make of an apple crumble? 

Apple crumble took the crown in 2018 for Britain’s favourite pudding according to one study, and despite its simplicity, it’s always got a place on the menu in British pubs and restaurants. 

Perhaps that’s why it’s so popular at Christmas, what with orchestrating the full Christmas dinner, the humble crumble is the perfect pudding to whip up in a flash.

And what about our customers?

The apple crumble sat in the middle of the table in our customer poll, receiving 14% of the votes. Perhaps the humble crumble is a take it or leave it kind of dessert? 🤔

The final verdict…

From the various studies conducted across the UK, as well as the feedback from our loyal brand fans, it seems the good ol’ chocolate yule log has been crowned the most popular Christmas dessert of them all. 

Did your favourite Christmas dessert not get a mention? Let us know in the comments and brownie points go to anyone who mentions one of our delicious mixes 😋