35 individual desserts

Best individual dessert recipes

Mini cheesecakes

These individual cheesecakes can be served with whichever fruits or nuts you prefer.

Lemon posset

The perfect way to get ahead for dinner parties or entertaining. Get the shots of limoncello ready to really take this pudding to the next level.

Poached pears with pedro ximénez and chocolate sauce

A fancy dessert idea that makes the most of Williams pears, smooth dark chocolate sauce and pedro ximénez sherry. And it only takes 25 minutes to make!

Lemony panna cotta with toasted milk crumbs

Toasted milk powder, celebrated by acclaimed chefs like Christina Tosi at NYC’s Milk Bar and Edd Kimber, boasts a unique brown butter and hazelnut-like flavour, making it perfect for baked goods and desserts. We’ve used it in this lemony panna cotta for a memorable dinner party pud.

Clementine posset

These pretty, silky clementine possets are perfect if you’re hosting a dinner party or planning a special meal.

Vegan eton mess

Treat vegan friends over the summer months to our quick and easy eton mess. Who'd have thought aquafaba (the liquid found in a tin of chickpeas) could make such glossy, chewy meringue? Pair it with coconut yogurt and lots of berries for a great vegan mess.

Calvados and apple granité

This surprisingly punchy dessert doubles up as a palate cleanser and a post-dinner pick-me-up after a heavy French meal.

Vanilla yogurt cheesecake pots with flapjack crumble and raspberries

Toasted oats and juicy raspberries add extra crunch and sweetness to these mini cheesecake pots.

Panna cotta with cherry and ginger sauce

Learn how to get the perfect set for the ultimate melt-in-the-mouth Italian dessert.

S’mores chocolate and salted caramel pots

Here the classic US campfire snack of toasted marshmallow and chocolate squished between two biscuits is reworked to create an elegant layered dessert.

Mulled wine winter puddings

Looking for individual festive desserts that are easy to make? Check out our mini winter puddings with mulled wine - perfect for feeding your hungry guests.

Layered mint chocolate mousse pots

Want to serve individual desserts to your guests? Try our creamy chocolate and peppermint pots for an impressive way to finish your dinner party.

Nougat and pistachio ice cream

Elevate your dinner party effortlessly with this no-churn ice cream. Amp up the fancy factor with chocolate-dipped ice cream cones.

Affogato chocolate mousse

Check out this quick and easy chocolate mousse recipe with espresso. If you're hosting a dinner party and looking for an indulgent yet easy dessert that can easily be made ahead, try these gluten free creamy puds – ready in 15 minutes.

White chocolate mousse with blackberries and honeycomb

Planning a dinner party? This simple yet sophisticated dessert from The Bath Arms in Wiltshire is made with easy-to-find ingredients and is ready in less than 20 minutes.

Chocolate torte

No one will want to share this decadent dessert, with its moreish base of blitzed hazelnuts and biscuits along with whipped cream that has added orange zest and vanilla.

Salted caramel chocolate pot

These salted caramel chocolate pots from Verden restaurant are absolutely delicious and are deceivingly easy to make. You can serve them in Kilner jars, glasses or ramekins, or whatever you have at home. They make a great dinner party dessert. For more caramel recipes, click here.

Dairy-free coconut, mango and turmeric fool

This recipe makes the lightest, most delicate and lovely little puddings! The coconut and mango combination is really refreshing and you don't even notice it's dairy-free because of the creaminess of the coconut cream. Also the addition of turmeric, which has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, adds a zingy flavour to the dessert. These are best served as individual desserts in glasses.

Ginger ice cream bombes

These smooth ice cream puds are topped with seasonal crystalized ginger. Festive and sweet, they're a quick and easy way to up your pudding game, providing individual desserts for dinner parties. Discover more ginger recipes here.

Rose and pomegranate meringues

These mini meringues, flavoured with pomegranate seeds and fragrant rose water, are the perfect individual festive dessert.

Set chocolate mousse

Perfect for a dinner party dessert: recreate these rich and silky chocolate orange mousses, finished with caramelised orange segments.

Buttermilk and sage panna cotta with black pepper honeycomb

This recipe for buttermilk and sage panna cotta with black pepper honeycomb from Rachel Karasik may sound odd but it really, really works.

Black forest cheesecake bombs

These black forest cheesecake bombs are a real showstopper as individual desserts for dinner parties. Make ahead and stash these in the freezer – they’ll keep nicely for a month or so. Find more ice cream recipes here.

Mini passion fruit puddings

These cute but sophisticated mini puddings are the epitome of sweet and sour. They're quick and easy to make and can even be done in the microwave! For more fruity pudding recipe ideas, click here.

Chocolate mousse with orange shortbreads

Make these ahead and you won't be fussing just before you serve dinner. This makes enough for 4, so save 2 for later – they will keep for a couple of days. Buy the shortbreads if you prefer. Find more of our best ever chocolate recipes here.

Strawberry trifles

The easiest, quickest trifle recipe: made with Madeira cake and strawberries. Topped with custard and cream, these individual pots make a good weekend pudding. See our best ever strawberry recipes here.

Piña colada tarts

Add a Caribbean twist to your baking with pineapple, coconut and rum flavours of piña colada. Use ready-baked tarts if you want to make this dessert even easier. Take a look at our best ever sweet tarts recipes here.

Halva-topped rice pudding

Sprinkled with cinnamon, cardamom and a little orange zest, and topped with halva and extra cream, this pot of warming rice pudding is perfect on a cold winter’s day.

Buckwheat tarts with rice pudding and blackberries

This buckwheat tarts with rice pudding and blackberries recipe is from Olia Hercules and makes a great gluten-free dessert.

Salted caramel chocolate fondants

Our most indulgent, most beautiful chocolate fondant yet... just look at it ooze! You can buy the salted caramel sauce for a quick fix. For more chocolate pudding recipes, click here.

Cinnamon gooseberry crumbles

This recipe for cinnamon and gooseberry crumbles is really easy to follow but they make great individual puds. Make a batch and freeze these mini dessert pots for when you need a sweet hit. Find more crumble recipes here.

Rhubarb and ginger fool

Rhubarb and ginger are a delicious combination - try them in this creamy fool. Rhubarb is in season from February until May, but you may be able to find it a couple of months either side.

Persian peach mess with brown sugar almonds

This Persian peach mess with brown sugar almonds is a great twist on a classic British Eton mess. Different brands of rosewater vary enormously in strength, so add a little at a time and taste as you go, until you’re happy with the flavour. It's best served as individual desserts in glasses. We've got more peach recipe ideas here.

Pear and chocolate puddings

The best chocolate puddings are the ones that you don't have to share. We love these individual little pots of chocolate sponge and pear. Just add cream to serve and let your family and friends dive in.

Raspberry and rosewater kulfi with toasted almond sprinkles

Kulfi is an Indian ice cream made by evaporating whole milk until it’s really rich and almost caramelised. The beauty of enriching the milk like this is that you don’t need an ice-cream maker to churn and break up ice crystals, so it’s an easy pudding to make. This is traditionally made in conical metal kulfi moulds, which are hard to find in the UK, but you can use tall dariole moulds instead. These make perfect individual desserts for dinner parties.

Sweet lemon and passion fruit verrines

A verrine is a small glass layered with various fillings and can be sweet or savoury. This version is tangy, sweet and crunchy. For more citrus flavours, see our lemon dessert and lemon cake recipes.