Britain is a nation of dessert lovers, and we aren’t picky about what we sink our sweet teeth into.
From pies to puddings, sponges to scones, anything remotely sweet is welcome at our dinner table. But not all desserts are made equal, and some are more widely loved than others.
So get your mouth watering and your tastebuds tingling as we take a look down the list of the most popular dessert options in the UK.
Apple crumble
Crumble is the ultimate comfort food on a crisp autumnal evening, with its warm, biscuity aroma, the crunch of the topping and the tang of the fruity filling. It’ll quickly warm you up after a day in the cold, topped off with custard, double cream, or slowly melting ice cream.
Tart apple is the most popular filling, though few would turn down blackberry or rhubarb either.
Cheesecake
The adaptability of the cheesecake is its main appeal, with each variation being more delicious than the last.
There’s the classic New York cheesecake, strawberry, lemon, chocolate, burnt, or baked. The list goes on!
Rather than try to make all these different cheesecakes yourself, you can always order a freshly made one from Desserts Delivered Bakery. Professionally made, quickly delivered, and beautifully presented, their bakes will help you fully appreciate just how delicious a cheesecake can be.
Bread and butter pudding
Bread and butter pudding is one of those classic, old-fashioned, and quintessentially British desserts that evoke a lost age of eternal summers and lashings of ginger beer. It’s warm, hearty and filling, aka, the perfect pudding.
That’s not to say bread and butter pudding hasn’t changed with the times, however. New takes on this classic are just as scrumptious, whether it’s made with blueberries, lemon curd, clementine and honey, or marmalade.
Jelly
Jelly isn’t just for children’s birthday parties. In fact, you can make a proper grown-up jelly if you want to treat yourself to something light, sweet, and a little bit naughty after dinner, infusing it with sloe gin, prosecco or rose.
Victoria sponge
As English as cricket and moaning about the weather, the Victoria sponge is one of the most beloved sweets in the country.
Light, fluffy and with a layer of tart jam to cut through the sweetness, a slice of this golden cake with a cup of strong tea is the perfect accompaniment to a summer afternoon.
If you’re not a complete traditionalist, you can also find recipes that give the Victoria sponge a new twist, such as a version made with orange and almond.
Banoffee pie
While not as universally loved as some others on this list, the banoffee pie has some devoted fans, and it’s not hard to see why. Bananas, biscuit, caramel and cream? What’s not to love?
It’s also incredibly easy to make, so if you’re hosting a party, you can create an impressive centrepiece for your table with minimal effort.
Scones
No list of Britain’s most popular desserts would be complete without the humble scone.
It’s strange that one of our most popular sweet treats has been the cause of so many arguments. Is it ‘scone’ as in ‘gone’, or ‘scone’ as in ‘groan’? Do you put the cream on first, or the jam?
No doubt these battles will continue to be fought until the end of the inevitable civil war, but wherever your scone (or ‘scone’) loyalties lie, we can all agree that there are few things as comforting as the smell of fresh baked scones being taken from the oven, ready to be smothered in thick cream and glistening jam.
We are a nation of dessert lovers, so surely the patriotic thing to do is to tuck in.