No matter how stuffed one may claim to be after dinner, if you’re a pudding person, you’ll always find space for the final course.
Tarts, pies, crumbles, scoops of ice cream - when it comes to desserts, there’s plenty of choice on the menu. We Brits are famously known for our collective sweet tooth, no doubt thanks to frequent tea breaks in which a biscuit or cake of some description is part and parcel.
We love cakes so much we’ll even put them on the telly - some 3.6 million households tuned into the first episode of 2024’s Great British Bake Off. Confectionery as a market is valued at around £16.18bn in the UK, according to Gourmet Pro. Talk about the sweet spot.
While you may make do with a brownie or pack of Malteasers when it’s just you to cater for, cooking for a crowd takes space, time and expertise - things that are not always possible if you find yourself hosting at the last minute.
Enter the frozen dessert, a dish that usually requires little more than slinging into a hot oven. Even better, some can be devoured straight from the freezer, making things even simpler. Supermarket chiller aisles are the perfect hunting ground with something to suit every pocket and palate. Get them before BBQs, birthdays or dinner parties and prepare for pats on the back from your grateful future self.
To help, we’ve put together a list of the best frozen desserts worth adding to your shopping basket. We’ve included nostalgic treats as well as exotic options to appeal to everyone.
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M&S Ready to Bake Belgian Milk Chocolate Cookie Dough
M&S’s delicious cookies come in frozen format too, so you can bake them fresh when the mood strikes.
They even work in an air fryer - just make sure they have room to grow because while they look compact out of the packet, they will expand in the heat. Once fully baked, exercise your patience by leaving them to cool and harden slightly on a wire rack, otherwise, they’re impossible to handle. Done right, the cookie should be crunchy on the outside and a bit gooey in the middle with the chocolate chips melted through.
And the delicious smell of cookies filling your house! Better than any scented candle.
Buy now £3.50, Ocado
COOK Raspberry Pavlova
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Hosting can be stressful. If you’ve been hard at work preparing a meal but can’t face the thought of faffing around with sugar, egg whites and endless whisking, set aside the mixing bowl and head to COOK instead. This food delivery company specialises in frozen meals that taste incredibly fresh and look pretty impressive too.
Along with party canapes and main courses, the company has crowd-pleasing desserts on its menu, including this Great Taste award-winning raspberry pavlova. Stuffed with fresh cream and tart fruit, this centrepiece of a log can be elevated by scattering a few mint leaves over it.
The 800g dessert serves up to 10 people, so it’s ideal for a big party or buffet spread.
Buy now £16.75, COOK
Charlie Bigham's Sticky Toffee Pudding
Proving it has got legs beyond offering posh ready meals, Charlie Bigham’s puddings are every bit as luxe as its main offering.
Coming for your shopping list is this sticky toffee pudding, an incredibly indulgent option that you can keep in the freezer until it’s time to bake. The classic dessert is an elevated take on school dinners with a velvety caramel sauce to accompany it.
It’s supposed to serve up to four people, but it’s so good, you could easily devour more than your fair share. Luckily, it also comes in single servings in this pack of two (£4.50, Tesco).
Buy now £4.95, Waitrose
Little Moons Honey Roasted Pistachio Mochi Ice Cream
Each of these bite-sized treast combines creamy pistachio gelato, infused with the richness of honey-roasted nuts, and a delicate, chewy rice flour dough wrapping.
Perfect as a frozen snack or an elegant dessert, these gluten-free, vegetarian ice creams have a smooth texture and luxurious flavour at only 80 calories per mochi.
Buy now £5.00, Waitrose
Kulfi Ice Original Malai Flavoured
Time to shake up your ice cream game? Say hello to kulfi, India’s answer to ice cream.
The milk and cream-based lollies are more mellow than Western scoops with hints of cardamom and great big chunks of almonds and pistachios to make it feel properly grown up, even if it is on a stick.
They’re sold in packs of five, but consider buying extra to avoid fights at the freezer. Mango and pistachio options are also out there.
Buy now £2.95, Sainsbury’s
Tesco Finest Tiramisu Meringue Stack
Part of the supermarket's new summer range, this stack means business. It's a story of layered brown sugar meringue (slow-baked for extra chewiness), coffee cream and mascarpone, finished with a dusting of cocoa powder. It's super satisfying and the crunch is, frankly, immense.
There's enough to feed eight people here, making it perfect for the post-BBQ lull.
Buy now £6.50, Tesco
Remeo Gelato Alphonso Mango Sorbet
Fancy a more refined way to stay cool? Head to Remeo, where you can get Italian-grade gelato made with all-natural ingredients. While some of the flavours do contain small amounts of cream, there are totally dairy-free options for vegans on the menu too.
Buy now £5.40, Amazon
Viennetta Vanilla Ice Cream Dessert
As a child of the Nineties, I am duty-bound to include Viennetta in a list like this.
Once regarded as the height of sophistication - by kids taken in by the slick marketing, at least - thanks to the multiple layers which, from side-on, looked like intricate swirls administered by a master chef. The ice cream dessert comes in many flavours and formats now, but I’ll always consider the OG the best.
With all things 90s making a comeback, is this dessert poised to claim the foodie flag?
Buy now £2.10, Waitrose
Crosta Mollica Pistachio & Almond Tartufi
Before the Dubai Chocolate craze, there was Tartufi. The Italian dessert, whose name also means ‘truffles’, is presented in pistachio and almond flavours by Crosta Mollica, a brand perhaps better associated with superb frozen pizzas.
This gelato dessert hails from southern Italy and involves the rich, frozen dessert being rolled in a tasty pistachio crumb.
You’ll get two in each box, which, I think, underlines the fact that these are certainly not for sharing.
Ideal for finishing a fakeaway and making it more of an ‘event’.
Buy now £5.00, Waitrose
