The holiday season is all about keeping your dietary routine on hold and getting indulged in the mouth-watering holiday special meals, although most of it is pure sugar in disguise. And Aussies know how to plunge into the sugary goodness with a shared balance of tropical flavours, textures and consistency like no other. So why hold yourself back?
Here is a list of 11 desserts with gluten-free options you probably haven’t considered for your holiday meal yet, but you really should.
Let’s give it a go!
Passionfruit Pavlova
This ultra-creamy delight of passion fruit curd and a whisk of sweet mascarpone is quite literally the first name to cross our mind whenever we think of summer holidays. But, even if you keep the obvious aside, this summer classic is still a dream dessert for meringue-texture crazy bakers out there.
And passionfruit happens to be one of the Australians’ favourite citrus choices that blend with the whipped cream flavours and texture contrasts perfectly. This finest texture creation is once again unbelievably easy to make, which is ideal for a multi-course Christmas meal. It’s the national dessert in Australia for a reason, right?
Lamington
For all the sweet-tooth Aussies out there, the lamington is a delicious household name. These iconic bite-sized desserts are so loved in Australia that we even have a day just to celebrate this sweet, crunchy indulgence! The richness of the chocolate layering, tartness from the jam filling and crispy coconut drizzles on top are irresistible.
Need to say more why lamington is a must-have dessert meal for the upcoming holiday?
Tropical Trifles
With a luscious balance of flavours and textures, tropical trifles are the ultimate holiday dessert to round off a big holiday lunch without an ounce of exaggeration. Nothing gathers guests at the table faster than a bowl of trifle layers, towering over the rest of the course!
You can coat each layer with sponge cake soaked in brandy or sherry, fresh tropical fruits, creamy custard, jam and whipped cream, just like your grandma used to. Got a handful of kids at the party? No problem. Non-alcoholic tropical trifles are just as delicious, if not more.
Australian Eton Mess
This British culinary classic gets a bit of a tropical twist in the Aussie take on Eton mess. Australian Eton mess comes with exotic tropical flavours like toasted coconuts, pineapple, mango, passion fruit randomly put in a servicing glass. The fusion of fruity delights along with the rest of the classic ingredients like strawberry puree, thickened whipped cream is an absolute joy to get indulged in, especially during summer weekends with friends and family.
Bombe Alaska
A thick, fluffy coat of torched meringue covering the ice cream cake base, this super festive Christmas dessert is quite hard to beat, both in taste and baking technicalities. Each of its layers unfolds textures surprises you never thought you needed!
If you want to create a tasty combination of brownies, ice cream and meringue all in one dessert as an exclusive holiday treat, you have to try out this fabulous dessert and impress your guests with its exquisite savour.
Traditional Mince Pies
When it comes to holiday celebrations, especially around Christmas, there’s one dish you cannot rule out, freshly baked traditional mince pies straight out of the oven! We grew up watching our moms and grandmas baking crumbly aromatic goodness, and we got to pass this tradition onto our next generation! It may be a tad old school, but the zestful flavour of mincemeat filling his nostalgic delicacy is worth relishing over every Christmas.
Apple Crumble with Ice Cream
What’s the name of a better dessert than warm and fuzzy fruity crumble on a cosy afternoon or a cold night? This classic British dessert serving with custards or scoops of ice cream can be a perfect holiday dessert as well. All you require is to make sure your crumble topping is crispy, and apple filling is not overly runny or sticky.
Just with a bit of mindfulness with the texture balance, this dish can be the meal of the day! If you want to keep health in check, you can make crumble completely vegan and gluten-free, too, without compromising the taste or consistency.
Jelly Slice with Cream Cheese
A 90s’ retro, an old-school favourite with a burst of textures and flavours, is still a go-to holiday dessert, especially around Christmas and Easter. Tangy cream cheese centre and sweet-wobbly jelly topping served with clouds of whipped cream will surely bring back these golden childhood memories.
But most importantly, these trilayer desserts are super easy to make and get the kids all excited!
Fairy Bread Cob Loaf
What’s a creative substitute for gingerbread during Christmas in Australia? That’s right; it’s the kids’ favourite fairy bread cob loaf, sliced with margarine and topped with rainbow sprinkles.
Instead of a savoury dip, the cob loaf is filled with thick chocolate or sweet cream cheese whisk and decorated with chocolate sticks, marshmallows, wafer biscuits, and strawberries, just to name a few. If you want to bring a Christmassy vibe quickly on the table for little ones and have a sweet moment of childhood reminiscence (which you obviously do), don’t forget to include show-stealing dessert in your meal.
Homemade Iced Vo Vos
If you list out the five authentic dessert snacks representing Australian identity, iced Vo Vos has to be on the top. These iconic wheat-flour biscuits with delicious strips of cream and jam and coconut sprinkles are the ultimate Australia Day special snack.
But are they perfect desserts as other holiday meals as well? Yes, please!
Make these buttery biscuits with your favourite flavoured jams-fondants this holiday, and make your guests fall in love with their sweet and succulent taste all over again!
Gluten-Free Plum Pudding
Last but certainly not least, we have plum pudding on our list, also considered the quintessential Christmas pudding we have been succumbing to for decades. This dense and sticky pudding consisting of dried fruits, nuts, raisins, fruit peels, citrus zests and spices has a long history, yet often fascinating how timelessly celebratory.
As the Christmas dessert showstopper, making plum pudding gluten-free is the best option. Already rich in texture and nutrition, the gluten-free plum pudding will let the guests dive right in without a worry about health in Xmas.
Well, there you have it! 11 iconic Australian desserts to celebrate holidays like a true Aussie. You can now get quick celebratory treats or to feed that rumbling stomach of yours!
