Confectionery

Christmas treats are the perfect tabletop addition for the festive period - especially if your guests have a sweet tooth. From delicious candy cane fudge to smooth, creamy peppermint creams and rich chocolate truffles, we’ve compiled an array of the best Christmas treats for the whole family.
If you fancy a warming Christmassy drink with your Christmas snack, try our <a href="https://www.bakingmad.com/baking-tips/homemade-hot-chocolate">homemade hot chocolate</a> recipe. It’s packed with festive flavours and topped with lashings of cream and freshly-ground cinnamon - add a splash of your favourite tipple for a showstopping finish.&nbsp;

Top view of Candy Cane Fudge being sprinkled with chopped candy cane by a hand. In a tray lined with parchment paper on a red linen cloth

There’s always room for a treat or two over Christmas. Here’s our selection of the best Christmas treats for family and friends who need a pick-me-up.

Christmas treats and festive snacks

From breadsticks to brioche, sourdough to pizza dough - we have a medley of bread and dough recipes to see you through from breakfast to dinner.&nbsp; 
 
Love a 'pop in the breadmaker' bake? Or perhaps more of a 'get stuck in and sticky' <a href="/recipes/bacon-and-cheese-loaf">hand baked loaf</a>? Whatever type of baker you are, bread baking apprentice to artisan extraordinaire we have the best bread recipes.

Allinsons-Naan-Bread-1-1-Baking-Mad-3.jpg

Making your own bread from scratch is incredibly satisfying. We also have pizza dough recipes, doughnuts and so much more. Try them out today.

Bread Recipes | Easy & Delicious Bread & Dough Recipes

Fill your house with the aroma of freshly baked bread

Bread & Dough

There are lots of ways to make a cake; dress it up with decorations or celebrate its full naked glory. A ‘drop of vanilla’ birthday cake, "one more slice" banana bread or decadent chocolate cake recipes. Rolled. Stacked. Filled. You bake the rules. 
 
For beginners, the classic <a href="/recipes/lemon-drizzle-cake">Lemon Drizzle cake</a> is the perfect crowd-pleaser. Or for more experimental bakers, stack the tiers high and fill the cakes with hidden surprises. When cake is life, not just for birthdays, we say let’s get baking.

Cookie, Oreo & Brownie Layered Cake with a slice cut out of it. 

Baking a cake is a fine art, but one that can be mastered by many. Browse through our cake recipes and find the perfect one for you.

Cake Recipes | Easy Cake Ideas

Traditional bakes and classic cake recipes

Cake recipes

Easy C<a href="/recipes/chocolate-truffles">hocolate Truffles</a>, quick<a href="/recipes/vanilla-fudge"> Vanilla Fudge</a>, fluffy <a href="/recipes/snowy-marshmallows">Marshmallows </a>and even pink sugar mice! Take a trip down memory lane and get lost in our simple and delicious confectionary baking recipes. 
 
From old school nostalgic sweets, <a href="/recipes/white-chocolate-snowies">Snowies</a> and <a href="/recipes/chocolate-nutella-mice">Chocolate Mice</a> to <a href="/recipes/turkish-delight">Turkish Delight</a> and <a href="/recipes/peppermint-creams">Peppermint Creams</a>, why not mix and match our recipes to bake and create your very own 'Pick n Mix' just the way you like it! Confectionary is our favourite thing to whisk up and experiement with flavours and shapes to create a Willy Wonka World of your own! With our<a href="/recipes/creme-egg-scotch-egg"> Creme Egg Scotch Eggs</a> &amp; <a href="/recipes/chilli-chocolates">Chilli Chocolates</a>, you can surprise and delight your taste buds!
Our easy <a href="/recipes/collections/homemade-gifts">edible gift recipes</a> are also the best baking present to make for loved ones for any celebration, especially Christmas &amp; Easter. Our pretty <a href="/recipes/rose-water-meringue-kisses">Meringue Kisses</a> and <a href="/recipes/melting-moments">Melting Moments</a> are perfect to batch bake and bag up to gift to teachers, friends &amp; family over Christmas, or make things extra magical this Christmas with our &nbsp;<a href="/recipes/muscovado-christmas-tree-meringues">Christmas Tree Meringues </a>or <a href="/recipes/white-chocolate-and-pecan-christmas-fudge">White Chocolate &amp; Pecan Fudge</a> - perfect recipes for confectionary beginners.

Top view of Rainbow Meringues in a bowl, with Rainbow Meringues scattered around next to a bag of silver spoon caster sugar

The most exciting confectionery and sweets recipes including Turkish delight & chocolate fondant are on Baking Mad. Pick your favourites and make them today

Confectionery Recipes | How to Make Homemade Candy Sweets & Chocolates

Confectionary baking recipes, fuss-free and full of flavour.

Crunch, snap or dunk. However you like to eat your biscuits, we have something for everyone. Our irresistible 5* Millies <a href="/recipes/copycat-chocolate-chip-millie-s-cookies">chocolate chip cookie recipe</a> is a must for all cookie lovers. You call it eating the whole batch, we call it taste testing.&nbsp; 
 
When it comes to biscuit recipes, go simple with <a href="/recipes/shortbread-fingers">shortbread</a> or spice up your life with <a href="/recipes/gingerbread-dough">gingerbread</a>. There's even a <a href="/recipes/dog-biscuits">dog biscuit recipe</a> for your pampered pooches.

Side on view of a stack of vegan and gluten free chocolate chip cookies

Cookies and biscuits can often be confused, but either way, they are delicious and easy to make. We have loads of recipes for you to try out. Happy baking

Cookies And Biscuit Recipes | How to Make Easy Biscuit & Cookies at Home

Fill up your biscuit tin!

Cookies & Biscuits

Mini or mighty, one in a jar, for the best cupcake recipe you needn't look that far.&nbsp;Vanilla, Oreo, Biscoff? Chocoholics, all hail the 5* <a href="/recipes/mary-berry-chocolate-cupcakes">Mary Berry chocolate cupcake recipe</a>.&nbsp;Keep kids busy with <a href="/recipes/chocolate-cake-pops">cake pops</a> and <a href="/recipes/simple-fairy-cakes">fairy cakes</a>. We even have <a href="/recipes/feta-cheese-and-herb-cupcakes">savoury cupcakes</a> to jazz up lunchtime. 
 
Mad about muffins? From blueberry to banana muffin recipes; the tastiest way to sneak in your 5 a day. <a href="/recipes/gluten-free-chocolate-and-cherry-muffins">Gluten free muffins</a>, <a href="/recipes/vegan-blueberry-muffins">vegan muffins</a>, you will be spoilt for choice.

Nutella Cupcakes with glass bottle of milk in the background

Cupcakes and muffins both have a place in our hearts and they’re similar in looks and how they’re baked. Here are our favourite cupcake and muffin recipes.

Cupcakes & Muffin Recipes | Easy Recipes & Best Bakes

Bake a batch & share with friends!

Cupcakes & Muffins

All about the heavenly desserts? Whatever the season or occasion we have dessert ideas from summery meringues, pavlovas to panna cottas. In winter snuggle down with warming and comforting puds, whether it be&nbsp;a humble crumble or creamy rice pudding. 
 
If cheesecake is your kryptonite we suggest you look away now - from <a href="/recipes/new-york-baked-cheesecake">New York Vanilla</a> to <a href="/recipes/toblerone-cheesecake">Toblerone</a>, our selection is guaranteed to leave you weak at the knees.

2 glass jars of eton mess, raspberries, edible flowers and vanilla extract

Desserts come in many shapes and sizes. Baking Mad has a full collection of dessert recipes that you simply have to try. Get them here.

Dessert Recipes | Easy Desserts for Every Occasion

Browse dessert recipes for every occasion

Desserts

Ice cream recipes have never been simpler, no ice cream maker needed! Maple fudge, strawberry ripple, mint choc chip and rum – no need to be so vanilla (although this is also yummy). Serve in an <a href="/recipes/arctic-roll">arctic roll</a>, <a href="/recipes/fruity-knickerbocker-glory">knickerbocker glory</a>, <a href="/recipes/ice-cream-cookie-sandwich">cookie sandwich</a> or an indulgent ice cream cake, guaranteed smiles all round.
It’s not just ice cream recipes; granitas, sorbets, frozen yoghurts and ice lolly recipes. Lots of icy delights, so free up your freezer.

Bowl of ice cream, apple and slices, brown sugar packet

Discover the perfect homemade ice cream & ice lolly recipes with the latest tips, and learn how to make anything from vanilla ice cream to an ice lolly.

Ice Cream & Lollies | Easy Frozen Homemade Treats

There's nothing better than homemade ice cream...

Ice Cream & Lollies

Fluffy <a href="/recipes/buttercream-icing">basic buttercream </a>(or frosting) really is the icing on any cake. Simple to whip up, satisfying to gobble up. Master a buttercream recipe and experiment with flavours, or add cocoa for the best <a href="/recipes/salted-chocolate-buttercream">chocolate buttercream</a>. 
 
From rainbow buttercream, roses or ruffles, we have the piping tips and techniques to grow your decorating skills. More of an icing traditionalist?

Try one of our many icing & buttercream recipes and make something delicious today Learn how to make the perfect icing or buttercream filling for your cake.

Icing & Buttercream Recipes | Simple & Easy Sweet Toppings

From royal icing to fondant icing and flooding, we have it all

Icing & Buttercream

You can’t beat homemade, bursting with fruit and veg. <a href="/recipes/lemon-curd">Lemon curd</a>, <a href="/recipes/orange-and-whisky-marmalade">Orange and Whiskey marmalade</a>, <a href="/recipes/glitter-strawberry-jam-with-champagne">glitter Strawberry jam</a> - your toast has never tasted so good. 
 
Revolutionise your tarts and pies with chutneys, curds, jams and jellies that will have your friends begging for the recipe. It couldn't be simpler with our friendly tutorials, you'll know how to make jam in no time.

Discover jams, marmalade, chutneys & other preserve recipes on Baking Mad. Jams & preserves are a key part of many traditional cuisines all over the world.

Jams & Spreads | Easy Homemade Preserves

Are spreads and preserves your jam?

Jams & Spreads

Traditionally <a href="/recipes/basic-pancakes">thin crepes</a> or thick and fluffy <a href="/recipes/american-pancakes">American Pancakes</a>? Stack with berries, maple and bacon, or fill with spinach and ricotta. 
 
Keto, Vegan or Gluten Free, the humble pancake is flipping fabulous whatever the occasion. For the ultimate batter indulgence, a mountain of waffles drizzled with syrup or a plate of cinnamon Churros dipped in chocolate. Heavenly.&nbsp;

Stack of American pancakes drizzled with maple syrup and topped with fresh berries

Pancakes aren't just for Shrove Tuesday. From crepe to American style, discover the variety of exciting pancake and pancake batter recipes on Baking Mad.

Pancakes, Crepes & Waffles

Pancakes are for life, not just for Pancake Day

Whether you need a simple shortcrust pastry recipe, fabulous filo or puff perfection, we have something for everyone. Even Vegan potato pastry. 
 
Learn <a href="/baking-tips/how-to-blind-bake-pastry">how to blind bake pastry</a> and once you have mastered the basics, tart it up to your hearts delight. Travel the world from Danish pastries to French Pastries, Austrian Strudels to Greek Spanakopita. Sweet or savoury. Steak pie or apple pie. We have more swirls, rolls and turnovers than a gymnast.

Looking for a easy, tasty pastry recipe? You've come to the right place From Yorkshire puddings to apple pies, discover the many recipes on Baking Mad.

Pastries, Pies & Tart Recipes | Easy Ideas for Best Savoury Bakes

Grab your rolling pins and let’s get baking.

Pastries, Pies & Tarts

How to make scones has never been easier with our foolproof tips and tricks on how to rub together butter and flour. Whether you’re “jam then cream” or vice versa there's something for everyone. 
 
Sweet or savoury. Cheese scones galore. Marmite lovers will go crazy for our <a href="/recipes/cheese-and-marmite-scones">Cheese and Marmite scones</a> - the ultimate taste sensation. Bring your ‘A’ game to afternoon tea with these easy scone recipes. The yummiest fruit scones, calorie conscious, buttermilk and <a href="/recipes/gluten-free-afternoon-scones">gluten free scones</a>.

scone with strawberries and cream on a plate 

Discover our easy scone & shortcake recipes from Baking Mad & find your favourite scone recipe. Learn the secrets of this traditional English treat

Scones & Shortcake Recipes | Baking Mad

Once they’re scone, they’re scone

Scones & Shortcakes

We have the perfect accompaniment to any pud - velvety <a href="/recipes/vanilla-custard">vanilla custard</a>. Or for a touch of nostalgia, a spoonful of feel-good <a href="/recipes/pink-custard">pink custard</a>. 
 
For ultimate indulgence, our <a href="/recipes/salted-caramel-sauce-three-ways">salted caramel sauce</a> is pure heaven. Drizzle on ice cream, or hide inside melt-in-the-middle puds; it’s also tasty eaten secretly by the spoonful. Gift these sweet sauces to your loved ones and you will be guaranteed friends for life.

Find the most delicious sweet sauces recipes on Baking Mad. Whether you're looking to make bread, caramel or cranberry sauce, you can try one here today

Sauces & Condiments | Simple Homemade Sauce Recipes

Feeling Saucy?

Sweet Sauces

Can we tempt you with a traybake? Breath-taking brownies, blissful blondies, fabulous flapjacks. Maybe our millionaires shortbread recipe? Crunchy biscuit base, velvety caramel and sweet chocolate to finish. 
 
Is your mouth watering yet? Traybakes are a cinch with kids - like our ‘anything goes’ <a href="/recipes/biscoff-rocky-road">Rocky Road recipes</a>, simple to make and scrumptious to snuffle. You're in the right place for the yummiest traybake recipes.

Salted Caramel Cookie Traybake pieces stacked on top of each other with a hand reaching for the top piece. A bottle of milk in the background and jar of caramel sauce in the foreground

Traybakes are a delicious collection of baked cakes, slices and squares that are baked in a tray and then sliced up into portions. Find your traybake match here.

Traybake Recipes | Easy Flapjacks & Best Brownies

Deliciously simple traybake recipes

Traybakes

We understand it can be challenging as a vegetarian baker sometimes, but lack of vegetarian baking recipes or inspiration needn’t be a reason to bake less. 
 
We love to celebrate all the fresh fruit and veggies in season, crafting baking triumphs to showcase them. From squidgy, <a href="/recipes/gluten-free-carrot-courgette-cake">gluten free carrot courgette cake</a> to vibrant, <a href="/recipes/vegetarian-pasties">Hairy Biker Vegetarian Pasties</a>, you're in the right place. So live life on the veg. Your day is about to get a whole lot tastier.

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Vegetarian Recipes

Satisfying vegetarian comfort food

Vegetarian

Easy

Biscoff Cookies

Stack of cookies on a white plate with a box of sugar open next to it

A little effort

Brown Butter and Salted Chocolate Cookies

Broken homemade Millie’s cookie with chocolate chips and salt sprinkled on

Copycat Chocolate Chip Millie's Cookies

Recipes

Tips & Tricks

Allinson's

Make time baking, time well spent with Allinson’s. Allinson’s bread flour makes magic with your everyday loaf and brings mealtimes to life with the best pizza dough. A few minutes spent kneading, then leave the Allinson’s yeast to get to work and rise to the occasion.&nbsp;

Time well spent.

Our top Allinson's bakes

Enter your email address below to subscribe to our Allinson’s email mailing list for monthly bread related recipes, tips and competitions.&nbsp;

Fancy an extra serving of dough?

"Best cinnamon rolls I've ever made!"

For a homemade dough you knead to know about.

Deliciously rewarding with Allinson's 

Know your dough with Allinson's

Billington’s

A top down view of chocolate brownies next to a packet of Billington's Dark Muscovado Sugar

Crafted from unrefined natural sugar cane and carefully produced to lock in all the natural molasses, make Billington’s your sugar of choice for the tastiest of bakes. With unique richness, depth of flavour and natural golden colour, Billington’s sugars will enrich your everyday bakes.

For the gooiest brownies & richest chocolate cakes.

Our top Billington's bakes

"Out of this World!"

For gooey, rich bakes every time. Use #bakingmad to feature here!

Better baking begins with Billington's

Discover the World of Billington's Sugars...

What does Billington's bring to my bake?

Nielsen-Massey

Nielsen Massey Vanilla Extract being added to Vanilla Extract Cupcakes mixture

Nielsen-Massey extracts and vanilla bean paste are the perfect choice for quality flavour and convenience when home baking. A drop or drizzle of Great Taste award winning Nielsen-Massey will add the best vanillary depth and flavour, bringing to life not only your next bake, but delivering deliciousness time and time again.&nbsp;

Your bake deserves only the finest flavouring.

Our top Nielsen-Massey bakes

"Makes the World of difference!"

For the best natural vanilla flavour every time. Use #bakingmad to feature here!

A dash of the World's finest vanilla...

Elevating your bakes since 1907.

Silver Spoon

Silver Spoon is inspiring Britain to create more moments of baking joy. From a dollop of icing on your fairy cakes, lighter-than-air golden sponges and the fluffiest buttercream to top your celebration showstopper - this is your perfect baking partnership. So grab your whisk, crank up the oven and get your bake on with Silver Spoon.&nbsp;

For your "I made this!" moments.

Our top Silver Spoon bakes

"My buttercream is so smooth and sweet..."

Share your baking moments with #bakingmad.

Discover baking joy and sprinkle in some Silver Spoon.

To drizzle or to dollop?

Our Brands

These tasty bitesize sweets are great for all of the mint-lovers out there and can be served as an after dinner treat, given as a gift or even just to nibble on snuggled up in front of the telly. It is so quick and simple to make, why not get the kids involved with helping you. Add a drop of green food colouring if you want them to turn out green! If you want to make them without an egg, use condensed milk instead. Peppermint Creams are sometimes brought out as a Christmas treat but we like to make them all year round.

Peppermint Creams

Hearty food reigns sumpreme in Northumberland, and if this bread didn't look good enough, with its golden coating and sprinkles of chocolaye chips, then wait until you take a bite. This delicious sweet bread is infused with zesty hints of orange and balanced with rich dark chocolate chips, all twisted together into a stunning homemade Northunmberland Twist.

Chocolate & Orange Northumberland Twist

These white chocolate snowies are a real blast from the past. These were definitely one of our favourite pick n mix sweets and are so simple to make with children. They make great homemade gifts or party favours.

White Chocolate Snowies

Is it a cake? Is it a biscuit? Whichever way you look at it, these things are delicious. This recipe is for a batch of wintery Whoopie Pies, ideal for the festive season. A Whoopie Pie is an American baked treat which is made from two small round cakes sandwiched around a sweet buttercream filling. Usually a Whoopie Pie recipe contains chocolate to make the cakes but we've kept things simple with ours, using a vanilla flavoured cake. To give our Whoopie Pies a wintery look we've included steps to make a simple icing which you can decorate with whatever festive sprinkles you like.

Snowflake Whoopie Pies

Who doesn't love a mince pie? There's nothing better than the start of the festive season being served a warmed through home-made minced pie.&nbsp; This traditional mince pie recipe (One of Santa's favourites)&nbsp;has a deliciously short and buttery pastry crust. They are so simple to make and an adorable homemade gift. For an extra special touch why not try making your own mincemeat too?

Traditional Mince Pies

Sugar and spice and all things nice, including our moreish, moist fruit and spices loaf. Using only a handful of ingredients, including tea and Billington's Light Muscovado Sugar, this loaf is deep in flavour and has warm fudge undertones. Whilst it is packed full of mixed spice and sultanas, this loaf really can be enjoyed anytime of the year (even though it tastes like Christmas in each bite)

Fruit and spice loaf

If looking at this bake above isn't making you leap up to preheat your oven to bake, then maybe we could tempt you further. Picture this, cosied up by the fireplace, mulled wine in hand, about to tuck into warm stollen cinnamon roll. 
 
There's nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked spiced stollen, especially in the run-up to Christmas.

Festive Stollen Cinnamon Rolls

This peppermint candy canes recipe is great fun to make with the kids and creates candy cane sweets similar to peppermint cremes. These are really cute homemade gifts for friends or family or alternatively you could use them to brighten up your festive gifts.

Peppermint Candy Canes

This simple but beautiful cinnamon tear and share bread snowflake would not only look stunning as a centerpiece on your table, it also acts as a fantastic sharing dish for all of your family and friends to enjoy.

Cinnamon Spiced Tear & Share Bread

This sweet festive dough is formed in a large roll shape, oozing with warm mincemeat spread between the dough, for filling in every bite. Have you over done it with mince pies? Or have left over mince meat from making too many of our delicious Frangipane Mince Pies? This recipe is super easy to make, and is a great way to use up leftover Mincemeat before the festive period is over.

Mincemeat Loaf

Plant based perfection. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and currants - does anything taste more Christmassy than this? Using vegan butter and plant milk, enjoy vegan festive bakes without having to sacrifice taste or texture.

Vegan Stollen

Our friends at Billington's have shared with us this wonderful recipe by Martha Collison. Martha has used Billington's Unrefined Light Muscovado Sugar which brings a natural caramel undertone to this smooth velvety fudge. It's easy to make and is a fantastic Christmas present idea.&nbsp;

White Chocolate & Pecan Christmas Fudge

Tired of the same traditional mince pies - add a special twist to yours this Christmas by topping them with a light, fluffy meringue top.

Meringue topped mince pie

Delightfully tasty, this recipe is great to make on a Sunday afternoon. Serve with traditional english tea in fine china.

Chocolate mint kisses

Soft and squishy marshmallows with an on trend boozy twist - these would make a great homemade favour for weddings or parties and also bagged and topped with a bow for a homemade gift idea.

Gin & Tonic Marshmallows

It is a tradition at Christmas to adorn your door with a seasonal wreath so why not also your dinner table? This Cranberry &amp; Rosemary Wreath is a truly wonderful bread to share with friends and family.
It is perfect for a Christmas gathering, or for a dinner party starter when served with soft gooey melted Camembert for dipping. This is also a great way to use up any leftover Cranberries after the festive period or simply enjoy any foodie cheese gifts that you might have received.

Cranberry & Rosemary Wreath

An ideal mini Christmas gift, the Billington's Christmas pudding marshmallows are&nbsp;made with the finest ingredients, including a dash of brandy, a sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg and Billington's unrefined golden caster sugar. The result is a moreish marshmallow that not only tastes of Christmas but has the wonderful aroma of it too.

Christmas Pudding Marshmallows

Let stollen steal your heart. A delicious sweet bread filled with fruit and nuts, mixed spice and all things nice, lightly dusted with Silver Spoon Icing Sugar for a snow-kissed look. Perfect as a party nibble, or for a sweet festive treat typically enjoy in December in Germany. Made with Allinson's strong white bread flour, your stollen bites are sure to come out of the oven looking just as yummy as they'll taste.

Mini Stollen Bites

After a busy night of present delivering Santa will look forward to&nbsp;these delicious mince pies made with orange pastry&nbsp;and a sneaky glass of whisky. Let him know you've been extra good this year by leaving a few out on Christmas Eve&nbsp;- don't forget a treat for the reindeers too!

Mince Pies for Santa

These cute little meringues are fun to decorate and would make a perfect homemade Christmas gift too.

Christmas Treats

Festive snack recipes for all the family

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