Food & Drinks

This much-loved Christmas dessert contains by far the most calories

By Tessa Heinhuis | #!31Mon, 22 Dec 2025 05:00:02 +0100+01:000231#31Mon, 22 Dec 2025 05:00:02 +0100+01:00-5Europe\/Amsterdam3131Europe\/Amsterdam202531 22am31am-31Mon, 22 Dec 2025 05:00:02 +0100+01:005Europe\/Amsterdam3131Europe\/Amsterdam2025312025Mon, 22 Dec 2025 05:00:02 +01000050012amMonday=9#!31Mon, 22 Dec 2025 05:00:02 +0100+01:00Europe\/Amsterdam12#12-22-2025#!31Mon, 22 Dec 2025 05:00:02 +0100+01:000231#\/31Mon, 22 Dec 2025 05:00:02 +0100+01:00-5Europe\/Amsterdam3131Europe\/Amsterdam202531#!31Mon, 22 Dec 2025 05:00:02 +0100+01:00Europe\/Amsterdam12#

Sure, in December the calories don't count. But it's nice if you still fit into your jeans in January. And a bit of turkey with gravy is fine, and a dessert is allowed too. But there is one dessert that really stands out in terms of calories.

And that is: Christmas pudding. You know, that round wreath of a kind of greasy bread that your grandma used to make. Or that my mother sometimes brings along now. Luckily, I don't find it extremely tasty, but well, even a small piece is already killing for your waist.

Christmas pudding

This beloved British classic is often made with ingredients that are anything but light. Think of:

Dried fruits like raisins, currants, and dates, packed with natural sugars.
Fat in the form of butter or beef fat (traditionally “suet”), essential for the rich, moist texture.
Sugar and honey, which make the pudding extra sweet.
Alcohol like brandy or rum, which is often added generously.
Sauces, like brandy sauce or custard, which make the whole even heavier.

So, oops. A serving of 100 grams of Christmas pudding can quickly contain 330 to 400 calories, and most people often take a large piece. Add a generous spoonful of sauce, and you’re easily over 500 calories per serving. After your dinner, that is. A bit of a shame for the waistline, right?

Unfortunately, there are even more desserts you’d rather avoid:

Tiramisu
This Italian dessert with mascarpone, sugar, whipped cream, and ladyfingers soaked in coffee and liqueur often contains 350-450 calories per serving.

Sticky toffee pudding
A moist, caramel-like pudding that is often served with a toffee or caramel sauce. This dessert can reach up to 450-500 calories per serving.

Chocolate fondue
Although you share the calories of chocolate with fruit, this dessert remains calorie-rich. Melted chocolate contains about 530 calories per 100 grams, and the pieces of marshmallow or cookie make it even heavier.

Okay, once again: we’ll be good about watching our food in the new year. But what can we still eat? There’s plenty of choice if you want to keep it a bit lighter. Choose a cake with lots of fresh fruit and less sugar, for example. An ice cream cake with sorbet is perfect. Sorbet contains very few calories, but 80-120 per scoop. And the pavlova is also nice, pretty, and quite healthy. This meringue dessert with fresh fruits is lighter than most Christmas desserts (about 150-200 calories per serving). Take advantage of it and enjoy, okay?.