7 Traditional UK Desserts You Should Try

This article is dedicated to all sweet-toothed travelers visiting the UK. As you may know, there are plenty of traditional desserts here; in fact, there are so many options available that it’s sometimes difficult to take a pick. Since you probably won’t have time (or stomach) to try each and every sweet and pudding in the country, we’ve compiled the most traditional desserts –those you must absolutely try if you want to get a taste of the UK’s sugary side.

Trifle by Ben

Spotted dick

Despite the peculiar name, this is actually a charming and tasteful treat: a thick, steamed suet (animal fat) pudding with raisins or other dried fruits inside — hence the spots; it’s usually served on a bed of custard. Memorable texture, very traditional, and surprisingly tasty!

Trifle

A typical homemade dessert, whose recipe is often adapted to include pretty much any ingredients available in the pantry. The trifle is a layered amalgam of custard, fruits, jelly, whipped cream and soaked sponge cake, thrown into a huge bowl and decorated to taste.

Apple Crumble

Arguably the European counterpart to the all-American Apple Pie, the Apple Crumble is one of the most universally appealing UK desserts. The crumble is made with butter flour and sugar, which is then spread over a plate of sliced apples and baked until crisp; often served with custard or ice cream on the side.

Apple Crumble with Vanilla Icecream by Jessica Rossi

Roly-Poly Pudding

Not exactly a pudding; the base for this dessert is a thick sheet of pastry dough, which is topped with a generous coating of jam and/or fresh fruit, then rolled up into a log. It’s then baked (sometimes steamed) until the roll gets soft and mushy, thus the “pudding” moniker even though it’s technically a cake.

Lardy Cake

More raisin bread than cake-like, actually; yes, sometimes the names of UK desserts can be a bit misleading. It combines pig lard with flour, sugar, raisins and spices for a rather unique and rich flavor. This type of “cake” is traditionally eaten on holidays and special occasions, but it’s available throughout the year.

Lardy Cake by insideology

Bread and Butter pudding

This is another popular choice for homemade desserts, since it’s very simple to make and combines common household ingredients. Based on stacked slices of buttered bread with added extras such as raisins between the layers, it’s then covered on a custardy mix and seasoned to taste (typical flavorings include vanilla or nutmeg), then baked in the oven.

English Crumpets

Not unlike pancakes, although more on the breaded side. Crumpets’ dough is made with flour and yeast, which is then thrown into a griddle for cooking. The result is a plain type of cake that tastes great with a little butter or jam, and is quite popular for tea breaks.

Scotch pancake and Scottish crumpet by Dave souza

This article was brought to you by ukholidayplaces.co.uk, and we certainly hope it worked up your appetite for visiting the UK. Have you tried any of these desserts? Are there any other you feel should have been included in this article? Make sure to share your opinions with us by submitting your comments below.

Tags: amalgam, american apple pie, cake like, dried fruits, european counterpart, generous coating, homemade dessert, jessica rossi, pastry dough, peculiar name, pig lard, raisin bread, sponge cake, suet, thick sheet, trifle, vanilla icecream

Category: Travel Tips