Unbelievably, the Christmas break is just about upon us! Our house is decorated, the Christmas shopping has begun, and our girls are getting excited for the end of the semester. That all means that everyone’s thoughts are turning to holiday treats and sweets. In our house, that means Christmas cake ice cream!

I stumbled upon a fabulous recipe from the BBC years ago that uses Christmas pudding leftovers for ice cream. I didn’t have any Christmas pudding, but I did have leftover gluten-free Christmas cake, so I decided to give it a try. Fabulous!

If you’re lucky enough to find (or make) a gluten-free Christmas cake or pudding during the holiday season, I HIGHLY recommend you turn some of it into Christmas ice cream.

This creamy, boozy delight has been a holiday tradition in our house for years, and whether you like Christmas cake or not, I promise you’ll love this version of it! The best part is, you don’t need an ice cream maker to make this recipe – any freezer-proof container will work.

Our family is split: some love Christmas cake, and some of us (that’s been me until I discovered this recipe), despise it. If you’re in the latter category and someone gifts you a Christmas cake over the holidays, try this! It’s perfect for a rich, creamy dessert to entertain guests, or for a hint of Christmas once the holidays are over.

The original recipe can be found here, on the BBC Good Food website. Their version uses Christmas pudding, but since the first time I made it I used Christmas cake and it was fabulous, I’ve never looked back.

To make it gluten-free, I use a gluten-free Christmas cake, and I always add 2 tbsp of Brandy to my batch (you can add to to your taste).

Enjoy, and happy holidays!