6 Delicious Gooseberry Dessert Recipes

Wondering what delicious gooseberry dessert recipes you could make? Maybe your gooseberry bush was super plentiful or you got your hands on these beauts in the shop. You might make a jam or crumble and then wonder what the heck you’re going to do with the rest of them? Well look no further! Below I have 6 delicious gooseberry dessert recipes that are sure to inspire you to try something new with these tart little berries.

How do you prepare gooseberries?

Before we dive into the recipes though, how do you prepare gooseberries for desserts? These sour fruits grow on prickly, thorny bushes all over the UK and Ireland. When picked, they usually have a little bit of stem on both sides. For most dessert recipes, you should wash the gooseberries well in cold water. Next, using a sharp and small knife, carefully top and tail the stems off each gooseberry. This can take a while so I’d recommend trying to do as many of them as you can at once. The extras can be kept ready for your next recipe.

Easy Sweet Gooseberry Recipe

1.Gooseberry Crème Brûlée

This Gooseberry Crème Brûlée Recipe is a delicious twist on the classic baked custard. A tart gooseberry compote is topped with a creamy, silky smooth baked custard. The cooled baked custard is then topped with a glorious caramelised sugar top that makes a satisfying crack as you dig in and provides a lovely crunchy texture to balance the velvet textured custard. And it’s gluten free!

2. Gooseberry Curd

One of the absolute best ways to enjoy gooseberries is by making a Gooseberry Curd with it. The sour notes from the gooseberries go so well in the curd. Curd is typically made with lemons, limes or oranges so the gooseberries really help give that sour note. Spread it on your toast, add it to porridge or yoghurt, slather it over slices of cake or biscuits, or just eat it straight from the jar!

3. Gooseberry Gin Custard Sauce

 Take your custard up a level with this lip smacking Gooseberry and Gin Custard Sauce. This Custard Sauce is also sometimes called crème anglaise. Make sure you select a high quality gin for this recipe.

4. Honey Gooseberry Cake

This Honey Gooseberry Cake is an adaptation from Delicious Magazine “Sticky Gooseberry Cake”. I didn’t have any saffron on hand and I adjusted the recipe slightly.

5. Mini Gooseberry Pavlovas

These adorable Mini Gooseberry Pavlovas Recipe are a simple yet delicious way to enjoy the best of gooseberry season. To make this dessert even faster, skip the meringue and buy premade meringue nests from the store, like these ones from Tesco.

6. Gooseberry Raspberry Eton Mess

Eton Mess is a dessert that originated in England. It typically combines whipped cream, crushed meringues and some kind of fruit or sauce. This is a delicious way to use up any leftover meringues you might have lying around. This Gooseberry Raspberry Eton Mess pairs beautifully together as the tangy gooseberry curd and raspberry sauce compliments the sweet whipped cream and crushed meringues.