Christmas Pavlova Wreath

This Christmas Pavlova Wreath is the festive showstopper you need for your Christmas Day dessert. This easy meringue wreath is topped with sweet whipped cream, berries and raspberry coulis for a naturally gluten free dessert everyone can enjoy!

This Christmas Wreath Pavlova is the perfect festive dessert. It’s easy to throw together and is naturally gluten free, so everyone can enjoy it!

The easy meringue wreath can be baked the day before and then it’s simply a matter of constructing the festive pavlova before serving.

With a light and crunchy meringue, whipped cream and fresh berries, this is perfect for having something sweet after a heavy Christmas dinner.

Of course feel free to ‘jazz’ up the meringue wreath with some white chocolate drizzled on top, fresh mint leaves or extra fruit like blackberries and cherries.

And if you need some more Christmas dessert ideas, check out my No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake, Gluten Free Christmas Pudding or my Toffee and Pecan Meringue Roulade.

Ingredients

There’s a printable recipe card for this Christmas Pavlova Wreath below. But for the shopping list here are the main ingredients you’ll need.

For the meringue wreath:

• Eggs: You’ll only need the egg whites for this recipe.
• Caster Sugar: Or baker’s sugar / superfine sugar in the US
• White Wine Vinegar: or apple cider vinegar. This helps create a lovely, chewy meringue centre.
• Corn Flour: Or cornstarch in the US. This helps stabilise the meringue.

For the pavlova topping:

• Double Cream: Use heavy whipping cream in the US.
• Icing Sugar: To sweeten the whipped cream – use confectioner’s sugar in the US.
• Berries: I use fresh raspberries and blueberries but you can use any berry of choice.
• Raspberry Coulis: This raspberry sauce is optional but I love the tang it adds.

If you wanted, you could also add some white chocolate chips or even drizzle some melted white chocolate over the top of the berries.

How to Make a Christmas Pavlova Wreath

Here are some step-by-step photos to show you how easy this Christmas Pavlova Wreath recipe is to make. There’s also a printable recipe card below.

To make the meringue wreath:

Preheat the oven to 150C / Fan 130 / Gas Mark 2. Cut a sheet of parchment paper and lay it down on a baking tray.

Draw around a large plate or bowl that you can use as a template for your meringue wreath.

Separate the eggs, being careful not to get any yolk in with the whites. Add the egg whites to a large bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until they form stiff peaks.

Add the sugar to the egg white mixture, one dessert spoon at a time, while still whisking at a slightly slower speed. The mixture will thicken and become glossy as you do this.

Add the white wine vinegar and cornflour and whisk for a further 30 seconds.

Using two spoons, ‘dollop’ the meringue mixture onto the baking paper into a wreath shape, using the circle on the baking paper as a template.

Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour, then turn off the oven and leave it to cool completely WITHOUT opening the oven door.

Letting it cool slowly like this stops the meringue from cracking and crumbling!

To make the pavlova wreath:

Once the oven is completely cool (give it at least an hour) remove the meringue and very carefully lift it onto your serving plate.

Add the double cream and icing sugar to a large bowl and whisk for a couple of minutes until it thickens to soft peaks. You want it to be spreadable but not too stiff.

Either carefully spoon the whipped cream onto the top of the wreath or use a piping bag and fitted with a star tip to pipe it on.

Arrange the berries on top of the whipped cream then drizzle with the raspberry coulis. Serve straight away – and store in the fridge.

Storing and Making Ahead

I recommend constructing the pavlova just before serving, though you could bake the meringue up to 24 hours in advance.

If you make the pavlova wreath too far in advance the meringue will start to soften. But you could easily bake the meringue on Christmas Eve, then make the rest on Christmas Day!

Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for a day-or-so. The meringue may go a bit soft but it will still taste absolutely delicious the next day!

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some FAQs about this easy bread pudding recipe. If you can’t find the answer to your question here or in the post above, please comment and I’ll try answer!

If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. You can also share your creations in my Facebook group! And please do leave a 5* review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me and really helps support my website.