Looking for desserts that start with P? This is a rather lovely letter for anyone with a sweet tooth. P gives us proper British puddings, elegant dinner party desserts, bakery favourites, fruit-based bakes, chilled creams, pastries and plenty of budget-friendly treats you can make at home.

This guide is part of our Alphabet Foods series, and it is packed with ideas for quizzes, themed menus, school projects, party planning or simply finding something new to bake at the weekend. Some of these P desserts are familiar favourites, while others might be new additions to your pudding list.

Desserts That Start With P

Here is a quick look at popular desserts beginning with P, followed by more detail on each one.

1. Pavlova

Pavlova is one of the best-known desserts that start with P. It is made with a crisp meringue shell, a soft marshmallow-like centre, whipped cream and fruit. Strawberries, raspberries, kiwi, passion fruit and peaches all work beautifully.

It is a clever dessert for feeding a crowd because the base uses simple ingredients: egg whites, sugar, a little cornflour and vinegar or lemon juice. If you want to save money, top it with seasonal fruit or frozen berries that have been gently defrosted.

2. Panna Cotta

Panna cotta is an Italian dessert made from sweetened cream set with gelatine. It has a silky texture and is often served with fruit coulis, poached fruit, caramel or chocolate sauce.

Despite looking fancy, panna cotta is quite simple to prepare. It is also useful when you are entertaining because it can be made ahead and chilled until needed. Vanilla panna cotta is the classic, but coffee, lemon, coconut and white chocolate versions are also popular.

3. Profiteroles

Profiteroles are small choux pastry buns filled with cream, crème pâtissière or ice cream, then usually topped with chocolate sauce. They are light, rich and very satisfying.

Homemade choux pastry can feel intimidating at first, but the ingredients are basic: butter, water, flour and eggs. For an easier option, supermarkets often sell frozen profiteroles that can be dressed up with extra sauce, berries or a dusting of icing sugar.

4. Parkin

Parkin is a traditional ginger cake associated with Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is usually made with oats, treacle, golden syrup and ginger, giving it a deep, sticky flavour.

This is a brilliant budget bake because it stores well and often improves after a day or two. Parkin is especially popular around Bonfire Night, but there is no reason to limit it to November. Serve it warm with custard for a proper pudding, or cut it into squares for lunchboxes.

5. Plum Crumble

Plum crumble is a comforting fruit pudding made with stewed or baked plums and a buttery crumble topping. It is especially good in late summer and early autumn when plums are at their best.

To make it more economical, mix plums with apples or use frozen fruit. A crumble topping can be made with flour, butter and sugar, but oats, chopped nuts or crushed biscuits can be added for extra texture.

6. Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Pineapple upside-down cake is a retro dessert that still deserves a place on the table. Pineapple rings and cherries are arranged in a buttery sugar layer, then covered with cake batter and baked. Once turned out, the fruit sits glossy and caramelised on top.

Tinned pineapple makes this an affordable store cupboard pudding. It is lovely served warm with custard, cream or vanilla ice cream.

7. Peach Cobbler

Peach cobbler is a fruit dessert with a soft, scone-like or cake-like topping. It is popular in American baking, but it fits very happily into a UK kitchen too.

Fresh peaches are delicious when in season, but tinned peaches work extremely well and help keep costs down. Drain them first, then bake with a little sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon before adding the topping.

8. Portuguese Custard Tarts

Portuguese custard tarts, often called pastéis de nata, are crisp pastry cases filled with rich custard and baked until blistered and golden on top. They are one of the most popular P desserts around the world.

They are lovely with coffee and make a good small dessert when you do not want anything too heavy. If making them at home, ready-rolled puff pastry is a handy shortcut.

9. Pecan Pie

Pecan pie is a sweet pastry pie filled with pecans and a syrupy filling. It is rich, nutty and usually served in small slices.

Because pecans can be expensive, this is more of a special occasion dessert. To stretch it further, serve thin slices with cream, crème fraîche or ice cream. Some bakers also mix pecans with walnuts to reduce the cost.

10. Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie is a spiced dessert pie made with pumpkin purée, eggs, sugar and evaporated milk or cream. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves give it that familiar warm flavour.

Although often linked with American Thanksgiving, pumpkin pie is worth trying in the UK, especially in autumn. Tinned pumpkin purée is the easiest option, but roasted and blended pumpkin or squash can work too.

11. Pear Tart

Pear tart is an elegant dessert made with pastry and sliced pears. It may include frangipane, custard, almond cream or simply a glaze.

This is a useful recipe for pears that are slightly past their best. Firm pears hold their shape better, while softer pears can be used in a rustic galette-style tart.

12. Peach Melba

Peach Melba is a classic dessert made with peaches, raspberry sauce and vanilla ice cream. It was created in honour of opera singer Nellie Melba and remains a beautifully simple pudding.

It is also very easy to assemble from supermarket ingredients. Use tinned peach halves, frozen raspberries made into sauce, and a good-value tub of vanilla ice cream.

13. Pain Perdu

Pain perdu is the French name for what many people know as French toast. The phrase means lost bread, which is fitting because it is traditionally made with stale bread soaked in egg and milk, then fried until golden.

For dessert, serve pain perdu with berries, caramelised bananas, chocolate spread, cinnamon sugar or ice cream. It is one of the best money-saving desserts beginning with P because it uses bread that might otherwise be wasted.

14. Pudding

In the UK, pudding can mean dessert in general, but it also refers to specific steamed, baked or boiled sweet dishes. Examples include sponge pudding, sticky toffee pudding, jam pudding and chocolate pudding.

For a cheap family pudding, a microwave sponge pudding is hard to beat. A few basic ingredients can produce a warm dessert in minutes, especially when served with custard.

15. Plum Pudding

Plum pudding is another name often associated with Christmas pudding, although it does not always contain plums in the modern sense. Traditionally, the word plum referred to dried fruit such as raisins or currants.

It is dense, spiced and usually steamed, then served with brandy butter, cream or custard. It is a classic festive dessert beginning with P.

16. Pancakes

Pancakes are not always thought of as dessert, but they absolutely can be. Thin British-style pancakes with lemon and sugar are a favourite, while thicker American-style pancakes work well with syrup, fruit and cream.

They are affordable, quick and flexible. For a pudding-style pancake, try sliced banana and chocolate sauce, apple compote and cinnamon, or berries with yoghurt.

17. Parfait

Parfait can refer to different desserts depending on where you are. In French cooking, it is often a frozen dessert made with cream, eggs and sugar. In a more casual style, it can be a layered dessert with yoghurt, cream, fruit, granola or cake crumbs.

Layered parfaits are excellent for using up leftovers. Crumbled biscuits, broken meringues, fruit, custard and cream can all become a smart-looking dessert in a glass.

18. Praline

Praline is a sweet made with nuts and caramelised sugar. It can be served as a crunchy shard, ground into a paste, folded into cream or used to decorate cakes and desserts.

Hazelnut praline, almond praline and pecan praline are all delicious. A little goes a long way, so it is a good way to make a simple pudding look and taste more special.

19. Pound Cake

Pound cake is a simple, dense cake traditionally made with equal weights of butter, sugar, eggs and flour. It is a dependable bake and easy to flavour with lemon, vanilla, almond or chocolate chips.

Serve slices with fruit and cream for dessert, or toast leftover slices and top with jam or custard. It is also a good base for trifles and layered puddings.

20. Persimmon Pudding

Persimmon pudding is a spiced dessert made with ripe persimmon pulp. It has a soft, moist texture, somewhere between cake and steamed pudding.

Persimmons are not always the cheapest fruit in the UK, but they do appear in supermarkets during the season. Use very ripe fruit for the best flavour and texture.

21. Pistachio Ice Cream

Pistachio ice cream is a creamy frozen dessert flavoured with pistachio nuts. It has a distinctive flavour and a pale green colour, though the exact shade depends on the ingredients used.

It pairs well with chocolate cake, baklava, poached pears and coffee-based desserts. If pistachio ice cream is pricey, serve small scoops alongside a cheaper dessert rather than making it the main event.

22. Pear Crumble

Pear crumble is similar to apple crumble but softer and more delicate. Pears go especially well with ginger, cinnamon, chocolate and almonds.

This is a practical dessert for using ripe pears quickly. Add a handful of oats to the topping to make it more filling and stretch the crumble further.

23. Peach Pie

Peach pie is a pastry dessert filled with sweetened peaches. It can be made as a double-crust pie, lattice pie or open tart.

Tinned peaches make it possible all year round. Add a little cornflour to help thicken the juices, and let the pie cool slightly before slicing so the filling can settle.

24. Peppermint Bark

Peppermint bark is a sweet treat made with layers of chocolate and crushed peppermint sweets or candy canes. It is especially popular at Christmas.

It is simple to make and ideal for edible gifts. Use supermarket own-brand chocolate to keep the cost sensible, and break the finished bark into rustic pieces.

25. Panettone

Panettone is an Italian sweet bread traditionally eaten at Christmas. It is light, tall and studded with dried fruit or chocolate.

Leftover panettone is excellent in bread and butter pudding. You can also toast slices and serve them with butter, chocolate spread or mascarpone.

More Sweet Foods Beginning With P

If you need even more dessert ideas that start with P, here are extra options to add to your alphabet food list:

• Petit fours – small decorated cakes or sweets served after a meal.
• Palmiers – crisp puff pastry biscuits shaped like hearts or palm leaves.
• Popovers – light baked batter puddings, often served sweet with jam.
• Pot de crème – rich French set custard, often chocolate or vanilla.
• Peanut butter cookies – biscuits made with peanut butter and sugar.
• Pistachio cake – a nutty cake often paired with lemon, rose or white chocolate.
• Pear belle Hélène – poached pears with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream.
• Plum tart – a pastry dessert topped with sliced plums.
• Poppy seed cake – popular in parts of Europe, often flavoured with lemon.
• Prune tart – a rich dried fruit tart, sometimes made with Armagnac.
• Peanut brittle – crunchy caramelised sugar and peanuts.
• Passion fruit mousse – a light, tangy chilled dessert.

Budget Tips for Making P Desserts

Desserts do not need to be expensive. Many P puddings are easy to adapt with low-cost ingredients and store cupboard staples.

• Use tinned fruit: Pineapple, peaches and pears are affordable and reliable for cakes, cobblers and crumbles.
• Choose seasonal produce: Plums, pears and berries are usually better value when in season.
• Make crumbles: A crumble topping is cheap, quick and forgiving.
• Stretch pricier ingredients: Nuts such as pecans and pistachios can be used as toppings rather than main ingredients.
• Use leftovers: Stale bread can become pain perdu, and leftover cake can be layered into parfaits.
• Buy own-brand basics: Flour, sugar, oats, custard powder and tinned fruit are often just as useful as branded versions.

Best P Desserts for Different Occasions

Easy P Dessert Idea: Peach and Pear Crumble

If you want a simple dessert beginning with P that uses inexpensive ingredients, try a peach and pear crumble. It is not fussy, and it works with tinned fruit.

Ingredients

• 1 tin peaches, drained
• 1 tin pears, drained
• 150g plain flour
• 75g butter or baking spread
• 60g sugar
• 40g oats
• Half a teaspoon cinnamon or ginger, optional

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C fan or 200°C conventional.
2. Place the drained peaches and pears in an ovenproof dish.
3. Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
4. Stir in the sugar, oats and spice if using.
5. Scatter the crumble topping over the fruit.
6. Bake for around 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and bubbling.

Serving Suggestions

Serve warm with custard, cream, yoghurt or ice cream. Leftovers should be cooled, covered and stored in the fridge, then eaten within a couple of days. Reheat until piping hot before serving.

FAQs About Desserts That Start With P

What is a popular dessert that starts with P?

Pavlova is one of the most popular desserts that start with P. Profiteroles, panna cotta, pecan pie, pancakes and pineapple upside-down cake are also well-known choices.

What British desserts start with P?

British desserts beginning with P include parkin, plum pudding, pancakes, pear crumble, plum crumble and various steamed puddings such as jam sponge pudding.

What is a cheap dessert beginning with P?

Pancakes, pear crumble, plum crumble and pineapple upside-down cake can all be made cheaply. Tinned fruit is especially useful for keeping costs down.

What P dessert is good for a dinner party?

Panna cotta, pavlova, profiteroles and pear tart are all good dinner party desserts. They look impressive without needing overly complicated ingredients.

What fruit desserts start with P?

Fruit desserts that start with P include peach cobbler, peach pie, Peach Melba, plum crumble, plum tart, pear tart, pear crumble, pavlova with fruit and passion fruit mousse.

What chocolate desserts start with P?

Chocolate profiteroles, chocolate panna cotta, peppermint bark, pot de crème and chocolate peanut butter cookies are all sweet chocolate options beginning with P.

Can pancakes count as dessert?

Yes. Pancakes can be served as a dessert with sugar, lemon, fruit, chocolate sauce, ice cream, cream or syrup. They are also one of the easiest P desserts to make at home.