You know when you spot a picture of something and it immediately pulls you in? That was exactly the case when we first laid eyes on this stunning new Christmas dessert launching in Waitrose later in the year.
At first glance, all we could see was what looked like a giant Cadbury Dairy Milk bar. Or perhaps a supersized Yorkie. Either way, those satisfyingly chunky blocks of chocolate on the top instantly brought out the inner child in us, and we needed to know what was hiding underneath.
Waitrose has magically transformed the nostalgic choc block shape into one of the most indulgent festive desserts we've seen for Christmas 2026 so far: the new No.1 Belgian Chocolate, Caramel & Hazelnut Bar.
Beneath the thick Belgian chocolate blocks is layer upon layer of rich chocolate semifreddo (a type of semi frozen ice cream), studded with crunchy hazelnuts and ribbons of luscious salted caramel - YUM. It looks wonderfully indulgent, dramatic and exactly the sort of pudding we'd happily clear space for after Christmas lunch.
It feels like one of those desserts that lands on the table and immediately gets everyone reaching for their phones before they've even picked up a spoon. The thick chocolate topping looks like it will have that deeply satisfying snap you get in good quality chocolate, before giving way to the creamy semifreddo underneath. Add buttery salted caramel and roasted hazelnuts into the mix, and it sounds like the best frozen dessert of the year. I could really go for this right now too!
It's also the second Waitrose Christmas launch that's really caught our attention this week. First was the brands Aperol Spritz-inspired Orange Spritz Panettone, bringing one of our favourite summer cocktails to the festive table. Now, this giant chocolate bar dessert is proving that the supermarket is putting a playful twist on Christmas classics once again. If these launches are anything to go by, Christmas 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting festive food line-ups we've seen in years.
The No.1 Belgian Chocolate, Caramel & Hazelnut Bar costs £10 for 479g and arrives in Waitrose stores from 5 October. Roll on the festive season!
Mel is the Senior Food & Drink Writer for Good Housekeeping UK, covering all the delicious new product launches that come her way, writing about food and drink topics, and curating gift guides for the best foodie products to buy. Alongside that, she can be found developing and creating cocktails for GH and holds her WSET Level 2 in Wine and Spirits. She was part of the Good Housekeeping Institute food testing team for over four years before moving over to the digital side, so knows a thing or two about great food products. You'll find her scouring the supermarket shelves in her spare time for new and exciting ingredients to experiment with in her kitchen.
