Whether you’re craving figgy pudding or have visions of sugarplums dancing in your head, we have cheery holiday recipes that are guaranteed to have you rockin’ around the Christmas tree this year. So get yourself in the spirit and try one (or all!) of these 10 recipes inspired by some of our favorite holiday songs and tales.
Cacio e Pepe Popcorn
It doesn’t usually snow here in Texas, but we’ve brought some corn for popping! This popcorn is as light as snow and combines two of our favorite things: cheese and pepper. It’s a super-simple snack you’re going to want every week—so we say, let it snow!
Peppermint Cream Candy Canes
“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere you go … with candy canes and silver lanes that glow.” These candy canes from Sainsbury’s Magazine really bring the Christmas joy! They’re gluten- and dairy-free, which makes them the perfect treat for everyone. Instead of buying store-bought, this fun kitchen craft is well worth the extra effort and memories made!
Fruit Cake
We need a little Christmas, and no Christmas is complete without the obligatory fruitcake—but this is one everyone will actually want to eat! A Beautiful Plate shows how this holiday classic is made super moist with soaked unsweetened fruit and cooled with cheesecloth soaked in sherry or triple sec. To make it kid-friendly, you could swap in apple juice!
Eggnog
Maybe Grandma can’t handle her eggnog, but you can still enjoy it! With a history as rich as the drink itself, eggnog is a holiday staple and Liquor.com has a delightful spiked recipe. It’s surprisingly easy to make with eggs, sugar, milk, cream, and your choice of spirit.
Warm Sticky Figgy Pudding
Please bring us some figgy pudding—preferably this one from Food Network! It’s just as tender and moist as it looks. Made with whole figs and dried dates, this cake is then topped with pillowy whipped cream or ice cream.
Sugarplum Candy
“Twas the night before Christmas,” and we all had visions of sugarplums dancing through our heads. Bring this classic Christmas tale to life with these holiday sweets from The Spruce Eats. Plus, they’re healthyish, too! Made with dates, cranberries, and walnuts, these little crystalized balls are a great treat to make instead of cookies!
Hot Wassail
Wassailing is a longtime tradition in England. Old sailors and townsfolk would sing around neighborhoods and drink wassail at one another’s homes. The word “wassail” comes from the Anglo-Saxon phrase waes hael, which means “good health.” Originally made with mulled ale, curdled cream, roasted apples, eggs, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and sugar, Tastes Better from Scratch‘s recipe is nonalcoholic, so the kiddos can enjoy it—but it’s an easy drink to spike with vodka, bourbon, rum, or any liquor of your choice, if you wish!
Herb-Stuffed Roasted Hens
Since three French hens may be hard to come by, how about Cornish hens to make your 12 days of Christmas complete? We love this recipe by Taste of Home that calls for packing the birds with an herbaceous stuffing and brushing them with lemony garlic butter.
Buttery Roasted Chestnuts
These peel-and-eat chestnuts roasting by an open fire are truly addictive. Recipe creator Dan Roman says be sure to score the nuts deeply so that the peels will open as they roast. Nat King Cole would be proud!
Pumpkin Pie
When it’s the holidays, there are two things you can count on: caroling and pumpkin pie. The famous lyrics reminds us, “Later we’ll have some pumpkin pie and we’ll do some caroling!” Make this year’s pie extra special by whipping it up from scratch, starting with a buttery crust from Food & Wine.
Albert Friday says
Hi Janji,
Made the Warm Sticky Figgy Pudding recipe. It tasted GREAT!
Just some comments:
– It calls for 4 one cup ramekin bowls. You need 8 minimum.
– The sauce needs to be halved. It is way to much.
Many Thanks! Will keep this recipe for many years as a tradition.