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Every year I’m asked for my favourite Christmas recipes, so I have curated a collection of them here, including festive bakes, simple holiday dishes, and inspiration for relaxed, fun celebrations. Whether you’re baking ahead, planning a menu or party, or just looking for a little seasonal treat, I hope this guide helps make your Christmas both easy and joyful!
Simply click the links to go straight to whatever you need to help make your Christmas merry and bright. I have just updated this post for December 2025, and I will continue to add new content regularly, so be sure to bookmark this post or pin it using the link below to make it easy to stay up to date.
Christmas Recipes
Of course, some of these recipes aren’t just for Christmas, although some of them naturally lend themselves to this special celebration. There’s absolutely no reason you can’t make them all year round, as I do. Christmas cake is lovely made just as a plain fruit cake and there are very few occasions when my Chocolate and Blueberry Pudding Cake is not a welcome end to a celebratory meal. We always think of my Carrot Macadamia and Cranberry Muffins as Christmas morning muffins, but they feature on my breakfast table throughout the year.
I hope you will enjoy this collection of easy holiday recipes both during the festive season and at any other time you fancy making them!
Christmas Recipes – Breakfast Ideas
Breakfast is often neglected on Christmas Day in favour of the feast to come, but I think it’s lovely to start off the day with something a little bit special.
Carrot Macadamia and Cranberry Muffins
Cranberry Orange Baked Oatmeal
Christmas Appetisers
Whether you are serving appetisers before a meal or simple nibbles at a drinks or cocktail party, they are a wonderful way to welcome guests to your home. This selection brings together easy festive bites and elegant little starters to make entertaining easy.
Quick and Easy Crab and Shrimp Melts
Shrimp and Crab Appetiser Salad Recipe
Bacon and Cream Cheese Appetizer
For more ideas and tips for relaxed entertaining, check out my Holiday Appetisers post!
Christmas Recipes – Side Dishes
Sometimes I enjoy the side dishes even more than the main dish!
Christmas Recipes – Christmas Cookies
All of these cookies have appeared on my Christmas dessert trays over the years – but you will definitely find many of them in the cookie jar at other times of year as well.
Christmas Recipes – Christmas Traybakes, Bar Cookies and Squares
One of the things I loved most about our family Christmases in Canada were the dessert trays, full of cookies and “squares”. Here are some of my favourite Christmas recipes – including some that have been in my family for years.
Raspberry Snow Bars (pictured above)
Old Fashioned Lemon and Walnut Squares
Coconut Date and Cherry Christmas Squares Recipe – Naturally Gluten Free
Aunt Dorothy’s Butterscotch Squares
Raspberry Bakewell Tart Squares
Lemon and Blueberry Bakewell Tart Squares
Christmas Cakes
Traditional Christmas Cakes are easier to make than you might think, but if you aren’t a fan of fruit cake, I have plenty of alternative Christmas recipes to offer!
Old Fashioned British Christmas Cake
Gluten Free Old Fashioned Christmas Cake
Cranberry Orange and Ginger Loaf Cake
Chocolate and Cranberry Quick Bread with Cinnamon Glaze
Christmas Puddings
These delicious desserts are a wonderful way to round out your Christmas feast. Be sure to leave some room!
Old Fashioned Christmas Pudding
Chocolate and Blueberry Pudding Cake
Mincemeat Recipe
My late mom developed this recipe back in the early nineties, using my grandmother’s recipe as inspiration. Mom needed a lighter, lower fat alternative to traditional mincemeat, and this recipe has been part of our December baking ever since. It’s wonderful in mince pies and tarts, and it also shines in some of the treats we love to bake at this time of year — including Brandy and Mincemeat Cake and Mincemeat and Oat Squares.
My Mom’s No-Suet Mincemeat Recipe
More Christmas Recipes and Ideas
There’s lots of traditions around the Christmas treats my family enjoy. Click through to find out more!
Avril’s Chocolate Chip and Pecan Meringues
Love Your Leftovers
Leftovers are such an important part of the days following Christmas in our house. I often buy more than I need just to make sure there are leftovers to enjoy.
Delicious Christmas Leftovers Recipes
Christmas Recipes – Christmas Cookbooks
I love trying new recipes in the run up to Christmas. My Favourite Christmas Cookbooks offer even more wonderful recipes for you to try.
Help and Advice for Happy Holidays
Holiday Entertaining Without Stress
Holiday Shopping Tips and Gift Ideas
I hope this collection of Christmas recipes and festive ideas brings a little extra ease and joy to your holiday season. Whether you are planning a cosy celebration, hosting a house full of family and friends, or taking something along to a potluck party, these dishes and inspirations are here to help you create delicious, heart-warming memories. Wishing you a Christmas that is everything you hope it will be!
April, this is such a wonderful collection. Thank you so much for compiling all this for us! When I have more time, I plan to do lots of perusing! Smiles, Linda at Paper Seedlings
Thank you so much, Linda!
So many wonderful recipes! I cannot wait to peruse them all.
Great ideas April. Thanks for putting together this list. It’s going to come in handy.
I’m so glad you found it helpful, Paula. Thank you!
This is a wonderful compilation of your Christmas recipes, April! Thanks so much! Enjoy the holiday season!
Thank you, Pat! I hope you have a lovely holiday season too.
This is a wonderful resource for the season ahead! Thanks for inspiring me, April! Happy Friday!
Thank you so much, Laura! I’m so glad this article has inspired you. I love planning for Christmas!
All wonderful links to many delicious holiday treats to explore and make, April! Thank you!
I miss your Heath and Soul link party. I saw your last was in October–will they return in the new year?
Hi Pat,
Thank you so much! I’m glad you like them.
I replied to your comment about Hearth and Soul the other day, I’m sorry that you didn’t see it. Here’s the reply again, and I’ll email you directly just in case as well. I hope that’s okay.
I’m so sorry you miss the party. I’m very sad about it, but I had to stop hosting Hearth and Soul in September of this year. Here’s a link to the last edition. https://apriljharris.com/final-edition-hearth-and-soul-link-party/
There were two reasons for this – Google no longer favours link parties and I was being penalised in terms of SEO, plus the time it was taking to prepare the party as well as visiting, sharing and commenting on links was impacting the time I had to create new content. After 15 years, I just had to take the hard decision to stop hosting.
The Hearth and Soul Community is still going on Facebook – I have checked and you are a member of the group 🙂 You can find it here https://www.facebook.com/groups/hearthandsoulcommunity
You are welcome to share links to blog posts, social media posts, anything you’d like support on – and also to interact with the group. I think they would love to hear about your book club and the selections you all read just as a start!
Happy December, and best wishes from across the pond x