Christmas is my favorite time of the year, but as a busy mom and teacher, the holiday season gets hectic fast. These are the easy Christmas recipes we actually make: festive appetizers for holiday parties, a make-ahead Christmas morning brunch, the family sides we serve every year and fun no-bake treats the kids love to help with.
Most of them use simple ingredients from any grocery store, and a lot of them come together in 30 minutes or less or can be made ahead, so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your family.
Easy Christmas Appetizers
Holiday Pizza Wreath
Refrigerated pizza crust shaped into a ring and topped with pizza sauce, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, pesto and fresh basil. It takes just 6 ingredients and about 30 minutes, and it’s always a hit at a holiday party or a cozy family pizza night.
Get the holiday pizza wreath recipe
Candy Cane Caprese
Fresh mozzarella and tomato slices arranged in the shape of a candy cane, then finished with olive oil, shredded basil and a bowl of balsamic glaze for dipping. It’s ready in about 10 minutes and serves 8.
Get the candy cane caprese recipe
Smoked Salmon Lox Dip
Whipped cream cheese mixed with smoked salmon, red onion, cucumber, capers, horseradish, dill and Everything Bagel Seasoning. It makes about 2 cups in 10 minutes and can be made a few days ahead, so it’s perfect for a holiday party or a brunch buffet with bagels.
Get the smoked salmon lox dip recipe
Honey and Lavender Mascarpone Dip
My favorite last-minute Christmas party appetizer, with no oven and no chopping. Creamy mascarpone is drizzled with honey and sprinkled with sea salt and culinary lavender. It’s just 4 ingredients and about 5 minutes, and it’s great with snack flats, crackers or apple slices.
Get the honey and lavender mascarpone dip recipe
Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Portobello caps filled with garlicky sautéed spinach and Boursin cheese, then baked and finished with a crispy parmesan panko topping. They’re ready in about 30 minutes and make an easy holiday appetizer or a hearty vegetarian main.
Get the stuffed portobello mushrooms recipe
Christmas Morning Breakfast and Brunch
Cranberry Orange Cream Dumplings
Crescent rolls wrapped around cream cheese and fresh cranberries, then baked in a warm butter, brown sugar, orange and cinnamon sauce. Inspired by the apple dumplings I grew up with in Pennsylvania, they’re an easy Christmas morning treat or holiday dessert, especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Get the cranberry orange cream dumplings recipe
The Best Quiche
A flaky homemade crust filled with a creamy egg custard, cheese and your favorite add-ins like bacon, roasted broccoli or sautéed spinach. It serves 6 and is an easy make-ahead for Christmas morning brunch.
Christmas Side Dishes
PA Dutch Potato Filling
My grandmother’s potato and bread stuffing, a Pennsylvania Dutch staple we eat every year on the holidays. Buttery mashed potatoes are folded into toasted bread cubes with celery, onion, parsley and poultry seasoning, then baked until golden. It serves 12, so it’s great for a big family dinner.
Get the PA Dutch potato filling recipe
Pineapple Stuffing
A sweet, buttery baked side made with crushed pineapple, eggs, butter, sugar and cubed white bread, all mixed in one bowl. It came to me from my husband’s family, and the sweet pineapple is a perfect match for a salty, smoky Christmas ham.
Get the pineapple stuffing recipe
Creamy Cheesy Corn
Sweet corn simmered with butter, cream cheese, cream and a touch of smoked paprika. It takes just 5 ingredients and about 15 minutes on the stovetop, which frees up oven space on Christmas, and it’s the holiday side my kids ask for every year.
Get the creamy cheesy corn recipe
The Crispiest Brussels Sprouts
The secret is pulsing the halved sprouts in a food processor before roasting so they get extra crispy. They’re roasted with bacon and finished with a balsamic honey glaze, and the recipe serves 6 to 8.
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Creamy Cranberry and Jalapeño Pasta
A little sweet and a little heat: cranberries and jalapeños with penne, cream cheese and Monterey Jack, all made in one skillet. It’s an easy holiday-season favorite my family couldn’t get enough of, and removing the jalapeño seeds keeps the heat kid-friendly.
Get the cranberry jalapeño pasta recipe
Christmas Desserts and Treats
Snowman Donut Skewers
Powdered donuts stacked on skewers with peanut butter cup hats, red licorice scarves and pretzel arms. It’s a no-bake, 10-minute Christmas treat that my kids request every year and that’s perfect for holiday parties and school.
Get the snowman donut skewers recipe
Honey Lemon and Ginger Bars
A honey shortbread crust topped with a tangy lemon and fresh ginger curd, sweetened with honey and dusted with powdered sugar. They’re a bright addition to your Christmas cookie tray.
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Fun Christmas Food for Kids
Snowman Sandwiches
Bread circles filled with turkey or ham and cheese and decorated with a baby carrot nose, a strawberry hat and pretzel stick arms. Serve them on popcorn snow with fruit for a fun winter or Christmas school lunch in about 10 minutes.
Get the snowman sandwiches recipe
Reindeer Bagel Sandwiches
Mini bagel sandwiches turned into Rudolph with pretzel antlers, candy eyes and a cherry tomato nose, packed with Grinch fruit kabobs. Four festive lunchboxes take about 15 minutes.
Get the reindeer bagel sandwiches recipe
Tips for an Easy, Stress-Free Christmas
Make what you can ahead. The smoked salmon lox dip keeps for a few days in the fridge, and the quiche and honey lemon ginger bars can be made the day before, which means less to juggle on Christmas Day.
Spread the work across appliances. The creamy cheesy corn cooks on the stovetop and the mascarpone dip and candy cane caprese need no oven at all, which leaves the oven free for the potato filling and pizza wreath.
Let the kids help. The snowman donut skewers, snowman sandwiches and reindeer bagels are easy enough for little hands, and they’re a fun way to make memories in the kitchen.
