Christmas Recipes from Around the World
6 RECIPES · 5 COUNTRY INSPIRATIONS
A Christmas table with international inspiration
Choose from six Christmas recipes inspired by Finland, Sweden, Italy, Germany and France. This collection spans a warm breakfast, two lunch ideas, a ham centerpiece and two very different desserts—with timing and serving details to help you plan.
These are our recipe adaptations and festive menu suggestions—not a claim that every dish is a traditional national holiday food. Choose the dishes that suit your gathering; you do not need to make them all.
Breakfast & brunch
Choose a relaxed start to the day. Compare the full time needed, including any resting, cooling or batch cooking.
Finland
Cinnamon Rice Porridge
A gently simmered rice porridge with milk, cinnamon and vanilla makes a cozy Christmas breakfast. Finish with a little brown sugar and serve warm.
Before you choose: Use gentle heat and stir along the base of the pan. The porridge thickens as it rests.
Lunch ideas
A smaller gathering or a break between celebrations starts here. Check what is included in each serving before planning extras.
Sweden
Beet & Apple Salad
Sweet cooked beets and crisp apple meet a creamy mustard dressing in this Swedish-inspired Christmas lunch, served with rye bread and a scattering of dill.
Before you choose: Start with cooked beets. The recipe includes rye bread and thirty minutes of chilling.
France
Mushroom Chestnut Galette
A rustic mushroom and chestnut galette brings savory flavor to Christmas lunch. Golden pastry, thyme and Gruyere frame a rich, well-browned filling.
Before you choose: Allow for pastry chilling and filling cooling. The mushrooms should lose their excess liquid before assembly.
Dinner to gather around
Plan around your main dish first. Check equipment, timing and any sides you need to prepare separately.
Finland
Mustard-Glazed Christmas Ham
A fully cooked ham gets a tangy mustard, honey and breadcrumb finish for a Finnish-inspired Christmas dinner. Gentle covered reheating keeps the slices moist.
Before you choose: This recipe starts with fully cooked ham. Follow the package directions as well as the recipe’s reheating checks.
A sweet finish
Choose a sweet finish that fits your group. Cooling and chilling can take longer than the hands-on preparation.
Italy
Almond & Orange Panforte
A dense, chewy Christmas panforte with toasted almonds, candied orange, honey and warm spices. Slice thinly for an Italian-inspired holiday dessert platter.
Before you choose: A candy thermometer is used for the syrup. Leave time for the cake to cool before cutting sixteen thin wedges.
Germany
Almond Baked Apples
Whole apples bake with almonds, raisins and cinnamon in this German-inspired Christmas dessert. Spoon over the warm apple juices and serve simply.
Before you choose: Keep the bottom of each apple intact when coring so the filling stays inside. The centers remain hot after baking.
Build your Christmas menu
For Christmas morning: the rice porridge serves four. It needs gentle heat and regular stirring, so choose it when someone can keep an eye on the saucepan.
For lunch: the beet and apple salad includes rye bread and a short chill. The mushroom and chestnut galette serves six and needs pastry resting and oven time. Choose according to your schedule.
For dinner: the ham recipe starts with fully cooked ham, not raw pork. It serves ten, with additional sides planned separately. Read the package directions and the complete reheating method before starting.
For dessert: baked apples serve four and are served warm. Panforte makes sixteen thin wedges and needs cooling; it also requires a candy thermometer for the hot syrup.
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Check before cooking: read the complete recipe, ingredient labels and allergy, storage and safety notes. Listed times and servings are estimates, not guarantees.
About this collection
These recipes have not been verified through kitchen testing. Nutrition figures are approximate, not laboratory analysis. Images are illustrative and should not be treated as proof of a tested result. Each full recipe retains its detailed notes.
Looking for more ideas? Browse the full Christmas recipe archive or return to the seasonal showcase.
The photographs below illustrate similar dishes, not test-cooked results of these recipes. Images are resized and cropped for the cards; the linked licenses apply to the respective photographs. Other recipe images in this collection are generated illustrations.