Christmas recipes and ideas

Looking forward to the jolliest season of the year? Make this Christmas a truly delicious one with our festive recipes and Christmas dinner ideas. We’ll help you take some stress out of the big day with make-ahead starters and desserts, plus a pick-your-own Christmas menu that can be made almost entirely in advance. From the classic Christmas dinner to trifles, mince pies, party food ideas and Christmas cocktails, we’ve got you covered. We’ve also rounded up our best-ever Christmas baking recipes, as well as a new guide to cooking a zero-waste Christmas dinner and expert tips on how to make perfect roast potatoes to how to assemble a cheeseboard. Finally, come back for all the Boxing Day recipes you need, too…

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Cranberry pavlova with sorbet

Guides

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Six unbeatable Christmas menus

Showstopper

Christmas baking recipes

Cheese, cranberry and thyme fondue star

Festive tips

Features

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How to give your Christmas ham a glow-up

In the kitchen

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How to make a spiced snowflake Christmas cake

Get ahead Christmas recipes

Planning your menu for 25 December is never a chore if you’re a food lover – we could spend hours poring over Christmas meal ideas. The good news is we can help you take the stress out of the Christmas Day cooking with our make-ahead Christmas recipes. Choose a spectacular dessert or special starter to get under your belt, spend a festive weekend making a Christmas pudding from scratch or create your own homemade gifts and condiments. Who wouldn’t want to find homemade chocolate coins in their stocking?

Make-ahead Christmas dessert recipes

No one wants to be stuck in the kitchen making pudding after a massive Christmas lunch – use one of...

109 Recipes

Make-ahead Christmas starters

Need a festive head-start? Don't we all. Here's our round-up of the best make-ahead Christmas starters - from classic salmon...

62 Recipes

Make-ahead Christmas sides

Don't spend Christmas Day in the kitchen, use these recipes for make-ahead sides and keep festive stress to a minimum....

61 Recipes

Make-ahead Christmas dinner recipes

Whether you call it Christmas dinner or lunch - your Christmas main meal planning just got easier. Browse our collection...

60 Recipes

Close up image of stuffing balls on a serving platter

Make-ahead stuffing recipes

Jump-start your Christmas cooking or Sunday roast with some make-ahead stuffing. All of these recipes can be made-ahead, either in...

14 Recipes

Make-ahead Christmas recipes

Get ready for the festivities with our make-ahead Christmas recipes - and see our menu ideas at the bottom of...

82 Recipes

Christmas pudding recipes

From the classics to the inventive, we've got Christmas pudding recipes guaranteed to please all your holiday guests. And you...

26 Recipes

Christmas gift recipes

Who doesn't love an edible homemade Christmas gift? Find all the inspiration you need here – sweet and savoury. We've...

102 Recipes

Get ahead for Christmas

Festive bakes full of sparkle

Create a winter wonderland of snowy flour and sugar in your kitchen with our Christmas baking recipes. Take on a classic Christmas cake or try a twist on traditional mince pies – we recommend our new clementine and sloe gin numbers. Gingerbread fills the house with the scent of Christmas spice and is great fun for children to decorate. Why not make a gingerbread Christmas tree this year?

Christmas baking recipes

Warming spices, boozy sponges and plenty of sweet, dried fruit - plus some savoury baking ideas too, like our to-die-for...

163 Recipes

Christmas biscuits

There's nothing more festive than the aroma of Christmas baking wafting through your home. We can guarantee a full-on delight...

27 Recipes

Cupcakes with a reindeer decoration shown on a festive table

Christmas cupcakes and small bakes

Love the idea of small festive bakes instead of one large cake? These decorated cupcakes and small bakes would be...

11 Recipes

Mince pie recipes

There's nothing quite like a homemade mince pie. We've got plenty of recipes to pick from including gluten-free mince pies,...

43 Recipes

Gingerbread ideas for Christmas

Fancy learning how to make a gingerbread house? Or DIY gingerbread biscuits? They're a must-make at Christmas... Discover the very...

15 Recipes

Bundt cake recipes

These stunning Bundt cakes will steal the show at any party. We've got... banana and caramel, lemon drizzle and a...

18 Recipes

Christmas cake recipes

How early should you make your Christmas cake? It's a good question, and many of us love to celebrate each...

28 Recipes

Festive biscuits, cakes, cookies & more

Vegetarian Christmas of dreams

It’s not all about the turkey! There’s no need for non-meat-eaters to miss out on the indulgences of the festive season with our vegetarian Christmas dinner ideas, including mains, sides and canapés. Serve these special individual goat’s cheese, squash and mushroom pithiviers or feed a crowd with our plant-based wellington stuffed with parsnips and porcini mushrooms. We’ve even got vegetarian sausage rolls for your Boxing Day buffet. Too much choice? Browse our ready-made vegetarian menu or vegan menu for Christmas.

Vegetarian Christmas canapé recipes

Serve up these vegetarian Christmas canapé recipes to your meat-free guests. Find fritters, easy cheese straws, arancini balls and (our...

36 Recipes

Vegetarian Christmas dinner recipes

Make the most of the season's fabulous winter ingredients such as squash, chestnuts, Jerusalem artichokes and parsnips to create these...

63 Recipes

Vegan Christmas recipes

For vegan Christmas recipes, you're in the right place. Find a stunning caramelised onion tart for a vegan main, winter...

54 Recipes

Vegetarian Christmas starter recipes

Christmas dinner for vegetarians will be wonderful with one of these vegetarian starter recipes, including cauliflower cheese croquettes and three-onion...

49 Recipes

Vegetarian Christmas recipes

Enjoy one of our vegetarian Christmas recipes, including canapés, starters, mains and sides. They're meat-free AND marvellous. There's centrepieces including...

85 Recipes

50+ vegetarian Christmas ideas