18 Traditional German Christmas Foods To Try in 2025
As the holiday season draws near, many families with Deutschland heritage look forward to tucking into scrumptious German Christmas food while creating cherished memories. From savory dishes like beef rouladen to sweet treats like nutty almond stollen, German holiday foods at Christmas are brimming with rich flavors, ingredients and pairings to be enjoyed by all.
This article will be your trusty guide to all things German Christmas food, showcasing dishes that not only celebrate the season but also honor cultural significance. Get ready to discover delicious recipes and festive traditions that make German Christmas celebrations so special.
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How Do Germans Celebrate Christmas?
In Germany, as in many other cultures, Christmas traditions are an important part of the festivities. Germans celebrate the season with a strong emphasis on family gatherings, German Christmas food, festive decorations and cherished customs that have been passed down through generations.
One of the many fun Christmas activities in Germany (and in many other parts of the world) is the use of advent calendars. This beloved tradition dates back to 19th-century Germany, where families, especially little ones, would eagerly count down the days until Christmas Eve by burning candles or leaving chalk marks on walls or doors. The tradition now involves calendars that are opened daily to reveal miniature chocolates and sometimes gifts.
Christmas markets, or weihnachtsmärkte, are another customary German tradition. These magical markets transform city centers into festive wonderlands, complete with twinkling fairy lights, elaborate decorations and a palpably joyous festive atmosphere. Families flock to these whimsical celebrations to enjoy tasty seasonal treats, browse handcrafted goods and soak up the festivities.
When it comes to German Christmas food traditions, Christmas Eve (Heiligabend) is typically a time for families to gather and tuck into a light meal, in keeping with religious customs. In contrast, Christmas Day brings a more elaborate feast, often featuring succulent roast goose, beef or duck, with a large selection of sides such as dumplings. Desserts like lebkuchen and an assortment of German Christmas cookies make a sweet end to the festivities.
18 German Christmas Foods To Try
1. Roast Goose
Germans are known for skipping turkey in favor of goose for their Christmas feasts. With its crispy skin and rich, juicy flavor, roast goose is a beloved traditional German Christmas food. Typically stuffed with apples, onions and fragrant herbs, the goose is roasted until golden brown and succulent.
This delightful German Christmas food is a cherished centerpiece of the holiday feast, celebrated for its tender texture and more robust flavor in comparison to turkey.
2. Red Cabbage (Rotkohl)
Offering a delicious balance of sweet and tangy flavors, red cabbage (rotkohl) is a tasty German Christmas food typically served as a side dish on the big day. This vibrant recipe is prepared by braising chopped cabbage in wine with apples, vinegar, onions and various warm spices. It can be served as is, or for a softer texture consider sautéeing until the cabbage reaches your desired tenderness.
In southern Germany, other variations of red cabbage are cooked with bacon and other fats for a richer flavor. This versatile German Christmas food pairs exceptionally well with hearty dishes like roast meats and potatoes, making it a must-have on the Christmas table.
3. Spaetzle (German Dumplings)
Few German holiday tables are without a generous serving of spaetzle. This beloved German Christmas food consists of small egg dumplings made from flour, eggs, salt and water. After being boiled in water or an earthy broth, the dumplings are pan-fried in butter to achieve a delightful crispy texture. You can play around with the recipe of this German Christmas food to include cheese and onions and produce a variation known as käsespätzle.
4. Brown Butter-Cardamom Spitzbuben
Taking a sweet detour on this list of German Christmas foods, we present to you brown butter-cardamom spitzbuben. This delightful treat is a cookie made from flour, brown butter, powdered sugar, egg yolks and a hint of cardamom. The combination is baked until deliciously golden. It’s a simple and tasty German Christmas food that's guaranteed to make an impression at your holiday party, resulting in everyone asking for the recipe.
5. Sausage Lentil Soup (Linsensuppe)
Hearty, nourishing and comforting, sausage lentil soup makes a fine addition to a Christmas feast, especially during the cold days of winter. This German Christmas food is typically made with lentils, German sausage slices, tomatoes, onions, potatoes and seasoning, all simmered in a rich broth. It’s often served with a slice of crunchy bread.
Some variations of this German Christmas food include the addition of goat cheese, which adds an irresistibly tangy note that complements the sausage beautifully. You won’t be able to resist going back for seconds.
6. German Apple Tart
Rustic, golden and baked to perfection, apple tart is a crowd favorite on Christmas Day in most German households. This delectable German Christmas food features a buttery crust with a filling of fresh apples, warmly spiced with cinnamon and sweetened with sugar and melted butter. In order words, pure perfection. Sprinkle some powdered sugar on this German Christmas food and serve it with vanilla ice cream for a comforting end to a glorious day.
7. Lebkuchen
Switch things up from your usual Christmas cookies with lebkuchen — a chewy, dense gingerbread cookie that’s a great addition to any holiday menu. This traditional German Christmas food is crafted with ginger, honey, molasses, buttermilk, brown sugar, anise extract, candied citrus peel and warm spices like cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.
Once baked, it's finished off with a sweet glaze. With its soft, chewy texture, lebkuchen is best described as "heavenly" and if you aren't a fan of the greatly debated spice, this German Christmas food can also be made without ginger.
8. Potato Dumplings
Otherwise known as kartoffelklöße, this classic German holiday food for Christmas is far from your average dumpling. Made from starchy potatoes, these golden treats are prepared by mashing potatoes and mixing them with flour, eggs, breadcrumbs and seasonings. They’re then shaped into dough balls (sometimes filled with ham or sauerkraut) and gently cooked in lightly salted boiling water.
Kartoffelklöße is the perfect accompaniment for other German Christmas foods. Pair it with a hearty Christmas goose or beef rouladen, and for additional flavor, try dipping your dumplings in a tantalizing sauce made with butter and caramelized onions.
9. Mulled Wine
What’s a German Christmas dinner without a cozy glass of mulled wine, or glühwein, as it’s traditionally known? The perfect accompaniment to German Christmas food, this comforting drink is made by gently heating red wine with a spice blend of cinnamon, cloves and star anise, creating a comforting and aromatic beverage. Mulled wine is often garnished with orange slices and sweetened with sugar, adding a hint of citrusy goodness to each sip.
10. Almond Stollen
Taking another delightful detour to the realm of desserts, almond stollen is a German Christmas food that deserves a place on the holiday table. This festive fruit bread, with its colorful candied fruits and nutty almond filling, is as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the taste buds, adding a splash of color and flair to any holiday table.
This wonderful dessert can be customized to your liking. Opt for a dusting of powdered sugar instead of icing, add a burst of citrus with a hint of orange zest or take it old-school with marzipan filling.
11. Sauerkraut Casserole
If you’re looking for a hearty German holiday food for Christmas dinner, why not make a sauerkraut casserole? This savory German Christmas food combines layers of tangy sauerkraut, sausage, potatoes, apples and onions, baked until tender.
Taking comfort food to a whole new level, this dish is perfect for a cold winter day, and even better for festive gatherings. For a touch of extra sweetness to balance out the tanginess, try substituting apples for pears.
12. Pretzel Dumplings (Brezelknödel)
For a creative way to use leftover bread, add pretzel dumplings to your holiday menu. To make this unique German delicacy, soak stale pretzels in milk, combine them with sautéed onions, eggs and herbs, then simmer until cooked thoroughly. Soak them in a delicious mushroom cream sauce, and enjoy!
13. Springerle Cookies
An iconic German Christmas food passed down through generations, these anise-flavored treats feature distinct embossed designs created with wooden molds. These eye-catching cookies are a perfect addition to your Christmas party and can even double as decorative ornaments.
Best of all, springerle cookies are incredibly simple to make. Using just eggs, sugar, flour and the key ingredient — crushed anise seeds — the dough is stamped with a mold and baked to golden brown perfection.
14. Beef Rouladen
Beef rouladen, another flavorful German Xmas dish traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve, is a meat lover's dream. Savory slices of beef are filled, rolled and braised in a rich gravy made with mustard, bacon, onions and pickles. The result is a German Christmas food that is irresistibly tender, comforting and satisfying. Be sure to pair it with a side of red cabbage or potato dumplings for the ultimate festive feast.
15. German Potato Salad
If you're a meat lover who also likes spuds, you'll enjoy this potato salad with bacon. This German Christmas food is a staple during the festive season, loved for its versatility and ability to pair beautifully with sausages or roasted meats.
This German Xmas dish is known for its tangy flavor profile, thanks to a vinegar-based dressing that sets it apart from your typical American potato salad. Keep it traditional or spice things up by swapping bacon for pancetta, and use a brown butter dressing for a more indulgent touch.
16. Hausfreunde
The process of crafting hausfreunde is what you might consider a labor of love, but these chocolate ganache-topped German Christmas cookies will make your cookie platter pop. In other words, they're worth the effort!
These irresistible sandwich cookies are crafted using a food processor, cookie cutters and a meticulous assembly process. This German Christmas food perfectly embodies the holiday baking spirit, with the comforting aroma of freshly baked treats filling the house.
17. German Potato Pancakes
Indulging in German potato pancakes for Christmas dinner might seem strange, but hear us out. More than just a delicious Christmas breakfast idea, this rustic German Christmas food makes a tasty side dish for your main holiday feast. It's also quick and easy to make with just a handful of ingredients: grated potatoes, eggs, onions, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
This mixture is combined and then deep-fried in oil until golden and crispy. Add a sprinkle of color with chives and green onions or sweeten things up by substituting regular spuds for sweet potatoes.
18. Fruit Kuchen
If you were hoping we'd end this list on a sweet and fruity note, you're in luck. Combining the best of both worlds, this German Christmas food is a wonderful fusion of pie and cake, making it the perfect indulgent treat to wrap up your Christmas dinner.
Made with a yeast-based crust baked to golden perfection, this dessert is filled with fruits nestled inside a moist, heavenly layer of custard. Kuchen goes down a treat at any festive gathering, especially at Christmas when family and friends come together to celebrate.
Learn To Cook German Food
If you’ve been dreaming of exploring the tantalizing recipes, flavors and aromas of German cuisine, then cooking classes near you are a fantastic place to start. You’ll become a pro at crafting authentic dishes from any region in the country, including a wide variety of German Christmas foods, and who knows? They may just become staple dishes at festive gatherings for generations to come!
If you can’t make it to a class near you, no problem. Consider online cooking classes for added convenience and begin your hands-on Germanic culinary journey from anywhere in the world. Whether you attend in-person or online, you'll be guided by a renowned professional chef, learning expert tips and tricks to elevate your home cooking game to new gourmet heights.
You’ll never be stuck deciding what to prepare for the celebratory day thanks to this round-up of German Christmas food. From meaty mains to spiced drinks and sugar cookies with an anise twist, these recipes offer a wonderful opportunity to explore and get familiar with German cuisine and the country's cherished festive traditions.
Whether you’re hosting a cozy family dinner, embracing the holiday spirit with friends or simply craving something comforting now that the temperatures are dropping, preparing German holiday foods at Christmas will bring warmth and joy straight to your table, adding a cultural and festive touch to your celebrations that everybody is sure to adore.
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