Healthy Recipes Holidays & Occasions Healthy Christmas Holiday Recipes 30 Christmas Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever By Dillon Evans Dillon Evans Dillon Evans fell in love with cooking at a very young age. He remembers the novel experiences of microwaving a bowl of oatmeal without his parents' permission and asking to make his mother's morning pot of coffee. These moments became catalysts for his interest in cooking and baking. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on December 6, 2023 Close ‘Tis the season to celebrate joy, togetherness and delicious food in this collection of recipes perfect for Christmas. From the highly-popular roasted turkey that never goes wrong to our essential appetizers, sides, drinks and desserts, we have everything you need for a successful day of festivities. Plus, these dishes have earned four- and five-star ratings from EatingWell readers, so we’re sure you and your loved ones are going to enjoy them, too. Recipes like our Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Goat Cheese & Pomegranate and Puff-Pastry Apple Turnovers with Brown Butter will be the talk of the town this Christmas. 01 of 30 EatingWell Crudité Vegetable Wreath with Ranch Dip Take your veggies and dip to the next level with this colorful crudité wreath. This vegetable appetizer is a stunner with white cauliflower, red tomatoes and green broccoli, green beans, snap peas, kale and Brussels sprouts. It's also a delicious way to start your celebration with veggies (which there are rarely enough of at parties and holidays). The homemade ranch dip, which uses nonfat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, takes just a few minutes to make, or you can use a healthy store-bought dip. View Recipe 02 of 30 Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Goat Cheese & Pomegranate Brie Passano This gorgeous warm salad with nutty roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet-tart pomegranate seeds and creamy goat cheese is perfect for any winter meal—from a weeknight dinner to Christmas dinner or any other holiday celebration. The recipe is easily doubled if you are entertaining a crowd: just be sure to spread the sprouts out (use 2 pans if necessary) so they roast instead of steaming. View Recipe 03 of 30 Herb-Roasted Turkey This easy method produces all the good looks and moist flavor you dream of in an oven-roasted turkey. Make sure you show this beauty off at the table before you carve it. Garnish your serving platter with fresh herb sprigs and citrus wedges for a showstopping Thanksgiving turkey. View Recipe 04 of 30 Peppermint-Chocolate Greek Yogurt Bark This eye-catching frozen peppermint-chocolate bark was inspired by Williams Sonoma's Original Peppermint Bark--our loose interpretation of the treat is frozen and made with Greek yogurt, chocolate and crushed candy canes. For the creamiest bark, be sure to use full-fat yogurt, as fat-free yogurt can get icy when frozen. Serve this healthy dessert when you want all those festive holiday flavors in a lightened-up--and totally delicious--package. Just don't stuff your Christmas stockings with this bark because it melts quickly. View Recipe 05 of 30 Cranberry-Orange Punch This gorgeous fruity punch is perfect for any party—serve it on its own for a fun mocktail that will please kids and adults alike. View Recipe 06 of 30 Caramelized Onion & Apple Stuffing Caramelized onions are a sweet and savory addition to this healthy stuffing recipe. Choose an apple that becomes tender yet holds its shape when cooked—try Jonagold or Cortland. View Recipe 07 of 30 Crispy Roast Chicken Classic and delicious, this roast chicken recipe will shine on the table fresh from the oven, served with any side. And this oven-roasted chicken is basic enough to play well in any recipe that calls for cooked chicken. View Recipe 08 of 30 Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Burrata This beautiful butternut squash salad with creamy burrata cheese and peppery arugula is perfect for fall entertaining. For the best flavor and texture, remove the burrata from the refrigerator about an hour before use and assemble the salad while the squash is still warm from roasting so the cheese will melt slightly. Feel free to use precut butternut squash to make this recipe easier. If you can find pomegranates, the arils add a bright pop of color and flavor to this healthy salad, but it's just as good—and almost as impressive-looking—without them. View Recipe 09 of 30 Puff-Pastry Apple Turnovers with Brown Butter Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster The filling of these flaky apple turnovers is made with browned butter, giving it a nutty flavor. Granny Smith apples offer a nice balance of sweet and tart, plus they hold their shape when cooked for a pleasant texture. If you want your turnovers sweeter without increasing the sugar, swap them out for a sweeter apple like Gala or Honeycrisp. View Recipe 10 of 30 Rosemary-Ginger French 75 Rosemary and ginger add a flavorful twist to a classic citrusy gin cocktail topped with a little bubbly for a festive libation. View Recipe 11 of 30 Cranberry-Brie Bites with Puff Pastry Sara Haas Festive for any holiday gathering, yet simple enough for a weeknight dinner party, these cranberry-Brie bites are the perfect appetizer. Made with just three ingredients, these bites come together quickly and present beautifully. View Recipe 12 of 30 Carrot Casserole Is an Easy Side Dish for Any Occasion Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless Carrot casserole is a great holiday side dish that’s both creamy and savory with just a touch of sweetness from the carrots. Coriander and dry mustard add lovely background flavors to the cream sauce. Microwaving the carrots gives them a jump-start in the cooking process and ensures that they’re cooked through. The carrots should all be sliced thinly so they cook evenly. If you have one, a mandoline can make quick work of the slicing, but a good sharp knife will also do the trick. View Recipe 13 of 30 Garlic-Rosemary Roast Beef with Horseradish Sauce The eye of round is a lean, boneless cut of beef that's less expensive than a tenderloin or rib roast but just as delicious. It's best served medium-rare--when cooked to higher temperatures it can become tough. Topping it with a finger-licking-good horseradish sauce makes this roast beef holiday-worthy. View Recipe 14 of 30 Cranberry-Lemon Cheesecake Bars Alexandra Shytsman These festive cheesecake bars are the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. Cranberries add a pop of color and tang. View Recipe 15 of 30 Cranberry-Prosecco Cocktail A splash of cranberry juice in sparkling wine and a garnish of cranberries and rosemary sprigs make an exceptionally festive party-ready cocktail that's easy to make, too. View Recipe 16 of 30 Pear-Pecan Cheese Ball Sweet pear, salty Cheddar cheese and crunchy nuts make this healthy cheese ball recipe an alluring holiday treat. Serve with an array of crudités and crisp party crackers. View Recipe 17 of 30 Winter Cobb Salad Jennifer Causey This seasonal twist on a traditional Cobb salad swaps in kale for lettuce and spiced butternut squash for chicken but keeps the essential avocado, blue cheese, bacon and egg. View Recipe 18 of 30 Perfect Prime Rib Cooking prime rib can be intimidating--it's such a big piece of meat and you're usually making it for a special occasion, like Christmas or a formal dinner, so you want to get it just right. But it needn't be stressful: This easy prime rib recipe calls for just a handful of ingredients and lays out how to cook prime rib so it's juicy, tender and full of flavor, without a lot of fuss. Cooking the prime rib low and slow safeguards the meat from cooking unevenly. See the Tips section below for more advice on making the perfect prime rib. And if you have leftovers, they make a killer sandwich! View Recipe 19 of 30 The Best No-Sugar-Added Apple Pie Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless This no-sugar-added apple pie gets its natural sweetness from antioxidant- and fiber-rich dates. Cider vinegar helps to enhance the flavor. We like Gala apples for their sweetness and crisp texture, but any sweet, firm apple will work well. If you like your apple pie on the tart side, add a Granny Smith to the mix. We use frozen pie crusts for the bottom and top of the pie. The dough should release easily from the tin for the top crust within about 10 minutes out of the freezer. If not, let it sit out a bit longer until it releases easily. View Recipe 20 of 30 Baileys & Chambord Spiked Hot Cocoa Jamie Vespa, M.S., R.D. Who doesn't love a good boozy hot chocolate? Here we amped up hot chocolate with Baileys Irish Cream and Chambord, which is a raspberry liqueur. While it's certainly delicious as is, garnish with whipped cream, marshmallows or another favorite topping to take this festive drink to the next level. View Recipe 21 of 30 Pomegranate, Cranberry & Brie Bruschetta Make this simple festive appetizer for your holiday guests. Toasted baguette slices with creamy, melted brie are topped with an orange-cranberry-pomegranate mixture--each bite delivers an explosion of flavor and texture! View Recipe 22 of 30 Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole Is the Side Dish of Your Dreams Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster This crowd-pleasing mashed potato casserole is made for entertaining. You can prep it ahead of time and pop it in the oven when you’re ready to eat. Waxy Yukon Gold potatoes yield a creamier texture than more starchy russets. Leaving their thin skin on instead of peeling them cuts down on prep time and also offers a boost of fiber. View Recipe 23 of 30 Instant Pot Garlic & Rosemary Roast Pork Loin Julia Estrada Using an Instant Pot is a game changer for this pork loin recipe. The gravy is rich and flavorful, the meat is moist and perfectly cooked, and it all comes together in a fraction of the time compared to oven roasting. View Recipe 24 of 30 Cornbread & Oyster-Mushroom Stuffing Mushrooms are a rich, meaty addition in this healthy cornbread stuffing recipe. Here we use oyster mushrooms, but you can use any variety you like. If you have time, bake the cornbread a day or two in advance so it has time to dry out a bit, which lets it absorb the flavors more readily. View Recipe 25 of 30 Hot Cider with Apple Brandy & Spices A natural, cloudy apple cider is delicious for this exotically spicy and aromatic winter warmer, but if you desire a sparkling-clear drink, apple juice can be substituted. Calvados, which is a French apple brandy, adds richness. If you wish to omit it, just add more cider or juice. View Recipe 26 of 30 Chicken Ballotine with Creamy Leek & Chestnut Stuffing This chicken ballotine is a delicious, impressive meal for the holidays. Deboning a chicken takes time and skill. Our recommendation: Get your butcher to debone it, then you can stuff and roll it. View Recipe 27 of 30 The Best Mashed Sweet Potatoes This healthy mashed sweet potato recipe has just 5 ingredients and is dinner-ready in 20 minutes. Using sweet potatoes for this classic side dish adds color to your plate along with a little sweetness and a boost of vitamin A. With classic and simple flavors, it can easily be paired with any of your favorite dishes. View Recipe 28 of 30 Wild Rice Stuffing with Apple & Sausage This amazing wild-rice stuffing recipe is bursting with fall flavors, including rye bread, sausage, apples, dried cherries, pecans and fresh herbs. View Recipe 29 of 30 Anthony Anderson’s Sweet Potato Home Fries with Cranberry-Hazelnut Crumble Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Chelesa Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely These home fries are made with sweet potatoes, which are rich in fiber as well as vitamin A, a nutrient which can help support a healthy immune system. Actor Anthony Anderson likes sprinkling a cranberry-hazelnut crumble on top for an easy but delicious upgrade. View Recipe 30 of 30 Cranberry-Coconut Oatmeal Cookies Brittany Conerly In this installment of Diaspora Dining, Jessica B. Harris' series on foods of the African diaspora, the author and historian rings in some changes to the Christmas traditions of her own childhood. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit