This holiday season, take inspiration from around the world with these global Christmas recipes from around the world, from sugar-dusted Polish bow tie fritters and the Puerto Rican Christmas staple pernil asado (roast pork shoulder) to ptarmigan, an Icelandic wild grouse with a sweet-tart sauce. Danish cookie tin cookies, christmas goose recipes, and warming hot chocolate—these worldly Christmas recipes will bring a taste of different lands to your table. For even more Christmas inspiration, check out our Ultimate Holiday Guide.
Spotted Dick with Custard Sauce
Thick dreamy custard is spooned over dense currant-laden steamed pudding in this classic English dessert.
Salmon Rillettes
Salmon rillettes
Leaf Bread (Laufabrauð)
Made of a thin, waferlike dough, this crisp flatbread is a holiday tradition in Iceland. Many families make it together a few days before Christmas; some Icelanders joke that it’s the only time of year the men will help in the kitchen. It’s first cut into intricate geometric patterns, then deep-fried and saved to be eaten as an accompaniment to Christmas dinner. Traditionally, a special tool called a leaf bread iron is used to cut the patterns, but we found a paring knife works just as well. See the recipe for Leaf Bread »
Mint Hot Chocolate
Adding a mint tea bag is the perfect way to flavor hot chocolate. For a stronger mint flavor, steep the tea bag for longer, but you only need a couple minutes so the mint doesn’t get too grassy. A couple fresh mint leaves don’t hurt, either. Get the recipe for Mint Hot Chocolate »
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Christmas Grouse with Berry Sauce (Jólarjúpa með Berjasósu)
Icelandic home cook Þorgerður Gunnarsdóttir serves ptarmigan, or wild grouse, with a sweet-tart sauce made with thyme and bilberries. Here, we substitute blueberries, a slightly sweeter cousin of bilberries. See the recipe for Icelandic Christmas Grouse with Berry Sauce »
Almond Sugar Cookies
These glittering almond squares make a fantastic Christmas cookie on their own, but sandwiched with raspberry jam, they’re even better. Get the recipe for Almond Sugar Cookies »
Honey-and-Butter-Baked Pears with Cold Cream
Icelandic Langoustine Soup
Icelandic Langoustine Soup
Filipino Roast Pork Belly with "Lechon" Sauce
Slow-roasted belly stands in for the classic whole suckling pig that graces virtually every special occasion in the Philippines. Chef Dale Talde also swaps out the sauce’s pungent pork liver for more mellow and easier to source chicken livers. Don’t worry, though. It still tastes, as Talde lovingly puts it, like “liverwurst mixed with sweet and sour sauce.” Get the recipe for Filipino Roast Pork Belly with “Lechon” Sauce »
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Roast Pork Loin with Salted Caramel Potatoes
Roast Pork Loin with Salted Caramel Potatoes
Roasted Apples and Bacon with Onions and Thyme (Æbleflæsk)
Celery Root, Carrot, and Potato Gratin
The Ultimate Crab Dip
William Hereford
Chicken and Root Vegetable Soup (Sancocho)
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Wiener Schnitzel
Battered and fried veal cutlets—scattered with horseradish, capers and lemon juice—is the perfect breakfast cure after a night of holiday revelry. Get the recipe for Wiener Schnitzel »
Goanese Shrimp Curry (Sembharachi Kodi)
Rice Pudding with Raspberry Coulis
Krusciki (Polish Bow-Tie Fritters)
Also referred to as angel wings, these sugar-dusted fritters are both crunchy and pillowy and are often served at Polish weddings and holidays. See the recipe for Krusciki (Polish Bow-Tie Fritters) »
Speculaas (Molded Ginger Cookies)
A specialty of the Netherlands and Belgium, speculaas are cousins of gingerbread, only lighter and more delicately spiced. Intricately carved wooden molds are used to form the cookies into bas-relief images of characters and symbols from stories about Saint Nicholas, or Sinter-klaas, whose name day, December 6, kicks off the Christmas season in that part of the world. See the recipe for Speculaas (Molded Ginger Cookies) »
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Vanilla Crescents (Vanillekipferl)
These Austrian vanilla crescents made with ground walnuts and showered in confectioners’ sugar are typically served throughout central Europe during the weeks leading up to Christmas, but they make perfect bite-sized treats any time of year. Get the recipe for Vanilla Crescents (Vanillekipferl) »
Basler Brunsli (Chocolate-Almond Spice Cookies)
Specialties of Basel, in northern Switzerland, these chocolatey confections are often described as Swiss brownies. Almonds, sugar, and chocolate are ground fine and bound together with egg whites to create a satisfyingly chewy texture, while cinnamon and cloves impart an unmistakable flavor of old-fashioned Christmas cheer. See the recipe for Basler Brunsli (Chocolate-Almond Spice Cookies) »
Christmas Goose With Stuffing
This roast goose makes a splendid centerpiece for the American holiday feast. See the recipe for Christmas Goose With Stuffing »
Chocolate-Cornflake Cookies (Marens-Kornflexkökur)
Cornflakes bring a pleasing crunch to these chewy chocolate meringues, a popular holiday treat in Iceland. See the recipe for Chocolate Cornflake Cookies »
Galletas con Chochitos (Mexican Butter Cookies with Sprinkles)
Tiny, ring-shaped butter cookies like these are a popular holiday treat in Mexico. They’re typically decorated with chocolate sprinkles, but green, red, and white ones transform them into festive Christmas wreaths. Get the recipe for Galletas con Chochitos (Mexican Butter Cookies with Sprinkles) »
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Hungarian-Style Stuffed Cabbage (Töltött Káposzta)
A thick cornmeal and smoked ham filling is rolled in blanched cabbage leaves and braised in a paprika-spiked tomato sauce in a comforting dish from Hungarian home cook Edit Szabó Gézáné. Get the recipe for Hungarian-Style Stuffed Cabbage (Töltött Káposzta) »
