18 Traditional German Christmas Foods To Try in 2026
As the holiday season draws near, many families with German heritage look forward to tucking into scrumptious German Christmas food while creating cherished memories. Others who simply enjoy learning about global holiday traditions may also be interested to find out what is served at German Christmas tables.
With around 80% of the German population celebrating Christmas, according to Deutschland.de, it's no wonder there are so many beloved holiday dishes that get shared far and wide. From savory dishes like beef rouladen to sweet treats like stollen, German holiday foods at Christmas are brimming with rich flavors to be enjoyed by all.
If you want to learn more, 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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18 German Christmas Foods To Try
1. Roast Goose
Germans are known for skipping turkey or ham 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.
While it can be challenging to find this Christmas food from Germany in places where it isn't commonly eaten, such as the United States, local butchers may be able to supply goose for you if you want to try it.
If you do get to try this traditional German Christmas food, it's best served with braised red cabbage, potato dumplings and gravy, with the latter often made with goose drippings.
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 meat fat 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 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. While these can be served as is, this sweet German Christmas dish is often served as a sandwich cookie with jams like raspberry or apricot jam added in the middle.
No matter which way you serve them, these cookies are a simple and tasty German Christmas food that's guaranteed to make an impression at your holiday party or cookie exchange (and likely result 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 and slices of German sausage, alongside tomatoes, onions, potatoes and seasoning. It's all simmered in a rich broth and is best served with a slice of crusty 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. Beef Rouladen
Beef rouladen, popular in the capital yet not necessarily considered a classic Berlin food, is another flavorful German Xmas dish.
Traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve, it's a meat lover’s dream comprising savory slices of beef that 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. Pair it with a side of red cabbage or potato dumplings (or both!) for the ultimate festive feast.
7. 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.
While called an apple tart, the interior resembles a cake more than a standard apple tart filling that often focuses on a cooked-down apple and sugar mixture. However, it's delicious nonetheless!
Simply sprinkle some powdered sugar on this German Christmas food and serve it with vanilla ice cream for a comforting end to a glorious day.
8. Lebkuchen
Switch things up from your usual Christmas cookies with lebkuchen — a chewy, dense gingerbread-style cookie that’s a great addition to any holiday menu.
This traditional German Christmas food is crafted with ginger, honey and molasses, along with 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 or chocolate coating. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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 a German Christmas food feast, this comforting drink is made by gently heating red wine with a spice blend of cinnamon, cloves and star anise, creating an aromatic beverage.
Mulled wine is often garnished with orange slices and sweetened with sugar, adding a hint of citrusy goodness to each sip. If you don't drink alcohol, you can find kinderpunsch recipes that use fruit juice instead of wine and are just as delightfully spiced, comforting and moreish.
11. 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 marzipan 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.
What's great about this German Christmas recipe is that it can be customized to your liking by adding your favorite dried fruits. You can also opt for a dusting of powdered sugar instead of icing or add a burst of citrus with a hint of orange zest, among many other tasty customizations.
12. Hausfreunde
The process of crafting hausfreunde is what you might consider a labor of love, but these chocolate and walnut-topped German Christmas cookies will make your holiday sweets platter pop. In other words, they're worth the effort!
These irresistible sandwich cookies feature shortbread cookies paired with a jam filling, usually apricot, and a layer of marzipan. Once filled, they are topped with rich and indulgent chocolate and a walnut half.
This German Christmas food perfectly embodies the holiday baking spirit, with the comforting aroma of freshly baked treats filling the house.
13. 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. These delicious ingredients are then baked together until tender.
Taking comfort food to a whole new level, this Christmas food of Germany is perfect for festive gatherings. For a touch of extra sweetness to balance out the tanginess, try substituting apples for pears.
14. Pretzel Dumplings (Brezelknödel)
While soft pretzels are delicious when fresh, you can make good use of leftover ones by whipping up this German Christmas recipe.
To make this unique German holiday delicacy, all you have to do is soak stale pretzels in milk, then combine them with sautéed onions, eggs and herbs before shaping into balls.
Simmer until cooked thoroughly, and pair them with a delicious gravy or meat dishes that have a rich sauce.
15. 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 food spread 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.
16. 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. Using a brown butter dressing can also be a good idea if you want to add a more indulgent touch.
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 German Christmas food makes a tasty side dish for your main holiday feast.
These savory pancakes are also quick and easy to make with just a handful of ingredients. Simply combine grated potatoes, eggs and onions, and season them with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
This mixture is then deep-fried in oil until golden and crispy. Add a sprinkle of color and flavor with some dill. You could even 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.
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, a feast of German Christmas food, festive decorations and cherished customs that have been passed down through generations.
Advent Calendars
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. As German Foods North America explains, many also put out Advent wreaths with candles, which are lit every Sunday before Christmas.
Christmas Markets
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. As Germany's markets are some of the best European Christmas markets, it's well worth visiting one if you're in the country around the holidays.
German Christmas Food
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. During this gathering, gifts are often exchanged as well.
In contrast, Christmas Day brings a more elaborate feast. Christmas dishes in Germany served on the 25th often include 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.
There is also delicious German food at Christmas markets to indulge in, such as bratwurst and other types of sausages, mulled wine and Christmas cookies with icing decoration.
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, including a wide variety of German Christmas foods. And who knows? They may just become staple dishes at your 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 (or any time during the winter season) will bring warmth and joy straight to your table.
For even more ways to explore your favorite foods, check out other experiences happening on Cozymeal.
