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Christmas in Germany feels especially magical thanks to the country’s joyous Christmas markets packed with grilled meats and sweet treats. This year, bring a bit of that magic to your own celebration wherever you’re spending the holiday by using these recipes to create a traditional German Christmas food spread. Treat guests to a classic German Christmas dinner with essential dishes like roasted goose legs, braised red cabbage. and dumplings — and don’t forget the mulled wine and platter of gorgeous, festive cookies.
Braised Red Cabbage with Apples and Bacon
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee
Rotkohl — red cabbage braised with apples and onions — is a classic Bavarian side for goose, duck, or pork. This version gets its full flavor from rendered speck, orange zest, and spices like caraway and juniper.
Pretzel and Mustard Dumplings
© Greg DuPree
These pretzel dumplings, a type of semmelknödel, are perfect for soaking up the rich gravy of a holiday roast. The mustard is not traditional, but it pairs excellently with the pretzel rolls used here.
Roasted Goose Legs with Sour Cherry Glaze and Gravy
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee
In Bavaria, it’s not Christmas without roast goose. Food & Wine editor Melanie Hansche reimagines the traditional German dish in her recipe for sour cherry–glazed roasted goose legs, an easier endeavor than roasting the whole bird.
Stollen
Jordan Provost / Food Styling by Thu Buser
Golden raisins, cherries, and candied citrus peel are macerated in rum or brandy and folded into a buttery yeasted dough for this traditional German fruitcake that can be baked up to two weeks ahead of time.
Mulled Wine
Chelsea Kyle / Food Styling by Drew Aichele
Called glühwein in Germany, this easy-to-sip mulled wine from Walkers restaurant in Cape Neddick, Maine, is gently infused with nutmeg, vanilla, and star anise, then lightly sweetened with honey and maple syrup.
Rouladen
Food & Wine / Photo by Carson Downing / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Sue Mitchell
For rouladen, thin strips of round or flank steak are slathered in mustard and piled with diced onion, pickles, and bacon before they’re rolled up, browned, and braised in red wine gravy.
Black Forest Cake
Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Gabriel Greco
Though popular for all sorts of special occasions, Black Forest cake is also a holiday essential for many families. Since Christmas doesn’t coincide with cherry season, you’ll need to forgo the fresh cherry topping, but there’s plenty of cherry goodness in the filling that’s made from the frozen variety. Decorate instead with candied or brandied cherries if you wish.
Sauerbraten
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
You’ll need to plan ahead for this traditional German pot roast, but we promise it’ll be worth it. Boneless chuck roast is marinated for three to seven days in a mixture of red wine, red wine vinegar, aromatics, and hearty herbs, which tenderizes the meat while infusing it with deep, tangy flavor before it’s browned and slow-roasted.
Brown Butter–Cardamom Spitzbuben
Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
German for “cheeky boys,” spitzbuben are classic Bavarian Christmas cookies that get a tantalizing twist here with the addition of brown butter and the robust, citrusy flavor of freshly ground cardamom. Paired with your favorite jam, the finished cookies will stop your guests in their snowy tracks.
Potato Pancakes
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Amelia Rampe
Delightfully crispy potato pancakes are a staple snack at German Christmas markets. Serve them with sour cream or applesauce as an appetizer — though they’re also great at breakfast, brunch, or as part of your dinner spread.
Spaetzle
Food & Wine / Photo by Jason Donnelly / Food Styling by Lauren Mcanelly / Prop Styling by Natalie Ghazali
Follow chef Maria Sinskey’s tried-and-true technique for buttery, crispy, and tender egg noodles to serve up a side of pure German comfort. Layer them with Emmentaler cheese and caramelized onions to make käsespätzle.
Schweinebraten (German Roast Pork Shoulder)
This classic Bavarian-style roast features a boneless pork shoulder rubbed with toasted and ground cumin, caraway, and mustard seeds, then slow-roasted atop vegetables with dark beer to achieve tender meat and a flavorful, crackling crust.
Zimtsterne (German Cinnamon Star Cookies)
Eva Kolenko
You only need five ingredients for these cinnamon-spiced stars that are popular in Germany during the holiday season. The recipe from F&W’s Paige Grandjean yields a soft, chewy texture with a crunchy meringue topping.
Bavarian Potato Salad
Melanie Hansche shares her mother’s recipe for this tangy, bacon-studded potato salad. Soaking the fingerling potatoes takes time, but the dish can be made up to two days ahead of the festivities and refrigerated.
Haselnussmakronen (Raspberry-Hazelnut Macaroons)
Nicole Franzen
These no-fuss macaroon thumbprints come together in a snap with just five ingredients. Says Berlin-based blogger Luisa Weiss, “You just throw the dough together, heat up some jam, and you’re almost there.”
Lentil Soup with Smoked Sausage
In Germany, this hearty soup is often served on Christmas Eve. For a special version (it is Christmas, after all), use imported Vertes du Puy lentils, which have a rich, earthy flavor. Serve with a firm whole-grain bread.
Sautéed German Sausages with Bacon and Apple Sauerkraut
© QUENTIN BACON
Sausages are another Christmas Eve favorite. Here, either weisswurst or bratwurst is served atop sauerkraut made extra delicious with a braise combining onions, apples, juniper berries, bay leaves, a touch of sugar, and a little Riesling.
Classic Cheese Fondue
Chef Ryan Hardy’s velvety fondue is made with two Swiss cheeses — Emmentaler and Gruyère — and two kinds of alcohol — white wine and kirsch. The recipe calls for crusty bread cubes, hard salami, and small dill pickles for dipping; potatoes, fruit slices, and raw veggies are also great options.
Hausfreunde
You’ll need to carve out some time to make this recipe, but the finished cookies are both stunning and tasty. Two layers of buttery shortbread are sandwiched together with apricot jam, crowned with a round of marzipan, glazed in bittersweet chocolate, and finished with a walnut half.
Lebkuchen
These delicately spiced ginger cookies are sold at German Christmas markets in various shapes and with an array of colorful decorations; this simplified recipe produces drop cookies that are topped with a powdered sugar glaze.
Basler Leckerli
Honey-sweetened, warmly spiced, and perfumed with citrus, these essential German Christmas treats get more tender and flavorful with time. Make the cookie bars up to two months in advance and store them in an airtight container with an apple half to preserve their soft texture. (Be sure to swap out the apple once a week.)
