Plus, see the best Christmas desserts for everything from trifles to cheesecakes. Don't forget a Christmas co*cktail to sip on while you finish the prep work for the big day.
Best Christmas Eve recipes
Lobster thermidor
Go all out on Christmas Eve with this luxurious lobster dinner. Serve this indulgent classic with a big green salad and plenty of crusty bread for mopping up that rich, creamy sauce.
Picking at snacks and nibbles all night? Perk up your Christmas Eve buffet with our epic sausage roll and camembert wheel.
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White hot chocolate
Sit back and relax with a mug of velvety white hot chocolate, garnished with white chocolate fingers, mini marshmallows and whipped cream.
Christmas cheeseboard
This no-cook spread is perfect for Christmas Eve or any festive parties you have planned. It's full of complementary flavours and textures and looks really impressive – plus, it's super easy to prep.
The smörgåsbord
If you're feeding a crowd on Christmas Eve, this Swedish-inspired sharing feast featuring cheese, fish, potato and egg makes for an impressive spread.
Christmas spritz
Start celebrations early with our festive spin on a classic spritz – simply mix Aperol, sparkling wine and bitters with ginger beer and garnish with orange, star anise and pomegranate seeds.
Baked feta board
Present this fun sharing cheeseboard this Christmas Eve – a block of salty feta is baked with sweet, sticky honey and served with figs, crackers and mini cucumbers.
Gingerbread pie
Sit by the fire as you tuck into a slice of this gingerbread pie, a festive bake flavoured with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.
Christmas lamingtons
Toast to festivities with a mulled wine and these Lapland lamingtons – with white chocolate icing, a cherry yuzu jam centre and a buttercream crown.
Turkey au vin
Cook your turkey legs and breast in a heady red wine sauce for a Christmassy take on coq au vin. Once it's in the oven, this effortless dish takes care of itself.
Sage and honey butter roasted chestnuts
Nothing says Christmas like roasted chestnuts – perfect for snacking on with a warming winter drink.
Sloe gin fizz
Celebrate the start to Christmas festivities with a glass (or two) of sloe gin fizz, a seasonal spin on a classic gin fizz.
Christmas gin co*cktail
You can't celebrate Christmas Eve without a celebratory co*cktail. Giving this drink a proper shake in your co*cktail shaker will ensure a lovely, creamy layer of egg white on top of this festive tipple. More Christmas co*cktails to try here!
Croquembouche profiterole tower
Looking for an impressive dessert to serve family and friends? Check out this show-stopping chocolate and hazelnut profiterole stack. With creamy Nutella filling and crunchy hazelnut brittle, this stunning recipe is the perfect end to a Christmas Eve feast.
Giant champagne and lemon prawn vol-au-vents
Vol-au-vents are back! Prep ahead the pastry shells for an easy Christmas Eve starter, then load up with the luxurious, yet seriously speedy, champagne-spiked prawns just before serving.
Eggnog latte
Warm up on Christmas Eve with a mug of creamy eggnog latte, made with eggnog or Advocaat, milk, espresso and a pinch of nutmeg for dusting.
Baileys co*cktail
Turn that bottle of Baileys into an epic evening co*cktail complete with coffee liqueur, vodka and double cream.
Christmas spiced negroni
Toast to festivities on Christmas Eve with our Christmas spiced negroni, featuring homemade spiced gin and garnishes of cinnamon sticks and star anise.
Five-spice roast duck with clementines and port
This easy five-spice duck is a great roast for when there’s just a few of you for dinner. It feels celebratory to bring out a whole roast bird to the table and the clementines and spices will make the kitchen smell really festive.
Crab cacio e pepe
Incorporating lots of fish and seafood into your Christmas Eve dinner? Take this cult pasta up a notch with a spike of briny crab.
Christmas yule log
Need a show-stopping dessert recipe to impress guests over the Christmas period? Check out our indulgent festive yule log with dark chocolate, a boozy Baileys cream and crunchy hazelnut brittle.
Christmas hot chocolate
Curl up indoors on Christmas Eve and treat yourself to the ultimate Christmas hot chocolate, infused with festive flavours such as cinnamon and nutmeg and finished with squirty cream or your favourite toppings.
Glühwein
The addition of rum to this Christmas market classic works really well – we've added some here to compensate for the evaporation of alcohol during cooking, but it’s not essential, if you prefer your drinks a little less punchy.
Whisky marmalade ham
Fruity, smoky, sweet and salty, this ham is a Christmas flavour explosion. It looks impressive with the bone in and carved at the table.
Hot buttered rum
Get cosy on Christmas Eve with our hot buttered rum, made with golden rum, soft light brown sugar, unsalted butter and festive spices.
Stuffed sausage pasta bake
Looking for a stress-free Christmas Eve dinner? Herby sausages, nutritious kale, creamy ricotta and a pinch of chilli make this pasta bake an epic family meal.
Baileys tiramisu trifle
Check out our stunning trifle recipe with boozy Baileys, chocolate Swiss roll and lightly whipped cream with espresso. Make this indulgent dessert for an impressive centrepiece at your Christmas Eve feast.
Eggnog
Put a rosy glow in your cheeks with this classic winter co*cktail, made with egg yolks, sugar, cream, sherry, rum and plenty of fresh nutmeg.
Christmas mojito
Make this festive version of everyone's favourite minty co*cktail for family on Christmas Eve.
Chicken risotto
Make a super comforting and luxurious Christmas Eve dinner with this rich chicken risotto. This easy recipe comes flavoured with chicken thighs, smoked bacon lardons and plenty of parmesan.
Chilli-and-marmalade-glazed pork belly squares
Kick off a festive party with our easy canapés. These sticky-sweet bites can be partly prepared ahead for fuss-free entertaining.
Fish pie lasagne
Layer soft flaky salmon, creamy mozzarella and crunchy broccoli between fresh lasagne sheets and a smooth and creamy roux. This cheesy salmon pasta bake is the definition of comfort food.
Devilled eggs
Devilled eggs are a retro party nibble that have recently become trendy. The base stays the same, but you can add different toppings depending on what you fancy.
Chocolate and hazelnut millefeuille cake
Sandwich crisp puff pastry circles together with homemade hazelnut ganache, then top with sweetened Frangelico whipped cream, crushed hazelnuts and a drizzle of warm Nutella for a decadent dessert.
Vegan bolognese
Catering vegan guests on Christmas Eve? Make your bolognese meat-free with a rich ragu of dried porcini and chestnut mushrooms, and plenty of vegetables for an easy vegan meal.
Roast duck with crispy potatoes and mulled-wine cherry sauce
Check out our indulgent roast duck legs with super crispy potatoes and spiced cherry sauce. You can scale this up or down, with one leg and 200-250g of potatoes per person.
Biscoff cheesecake
Biscoff fans rejoice, this next level cheesecake is for you. Make this indulgent cheesecake recipe with crunchy Biscoff biscuits, creamy biscuit spread, and lightly whipped cream.
Spiced sidecar
A warming, cold-weather co*cktail made using homemade spiced brandy. Omit the spices for a classic sidecar co*cktail, or try using bourbon if you can’t find cognac.
Mozzarella sticks with spicy dipping sauce
Try our gooey mozzarella sticks with a punchy dipping sauce. Blocks of mozzarella stand up better to deep-frying and will still give you that cheesy, stringy ooze. These are best cooked from frozen, so prep ahead of time to make Christmas Eve fuss-free.
Roast beef with marsala wild mushrooms
This rib of beef is the ultimate showstopper – crisp on the outside and blushing pink on the inside – served with a rich mushroom and marsala sauce for an umami hit.
Eggnog custard tart
If you love egg custard tarts then you'll love Edd Kimber's Christmas inspired eggnog custard tart. Why not impress your guests with this dessert recipe, it may take a little time to make, but it's definitely worth it.
Potted shrimp
The spiced salted butter sauce makes this elegant starter extra-special – the shrimps need to be swimming in puddles of it.
Lobster thermidor en croûte
Make this spin on classic salmon en croûte with a luxurious lobster thermidor filling. Serve this as a centrepiece on Christmas Eve with buttered cabbage.
Mushroom pithiviers
This easy veggie centrepiece makes the most of ready-made puff pastry and an umami mushroom filling. Best served with golden roasties.
Lobster mac 'n' cheese
Everyone loves mac ’n’ cheese, but the addition of sweet, rich lobster turns this into a luxurious treat. This would make a brilliant Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve celebration dinner.
Chocolate, chestnut and cherry roulade
This beautiful dessert uses the classic combination of chocolate and cherry but with a festive twist of a light chestnut cream. Perfect for a Christmas Eve dessert.
Christmas biscuits
Our spiced festive biscuits make the perfect Christmas Eve activity. You can leave these iced biscuits out for Santa or wrap them up as a gift, the possibilities are endless!
We've added a splash of booze and morello cherries to this classic Christmas treat and topped with buttery crumble for extra indulgence.
Christmas cookies
These impressive cookies from Edd Kimber make the perfect Christmas Eve treat. Use cranberries, pistachios and other festive ingredients - you can even turn them into cookie sandwiches with a decadent pistachio buttercream!
Christmas brownies
Serve these festive brownies on Christmas Eve – in squares or cut into Christmas tree shapes.
Make-ahead Christmas cake
Get ahead with your festive baking and rustle up our gently spiced, orange and ginger wine-spiked fruit cake, covered in smooth layers of marzipan and fondant icing. This classic Christmas cake serves 12.
Christmas cake martini
What better way to toast to Christmas than with a martini featuring all the flavours of a traditional Christmas cake in liquid form?
Vegan black russian
Rich and creamy with a date syrup tang, this vegan black russian is the ultimate Christmas Eve co*cktail that everyone will enjoy.
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Non-alcoholic eggnog
This booze-free take on a classic Christmas tipple is deliciously indulgent and creamy, perfect for sipping on Christmas Eve.
