How to Host a Traditional German Christmas Dinner From sides to mains and mulled wine to holiday cookies, here's what to serve on Christmas to celebrate with German flair. By Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann is an editor, baker, and confectioner with more than 15 years of experience in content creation, recipe development, and pastry production. She's obsessed with the fine details and ingredients that take dishes from tasty to outright otherworldly. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on December 14, 2025 Add Us On SAVE ALL RECIPES NEW! Save as a collection on MyRecipes Close Credit: Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee 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. Keep all of your recipes at your fingertips. With the MyRecipes app you can easily save and organize your favorites from anywhere, including Instagram and TikTok, in one convenient place. Get the free app. You Only Have to Travel as Far as Indiana for a Charming German Christmas Market 01 of 20 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. Get the Recipe Save 02 of 20 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. Get the Recipe Save 03 of 20 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. Get the Recipe Save 04 of 20 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. Get the Recipe Save 05 of 20 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. Get the Recipe Save 06 of 20 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. Get the Recipe Save 07 of 20 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. Get the Recipe Save 08 of 20 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. Get the Recipe Save 09 of 20 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. Get the Recipe Save 10 of 20 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. Get the Recipe Save 11 of 20 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. Get the Recipe Save 12 of 20 Schweinebraten (German Roast Pork Shoulder) Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Missie Crawford 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. Get the Recipe Save 13 of 20 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. Get the Recipe Save 14 of 20 Bavarian Potato Salad Photo by Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee 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. Get the Recipe Save 15 of 20 Lentil Soup with Smoked Sausage © Elizabeth Drago, Food Stylist Vivian Lui 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. Get the Recipe Save 16 of 20 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. Get the Recipe Save 17 of 20 Classic Cheese Fondue © Rob Howard 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. Get the Recipe Save 18 of 20 Hausfreunde © Nicole Franzen 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. Get the Recipe Save 19 of 20 Lebkuchen © Rick Poon 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. Get the Recipe Save 20 of 20 Basler Leckerli © Nicole Franzen 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.) Get the Recipe Save Explore more: Food Holidays & Occasions Christmas Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit