Traditional German Christmas Food Ideas for the Holidays

Christmas, or Weihnachten in German, is the time of year to spend with your family and friends and have a celebration. In Germany, they have many traditional dishes served at Christmas time. Try a few of these ideas, and you can have your own traditional German Christmas dinner.

How to choose what kind of German Christmas food to serve

If you are hosting a German Christmas dinner, you will want to make sure you at least have some appetizers, a delicious main course with sides, and a selection of desserts. Thankfully, you can make most German foods without allergens if you have guests with certain dietary restrictions. For example, German cuisine has many meat and cabbage-based dishes that are gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free. Just be sure to have a couple of options for each part of the meal in case guests do not like one thing or another.

German Christmas appetizers

German Christmas appetizers can be quite hearty on their own, so be sure to resist eating a lot so you have room for the rest of the meal.

1. Brotzeit Platter

Similar to a charcuterie board, a Brotzeit platter contains cold cuts, bread, butter, cheese, radishes, and dips.

2. Obatzda

Coming from the Bavarian region of Germany, this rich cheese dip is made with camembert. Serve with pretzels for dipping.

3. Kartoffelpuffer

Potato pancakes are one of the most traditional german appetizers, especially at their Christmas markets. Just fry up a batter of shredded potatoes and onions then serve with sour cream or applesauce.

4. Currywurst

Another Christmas market specialty, this snack is bratwurst dusted with curry powder and served with curry-infused ketchup.

5. Sauerkraut Balls

These tasty balls have a crunchy exterior but are stuffed with a moist filling of sauerkraut and bratwurst.

German Christmas side dishes

Side dishes are an important part of any dinner. These side dishes add important flavors that might not be found in the main dish, like the sour notes of cabbage or the richness of spaetzle.

6. Spaetzle

Spaetzel is made by combing eggs, flour, and white pepper into a dough. The dough is then grated over a pot of boiling water. Serve the spaetzle in a mixture of butter, onions, and herbs for a tasty side dish.

7. Braised red cabbage

Chop a head of red cabbage in 1/2in slices along with an onion and an apple in a pot. Add in vinegar, sugar, and water. Cover and cook for 90 minutes at a low simmer until it is tender.

8. Potato salad

German potato salad is different from the common American version because it uses vinegar, bacon, and mustard instead of mayonnaise. The best kind of potatoes for this dish are baby reds.

9. Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is the quintessential German side dish. If you want to make it instead of buying it, you’ll have to start the process at least a week ahead of your dinner. All you need to do is combine sliced cabbage and salt and pack it in a jar to ferment for at least a week, but sometimes up to a month.

10. Kartoffelkloesse

This side dish is a dumpling made of potatoes and is topped with anything from bacon, browned butter, onions, or mushrooms. 

German Christmas main courses

German Christmas dinners are centered around the main course. Whether it be a roast, bird, or rabbit, when done properly, it will leave your guests impressed.

11. Weihnachtsgans

A Christmas goose is a popular choice in Germany. A popular stuffing for this goose includes pork, prunes, and chestnuts.

12. Hasenpfeffer

Hasenpfeffer is another classic German Christmas dish. The rabbit is braised slowly in a tasty red or white wine sauce. It has additional seasonings including a tart berry such as either juniper or red currants.

13. Roasted duck

Typically, the duck is washed down and dried, rubbed with salt and pepper, and then stuffed with an apple, some celery, and an onion. It takes around 2 hours to roast depending on how big it is. You will need more than 1 duck if you are having more than 4 people at your dinner.

14. Serviettenknodel

This giant dumpling is the perfect main dish for any vegetarians. It is made with stale bread, milk, onions, eggs, and parsley. Mix these together and place them inside of a tea towel. Roll up the towel and tie off the ends so it looks like a sausage. This is then simmered for 30 minutes, allowing it to retain its shape.

15. Sauerbraten 

This delicious roast is either beef or venison. It is marinated for days in red wine before undergoing a slow roast until tender.

German Christmas desserts

Every German Christmas dessert is linked to the history of the holiday in one way or another. These traditional treats are a must-have.

16. Lebkuchen

Similar to gingerbread, this cookie or cake is sweetened with honey and can be either spicy or sweet.

17. Spekulatius

This biscuit is loaded with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, and cloves. 

18. Stollen

Stollen is very similar to fruitcake, except that it is not soaked in rum. It is a dense bread that is filled with chopped dried or candied fruits and nuts.

19. Angel’s Braid

This sweetbread is a yeast-flavored dough that is flavored with orange zest, brown sugar, anise, and nuts. 

20. Gluhwein

Gluhwein is the drink of the Christmas season in Germany, as it is perfect for a cold winter day. This is just hot red wine that has been mulled with anything from anise and cloves, to orange or lemons.

How to plan your Christmas meal

There is a lot involved in hosting a successful German-style Christmas dinner. Try a few of these tips to make sure everything goes smoothly.

• Bake all of your desserts ahead of time. 
• Have a variety of appetizers and desserts so each guest can sample all of the traditional foods.
• Calculate portion sizes for the main course so you don’t run out of anything. 

Final thoughts on German Christmas food

While most German Christmas foods use pretty straightforward ingredients, they may require going to multiple stores to find everything you need to prepare your dinner. Take the hassle out of this by buying all of your ingredients on Instacart. You can pick all of your ingredients and schedule a delivery for a certain day or just choose same-day delivery or pickup and checkout.

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