Prawn Vol Au Vents Recipe with Champagne

Plus, see the best Christmas desserts for everything from trifles to cheesecakes. Don't forget a Christmas cocktail 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.

Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls Recipe with Cheese

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.

A festive cheese board filled with figs, cheese, meats, bread and pickles

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.

A smörgåsbord with cheese, pickles and fish on a white table

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.

Two wine glasses filled with orange festive-flavoured spritz garnished 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.

A baked block of feta on a board with figs, crackers, almonds and sliced 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.

Lamingtons coated in desiccated coconut on a dark board with a green background

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.

A turkey dish in a large pot with a Christmas dinner on the side

Sage and honey butter roasted chestnuts

Nothing says Christmas like roasted chestnuts – perfect for snacking on with a warming winter drink.

A brown bowl of roasted chestnuts with a small pot of sage leaves

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.

You can't celebrate Christmas Eve without a celebratory cocktail. Giving this drink a proper shake in your cocktail shaker will ensure a lovely, creamy layer of egg white on top of this festive tipple. More Christmas cocktails to try here!

Two coupe glasses of orange liquid with cherries on the side

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.

Profiterole tower with dark chocolate and hazelnut topping

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 cocktail

Turn that bottle of Baileys into an epic evening cocktail 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.

Two tumbler glasses filled with spiced negroni, garnished with star anise, cinnamon stick and orange twist

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.

Quick and Easy Cacio E Pepe Recipe with 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.

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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.

Multi-layered chocolate and Baileys cream trifle in a glass bowl

Eggnog

Put a rosy glow in your cheeks with this classic winter cocktail, made with egg yolks, sugar, cream, sherry, rum and plenty of fresh nutmeg.

Christmas mojito

Make this festive version of everyone's favourite minty cocktail for family on Christmas Eve.

Two glasses of pink-hued mojito with mint and metal straws

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.

A risotto in its cooking pan with herbs on top

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.

Pork Belly Canapés Recipe with Marmalade

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.

Fish Lasagne Recipe with Salmon and Prawn

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 cocktail made using homemade spiced brandy. Omit the spices for a classic sidecar cocktail, or try using bourbon if you can’t find cognac.

Sidecar cocktail in a coupe glass with a bottle of red liquid behind

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.