While recently listening to “The 12 Days of Christmas,” it occurred to us that the song mentions a few different foods. As a result, we challenged ourselves to find recipes that match every one of the song’s entries — even the non-food ones — while doubling up on a few to beef up the list. We had to get a little creative with some of these entries, lest we end up with a slideshow of mostly bird recipes, and we also wanted some variation between breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and desserts. Ring in the holidays with these 21 recipes in honor of “The 12 Days of Christmas.”
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Crispy-skinned baked drumsticks (12 drummers drumming)
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We’re not going to recommend you take a bite out of a drummer, especially when a drumstick seems much more appetizing. These chicken drumsticks from Healthy Recipes Blog are baked to perfection, meaning the skin gets crispy while the meat stays juicy.
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Christmas tree cupcakes (11 pipers piping)
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The 11 pipers were piping instruments, but you’re more likely to find us piping a pastry bag around the holidays. For some festive flair, try these Christmas tree cupcakes from My Everyday Table, which top the cake mix of your choice with a heaping helping of frosting.
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Yule log (11 pipers piping)
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Here’s another classic Christmas dessert that uses a piping bag: a yule log. Also called a bûche de Noël, a yule log is a rolled sponge cake that’s completely covered in chocolate frosting in order to look like an actual piece of wood. If you use this recipe from Tasty, you’ll also need the piping bag to make the meringue mushrooms!
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Lord Baltimore Cake (10 lords a-leaping)
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You may have heard of a Lady Baltimore Cake — a dessert layered with fruits and nuts and covered in a whipped vanilla frosting — but a Lord Baltimore Cake is a bit different. The two mostly feature the same ingredients, with the most notable difference being that the Lord Baltimore cake uses egg yolks instead of egg whites, making for a richer, denser dessert. Try this one via Bake from Scratch.
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Ladyfingers (Nine ladies dancing)
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Ladyfingers sound more like something spooky you’d serve for Halloween than a Christmas dish, but that’s fine because ladyfingers aren’t really a Christmas thing anyway — they’re just a delicious year-round dessert. However, in the colder months, these sponge cake cookies happen to be the perfect accompaniment to a steamy cup of coffee or hot chocolate. If you’re a beginner when it comes to these little biscuits, try this easy recipe from Alyona’s Cooking.
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Tiramisu (Nine ladies dancing)
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You already have the ladyfingers, so why not go a step further and make tiramisu? This Italian dessert is made from the aforementioned sponge cookies dipped in coffee or espresso, which are layered with eggs, mascarpone, and sugar, and then dusted with cocoa powder. We suggest this easy recipe courtesy of Tastes Better From Scratch, which ditches the whipped eggs for an even lighter layer of whipped cream.
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Ultra creamy mac & cheese (Eight maids a-milking)
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Don’t let the eight maids’ efforts go to waste — use that milk for this ultra-creamy mac & cheese from Inspired Taste. The recipe calls for a whopping 5 cups of milk, as well as butter, flour, cheddar, cream cheese, and your pasta of choice. Whether you prefer to make your mac in a pot or a baking dish, Inspired Taste has you covered.
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Peppermint milkshake (Eight maids a-milking)
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If you enjoy peppermint treats, live in a warmer climate, or just like to eat cold desserts all year long, you have to try this peppermint milkshake from Lil’ Luna. You need just five ingredients to make it: vanilla ice cream, milk, crushed candy canes, peppermint extract, and whipped cream. If you find peppermint ice cream, you can make your milkshake even merrier!
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Cream puff swans (Seven swans a-swimming)
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We’ve read “The Ugly Duckling” too many times to recommend eating an actual swan for dinner (but hey, recipes are out there), so here’s a festive alternative. These cream puff swans from Barbara Bakes aren’t just for aesthetics. They’re delicious, too! You’ll need your piping bag again — the 11 pipers will be pleased — but with Barbara’s step-by-step directions, these swans are a cinch.
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Roasted Christmas goose (Six geese a-laying)
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Here’s an obvious one: a classic Christmas goose for a Christmas-inspired list. This recipe from Food Network will tell you how to cook the goose, make a basting syrup, prepare some stuffing, and put together a flavorful Cumberland Sauce.
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Onion rings aren’t Christmas-y, but they certainly are crowd-pleasers. And thesebeer-battered onion rings from Spoon Fork Bacon will have your guests asking for them as an annual tradition. That’s because the rings are crisped to golden perfection thanks to the combination of all-purpose flour, rice flour, and cornstarch. (Heads up: You’ll want to make a lot more than five of these.)
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Raspberry cream cheese crescent ring (Five gold rings)
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Dinners and desserts get a lot of attention in December, but what about breakfast? Try this raspberry cream cheese crescent ring from Like Mother Like Daughter. It’s easy to make thanks to refrigerated crescent dough, only requires a total of eight ingredients and it kind of looks like a snow-covered wreath!
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Birds nest baklava (Four calling birds)
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These Middle Eastern sweets might be an odd pick for the “four calling birds” entry, but we have a bunch of actual birds coming up soon, so let’s put those off for one more slide. Plus, pistachios are a common ingredient in Christmas desserts already. So why not try this bird's nest baklava from Cookin’ With Mima? It looks complicated but is actually very simple (all you need is phyllo dough, ghee, simple syrup, and pistachios) and fun to make, too!
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Cornish game hen (Three french hens)
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Three French hens, three hen-related recipes, starting with cornish game hens. These birds are easier and quicker to cook than most poultry, and the meat is extra tender. Keep in mind that one hen will feed 1-2 people, so plan accordingly when making this roasted cornish hen recipe from Spend With Pennies. If you cook them alongside potatoes, carrots, and onions, it’s a whole meal!
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Chicken parmesan baked ziti (Three french hens)
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Female chickens are also hens, which gives us an excuse to include a Christmas Day tradition from our family: chicken parmesan. But to shake things up, we instead want to recommend this chicken parmesan baked ziti recipe from Gimme Some Oven. It’s a simplified recipe that requires just six ingredients: ziti, chicken, marinara, mozzarella, parmesan, and basil.
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Deep-fried turkey (Three french hens)
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Once you try deep-fried turkey — really good, moist, and tender deep-fried turkey — you won’t want it any other way. If you’re new to making it this way and are nervous, don’t be! Oh So Delicioso has step-by-step instructions and some helpful tips to make your deep-fried turkey experience both safe and successful. Their biggest trick? Do both a rub and an injection marinade.
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Chocolate turtles (Two turtle doves)
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Don’t spend the extra money on store-bought chocolate turtles when it’s cheaper and much more fun to make your own at home. This recipe from Small Town Woman calls for just four ingredients — pecans, caramels, heavy cream, and chocolate chips — and the only appliance you’ll need is a microwave.
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Panettone (Two turtles doves)
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Okay, stick with us on this one. Colomba Pasquale translates to “Easter dove” because it’s a bread that’s traditionally made for Easter. This Italian specialty would be an odd pick for Christmas, but luckily, Colomba Pasquale has two Christmas counterparts: panettone and pandoro. Panettone is sweet, light, and airy but packed with candied oranges, cranberries, currants, and raisins. Sugar Geek Show makes it simple with this recipe.
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Pandoro (Two turtles doves)
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Obviously, we also have to include pandoro, since we just mentioned it. Pan d'oro, which means “golden bread,” is sweeter than panettone, has more of a fluffy texture, and is topped with powdered sugar. It can be a little complicated to make, but this recipe from An Italian In My Kitchen simplifies it enough that you’ll think you have an Italian in your kitchen. (Unless you already do.) Just be sure to provide your own pandoro pan.
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Pan-fried partridge (A partridge in a pear tree)
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Roasted birds get most of the holiday attention, but this recipe from Food Network (courtesy of famous chef Jamie Oliver) pan fries the partridge instead. It will also show you how to make a mixture of barley, peas, and lettuce, which is the perfect bed on which to lay your cooked partridge. (But feel free to substitute your own side!)
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Poached pears (A partridge in a pear tree)
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Poached pears are a holiday classic and a versatile dish, too. It can be served as a side to turkey or other main courses or as a tasty dessert that’s not cake, pie, or cookies. This recipe from Veggie Desserts goes the latter route, poaching the pears in a spiced red wine sauce and pairing them with from-scratch cinnamon cream.
