Bring the essence of a traditional Danish Christmas to your home this year! Danish Christmas cuisine is all about rich, hearty flavours and comforting, warming dishes shared with loved ones; generally over many hours and liberally punctuated with toasts! From classic Christmas desserts like risalamande to beloved spiced biscuits like pebbernodder, these recipes will fill your kitchen with the delicious scents of a Scandinavian festive season. Here’s our family collection of our top ten favourite hygge recipes for a traditional Danish Christmas… we start the red cabbage the day before Christmas Eve, by the way!
1. Risalamande
A creamy, indulgent rice pudding dessert topped with warm cherry sauce. Risalamande is a Christmas Eve favourite in Denmark, often served as the grand finale to Christmas dinner. Itâs also the centrepiece of a fabulous game (guaranteed to start an traditional festive argument) where a whole almond is hidden in the pudding, and the lucky person who finds it wins a special gift!
A Danish Christmas table isnât complete without roast pork, known as flĂŚskesteg. The pork is seasoned with salt and sometimes bay leaves, then roasted to achieve a beautifully crisp crackling. Served with caramelised potatoes and red cabbage, itâs a must-have for a traditional Christmas feast.
3. Caramelised Potatoes (Brunede Kartofler)
These sweet, caramel-glazed potatoes are a beloved Danish side dish that pairs perfectly with roast pork. Brunede kartofler are made by caramelising sugar and butter in a pan before adding small boiled potatoes, coating them in a golden, glossy layer of sweetness. This is one of my son’s favourite ways to serve a vegetable; my top tip is to use tinned new potatoes to save valuable time!).
One of my favourite side dishes (and taught to me when I was tiny), rødkül is often slow-cooked with sugar, vinegar and apples. The result is a sweet, tangy accompaniment that balances the richness of meat dishes and is essential on the Christmas table.
5. Gløgg
Nothing says âfestiveâ quite like a warm mug of gløgg. This spiced mulled wine is made with red wine, warm spices, sugar, and often a splash of aquavit or brandy. Served with almonds and raisins, itâs perfect for sipping by the fire on a cold winterâs night.
6. Pebbernodder (Danish peppernuts recipe)
These little spiced cookies are wonderfully crunchy and perfect for nibbling on throughout December. Pebbernodder, which translates to âpepper nuts,â are flavoured with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and white pepper, making them deliciously festive and satisfying; they are also an essential part of playing one of our favourite Christmas games, Mus!
7. Brunkager (Danish brown cakes biscuit recipe)
Another spiced Christmas biscuit, brunkager is a Danish favourite. These thin, crispy cookies are often made with butter, sugar, and spices, and sometimes include almonds and candied peel for extra flavour. Theyâre perfect for dunking in tea or coffee during the holiday season.
8. Romkugler (Danish rum ball recipe)
Romkugler are chocolatey, truffle-like treats made from cake scraps, cocoa, and a hint of rum. Rolled in chocolate sprinkles or coconut, theyâre a no-bake sweetie thatâs simple for kids to make and hard to resist; they also make a superb last minute emergency gift!
9. Aeblekage (Danish apple cake recipe)
This is my mama’s personal favourite; not actually a cake a such, this apple pudding has layers of stewed fruit interspersed with crunchy breadcrumbs and whipped cream. And if your my mum, a whole load of jam as well…. đ
10. Brun sovs (Danish brown gravy)
Last but definitely not least we have Danish gravy, which in our family is the MOST important part of Christmas Eve… our recipe will give you the basics, then you can fiddle with it to your heart’s desire!
