Twelve Days of Christmas Themed Recipes (2024)

The Twelve Days of Christmas is an English Christmas carol, published in 1780. Thought to be of French origin, it features a series of increasingly grand gifts given on each of the twelve days of Christmas, starting on Christmas Day and ending on January 5. The Twelve Days of Christmas Themed Recipes each borrow from some aspect of the specific day, with a bit of poetic license for some!

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The Twelve Days of Christmas was first published without any music. It wasn’t until 1909 that the familiar tune was added in an arrangement by English composer Frederic Austin. In that arrangement, each verse is built on top of the previous verses.

Day 1. Partridge in a Pear Tree: Pear Tart with Goat Cheese, Rosemary & Honey – Home and Plate

Goat cheese, rosemary and honey are the stars on this pear tart. This simple fall dessert is delicious and can be on your table in 30 minutes.

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Day 2. Two Turtle Doves: Chocolate Turtle Cake with Caramel Pecans and Chocolate Ganache– Wyldflour

This chocolate turtle cake has two layers of moist, fudgey chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream, caramel sauce, and chopped pecans in the middle. Then the turtle cake is covered with a thin layer of chocolate buttercream and scraped for a naked effect. Finally, a thick layer of rich chocolate ganacheand sprinkles of extra pecans. Chocolate Overload. Chocolate Decadence. Caramel Pecan Turtle Goodness. There is no perfect name that embodies all the flavors of this chocolate turtle cake.

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Day 3. Three French Hens: Cornish Game Hens with Cranberry Stuffing – Grits and Pinecones

Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Cranberry Stuffing is a delicious, elegant, and inexpensive main course for your Christmas dinner or a special dinner party!

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Day 4. Four Calling Birds: Chicken au Champagne – Cooking with Curls

Calling all Birds with this Chicken au Champagne. The flavors are absolutely amazing. I am not a Champagne lover, I actually can’t stand the taste of it.However, when combined with chicken, and tarragon,il est magnifique!

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Day 5. Five Golden Rings: Baked Apple Cider Donuts – Veggie Inspired

Baked Apple Cider Donuts – Golden Rings of soft, fluffy, moist baked donuts with all the flavors of fall. Dairy free, egg free, and oil free!! Trust me, you are going to love these!

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Day 6. Six Geese a Laying: Easy Potato Salad with Eggs – Melanie Cooks

This easy potato salad with eggs is the best potato salad recipe ever! Once you try this amazing recipe, you’ll never have potato salad any other way! Secret ingredient is revealed below!

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Day 7. Seven Swans a Swimming: Lemon Cream Cheese Bundt Cake – Pudge Factor

Brighten your holiday season with this rich and moist Lemon Cream Cheese Bundt Cake made with Swans Down cake flour. It feels like springtime, and tastes amazing under a layer of lemon glaze.

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Day 8. Eight Maids a Milking: Frozen S’Mores Hot Chocolate – A Turtle’s Life for Me

Homemade hot chocolate with frothy milk has to be one of the most decadent beverages out there, but this recipe for frozen s’mores hot chocolate just kicked it up several notches!

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Day 9. Nine Ladies Dancing: No Bake Black Forest Tiramisu – Food Meanderings

I love tiramisu with ladyfingers and black forest anything so I created this easyno bake dessert. Quick and delicious, it is a combination of tiramisu and my family’s favourite black forest trifle.

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Day 10. Ten Lords a Leaping: Rosemary French 75 – Nomageddon

You’ll definitely want a Rosemary French 75 with the bubbles leaping out of the glass? The classic champagne cocktail made with London Dry Gin, Brut Champagne, and Rosemary Simple Syrup.

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Day 11. Eleven Pipers Piping: Meringues with Marmalade and Cream – Little Sunny Kitchen

Sweet piped meringues filled with fresh clotted cream, orange marmalade and dark chocolate…

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Day 12: Twelve Drummers Drumming: Sweet Cherry Chicken Lollipops – Rum Smoked – BBQ Bastard

Chicken lollipops (a.k.a. drumsticks) are trending in the BBQ scene for a while now. They look incredible and the technique used for these “Sweet cherry chicken lollipops” is leading to a juicy tasteful and well balanced result.

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Are you drooling yet? Isn’t this an amazing array of Twelve Days of Christmas Themed Recipes?

Leave me a comment and let me know which one of these recipes is your favorite or which one you plan to try first. Even better,leave me a link to your favorite Christmas recipe!

I hope you have a wonderful Holiday season!

Twelve Days of Christmas Themed Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What do you eat on each of the 12 days of Christmas? ›

12 Days of Christmas Recipes
  • Day 1: A Partridge in a Pear Tree. These Baked Pears are EASY and delicious with 4 simple ingredients. ...
  • Day 2: Two Turtle Doves. ...
  • Day 3: Three French Hens. ...
  • Day 4: Four Calling Birds. ...
  • Day 5: Five Golden Rings. ...
  • Day 6: Six Geese a Laying. ...
  • Day 7: Seven Swans a Swimming. ...
  • Day 8: Eight Maids a Milking.
Dec 25, 2020

What is each item in the 12 days of Christmas? ›

Typically at the end of the 12 days, you would have received 12 partridges in pear trees, 22 turtle doves, 30 French hens, 36 calling birds, 40 gold rings, 42 geese laying eggs, 42 swans, 40 milking maids, 36 dancing ladies, 30 leaping lords, 22 piping pipers and 12 drumming drummers from your true love, but with the ...

What should be eaten throughout the 12 days of Christmas to ensure good luck in the year ahead? ›

According to tradition, you should eat one mince pie on each of the 12 days of Christmas to bring good luck. It's technically illegal to eat mince pies on Christmas Day in England. In the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas pudding, mince pies and anything to do with gluttony.

What is the tradition of 12 days of Christmas? ›

What are the 12 days of Christmas? The 12 days of Christmas is the period in Christian theology that marks the span between the birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi, the three wise men. It begins on December 25 (Christmas) and runs through January 6 (the Epiphany, sometimes also called Three Kings' Day).

What are you supposed to do on the 12 days of Christmas? ›

Christians who celebrate the Twelve Days may give gifts on each of them, with each of the Twelve Days representing a wish for a corresponding month of the new year. They may feast on traditional foods and otherwise celebrate the entire time through the morning of the Solemnity of Epiphany.

What is the meaning of the 12 days of Christmas items? ›

The Partridge in the Pear Tree is Jesus Christ. The 2 Turtle Doves are The Old and New Testaments. The 3 French hens are Faith, Hope and Charity, the theological virtues. The 4 Calling Birds are the four gospels and/or the four evangelists. The 5 Golden Rings are the first five books of the Old Testament.

How many potatoes for Christmas dinner? ›

Potatoes gonna potate

It's roast potatoes. 200g per person is perfect, and if there are any leftovers you can chuck 'em in a bubble and squeak, hash, or just grab a cold roastie right out of the fridge. This is a no-judgement zone.

What is the main Christmas meal consists of 12 dishes? ›

Why do Poles eat 12 dishes during the Christmas Eve dinner? Tradition calls for 12 traditional courses to be served during the Polish Christmas Eve. This number is a symbol of wealth, the 12 Apostles and a representation of the 12 months of the year. But in the past, dinner consisted of an odd number of dishes.

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