4 Easy Recipes for Entertaining at Christmas

Ladies, I’m not sure if you know this but I love the holidays! I spend them celebrating with my family, enjoying each other’s company and, of course, eating lots of delicious food! 

I’m sure so many of you are in the same boat — the holidays are such a busy time of year! There are lots of ways to manage holiday stress and to avoid becoming overwhelmed by any pressure you’re placing on yourself. 

This brings me to the whole reason I wrote this blog — to share some easy recipes for entertaining at Christmas! Try out these simple, delicious recipes that you can easily make and share. I think you’ll find a new holiday favourite!

1. Festive Mango Berry Smoothie

A smoothie with my all-time favourite fruit always makes me happy! Because we celebrate Christmas in summer here in Australia, mangoes and lots of other fresh fruits always feature heavily in desserts or in holiday snacks. 

Not only is the recipe for this festive mango berry smoothie super simple but the finished product also looks amazing! Definitely one of the best easy recipes for entertaining at Christmas. 

2. Blueberry and Apple Pecan Crumble

Apple crumble is such a delicious dessert for the holidays and this healthy crumble recipe includes pecans and blueberries to make it even better! 

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 40 mins    
Total time: 50 mins
Serves: 4
Dietary preferences: Vegetarian, Vegan option, Dairy-free option

Ingredients:

• oil spray
• 150g frozen blueberries
• 2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced 
• 2 tbsp wholemeal flour or cornflour
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 90g rolled oats
• 60g pecans
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 150g low-fat yoghurt or dairy-free yoghurt of choice.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F) and spray a medium baking dish with oil spray.

2. Place the blueberries, apple and flour in a mixing bowl and mix until well combined. Transfer the fruit mixture to the greased baking dish.

3. Place the oil, rolled oats, pecans, ground cinnamon and ginger in a food processor and pulse to a crumb-like consistency. Stir in the maple syrup and season with salt, if desired.

4. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the blueberry and apple mixture and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the crumble is golden and the apple is tender. Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes to settle and cool slightly. 

5. To serve, place the blueberry and apple pecan crumble on four serving plates and top with the yoghurt. Enjoy!

Don’t be scared by the idea of making a crumble to share. It wouldn’t be on my list of easy recipes for entertaining at Christmas if I thought it was too hard to make. Give it a try and I’m sure you will be impressed with yourself! For something a bit more snack-able, you can also try my apple crumble muffins.

3. Spiced Chocolate Eggnog

I know eggnog is a traditional holiday drink in many places around the world. Once you try my healthy eggnog, you will be in love!

Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 15 mins + overnight chilling time
Total time: 20 mins + overnight chilling time
Serves: 2
Dietary preferences: Dairy-free, Vegetarian, Gluten-free

Ingredients:

• 500ml almond milk
• 2 egg whites
• 2 large eggs
• ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tbsp cacao powder
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 10g dark chocolate, grated (optional).

Method:

1. Place the almond milk, egg whites, whole eggs, vanilla seeds, maple syrup, cacao powder, ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in a high-powered blender or food processor and process until smooth.

2. Heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is hot but not simmering. Turn the heat down to low and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and cover with plastic film. Chill in the refrigerator overnight.

3. To serve, reheat the chilled egg mixture in a saucepan heated over medium-low heat, stirring continuously. If the eggnog is too thick, add a little extra milk until the desired consistency is reached. Pour the spiced chocolate eggnog into two serving glasses and top with cinnamon sticks and grated dark chocolate, if using. Enjoy!
 

4. Cherry Smoothie Bowl

Another fruit that is always part of an Australian Christmas is cherries! They have such amazing colour, so when you use them to create a smoothie bowl, it is so vibrant and appealing!

When it comes to easy recipes for entertaining at Christmas, they don’t get any easier! You simply place the cherry smoothie bowl ingredients into a blender, blend and then pour into a bowl. Top it with your toppings and voila! All done! Perfect for a healthy breakfast on a busy day or for a simple dessert. 

More easy recipes for entertaining at Christmas

It is always good to have a couple of never-fail recipes up your sleeve if you are entertaining people during the holidays. 

Try out some of these ideas:

• Warm beetroot and pumpkin salad — a delicious warming salad that is colourful and super filling!
• Rice paper rolls — these are fun to make and perfect for parties because they are easy to grab-and-go. 
• Infused water — when there is so much to eat and lots of different drinks available, it can be easy to forget to drink water. A jug of infused water looks festive and helps everyone to stay hydrated!
• Skip the chocolates and lollies and serve up some healthy bliss balls instead! 

The holidays are about spending time with loved ones, so try not to cause yourself stress by trying to do too much! Making easy dishes means you get to spend more time doing what you love. 

Enjoy these healthy, easy recipes for entertaining

The great thing about these easy recipes for entertaining at Christmas is they all use healthier ingredients. 

If you are trying to stay healthy during the holidays, a little research and planning can really help. Hopefully, these recipes are useful for you — make sure you pass this blog on to any friends who may be looking for recipe ideas too!