Skip to content

Top Navigation

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Home
  • Garden
  • Holidays
  • Videos
  • current issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Midwest Living

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 14 Fresh Places to Eat, Drink, Play & Stay This Summer

      14 Fresh Places to Eat, Drink, Play & Stay This Summer

      Hot off the minds of Midwest travel writers: a fresh look at where to eat, drink, play and stay around the region. Read More
    • Out Now: Best of the Midwest 2022

      Out Now: Best of the Midwest 2022

      Find your summer adventure with our new bookazine, available now in the magazine store! Read More
    • This Family's Garden Farm is a Nature-Filled Paradise

      This Family's Garden Farm is a Nature-Filled Paradise

      On land passed down through generations, a Wisconsin family experiences—and shares—the glory of gardening. Read More
  • Travel

    Travel

    See All Travel
    Urban-Pop Art, a New Boutique Hotel and More—Here's What to See and Do in Fort Wayne Right Now

    Urban-Pop Art, a New Boutique Hotel and More—Here's What to See and Do in Fort Wayne Right Now

    On a trip to Fort Wayne, Indiana, catch a colorful wave of fresh development, plus a new hotel from the cofounder of Vera Bradley.
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Family Travel
    • Around the Region
    • Beyond the Region
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Missouri
    • Nebraska
    • North Dakota
    • Ohio
    • South Dakota
    • Wisconsin
    • Free Travel Info
  • Food

    Food

    See All Food
    Mango Toast with Prosciutto

    Mango Toast with Prosciutto

    • Comfort Foods
    • Desserts & Baking
    • Breakfast
    • Quick & Easy
    • Chicken
    • Soups & Stews
    • Midwest Favorites
    • Fruits & Vegetables
    • Fish
    • Grilling
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    5 Clever Tips for Repurposing a Potting Bench as a Bar Cart

    5 Clever Tips for Repurposing a Potting Bench as a Bar Cart

    With smart accessorizing, a potting bench becomes a celebration station for summer soirees.
    • Quick Decorating
    • Featured Homes
    • Organizing & Storage
    • Outdoor Living
    • Seasonal Decorating
    • Room Decorating
  • Garden

    Garden

    See All Garden
    Expert Tips for Growing a Window Box Garden

    Expert Tips for Growing a Window Box Garden

    Casey Lawrence’s lush window boxes were a revelation to her online followers. Use her tips to grow your own.
    • Container Gardens
    • Flowers
    • Featured Gardens
    • Midwest Gardening Calendar
    • Garden Ideas & Inspiration
  • Holidays

    Holidays

    See All Holidays
    Festive 4th of July Dessert Recipes

    Festive 4th of July Dessert Recipes

    Get out your red, white and blue for these patriotic dessert recipes.
    • Easter
    • July 4th
    • Thanksgiving
    • Halloween
    • Christmas
    • Valentine's Day
  • Videos

    Videos

    See All Videos
    These DIY Orange Beeswax Candles Will Make Your Home Smell Amazing

    These DIY Orange Beeswax Candles Will Make Your Home Smell Amazing

    Don't toss those orange peels! Instead, use them as vessels for our super-simple and fragrant candles.
    • Brighten Your Front Door with This Colorful Easter Egg Wreath
    • These DIY Orange Beeswax Candles Will Make Your Home Smell Amazing
    • Ring in the New Year with This Glam Star Garland
    • How to Make a Modern Fruit Cake Box
    • An Eye-Catching Oval Treat Box You Can Make
    • Make a Colorful Paper Raffia Wreath to Welcome Fall
    • How to Make a Dried Floral Arrangement
    • How to Make an Easy Pina Colada
    • How to Make an Amazing Pavlova
    • How to Make Pumpkin-Spice Icebox Cake
    • How to Make an All-Butter Pie Crust
  • current issue

    current issue

    See All current issue
    Midwest Living's Best of the Midwest Winners 2022

    Midwest Living's Best of the Midwest Winners 2022

    • March/April 2022 Issue
    • January/February 2022 Issue
    • November/December 2021 Issue
    • September/October 2021 Issue
    • July/August 2021 Issue
    • May/June 2021 Issue
    • Summer 2022 Issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Midwest Living
  2. Food
  3. Seasonal & Holiday
  4. Favorite Family Holiday Recipes

Favorite Family Holiday Recipes

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com Updated October 03, 2020
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Caramel Heavenlies

Stir up warm new traditions in your home with these 21 holiday favorites—desserts, breakfast breads, main dishes, appetizers and more—from our readers.

Start Slideshow

1 of 19

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Caramel Heavenlies

Caramel Heavenlies
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Graham crackers form the base for this bar cookie with layers of marshmallows, brown sugar, almonds and coconut. "They're one of my family's favorites," says Georgine Simmonds of Genesee, Michigan.

1 of 19

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 19

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Maple Butter Twists

Maple Butter Twists
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

These breakfast rolls are a family tradition with Jean Haviland of Carroll, Iowa. "My mom made these rolls with a maple-cream filling every Christmas -- and still does!" she says. "Mom always makes extra and freezes them for later. They're great for breakfast or any time of day!"

2 of 19

3 of 19

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Applesauce Spice Cake

Applesauce Spice Cake
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

No granulated sugar is added to this recipe; the sweetness comes from cider, fruit and applesauce. "My grandmother, who always baked pies for the holidays, inspired me to create this cake," says Sandra Schifferle of Lansing, Kansas.

3 of 19

Advertisement

4 of 19

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Goat Cheese, Artichoke and Smoked Ham Strata

Goat Cheese, Artichoke and Smoked Ham Strata
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This brunch recipe comes from Carol Mortensen of Flossmoor, Illinois. "This goat cheese, artichoke and smoked ham strata is our favorite brunch dish," she says. "The best part is preparing it the night before to bake in the morning."

4 of 19

5 of 19

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Chili Pecans

Chili Pecans
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

A coating of spicy and sweet turns toasted pecans into a holiday party snack. "My sister Rose sent me this recipe years ago when she was living in New Mexico," says Linda Zabel of Corydon, Indiana. "I've used it every year since. I order Chimayo chile online because it's hard to find in the Midwest."

5 of 19

6 of 19

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Gadettes

Gadettes
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Dust off your waffle iron to bake these Belgian-style cookies. The recipe comes from Connie Shaw of Bettendorf, Iowa, who learned it from her grandmother. "As she taught me to make them, she explained that when she lived in Belgium, families served them when neighbors called," Connie says. "I sent them to my son the two Christmases he was deployed in Iraq. They are part of his Christmas memories, too."

6 of 19

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 19

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Christmas Mice

Christmas Mice
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

These treats are so adorable, it's obvious why this is Judeen Brown's favorite Christmas recipe. "All the children, old and young, expect to see them at family gatherings," says Judeen, who lives in Dundas, Minnesota.

See our how-to video on making Christmas Mice

7 of 19

8 of 19

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Cinnamon pretzels

Cinnamon Pretzels
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Sugary cinnamon meets salty pretzels in this super-easy, gift-worthy snack mix. "I first tried these pretzels at a holiday cookie exchange," says recipe contributor Monica Bowers of Great Bend, Kansas. "What's better than the taste of cinnamon sugar?"

8 of 19

9 of 19

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Valencia Delights

Valencia Delights
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Orange and chocolate: a holiday cookie match that tempt every Santa to take seconds. This recipe comes from Jill Drury in Milwaukee, who loved to bake cookies with her grandmother. "For the longest time I couldn't decide which cookie I liked best, until one day Grandma had me mix my favorite flavors: chocolate and orange," she says. "We came up with this cookie that I now call my holiday favorite."

9 of 19

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 19

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Holiday Christmas Bread

Holiday Christmas Bread
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

There's no butter or shortening in this braided sweet bread. You won't miss it in this large loaf.

"We're the sixth generation to bake this holiday bread," says Margaret Kassing of Beatrice, Nebraska. "The 12 strips of dough represent 12 months in a year. The four layers of braided dough stand for the four seasons. Nuts and raisins indicate the type of year—mostly nuts represents a good year for farmers and mostly raisins a poor year. Before it's served, the youngest boy takes last year's crust outside to feed the birds, God's lesser creatures. Finally, a crust is saved for the next year to show there will always be bread in this home."

10 of 19

11 of 19

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Kathy's Meat Pie

Kathy's Meat Pie
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Pie for dinner? Yes, please! Kathy Maanika of Escanaba, Michigan, shares her family recipe.

11 of 19

12 of 19

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Sweet Potato Rolls

Sweet Potato Rolls
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Small bits of sweet potato fleck these moist dinner rolls from Sandra Schifferle of Lansing, Kansas. She puts Kansas wheat to good use in this recipe. For a quick prep, microwave your sweet potato, then cool and mash the veggie for the rolls.

12 of 19

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 19

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Holiday Cranberry-Orange Slices

Holiday Cranberry-Orange Slices
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This slice-and-bake cookie recipe brings several favorite holiday flavors to the cookie tray. Beverly Olson of Marshfield, Wisconsin, added cranberries and orange peel to her butter cookies along with pecans. Finely chop these additions so they won't get in the way when you slice the dough.

13 of 19

14 of 19

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Bing Candy

Bing Candy
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

People in Pukwana, South Dakota, come to bake sales just to buy Gwen Swanson's signature chocolate-cherry treat. Cherry-flavor chips create a red center between the chocolate layers. You can substitute peanut butter-flavor pieces if you prefer a peanut butter-chocolate combo.

14 of 19

15 of 19

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Snowflake Mix

Snowflake Mix
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Salty meets sweet as cereal, pretzels and peanuts get a coating of melted white baking pieces. Ann Midkiff from Jackson, Michigan, recommends using mint-flavor milk chocolate pieces in this recipe for a hint of the holidays. Make this a gift from the kitchen by packaging it in boxes that resemble takeout containers.

15 of 19

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 19

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Bet You Can't Eat Just One Sugar Cookies

Bet You Can't Eat Just One Sugar Cookies
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

These melt-in-your-mouth cookies come from the recipe file of Georgia Morehouse of Columbia, Missouri. Her family insists she bake at least one batch for New Year's Eve. Sprinkle them with colored sugar right before they bake to give them quick-and-easy sparkle.

16 of 19

17 of 19

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Date-Orange Bars

Date-Orange Bars
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Date-nut desserts can be cloyingly sweet, but orange juice brightens these simple bars.

17 of 19

18 of 19

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Kolackys

Kolackys
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Kolackys (also spelled kolaches or kolaces) are a central European pastry with a sweet center. "These cookies are time-consuming, but so worth it," says the Ohio reader who contributed the recipe.

18 of 19

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 19

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Snowballs and Nutjammers

Snowballs and Nutjammers
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

The Cole family of Wadsworth, Ohio, bakes these each year for friends and family. The tradition started more than 50 years ago when Phrania (Fran) Cole and her sister, Ann, began making cookies as affordable gifts. The Coles like the Snowballs' tang of black walnut and the snowy, powdered sugar coating. (Recipe at link above.)

You can choose from two fillings when you bake the tiny, turnover-like Nutjammers.

19 of 19

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 19 Caramel Heavenlies
    2 of 19 Maple Butter Twists
    3 of 19 Applesauce Spice Cake
    4 of 19 Goat Cheese, Artichoke and Smoked Ham Strata
    5 of 19 Chili Pecans
    6 of 19 Gadettes
    7 of 19 Christmas Mice
    8 of 19 Cinnamon pretzels
    9 of 19 Valencia Delights
    10 of 19 Holiday Christmas Bread
    11 of 19 Kathy's Meat Pie
    12 of 19 Sweet Potato Rolls
    13 of 19 Holiday Cranberry-Orange Slices
    14 of 19 Bing Candy
    15 of 19 Snowflake Mix
    16 of 19 Bet You Can't Eat Just One Sugar Cookies
    17 of 19 Date-Orange Bars
    18 of 19 Kolackys
    19 of 19 Snowballs and Nutjammers

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Midwest Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Contact Us
    • Help
    • Free Newsletters this link opens in a new tab
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Renew this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Affiliate Program
    • Free Travel Info this link opens in a new tab
    • Special Promotions this link opens in a new tab
    • Sweepstakes this link opens in a new tab
    • Video
    • Home Advisor this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithMidwest Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Midwest Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.midwestliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    Favorite Family Holiday Recipes
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.