The Christmas season is especially conducive to indulgence and sharing. Your child will love discovering new flavors, touching, tasting, and it’s a perfect way to keep them busy during this exciting time. You’ll enjoy sharing these moments with your family. We’ll share our best Christmas recipe ideas to introduce your little explorer to new flavors, either by involving them in the process or by offering a festive menu suited to their age.

What can you or can’t you give your baby at Christmas?

Christmas is the perfect time to introduce new foods and flavors to your baby, but certain foods should be avoided depending on your little one’s age. You can find our tips for , and here is a list of foods to avoid according to the recommendations of ANSES (French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety):

• Honey , not before 1 year old, because it can cause a (quite rare) disease called botulism.

• Raw milk , not before 5 years old, because it can carry bacteria such as listeriosis, salmonellosis, or Escherichia coli. Therefore, it’s best to choose pasteurized cheeses or cooked pressed cheeses.

• Protéines brutes , not before 3 years old. It is therefore recommended to avoid sausages, smoked fish, and meats, fish, and eggs that are not cooked thoroughly.

• Raw fruits and vegetables , not before 1 year old, because infants’ digestive systems are more sensitive and fragile.

• Salt , no added salt before 1 year old, and as little salt as possible until 3 years old.

Otherwise, when it comes to some basic principles and tips for concocting recipes for your little adventurer , it is recommended to carefully monitor sugar intake, especially before 1 year old—the less you add, the better. When it comes to chocolate, choose cocoa powder before 1 year old. From 6 months, you can have fun with spices, like cinnamon, which will immediately add flavor and the spirit of Christmas to your recipes , as well as citrus fruits.

Our ideas for the baby's Christmas meal

Here are two recipes you can easily adapt for your baby or older children. The whole family can enjoy them—just adjust the quantities according to age. They’re a great way to introduce your little one to classic Christmas flavors and share a New Year’s Eve meal together.

A classic Christmas recipe: poultry, pumpkin mash, and chestnuts

This recipe has the advantage of being suitable for all ages as soon as you’ve already started food diversification with your baby. You can turn it into a small jar or adapt it for the DME if you practice it with your little adventurer. It’s a classic Christmas recipe, and there’s hardly anything more comforting.

To make this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

• poultry (chicken, guinea fowl, capon, etc.);

• some aromatic herbs (fresh or dried);

• a pumpkin of your choice (butternut, red kuri, etc.);

• a jar of chestnuts.

Here are the steps to follow:

1. Cook your poultry, preferably by steaming, especially if you have a little one. However, you can also opt for oven cooking, with as little fat as possible. Whatever the cooking method, you can add herbs—rosemary, thyme, etc.—to flavor the meat. Make sure the meat is well cooked.

2. Cut the peeled and seeded squash into small cubes and cook it. You can choose steaming or boiling in unsalted water.

3. If you want to make purées, blend the meat and the squash. Depending on your baby’s age, you can make a smoother or chunkier purée. If you practice BLW, you can absolutely adapt this recipe.

4. If you want pieces, crumble the chestnuts into the purée. Otherwise, you can blend a few with the pumpkin purée.

5. You can also add spices like nutmeg or cinnamon.

This recipe can be shared by the whole family; it’s friendly and a true Christmas classic. And as your little one grows, you can invite them to help prepare the meal. Our favorite tip? Support your baby’s motor skills by having them transfer the squash cubes from the countertop to the pot!

A vegetarian Christmas recipe: butternut squash roast with Christmas spices

This recipe is suitable for babies from 6 months old, as it contains legumes, which can be a bit more difficult to digest, as well as spices. As with the previous recipe, you can turn it into a purée for younger babies or leave pieces for older children.

To make this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

• A butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeded.

• Cooked lentils (homemade or canned, but without salt)

• An onion

• Spices (such as cinnamon, cumin, and nutmeg)

• Canned chestnuts

• mushrooms (your choice)

Here are the steps to follow:

1. Roast the butternut squash with a little olive oil in the oven at 200°C until tender. To speed up the cooking process, you can score the flesh of the squash with a knife.

2. Once the squash is cooked, scoop out the flesh along the entire length of both halves. Set aside the squash.

3. In a skillet, sauté the onion in a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chopped mushrooms and the spices. When the mushrooms start to cook, add the lentils and the crumbled chestnuts.

4. Transfer the stuffing into the two halves of the squash and close them together. You can tie a string around them to hold them in place.

5. Put the roast back in the oven for about 30 minutes so it browns nicely and the flavors meld.

6. To serve, you can blend the different preparations separately for little ones, or offer pieces suited to your baby’s chewing abilities.

Here is a vegetarian recipe to share with the family that will transport you straight into the spirit of Christmas dinner.

Our Christmas cake recipe ideas for children

As your baby grows—especially when they start sitting or standing well—you can involve them in the kitchen. This will help them gain autonomy and develop their motor skills. They’ll have fun while also discovering, touching, tasting, and learning. These are precious moments to share, and the holidays are the perfect opportunity to do so.

The classic and unbeatable Christmas shortbread

What could be more classic than Christmas shortbread cookies? Everyone loves them, they’re easy to make, and you can choose any shape you like: Christmas tree, Santa Claus, snowman, etc. This recipe can be enjoyed by children from 8 months old, so it is a recipe that will please the whole family .

To make this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

• 150 g of whole wheat flour

• 100 g of butter

• 1 tablespoon of whole sugar

• 1 packet of vanilla sugar

• 1 to 2 tablespoons of water

• of your choice: orange or clementine zest, spices (cinnamon, gingerbread spice mix, etc.)

Here are the steps to follow:

1. Mix the softened butter with the whole sugar and vanilla sugar.

2. Add the flour, water, and zest or spices, then mix.

3. Shape the dough into a ball and let it rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

4. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin and gather your cookie cutters. Feel free to let your imagination run wild and shape trees, snowmen, Santa’s boots, and anything that reminds you of Christmas.

5. Place the cookies on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 180°C for 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges start to brown.

6. All that remains is to enjoy them, or dip the biscuits in melted chocolate for even more indulgence. This option is reserved for children aged 2 and above.

The Christmas log for the little ones and the big ones

The yule log is the ultimate dessert of the Christmas meal, and like the rest of the meal, there’s no reason not to share this delicious treat with the whole family, including baby. Here is a Yule log recipe that will please everyone, including baby from 12 months onward, to make as a family .

To make this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

• 2 eggs

• 60 g sugar

• 60 g flour

• 30 g butter

• 1 tsp baking yeast

• 150 g fruit compote (example: apple-chestnut compote)

• 2 small cheese portions

Here are the steps to follow:

• Preheat your oven to 180 °C.

• Mix the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture turns pale. Then add the flour and baking powder.

• Melt the butter and mix it into the batter.

• Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then gently fold them into the batter.

• Spread the batter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to about 1 cm thick. Bake for approximately 8 minutes.

• In the meantime, lightly dampen a clean dish towel and lay it flat on the work surface. When the sponge is baked, place it on the towel and roll it up. Wait 2 minutes, then unroll it. You can then spread the compote over it and roll the sponge again.

• Then, beat the small Swiss cheeses with a spoon to make them smoother, and spread them over the yule log.

• Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

• You can then decorate this yule log with chocolate shavings, homemade small figures, powdered sugar sprinkled around to mimic snow, chestnut pieces, etc. Let your imagination guide you.

The Christmas season is a time for sharing, and there’s nothing better than going through ... Christmas recipes to share convivial moments around this celebration and New Year’s Eve. You can also suggest activities around Christmas (Christmas activities article link) to your little adventurer, so they can experience the magic of this holiday in advance and have something to look forward to while waiting for Santa Claus to arrive.