Every year since before I was born, my family gets together and spends the day making Christmas candies. Aunts, uncles, cousins; everyone all gathers around my grandma’s island to make all sorts of delicious treats to share together throughout Christmas and gift to friends and neighbors. At the end of the day, the kitchen is bursting with goodies and we all load up our plates and baggies with a bit of everything to take home.
It’s been such a special tradition that we all look forward to every year. In fact one of the first things I said when I saw the layout for our kitchen was how great it would work for Christmas candy day! And how special it was to put it to the test this year! We hosted our whole family and it was such a gift to have everyone in our home, working together to make a mountain of Christmas treats!
We bake all afternoon and I had a simple dinner of Spaghetti served on paper plates for easy clean up once we were all finished.
Our family has a few go-to treats that we always make and a few new ones that we test out every year! Because we have so many things to make, most of these recipes are pretty easy and require just a few ingredients!
Baking Supplies We Use
My favorite Large baking sheets
Quarter Baking Sheets (I use these for everything! Baking, dinner plates, and crafts!)
Wilton Melting Pot (this works incredibly well and stays hot outside of the pot for a while!)
Double Boiler
Kitchen Aid or Hand Mixer
Food Processor
Parchment Paper (I get mine at Costco)
Oreo Balls
Everyone’s favorite! These are a non-negotiable each Christmas. We’ve been using the same recipe from my grandmother and it makes the perfect little truffles to share with friends and neighbors. This year we made a few classic Oreo balls and made a batch using the Toffee Oreos! Make sure to chill these for a bit before dipping in the chocolate otherwise they’ll crumble!
1 packet of regular Oreos
1 8oz block cream cheese
Bag of chocolate chips of choice.
Vegetable Oil
Chop up the Oreos in a blender or food processor into a fine crumb. Mix Oreo crumbs with softened cream cheese with a stand or hand mixer until it’s combined. (give it a small taste test, if its too cream cheesy, pulse up more Oreos and add them till it’s the texture and taste you like!)
Form them into balls using a spoon or small cookie scoop. Go for a 1 or 2 bite size. Place on a lined baking sheet and chill.
Melt chocolate in a bowl or pot. Add vegetable oil a tablespoon at a time to thin out the chocolate for dipping.
Dip Oreos using a fork and add back to tray. Top with sprinkles or another drizzle of different color chocolate. Let harden in the refrigerator before adding to bags or treat boxes.
These freeze great!
Peanut Butter Balls
The only other treat that gives Oreos a run for their money. These are perfect for the peanut butter fans in your life. You’ll also want to shape and chill these for a half our or so before dipping in the chocolate.
Here’s the recipe straight out of my Grandma’s cookbook!
The paraffin ingredient tells you these are authentic but feel free to omit! They still taste great!
Chocolate Dipped Pretzels and Chocolate Dipped Ritz
These are my personal favorite to make because they’re lighting fast to make a bunch. The chocolate dipped Ritz are the perfect combination of sweet with buttery, savory goodness. We dip these then let the kids go crazy decorating them with sprinkles.
Sugar Cookies
We always make sugar cookies of some kind. This is my go to recipe that I’ve used for the last 10+ years! It always makes the perfect tasting cooking whether you like them frosted or not. I don’t, so this year we made them into rolled pinwheels for a simple little bite. I also twisted a batch into candy cane shapes and they turned out so fun!
Pecan Snowballs
These might become a new favorite! My mom loves these cookies and brought this recipe for us to try out. They were easy with the perfect nutty flavor and looked great in the spread!
Rice Krispie Treats
No holiday is complete without Rice Krispies of some kind. I just use the recipe on the box but add a little bit extra marshmallow to keep them every so slightly gooey. We cut a few of the trays into bite size squares to dip or drizzle in chocolate, and then molded the rest into tree shapes for the kids to decorate.
Marshmellow Fluff Fantasy Fudge
I was inspired by one of my favorite bloggers Nesting with Grace to add some Fantasy Fudge to the spread this year. Recipe here! My Granny used to make this so it was fun to add it back into the mix. The next time I make it I’ll definitely add a few walnuts or pecans to the fudge for a little crunch.
If you enjoyed this post on Christmas Candy Day – Our Favorite Holiday Treats, you may also like:
The Complete 2024 Holiday Gift Guide
How to Host a Memorable Christmas Game Day
