Discover 9 Festive Recipes for a Magical Herbal Holiday!

When you’re an herbalist, ordinary holiday festive recipes just won’t do!

This season, we’re reaching for herbs that bring warmth, calm, and comfort for the cold days. We’re inviting plants that not only support our bodies but also lift our spirits, fill our homes with cheer, and add a burst of flavor and fun to holiday parties. 

What’s better than infusing your festivities with herbs that nourish you from the inside out?

Below you will find a feast of creative festive recipes and ideas for the holidays—whether you’re planning a cozy dinner, hosting a gathering, or looking for the perfect herbal gift. From seasonal drinks and herbal-infused treats to DIY skincare recipes and well-spiced desserts, we’ve got everything you need to add some herbal magic to your celebrations.

Here’s what we’re whipping up this month!

9 Festive Recipes Using Herbs

Cranberry Hot Toddy Recipe with Clove, Cinnamon, and Ginger

Hot toddy recipes are wonderful additions to your winter herbal cocktail lineup. The ingredients feature warming herbs, which do more than create a little heat in your body during this cold weather season. Warming herbs like clove (Syzygium aromaticum), cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.), and ginger (Zingiber officinale) are also wonderfully supportive for digestive health. Whether you are planning a holiday party video call this year or you’re cozied around a fire with your family, we hope you make (and share!) this cranberry hot toddy recipe. 

Candied Orange, Pistachio, & Cardamom Chocolate Bark

Nothing says the holidays like orange and cardamom combined, making this chocolate bark taste savory and sweet with a crunch of pistachios. With a whole string of winter holidays ahead, the busiest gift-giving time of year is upon us. One holiday strategy is to keep a little stash of goodies to grab on your way out the door to whatever gathering is on the schedule. Homemade gifts always make a good impression, especially when you’ve gone to the trouble of making them from scratch using high-quality ingredients. This homemade chocolate bark recipe is a treat that always wows the lucky recipient. 

Pine Needle Soda

Homemade sodas are full of probiotics and, unlike store-bought sodas, have no artificial additives. The result is a gut-loving, herb-powered drink that you may find yourself coming back to over and over, adapting it throughout the seasons. This pine needle soda recipe makes a delightful drink that is bursting with winter flavors: pine, ginger, and citrus, as well as aromatic herbs, which really shine during this cold season. 

Peppermint Candy Cane Body Scrub

This DIY Peppermint Candy Cane Body Scrub recipe is sure to inspire you to relax and reminisce about the days of pulling candy canes off grandma’s tree and relishing in their refreshing sweetness! It will also exfoliate your skin and leave you feeling restored and rejuvenated.

Chai-Spiced Apple Cider Mocktail (or Cocktail!)

The flavor of chai is as festive as festive comes. This particular apple cider mocktail is a great make-ahead recipe if you’re under a time crunch or want to prepare a big batch. The homemade chai concentrate will keep well for at least a week in the refrigerator. Packed to the brim with warming herbs like cloves, cardamom, peppercorns, and cinnamon, this apple cider mocktail is part herbal tonic and part festive beverage, so you’ll gladly enjoy the benefits of both with this recipe.

Warming Herbal Truffles 

The beauty of herbal truffles is that they can be wildly varied in flavor, herbal effect, and ingredients, so long as the herbalist follows a few basic guidelines. Herbal truffles are a great way to take tonic herbs consistently over a period of time. Many herbalists suggest regularly taking adaptogens such as the damiana powder in this recipe.

Nourishing Gingerbread Latte

This delicious blend of espresso—perfect for that jolt you need to make it to midnight—steamed milk, gingerbread syrup made from real herbs, and a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg is both festive and nourishing. It’s the perfect combination of rich coffee flavor, warm spices, and creamy sweetness, making it a true winter treat for coffee lovers.

Homemade Eggnog Chia Pudding

Renditions of the classic homemade eggnog recipe pull in some unique additions, and we have one for you to try! This is an eggnog chia pudding, perfect for a morning snack, or holiday brunch. A yuletide drink filled with sweetness, milk, cream, alcohol, and the infamous eggs, this classic holiday recipe dates back to the medieval times. 

Mood-Boosting Hot Cacao

Since the inception of early civilizations in the Americas, cacao has been revered as a sacred plant and a valuable food, enchanting human taste and uplifting the spirit. This mood-boosting cacao can be a great holistic pick-me-up, as it not only tastes fantastic but its ingredients support mood and mental well-being. Combined with the adaptogenic support of maca and the loving energy of rose, this becomes a true mood booster and delight for your body, mind, and spirit! 

In Closing,

These festive recipes offer many gift-giving options to warm the hearts of your family and friends with a personal and thoughtful touch. They will fill your home with comforting herbal aromas and seasonal cheer for your own heart and mind, too.