A great Christmas buffet gives guests 5–6 dishes they can serve themselves, a dessert table, and one signature drink. Below are 25 festive Christmas buffet ideas — appetizers, mains, sides, desserts and drinks — plus how much food to make, how to lay out the table, and how to keep everything safe to eat.
Christmas Buffet Appetizers and Finger Foods
1. Cranberry & Brie Bites. Little puff-pastry cups filled with melted brie and cranberry sauce. They take 20 minutes, look festive, and disappear first at every party.
| Ingredients | Puff pastry, brie, cranberry sauce, rosemary |
|---|---|
| Time | 25 min |
| Serves | 12 people (24 bites) |
| Method | 1. Heat oven to 200°C. 2. Press puff-pastry squares into a mini muffin tin. 3. Add a cube of brie and a spoon of cranberry sauce to each. 4. Bake 12–15 min until golden and bubbling. |
2. Smoked Salmon Blinis. Mini pancakes topped with smoked salmon, a dollop of sour cream, dill and lemon. Light, elegant, and easy to eat standing up.
| Ingredients | Mini blinis, smoked salmon, sour cream, dill, lemon |
|---|---|
| Time | 15 min |
| Serves | 12 people (24 blinis) |
| Method | 1. Warm blinis gently in a dry pan. 2. Top each with smoked salmon. 3. Add sour cream, dill and a squeeze of lemon. |
3. Pigs in Blankets. Cocktail sausages wrapped in streaky bacon, roasted until crisp, served with a honey-mustard dip. A Christmas classic no buffet should skip.
| Ingredients | Cocktail sausages, streaky bacon, honey, mustard |
|---|---|
| Time | 30 min |
| Serves | 12 people (30 pieces) |
| Method | 1. Heat oven to 200°C. 2. Wrap each sausage in bacon. 3. Roast 20–25 min until crisp. 4. Serve with honey-mustard dip. |
4. Stuffed Mushrooms. Button mushrooms filled with garlic, cream cheese, breadcrumbs and parmesan, baked until golden. A warm vegetarian bite that suits every guest.
| Ingredients | Mushrooms, cream cheese, garlic, breadcrumbs, parmesan |
|---|---|
| Time | 35 min |
| Serves | 8 people (24 mushrooms) |
| Method | 1. Heat oven to 190°C. 2. Mix cream cheese, garlic, breadcrumbs and parmesan. 3. Fill mushrooms, bake 20 min until golden. |
5. Cheese & Charcuterie Board. Cheddar, brie and blue cheese with cured meats, grapes, crackers, nuts and chutney. Build it on a big board so guests can graze while the mains are being carved.
| Ingredients | Cheddar, brie, cured meats, grapes, crackers, nuts |
|---|---|
| Time | 15 min |
| Serves | 10–12 people |
| Method | 1. Place cheeses on a big board. 2. Add cured meats, grapes and crackers around them. 3. Fill gaps with nuts and chutney. |
Christmas Buffet Main Dishes
6. Glazed Christmas Ham. A brown-sugar and mustard glaze with cloves, roasted until sticky and golden. Slice it thin at the buffet and let guests help themselves — one ham easily feeds a crowd.
| Ingredients | Ham, brown sugar, mustard, cloves, honey |
|---|---|
| Time | 2 hrs 30 min |
| Serves | 12–15 people |
| Method | 1. Heat oven to 180°C. 2. Score the ham fat, stud with cloves. 3. Brush with brown-sugar and mustard glaze. 4. Roast 2 hrs, glazing every 30 min, until sticky and golden. |
7. Roast Turkey with Herb Butter. The classic Christmas centrepiece. Rub the skin with herb butter, roast until golden, then carve at the table or pre-slice it onto a platter for a buffet line.
| Ingredients | Turkey, butter, herbs, lemon, garlic |
|---|---|
| Time | 3 hrs 30 min |
| Serves | 10–12 people |
| Method | 1. Heat oven to 180°C. 2. Rub turkey with herb butter, lemon and garlic. 3. Roast about 3 hrs until juices run clear. 4. Rest 20 min, then carve. |
8. Beef Wellington Slices. Pre-slice the Wellington into neat portions and serve with horseradish cream. It feels luxurious and is easy to portion at a buffet.
| Ingredients | Beef fillet, puff pastry, mushrooms, prosciutto, mustard |
|---|---|
| Time | 1 hr 30 min |
| Serves | 8 people |
| Method | 1. Sear fillet, brush with mustard. 2. Wrap in mushroom paste and prosciutto, then pastry. 3. Bake at 200°C for 35–40 min. 4. Rest 10 min, slice, serve with horseradish cream. |
9. Honey-Glazed Salmon. A whole salmon side with a honey and mustard glaze, served warm or at room temperature. A lighter main for guests who skip red meat.
| Ingredients | Salmon side, honey, mustard, dill, lemon |
|---|---|
| Time | 30 min |
| Serves | 8–10 people |
| Method | 1. Heat oven to 200°C. 2. Mix honey, mustard, dill and lemon. 3. Brush over salmon, roast 15–18 min until flaky. |
10. Vegetarian Nut Roast. A lentil, nut and cranberry roast that slices cleanly and holds its shape on a buffet plate. Make sure vegetarians get a real main, not just side dishes.
| Ingredients | Lentils, mixed nuts, cranberries, breadcrumbs, herbs |
|---|---|
| Time | 1 hr 15 min |
| Serves | 8 people |
| Method | 1. Heat oven to 180°C. 2. Mix lentils, nuts, cranberries, breadcrumbs and herbs. 3. Press into a lined loaf tin. 4. Bake 45–50 min until firm, then slice. |
Christmas Buffet Side Dishes
11. Roast Potatoes with Rosemary. Crispy on the outside, fluffy inside. Roast a big tray — potatoes are always the first side to run out.
12. Honey-Glazed Carrots & Parsnips. Roasted with honey and thyme until caramelised at the edges. Sweet, colourful, and they hold well in a warming tray.
13. Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Chestnuts. Pan-fried sprouts with crispy bacon and chestnuts. Even sprout sceptics come back for seconds.
14. Cranberry Sauce. Homemade with orange zest, or a good-quality jar. Put it in a small bowl with a spoon — guests will use it on ham, turkey and cheese alike.
15. Sage & Onion Stuffing Squares. Bake stuffing in a tray and cut it into squares for the buffet. Much easier to serve than scooping from a bowl.
16. Green Bean Casserole. Green beans in a creamy mushroom sauce with crispy onions on top. A comforting classic that pairs with every main on this list.
Christmas Buffet Desserts
17. Christmas Pudding with Brandy Butter. The traditional finale. Serve it warm in slices with a spoonful of brandy butter — or offer a lighter steamed sponge for guests who prefer it.
18. Mince Pies. Star-topped mince pies dusted with icing sugar. Bake them the day before and warm them gently before serving.
19. Yule Log (Bûche de Noël). A chocolate sponge roll decorated to look like a log. It is the showpiece of any Christmas dessert table.
20. Gingerbread Cookies. Gingerbread men, stars and trees, decorated with white icing. Bake ahead and let guests take a few home — they double as edible favours.
21. Cranberry Cheesecake. A no-bake cheesecake with a cranberry topping, made the day before and sliced at the table. Creamy, tart and very festive.
Christmas Buffet Drinks
22. Mulled Wine. Red wine warmed with cinnamon, cloves, star anise and orange. Keep it warm in a slow cooker so guests can ladle their own.
23. Hot Chocolate Bar. A big pot of hot chocolate with whipped cream, marshmallows, candy canes and chocolate shavings. Set it up as its own station — it keeps children and adults equally happy. Work out how much to make with our Hot Chocolate Servings Calculator.
24. Cranberry Christmas Punch. Cranberry juice, ginger ale, orange slices and fresh cranberries in a punch bowl. The non-alcoholic hero of the drinks table.
25. Spiced Apple Cider. Apple cider warmed with cinnamon sticks and orange slices. Serve it in a slow cooker with a ladle, next to the mulled wine.
How to Set Up a Christmas Buffet Table
Lay the table out in the order guests will use it: plates first, then appetizers, mains, sides, desserts, and drinks at a separate station so the line never blocks. Put labels on every dish — especially for nuts, gluten and dairy — so guests with allergies can serve themselves safely. Use small plates so people take a little of everything and come back for more, and keep a clear path around the table so nobody gets stuck. A string of warm fairy lights and a pine garland along the table makes the whole spread look festive without taking up serving space — work out how many lights you need with our Christmas Tree Lights Calculator.
How Much Food Do You Need for a Christmas Buffet?
A simple rule: plan about 1 lb (450 g) of total food per person, with 4–6 oz of protein each, 2–3 side dishes and 1–2 desserts per guest. For drinks, allow roughly one cup per person per hour. If you are also serving sandwiches or rice dishes, work out exact quantities with our Sandwich Party Calculator and Rice Per Person Calculator — they tell you how much to buy so nothing runs out and little is wasted.
Christmas Buffet Food Safety
Buffet food safety is simple if you follow the clock. Perishable food should not sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours — after that, throw it away. Keep hot foods at 140°F or warmer in chafing dishes, slow cookers or warming trays, and keep cold foods at 40°F or colder, on ice if they will sit out a while. Serve small platters and replace them with freshly filled ones instead of topping up a half-empty dish. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. The FDA’s full guide is here:
Frequently Asked Questions About Christmas Buffets
How much food do I need per person for a Christmas buffet?
Plan about 1 lb (450 g) of total food per person, including 4–6 oz of protein, 2–3 side dishes and 1–2 desserts. For a group of 20, that is roughly 20 lbs of food in total. Use our Sandwich Party Calculator and Rice Per Person Calculator to work out exact quantities for your guest list.
How long can buffet food sit out?
Perishable buffet food can sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours — or 1 hour if the room is above 90°F. After that, throw it away. Keep hot food at 140°F or warmer and cold food at 40°F or colder, and the clock does not apply while food is properly held hot or cold.
How do I keep buffet food warm?
Use chafing dishes, slow cookers or warming trays, and check that your warmer can actually hold food at 140°F or warmer — some warmers only reach 110–120°F, which is not safe. Serve food in small batches and refill with fresh hot dishes from the oven.
What should I serve at a small Christmas buffet?
For 6–10 guests, one main (a glazed ham or a small turkey), two sides, one dessert and one drink are plenty, plus a couple of appetizers. A small buffet is better than a big one with dishes nobody touches.
Can I prepare Christmas buffet food in advance?
Yes — most of it. Bake gingerbread cookies and mince pies days ahead, make cranberry sauce and cheesecake the day before, and prep vegetables the night before. Roast the turkey and ham on the day, and assemble salads and cold dishes an hour before guests arrive.
What drinks go with a Christmas buffet?
Offer one warm alcoholic drink (mulled wine or spiced cider), one non-alcoholic punch, and a hot chocolate station. That covers every guest, including children and non-drinkers, without needing a full bar.
If you prefer a sit-down meal instead of a buffet, see our Christmas Food Ideas — and browse more recipes in the Recipe category.
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