ComScore

Buddy the Elf Dessert Spaghetti and 19 Other Holiday Treats You've Got to Try This Season

PureWow editors select every item that appears on this page, and the company may earn compensation through affiliate links within the story. All prices are accurate upon date of publish. You can learn more about the affiliate process here.

You’ve got enough to cook this holiday season, and oven space is at a premium—particularly in the final minutes before your ugly sweater party or Christmas Eve dinner—so this year, cut yourself a break. Grocery store and bakery shelves are stacked with seasonal takes on your favorite snacks, desserts and drinks. Here are the ones worth trying—either out of sheer deliciousness or their ability to start a conversation (and, potentially, distract your aunt from her annual, “You know what’s wrong with this world?” tirade).

Spaghetti slathered in chocolate syrup, maple syrup and all kinds of candy may not be the most appetizing, but it does contain an elf’s essential food groups, and it’s a fun project to tackle before watching the classic Will Ferrell movie. HelloFresh’s meal kit comes with everything you need to make the dish with full servings for two, but we imagine there’s plenty to share with your whole crew. They’ll be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis from Monday, December 5 through Friday, December 9. Orders will open each day at 12:25 p.m. EST.

Better than a chocolate-covered espresso beans? You bet. (Because in this case, there’s no picking crunchy coffee grounds out of your teeth.) And they’re a mix of milk and dark chocolate, giving you the best of both worlds.

Give Nana’s Chex Mix a break and put out a bowl of this instead. Like the classic Angie’s Boomchickapop, this riff on kettle corn is non-GMO and gluten-free, only it features a hot-chocolate-and-marshmall0w-flavored drizzle.

Your hot chocolate just got an extra-festive upgrade (especially if you garnish your mug with one of these mini gingerbread houses).

Those red and green foil-covered Kisses are a holiday candy dish staple, but this year, it’s time to expand your horizons. Hershey’s sells Grinch-wrapped Kisses and sugar cookie-flavored ones, but we’re partial to the hot cocoa variety, which feature a marshmallow crème filling.

Jones’s Turkey & Gravy soda may get all the attention, but its Sugar Cookie soda is more of a universal crowd-pleaser (and just as much of a conversation starter). The strong scent of vanilla buttercream comes to mind as soon as you pour a glass, and the overall flavor is like a sweeter, almost cotton candy-like cream soda.

Magnolia’s famous banana pudding gets a (more) decadent spin, subbing chunks of red velvet cake for vanilla wafers and adding chocolate shavings to boot. The 64-ounce party bowl serves eight, though even with a smaller crowd, this bucket o’ pudding disappears fast.

Give the classic lunch box snack a seasonal twist with Entenmann’s newest mini muffin flavor. The apple flavor really comes through, tasting like a less-sugary, lighter cider doughnut.

It’s like licking the bowl…minus the salmonella concerns.

The holiday season makes everything sparkle—down to your syrup. This kit comes with buttermilk pancake mix and Supernatural’s plant-based food color kit, so you can make rainbow shortstacks, then top it all off with rainbow and snowflake sprinkles, as well as Runamok Sparkle Syrup (aka pure maple syrup that gets its shimmer from pearlescent mica).

Brach’s wasted no time getting in on the swicy trend, and if you act fast, you can get 144 candy canes that taste like watermelon chili, pineapple chili and mango chili delivered to your door.

Your cocoa can never have enough marshmallows—especially when they’re shaped like tiny snowmen (and taste like French vanilla).

Leave it to Christina Tosi to mastermind a pie that takes you on a roller coaster of flavors and textures (a crisp chocolate crust, topped with ultra-rich vanilla and cocoa caramel that’s topped with fluffy peppermint nougat, drizzled chocolate and salty-sweet chocolate-covered pretzels). The best part, though, is that this limited-edition treat comes with a matching tie dye hoodie, so you’ve got dessert for the party and your Secret Santa gift, all in one.

Psst: Remove the bag and put them on your own tray, and everyone at the cookie swap will think you made your own potato chip clusters this year. We won’t tell.

It looks like a wreath, tastes like a cross between a Danish and a gooey sugar cookie. Oh, and it pairs nicely with coffee and serves 12. What more could you want?

If pumpkin spice is the official flavor of fall, brands are lobbying hard to make hot cocoa the flavor of winter (sorry, peppermint). Here, you can find it in these chocolate-on-chocolate ice cream sandwiches.

It’s an oldie but a goodie. Everyone knows the chocolate-to-peanut-butter ratio (and texture) is just better with these supersized treats.

Your favorite tree-shaped holiday treat, now frozen and pint-shaped. (Psst: It’s vanilla ice cream studded with chunks of vanilla cake and green sprinkles, swirled with red icing.)

19. Mountain Dew Fruit Quake

Mountain Dew

Fruitcake is frightening in all its forms, but maybe least of all as a drink? We’re shocked to say that too, but honestly, Fruit Quake is like a more tropical-flavored Mountain Dew.

The classic holiday movie gets an edible homage (which we can assure you tastes way better than the soap Ralphie's mom made him keep in his mouth after saying a certain expletive). Each pint features mint ice cream with a fudge swirl and crushed cookie and peppermint pieces.


candace davison bio

VP of editorial, recipe developer, kitsch-lover

Candace Davison oversees PureWow's food and home content, as well as its franchises, like the PureWow100 review series and the Happy Kid Awards. She’s covered all things lifestyle...