10 Best Christmas Market Eats

If you’re headed to European Christmas Markets, then you must try these 10 Best Christmas Market Eats!

I recently traveled to Europe with a few of my favorite food and travel bloggers to take in some of Europe’s best Christmas Markets. Over 12 days we collectively visited 7 countries! We visited Christmas markets in Reims, France; Vienna, Austria; Budapest, Hungary; Bratislava, Slovakia; Basel, Switzerland; Heidelberg, Germany; and Prague, Czech Republic.

Here’s a little video of my picks of 10 Best Christmas Market Eats!

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On this trip, we saw many beautiful sites, had a ton of laughs and ate some pretty amazing food! Here are my top 10 foods you must taste when visiting European Christmas markets!

10 Best Christmas Market Eats

Chimney Cakes

Another market staple was Chimney Cakes, although they are, of course, called something different in each location. Chimney Cakes are from Budapest, Hungary and I was lucky enough to taste my very first Chimney Cake there. They’re made by winding thin strips of dough around a cylinder and roasting over an open fire. As they roast they get a coating of cinnamon sugar or sugar and almonds. The almond variety is my favorite!

Gingerbread

Each market we visited had amazing Gingerbread Cookies. Some were hanging from Christmas trees, some hanging by colorful ribbon, and some just packaged simply in clear cellophane. The gingerbread will vary in size, shape, and icing design but they all have 1 thing in common: they are all completely delicious! I picked up a tin full of Gingerbread Cookies to take home for my kids. They LOVED eating these beautifully decorated cookies.

Hot Cider and Kinder Punch (Kinderpunsch)

Every single Christmas market will have a variety of hot drinks. Everything from mulled wine, to mulled mead and everything in between. For the kiddos and non-drinkers like me, they have hot apple cider and my favorite, Kinder Punch (Kinderpunsch)! Kinder Punch is a mix of juice that varies from market to market but generally is made with hibiscus herbal tea, orange juice, apple juice, cherry juice, and some spices like cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise.

Smoked Cheese

I cannot look at these pictures without salivating! If I had to pick my all-time favorite market eat, then this Smoked Cheese would be it. Let me break it down for you: divinely smoked handmade fresh cheese that’s melted into well-seasoned cast iron molds and cooked until solid and very lightly browned. They’re served on slices of rye bread with a slathering of fresh forest berry jam on top. With every bite, you get all three elements: rye bread, smoked cheese, and forest jam. In one word it’s simply HEAVENLY!

Pretzels

When you’re visiting Christmas markets in Austria, Germany or Switzerland you MUST order a pretzel because these countries are pretzel experts! They’re crisp but still chewy, and they come in a variety of flavors.

Langos

When I entered my first European Christmas market, the one food that caught my eye immediately was the Langos! Being a New England girl they looked like fried dough and since it’s been ages since I’ve lived in New England, I knew I just had to try them! We ordered Langos with sour cream and grated cheese, and one with pesto and grated cheese. Both were absolutely incredible and I loved both toppings. Grab a friend to share one of these Langos with because they are HUGE!

Roasted Ham

American amusement parks have roasted turkey legs and European Christmas Markets have roasted hams! These hams are slow-roasted over an open flame which makes anything taste good! You can order slices of the ham or have it served on slices of bread with grainy mustard.

Roasted Chestnuts & Candied Nuts

Nothing beats hot nuts on a cold day. When you’re walking around a Christmas market you’ll probably smell the candied nuts before you see them. They smell heavenly and taste just as good!

If candied nuts aren’t your thing, then I highly recommend fresh roasted Chestnuts! They’re meaty and they also double as hand warmers! I threw a couple into my gloves and my hands instantly warmed right up!

Potato Pancakes

Ah, Potato Pancakes! The ones pictured above are from a market in Prague and they just speak to my little Polish heart! They’re cooked until golden and delicious and then covered with crème Fraiche, forest berry jam, and a light dusting of powdered sugar. Delicious!

Bubble Waffles

Bubble Waffles are made on well-seasoned cast iron grates and then filled with whipped cream, Nutella, berries, and cookies. They are well worth the calories!

So many yummy things to eat, right?! Which of these 10 Best Christmas Market Eats do you want to try?