7 viral TikTok recipes that will make you look like a hosting goddess this festive season.

Whether you have a houseful of guests on Christmas Day, a fancy Galsmas lunch to organise or simply a hyper-critical mother-in-law whose approval you unhealthily seek due to unresolved people-pleasing tendencies and a fear of confrontation (I digress), we're all going to need some show-stopping Christmas recipes to pull out of the Santa hat this year. 

But, in the year of our lord 2024, in the midst of a cozzy livs crisis with end-of-year burnout nipping at our heels, we also want those recipes to be easy. Or, at least, achievable in a small window of time. 

Enter: TikTok, that great whirling algorithm of hacks and tips to make our lives easier. 

In the spirit of giving, we've sorted through the tsunami of Christmas food content to pull out the viral recipes that will yield the best results (for the lowest amount of effort) for you this silly season. 

Watch: When do you put your Christmas tree up? Post continues below.

1. Snowman Chocolate Bark

Effort level: 1 out of 5

Reward level: 3 out of 5

Best for: Daycare Christmas party bring-a-plate

We love a recipe that doesn't even need an oven, and this one is pretty much as simple as it gets. You can panic-buy the ingredients and have a finished product ready to eat within a couple of hours - including refrigeration time. 

@fitwaffle

Snowman chocolate bark Christmas Kitchen Ep 2 #christmas #christmasideas #christmasbaking #chocolate

♬ It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Andy Williams

2. Scramington Wreath 

Effort level: 3 out of 5

Reward level: 5 out of 5

Best for: Office Christmas party bring-a-plate

We love a treat that can be thrown together using items from the Woolies bakery table, and this one's giving fancy festive centrepiece on a bogan budget. Heaven!

@tigga_mac

IT’S A SCRAMINGTON WREATH! 🤤 Not even joking, this turned out way better than expected. DELISH!! #tiggamac #okiedokie #dessert #caketok #drool #cakevideo #lamingtons #christmas #wreath #cakedecorator #aussie

♬ original sound - Tigga Maccormack

3. Snowman Cupcakes

Effort level: 3 out of 5

Reward level: 5 out of 5

Best for: Christmas Day dessert table 

OK, these definitely take a teensy bit more effort than your average cupcake, but the trick for shaping the cupcakes is far simpler and more effective than I'd thought. If you're not super confident with icing you can swap the frosting scarf for a sour strap lolly cut thin to fit - the result is equally adorable and crowd-pleasing.

@cakedbyrach

Snowman cupcakes ⛄️⛄️ #cupcake #snowman #christmastreats #bakinghacks #cakedecorating #christmastiktok

♬ Sleigh Ride - Lindsey Stirling

4. Christmas Tree Mozzarella Balls

Effort level: 2 out of 5

Reward level: 4 out of 5

Best for: Christmas party appetisers 

A bag of Bega Stringers and a couple of pre-made pizza dough balls from the supermarket will have you set for this impactful appetiser, which I guarantee will be gobbled up within minutes. Hot tip: when transferring it out of the oven to a serving board, use two spatulas to angle it off so that the balls don't separate. 

@kitchenpro_

Easy christmas app recipie!🎄🤤 Thank you, @Feel Good Foodie 🔥 #christmasapps #christmasappetizerrecipe #christmasappetizers #appetizerecipes #appitizerrecipe #hollidayfood #hollidaysvibes #holidayready #holidayrecipeideas #holidayapps #holidayapp

♬ original sound - KitchenPro

5. Cranberry & Brie Puff Pastry Bites

Effort level: 2 out of 5

Reward level: 4 out of 5

Best for: Christmas Eve hors d'oeuvres

If you've never met a brie you didn't like, prepare to fall in love. Rather than hovering around the communal cheese wheel, your guests can be elegantly popping bite-sized bits of lighter-than-air pastry into their mouths, filled with the festive flavours of nuts and cranberry sauce to boot. Sure to impress and easy as pie to make, expect these to enter permanently into your yuletide repertoire. 

@mirandabrady_

cranberry & brie were made for each other 🤌🏻 #bakedbrie #easysnacks #christmasrecipes

♬ original sound - Miranda

6. Viral Holiday Bark

Effort level: 3 out of 5

Reward level: 5 out of 5

Best for: Homemade Christmas gift

First step: lolly section in the supermarket. Second step: compile. This holiday bark gives serious bang for buck because it looks SO FANCY (and weirdly satisfying when you get to do the fun swirly skewer trick). 

@nikkiajoy

Trying the viral Holiday Chocolate Bark😱🍫 It’s sooooo good🤤 #holidays #holidayseason #holidayfood #holidaybaking #foodtok #christmas #recipe ib: @Laura88Lee

♬ Sleigh Bells (PhatCap! Trap Remix) - Ronettes

7. Puff Pastry Christmas Trees

Effort level: 3 out of 5

Reward level: 4 out of 5

Best for: Christmas brunch 

The only real effort you'll expend on these bad boys is arranging them into perfect Christmas tree shapes on the skewers, which is why I recommend making a double batch for when you inevitably create a few wonky versions. Besides that, these crunchy, melty, savoury bites taste even better than they look. 

@ohsobusymum_

Did someone say puff pastry Christmas trees? They are super easy to make and look fantastic. #christmas #christmasrecipes #christmasrecipe #christmastree #puffpastry #recipe

♬ Christmas song "Let's decorate" - 3KTrack

Feature image: @kitchenpro_/@cakedbyrach/@mirandabrady_ TikTok.