When the weather outside is frightening, it’s best to hunker down and spend the holiday season’s chilly days inside watching your favorite classic Christmas movies. And if there’s anything that goes well with both the festive season and Christmas movies, it’s seasonal treats and snacks. Christmas cookies are always a solid option, but why not snag some snacks that match your movies to make the movie-watching experience more immersive? Whether you’re looking to watch little Kevin torture Christmastime burglars in Home Alone, enjoy animated classics like Frosty the Snowman and the Grinch, or chase Buddy around New York City in Elf, here are the perfect movie snack pairings for 12 of your favorite Christmas movies.
1. Home Alone
It’s snack time, ya filthy animal. Home Alone is the perfect excuse to scrap cooking for the night and order a pizza and break out some soda, or cuddle up with some microwaveable mac and cheese. For dessert, or for breakfast (that would truly be in the style of Kevin), whip up some ice cream sundaes with all the fixings — multiple scoops of ice cream topped with giant marshmallows, chocolate syrup, cherries, and whipped cream.
2 & 3. The Santa Clause & The Polar Express
Judy’s hot chocolate from The Santa Clause and the hot chocolate from Polar Express are some of those movie foods that sound like a must try. But since you can’t get a sip of her recipe that took 1200 years to perfect or watch men dance around with a hot chocolate machine, a hot mug of hot chocolate from a packet will do the trick. Though if you have a little time, homemade hot chocolate is totally worth the effort.
The classic milk and cookies combination would also be an option for The Santa Clause — you don’t need to be turning into Santa to enjoy. And while the main character gets his bell in Polar Express, consider snacking on jingle bell cake pops.
4. A Charlie Brown Christmas
While the Peanuts are catching snowflakes on their tongues, try enjoying some snow-themed treats like snowflake cookies or scoops of vanilla ice cream (what are scoops of ice cream if not sweet snowballs?). You could also go for Snowman treats like snowman marshmallows or hurl some Holiday Hostess Snoballs not at a can but into your mouth. Or maybe you’re uninterested in the snow and want to focus on asking Santa for money like Sally, in which case break out some chocolate coins or millionaire shortbread.
5. Elf
You can’t watch Elf and not eat snacks from the four elven food groups of candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrups. So pull out your favorite Christmas candies, be it Reese’s trees or gumdrops, suck on some candy canes, or enjoy maple-flavored treats and you’ll fit right in with Buddy. Or if you’re itching for something more savory, try a nice pasta dinner complete with Coca Cola. Just maybe don’t put syrup and candy on top of your noodles.
6. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is a drinking movie — an eggnog drinking movie, that is. Grab up your wackiest mugs, whether they’re Christmas-themed or just a funny mug you have sitting around, and pour yourself some eggnog, alcoholic or not. And if you’re in need of something to eat, perhaps try out things that go well with jelly — toast, biscuits, cheese and crackers — in honor of Griswold’s big bonus of a subscription to Jelly of the Month Club.
7. White Christmas
It’s only fitting to make finger sandwiches for your White Christmas watch. Try out a ham and cheese on rye, turkey, liverwurst, or a classic club. You could also go for hotdogs, which might not be as good not roasted over a fire pit but will still hit the spot. Or, if you want to lean more into the essence of the movie, you could whip up a charcuterie board of exclusively white foods while hoping for a real white Christmas.
8. How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
It’s time to feast and feast and feast on your own version of Whooville feast — quickly now, before the Grinch can get his grubby hands on it. The Whos feast includes Who pudding, roast beast, and Who hash, so go for roast beef finger sandwiches or hash browns for something savory, or pudding for something sweet. Bananas would be a funny option, though probably best to avoid any with a greasy black peel.
9. The Muppets Christmas Carol
The Muppets Christmas Carol calls for a smorgasbord of small snacks, as there are many little treats throughout the movie. Throw together bowls of apples, grapes, cheese cubes, nuts, and jelly beans and nosh your way through the movie. If you want to include goodies from the feast scene, add deli turkey, bread rolls, and red jello.
10. Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer
As you join Rudolf and Hermey on their adventure, consider noshing on foods to follow Ruldoph’s red nose through your movie night, like cherries or tomato and mozzarella skewers, or red candies if you’re looking to support Hermey’s dentistry dreams. Or enjoy reindeer-themed treats like reindeer pretzels or reindeer bark.
11. Love Actually
As you settle down with Love Actually, you can enjoy these snacks that you might love, actually. You can’t not have chocolate-covered cookies. Then there’s the banoffee pie, which you could make but if making a whole pie is too much work (the holiday season is busy!), then try it deconstructed by topping graham crackers with dulce de leche or caramel and bananas. Given that the movie takes place in England, it would also be appropriate to enjoy some mince pie. Basically, this movie is an excuse to have yourself some pie.
12. Frosty the Snowman
Before you get stuck singing the movie’s catchy tune, try enjoying some snowman-inspired ingredients like carrots and ranch for the nose and (yes, Frosty’s nose is a button but carrots are a classic) and black munchies like olives, dark chocolate chips, or oreos for the coal mouth and eyes. Spritz cookies could be good for the flower atop Frosty’s magic hat. You could also pick up snowman Peeps or make homemade Frostys (or just milkshakes) for both the namesake and a tasty take on Frosty’s…demise.