There’s something about homemade bread that makes a holiday gathering feel extra special, especially when it’s filled with cranberries, crunchy nuts, or colorful candied fruit.
I love having something savory to serve with these make-ahead Thanksgiving side dishes, and a festive pull-apart bread is always a hit alongside Christmas appetizers for a crowd.
If you’re serving one of these holiday ham recipes, a warm bread wreath is a lovely addition too.
Here are 19 holiday bread recipes for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, from fruit-filled loaves to cheesy pull-apart favorites.
1. Pistachio Cranberry Wreath Recipe by King Arthur Baking
This beautiful Christmas bread combines a soft, buttery dough with pistachio filling and sweet-tart cranberries. Twisted into a festive wreath and finished with chopped pistachios, it has gorgeous red and green colors that make it a wonderful Christmas breakfast centerpiece.
2. Walnut and Candied Cherry Loaf Recipe by Lord Byron’s Kitchen
This colorful holiday loaf is packed with crunchy walnuts and bright red and green candied cherries. It’s moist, sweet, and easy to slice, making it perfect for Christmas brunch or homemade gifts. The colorful cherries make every slice look especially festive.
3. Bolo Rei – Portuguese Christmas Kings Cake Recipe by Wandercooks
This traditional Portuguese Christmas bread is shaped into a beautiful ring and filled with dried fruit, candied fruit, and crunchy nuts. Its rich, lightly sweet dough and colorful fruit decorations make it a lovely centerpiece for Christmas and New Year’s celebrations.
4. Easy Christmas Monkey Bread Recipe by The Kitchen Magpie
This festive monkey bread combines soft pieces of biscuit dough with cinnamon, brown sugar, crunchy pecans, and colorful candied cherries. It’s a fun, easy pull-apart bread that looks beautiful on a Christmas breakfast table and doesn’t require making dough from scratch.
5. Pumpkin Bread Recipe by Once Upon a Chef
Moist, tender, and filled with warm fall spices, this homemade pumpkin bread is a delicious addition to your Thanksgiving baking plans. Made with pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, it’s perfect for holiday breakfasts, afternoon coffee, or sharing with family.
6. Christmas Couronne Recipe by Jamie Oliver
This stunning Christmas bread is shaped into a braided wreath and filled with dried cranberries, cherries, nuts, and citrus flavors. It’s rich, fruity, and beautifully decorated, making it a wonderful option when you want a holiday bread that feels extra special.
7. Easy Garlic Parmesan Knots Recipe by Damn Delicious
These buttery garlic Parmesan knots are an easy way to add homemade-style bread to your holiday menu. Made with refrigerated pizza dough, they’re brushed with garlic butter and topped with Parmesan and herbs. Perfect for Christmas appetizers or New Year’s gatherings.
8. Cheesy Garlic Monkey Bread Recipe by Spend With Pennies
If you love warm, cheesy bread, this savory monkey bread is a must-try. Pieces of biscuit dough are coated with garlic butter, cheese, and herbs before baking. Everyone can pull apart their own piece, making it perfect for holiday parties.
9. Christmas Wreath Bread Recipe by Sumi’s Culinary Notes
This savory Christmas wreath is filled with spinach pesto, cheddar cheese, Parmesan, and red bell pepper. The colorful green and red filling looks beautiful against the golden bread, making it a festive option for Christmas appetizers or a holiday dinner table.
10. Orange Glazed Cranberry Bread Recipe by Sally’s Baking
Fresh cranberries and bright orange flavor make this sweet bread especially lovely for Christmas. It has a moist, tender crumb, a cinnamon streusel topping, and a sweet orange glaze. Slice it for holiday breakfast or wrap it as a homemade gift.
11. Eggnog Bread Recipe by Love From The Oven
This easy eggnog bread brings a little Christmas flavor to every slice. Made with eggnog and warm nutmeg, it has a soft texture and a sweet eggnog glaze. It’s a wonderful option for Christmas morning, holiday brunch, or edible gifts.
12. Gingerbread Loaf Recipe by The Recipe Critic
This gingerbread loaf is full of cozy Christmas flavors, including molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. The soft, spiced bread is finished with a rich cream cheese frosting. It’s a delicious holiday treat to serve with coffee or hot chocolate.
13. Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Christmas Tree Recipe by Betty Crocker
This Christmas tree-shaped bread is as festive as it is delicious. Refrigerated biscuit dough is filled with cheese, arranged into a tree, and brushed with seasoned garlic butter. Serve it warm with pizza sauce for a fun Christmas party appetizer.
14. Star Bread Recipe by Sally’s Baking
This gorgeous star-shaped bread is made from layers of soft dough filled with cinnamon sugar and twisted into a beautiful festive design. It looks impressive on a Christmas brunch table, with golden points that everyone can pull apart and enjoy.
15. Panettone (Italian Christmas Bread) Recipe by Bigger Bolder Baking
Panettone is a traditional Italian Christmas bread with a light, fluffy texture and a rich, buttery flavor. This homemade version features dried fruit and citrus notes. It takes a little planning, but the step-by-step instructions make the process approachable.
16. Cherry & Chocolate Vasilopita Recipe by Dimitra’s Dishes
This traditional Greek New Year’s bread has a soft, buttery dough filled with sweet cherries, chocolate, and fresh orange zest. Finished with sliced almonds and baked into a beautiful round loaf, it’s a lovely way to celebrate the beginning of a new year.
17. Overnight Cinnamon Rolls Recipe by Tastes Better From Scratch
These soft, homemade cinnamon rolls are perfect for Christmas morning because much of the preparation happens the night before. Filled with buttery cinnamon sugar and topped with cream cheese frosting, they’re a wonderful treat to share over a relaxed holiday breakfast.
18. Holiday Breakfast Wreath Recipe by The Kitchn
This festive breakfast wreath brings something special to your Christmas brunch table. The sweet bread is shaped into a beautiful wreath and filled with cranberries and almonds. It’s a lovely choice when you want a homemade holiday breakfast centerpiece.
19. Christmas Sprinkle Buttermilk Bread Recipe by No. 2 Pencil
This colorful Christmas bread is soft, buttery, and filled with festive red and green sprinkles. Finished with a sweet glaze and even more colorful sprinkles, it’s a wonderful quick bread for Christmas breakfast, holiday brunch, or sharing as a homemade gift.
Whether you’re planning Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas brunch, or a New Year’s celebration, there’s a homemade bread here for every occasion.
I always think one good bread recipe can make a holiday meal feel a little more special. Choose a savory favorite for the dinner table or bake something sweet to enjoy with your morning coffee.
And don’t forget to save a few slices for the next day!
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