Holiday Flavors to Use This Season in Your Restaurant
McKenzie Richards / Holiday, Restaurant Tips / November 10

Winter is right around the corner, and that means the beginning of multiple holiday seasons to celebrate. Food is a big part of the season, so creating a holiday menu for your restaurant is a good way to bring in more customers. If you’re serious about revamping your offerings, this list of holiday flavors for restaurants will give you the inspiration you need to create some holiday magic that’s sure to impress your guests.
Gingerbread
Forever associated with Christmas, gingerbread is a staple this time of year. From gingerbread cookies to cakes and coffee, it’s absolutely everywhere. Gingerbread can be used in a multitude of warm drinks and desserts, and adds a “Home for the Holidays” touch to any menu. So consider incorporating it into cheesecakes, mini gingerbread loaves, coffee drinks and more.
Praline
Praline has snuck up on the flavor scoreboard and has been found in coffee creamers, syrups, ice cream flavors and more. Cookie flavors are a time-honored tradition for winter holidays, but shaking things up with praline can help you shine bright next to the sugar cookies. Try serving nutty-tasting praline confections on the menu or mix it in with other desserts like adding crushed praline into pie crusts.
All Things Cookie
From cookie butter to sugar cookies to cookie dough and snickerdoodles, these cookie-based flavors provide a rich baked good quality to lattes, cold brews and desserts. This sweet and creamy flavor profile has become immensely popular in recent years.
Especially popular in coffee drinks, cookie flavors evoke those cozy vibes that only your grandma’s kitchen could produce. These flavors can even be incorporated into after dinner cocktails. Or, if you’d like to keep things simple, you can offer your own homemade cookie butter concoctions or your signature cookies on your menu as an easy treat for guests to enjoy.
Brûlée
Creamy and rich, crème brûlée has been popping up on drink menus during the winter holiday season. Brûlée mixes vanilla and caramel to be the perfect mash-up of two classic flavors. This dessert is always a classic one that people gravitate towards, making the flavor a staple and well-known option to have around. Try changing it up with some caramel brûlée syrup in cocktails or coffee so guests can drink their sweet treats.
Eggnog

Eggnog’s a perfect flavor to use in decadent cocktails.
Another classic holiday flavor is eggnog, popular for its incorporation of festive spices and its creamy texture. Not only can you drink eggnog, but you can also add it to just about every item on your dessert menu! Use it to make indulgent pancakes or French toast for breakfast-lovers, spike it for happy hour, or incorporate it into frosting on some festive desserts.
Peppermint
No holiday menu is complete without at least a dash of peppermint. This sweet, frosty flavor is the perfect treat to enjoy during the cold winter months, evoking images of snowy Christmas mornings. Pair peppermint with chocolate in a variety of ways, from mochas to hot chocolate and desserts. Incorporate peppermint schnapps into your cocktail specials and compliment them with a mini candy cane. You can even use peppermint as a garnish for that added festive flair.
Cranberry
Cranberry is often the unsung hero of the holidays, but its sweet and tart flavor is an excellent compliment to many savory dishes. Cranberry also pairs exceptionally well with orange, and can be used on cooked ham for a tangy glaze. You can also use cranberries and oranges to make delicious scones. While cranberry can hold its own, it definitely works well with others, so try pairing it with other flavors like apple, cinnamon, maple or even gingerbread.

Cranberry pairs well with other holiday flavors like white chocolate.
Hazelnut
Hazelnut has always been a popular flavor for the colder months. From nut spreads to coffee syrups, this festive flavor can be added to almost any menu item. Add a crunch to any dish by incorporating chopped hazelnuts to the recipe or offer hazelnut coffee to go along with the after-dinner dessert. Hazelnut spreads or nuts can be added to cookies, scones, cakes, rolled cakes and more. They add a new layer of flavor to those sweet treats.
Chestnut
An oldie but a goodie, chestnuts have been associated with the holiday season for decades, but are often overshadowed by some of the other aforementioned flavors. Perfect for both sweet and savory dishes, use chestnuts in dishes like soup, dressing, cakes and even in lattes or hot chocolate. Or, if you really want to throw it back, offer roasted chestnuts for that classic Nat King Cole Christmas touch.
Cloves
The flavor of warmth, cloves are a great spice to add if you are looking for a cinnamon alternative. This warm spice is used in chai and with orange during the holiday season to really pack a punch in drinks and food. Offer chai lattes and hot toddies that are filled with the spicy and soothing flavor of cloves. Or try grinding the spice down to add it to any pie or dessert. For the dessert menu, add cloves to spiced cake along with the usual spices or throw it in gingersnap cookies to give them a little more kick. Clove mixes well with cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg, if you are looking to slowly add it into the recipe.
Cinnamon
A warm spice in a hot drink is just the right flavor you need to keep warm when the winter season strikes. Cinnamon is a traditional winter spice that has brought many winter dishes from bland to sweet and spicy. Cinnamon is great by itself or has been paired with a variety of other warm spices, like cloves, ginger, nutmeg, fennel and more. Find cinnamon in chai flavored beverages and mixes, or in a variety of coffee syrups. It can be sprinkled on top of pies and desserts to add a little bit of color and flavor.
White Chocolate
White chocolate pairs beautifully with a whole host of drinks and desserts from classic white mocha lattes to coated eggnog truffles. This flavor adds a light creaminess that’s akin to sweetened milk but isn’t overpowering. White chocolate can also accompany many of the other flavors mentioned in this list.