Last minute ring-ins for your Christmas table.

Christmas is just a few days away and – to be completely honest – if you don’t already have your menu for the day locked in, now is the time to start panicking!

Most of us plan our Christmas lunch or dinner well in advance, but there’s always going to be some last minute tweaks needed. Just found out you’ve got a vegan guest coming to dine? Need to feed a few more people than you expected? Or maybe you’re invited to a last-minute boxing day luncheon?

Whatever the reason, it always pays to be prepared with extra sides and sweets that can be thrown together at a moment’s notice.

We’re rounded up some of our best last minute ring-in dishes for the holiday season, guaranteed to impress your family and friends. Avoid the store-bought cakes, and keep these recipes up your sleeve – they’re all super easy to make, and are packed with healthy nutritious ingredients.

Gingerbread men

A little sweet, a little spicy, and so much fun to make. Get the kids involved on Christmas Eve, and you’ll be busy snacking on these Gingerbread Men throughout the holidays.

Chocolate chia brownies

Made with sweet potato and coconut flour, these brownies are the perfect dessert or afternoon tea treat for your gluten free guests.

Chia crusted sweet potato wedges

These wedges are a crunchy, delicious side dish that’s perfect for your vegan guests – simply serve the parmesan as an additional topping to keep everyone happy. You can also replace the chia oil with another vegetable oil if need be.

Chia Eggnog

It wouldn’t be winter without Eggnog! Impress your Christmas guests with this modern spin on tradition, made with maple syrup, chia seeds, and dark rum.

Cauliflower, chia and amaranth mash

Never had mashed Cauliflower? You can thank us later. This creamy side dish is super simple to make, with just three ingredients.

Chia and quinoa stuffing

This dish works just as well as a vegetarian side dish as it does for stuffing your turkey or chicken.

Chia custard with cardamom

Custard it always a favorite on the Christmas dessert spread and this version is creamy, subtly spiced and enriched with chia.