I would be lying if I said I didn’t anticipate all the delicious food the Christmas season brings, especially the sweets. My grandmother makes a German chocolate cake each Christmas that truly tastes as though it came from heaven. It’s delish!
Besides indulging my sweet tooth, I always enjoy the simple, nostalgic times while making cookies with my family… or, in my world, while eating cookie dough and watching everyone else make cookies.
If you’re looking for ways to incorporate Christ into your baking as you celebrate His birth with loved ones, I have a few special ideas to try:
1. Bake Jesus’ Birthday Cake
What is a birthday without a cake? What is a celebration without the candles and icing? Just as we decorate and personalize cakes for each other’s birthdays, why not get the family together to make a homemade cake that reads “Happy Birthday, Jesus!”? Of course, we can’t put an age on our eternal God, but feel free to decorate the cake with candles, edible confetti, fun-colored icing, and all the trimmings that make celebrating His birthday extra sweet!
I encourage you to bake the cake on Christmas Eve. Then, on Christmas Day, break out the cake first thing in the morning or after Christmas lunch or dinner, and have everyone sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus. This tradition is sure to add special meaning to the joy behind celebrating the birth of Christ!
2. Use Nativity Scene Cookie Cutters
Perhaps I’ve never looked hard enough, but this is the first time in my 30+ years of celebrating Christmas that I have found nativity scene cookie cutters. I’m thrilled to introduce them to my toddler this Christmas season. In addition to the traditional snowman, Santa, and reindeer, add nativity scene cookie cutters to the mix. Break out the yellow icing for hay and the edible pearl sprinkles to decorate the wise men’s robes.
If your family feels ambitious, have each member decorate one to two nativity cookies to complete the entire scene. No doubt, it will be a beautiful sight to see all the decorated cookies together, creating the perfect picture of what Christmas is all about.
3. Explain the Christian Meaning of the Candy Cane
There are plenty of Christmas desserts that include a peppermint twist, so use this unique flavor to share with your family the true meaning of the candy cane, explaining the white and red colors as Christ’s purity and blood, and the shape of the candy cane as a shepherd’s staff and the letter “J” for “Jesus.”
(The Legend of the Candy Cane is a beautiful children’s Christmas book that illustrates these details.)
4. Donate Homemade Desserts
There are so many places in your local community that could use a little extra Christmas cheer this holiday season. Find out if a nearby nursing home, food pantry, or women’s and children’s shelter could use some freshly baked goods. Consider if your local fire department, police station, or church staff could use a sweet surprise like this.
Wrap your desserts in individual baggies with a bit of festive twine, and include an encouraging note with the goods to let recipients know you are thinking of them and praying for them this Christmas.
5. Do a Gingerbread House Makeover
Why not take all of those gumdrops and sprinkles and transform a typical gingerbread house into a gingerbread nativity scene? Your family can bring extra supplies to the table if they wish, like toy animals or pieces of cloth.
Be as creative as you want, and for an extra festive twist, hold a competition to see who makes the best gingerbread nativity!
6. Present Christian Truths While Baking “Secular” Sweets
As someone who comes from a controlling church culture with unbiblical, strict rules, it took years for me to recognize that we can see the gospel in certain aspects of secular things. Not all secular things are “bad.”
Consider Dr. Seuss’s Grinch, a vintage Christmas character, whose story isn’t religious; yet, the tale presents undeniably Christian virtues, such as repentance, forgiveness, and joy.
If you’re making Grinch punch or baking cookies for Santa, share the positive virtues these characters and their stories display. Allow these moments as opportunities to remind your children of the beauty of the gospel.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
7. Host a Baked Goods Sale and Donate Proceeds
Everyone loves a good bake sale, especially during the holidays. See if your child’s classroom, Sunday School group, youth group, or soccer team wants to come together to host a bake sale. The proceeds from the bake sale can be donated to a non-profit or church that needs it most this Christmas season.
Discover which organization everyone feels led to serve, and draft a list of who is baking what. Make sure everyone knows how many of each item to bake. Once everyone’s desserts are ready, host a mini party where everyone comes together to package their goods before the sale.
8. Invite a Family in Need into Your Home for a Night of Sweets
It’s one thing to donate a turkey or honey-baked ham to a family in need, especially if you’re cutting a check or paying a non-profit to make the delivery for you. But what if you allow your family to get a little uncomfortable this year and actually invite a family in need into your home to enjoy the turkey, ham, and sweet treats?
We often forget that the gospel isn’t always comfortable. It shatters stereotypes and fosters vulnerability, allowing people to understand their need for God’s grace and forgiveness. What better way to live this truth for your family than to open your heart and home to people you might not otherwise engage with?
Of course, it’s best not to invite them over by saying, “because you’re in need” or “I know you can’t afford a nice meal this year,” but what if there’s a family in your church or at your child’s school who is struggling, and you invite them to be part of your family’s dinner one evening? You don’t have to be their best friend to be their support, encouragement, and example of Christ.
9. Bake Cookies for Delivery People
Our family has several close friends who work for UPS and Amazon, and they have expressed not only how hectic this season is, but how unkind coworkers and customers can be. In a matter of weeks, they must deliver everyone’s Christmas packages, including those for overnight and last-minute orders. They drive on icy roads, endure late nights, and fight traffic to ensure a stranger’s box gets delivered on time. Friends, during the holiday season, this is truly a servant’s work.
Consider baking homemade treats for your postman or delivery person. Please place them in individual baggies in a basket and set them by your front porch or wherever you have your packages delivered. Leave an encouraging thank-you note. (Consider adding water bottles or homemade ornaments to make this gift even more special.)
10. Invite the Holy Spirit into All Baking
In a world that’s groaning for Jesus and His goodness (even if it doesn’t realize it), what better way to invite Him into your home than through the simple, everyday things?
Ask for the Holy Spirit’s presence to fill your family’s hearts as you bake cookies, sing carols, and decorate the tree.
Baking with Purpose
You don’t have to prepare a sermon or even a devotional to remind your family of how much love, joy, and goodness are wrapped up in the gospel that began with the Baby wrapped up in a manger.
Grab some dough, sprinkles, and your favorite cookbook, and allow Christ’s joy to flow through you as you show your family how to bake with purpose.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/ hobo_018
