A creator whose DIY-making and baking tips regularly go viral has spoken to Happily and shared her Top 10 Christmas snacks!
Rachel Anderson, from Utah, has built up a following of over 150,000 on @created.at.home1 across platforms who turn to her for her quick, clean, simple, but fun snack ideas.
For Rachel, a busy mom, making her snack videos quick and straightforward is all part of her unique approach, as she understands how busy parents can be, so finding time for more elaborate bakes and treats might not be possible.
Rachel discovered her followers’ appetite for Christmas snacks, and so this year, she has made quirky creations, such as raspberry Santa hats, banana snowmen, mini yule logs, and whipped cream Christmas trees.
She said: “As a busy mom, it’s just easier the better, the quicker – to be creative, you don’t always have to be elaborate.
“And it doesn’t have to be expensive, it doesn’t have to be time-consuming.
“You can still have a little moment with your kids if you’re very busy. You can create with your family and really bring them together.
“I think that’s the best part: spending time together.”
Ahead of the festive season, Rachel spoke with us to share her favorite do-it-yourself Christmas snacks, many of which can be made in as little as five to 10 minutes, with items many people already have in their kitchens.
1. Banana Snowman
“It’s really easy. I did these with my daughter, and it’s more of a healthy snack idea, especially for kids. So that one is very easy and just a little bit different than all the sugar you have to eat all year.”
2. Pineapple Christmas Tree
“That one I kind of made on a whim. It’s an idea I had with my mom as a teenager and we were like, oh – if you cut off the stem of a pineapple, it looks like a Christmas tree. So that one’s like my favorite.”
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3. Pretzel Candy Canes
“My girls definitely love this one the most. I had pretzels with chocolate and peppermint, and I was like, if you just stick them together, it can kind of be a little candy cane.”
4. Buche de Noel Mini Cakes
“You just have to go buy a little snack cake from the store. And essentially, you can put powdered sugar, all sorts of candy on top of it, to kind make it look like little cake.
“A lot of people recreated this one. There was a high school French club in Texas that actually did that idea as a little club competition where you decorate your yule log and see who did it the best.”
5. Donut Santa Hats
“You can’t go wrong with donuts, a strawberry, and whipped cream. That’s essentially what it is!”
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6. Raspberry Santa Hats
“This one, I was just excited – put a little chocolate chip on top, and it’s a little Santa hat! And you can decorate them with anything I’ve put on pancakes. You can eat them as a little snack. All you needed was raspberries and white chocolate.”
7. Marshmallow Snowman
“I’m a mom, so I’m thinking, what would kids eat? What’s a fun party snack for them? So that’s where my mind goes usually.”
8. Whipped Cream Christmas Tree
“How can you make hot chocolate a little bit more fun and festive, especially for kids? Well, you can use the peppermint stick as kind of like a stem and just cover it with whipped cream sprinkles, and it’s like a white-green Christmas tree.”
9. Holiday Snack Skewers
“What would be a fun way of eating like an appetizer for the holidays? I just decided to put salad and chunks on a kebab stick with a cheese star on top. It looks more fun and festive than just a bunch of lettuce and dressing on a plate!”
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10. Christmas Tree Wedge Salad
“I was just literally making a salad cutting up a lettuce and I cut it just in a way that I’m like this kind of looked like a Christmas tree if you lay it down right – because it was just cut like a triangle – so then I just started to make it a little more festive. I put a cheese star, and then a piece of bacon as a stem – well, I guess that looks like a Christmas tree-lit salad!”
11. Bonus Recipe: Grinch Punch
“This one definitely had my girls in mind. They loved The Grinch and all the Christmas movies. So, I just make some of their favorite drinks, add some strawberry hearts, and there you have it.”
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