‘Tis the Season: What’s Cooking this Christmas

As we trade turkey and cranberry sauce for candy canes and twinkling lights, households across the country are gearing up for another food-centric celebration: Christmas! Using Instacart data from 2024, we explored the festive food trends taking center stage on Americans’ dinner tables during the most wonderful time of the year.

Deck the Carts

While every household has its own holiday traditions, one theme stands out: rich red meats are the star of many Christmas spreads. The share of purchases for Ribeye Roasts (+2,238%), Prime Rib (+1,909%), and Tenderloin Roasts (+898%) all surged two days before Christmas compared to the yearly average.

And what’s Christmas without a little debate? Enter fruitcake: the polarizing dessert that sweeps dessert spreads nationwide. Love it or hate it, purchases of the dense holiday classic jump 986% in the final days before Christmas. Sweet treats and baking staples also fill carts, from Gingerbread Cookies (+790%) to Dried Anise (+438%), the signature spice behind Italian Anisette, Springerle, and Pfeffernüsse cookies.

Beefing Up the Holidays 

Given Ribeye Roasts’ starring role on the holiday table, we looked at how demand for this prime cut fluctuates throughout the year. In 2024, Ribeye purchases spiked on March 31 (Easter), then remained steady until late fall. Starting around Thanksgiving, orders ticked up as some cooks sought to complement their turkey with a hearty red-meat option. From mid-December onward, demand soared, peaking right around Christmas Day, with another notable bump around New Year’s Eve. 

The Great Eggnog Debate

Whether you’re pouring yourself a cool glass or warming a batch for the family, Eggnog remains a beloved - if divisive - Christmas classic. With its blend of cinnamon and nutmeg, it’s hard to imagine the holidays without it… even if not everyone agrees it’s delicious.

Love it or leave it, Americans clearly embrace Eggnog when December rolls around. The share of orders surged 1,244% on Christmas Eve, confirming its status as a true seasonal favorite. And when it comes to Eggnog devotion, New England leads the way in order share compared to the national average: New Hampshire (+100%), Vermont (+91%), and Maine (+76%) top the list, with Wyoming and Oregon tied for fourth (+67%).

“Eggnog is one of those holiday staples that is deeply associated with Christmas time, and also surprisingly polarizing,” said Alex Orellana, Instacart’s Trends Analyst. “It’s fascinating to see how much enthusiasm builds around it each December, especially in New England, where the tradition clearly runs deep. Whether you’re adding it to your cart or not, Eggnog’s seasonal surge shows just how powerfully food connects us to the holidays.”

Pass the, uh, Antacid?

With indulgence can come… consequences. December’s rich meals and generous portions seem to drive up the need for a little post-feast relief: antacid purchases surged 16% the day after Christmas compared to the yearly average. Consider this your friendly reminder to add it to your list so your medicine cabinet is ready for the holidays!

Methodology: Instacart calculated the share of orders on the Instacart platform that contained antacids on 12/26/2024, and then calculated the percentage difference compared to the overall yearly average for 2024.

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a Good Spread!

Across the country, people are preparing for one of the most anticipated times of the year.  Whether you’re perfecting your famous roast or decorating a gingerbread house for the first time, Instacart is here to help you cross one thing off your list, so you can focus on what really matters: spending time with loved ones.