Christmas with kids 2026
All the dates from the first Sunday of Advent to St Knut's Day, Christmas markets and a Christmas that happens outdoors.
To the Christmas guideGlögg over an open fire – spiced glögg for adults and a children's glögg made from cordial
Cinnamon, cardamom and orange – one pan for the adults, one for the kids
- about 1 litre of each
- Time: 10 min + 1 hour to infuse
- Difficulty: Easy
- 14 ingredients
- 8 steps
Glögg belongs to Advent like the candles in the windows. Homemade glögg smells of cinnamon, cloves and orange, and it tastes especially good out in the cold – by a fire in the forest, after the sledging hill or on the steps when the neighbours come by. The nice thing is that the same spicing works for two kinds of glögg: one made with red wine for the adults and one with cordial for the children. That way everyone gets a cup.
The only important thing to remember: glögg must never boil. The alcohol starts to evaporate already at around 78 degrees, and the spices turn bitter if they boil for long. Over the fire, that means the pan should stand at the edge of the embers, not in the middle. Have something with it – fire-baked cinnamon buns or gingerbread biscuits.
Method
- At home: divide the spices into two equal piles and put them in two pans with half the sugar in each.
- Pour the wine into one pan and the blackcurrant drink and apple juice into the other.
- Heat both gently until they steam and the sugar has dissolved. Do not let them boil.
- Take the pans off the heat, put the lids on and let the glögg infuse for at least an hour – ideally overnight in the fridge.
- Strain off the spices and pour the glögg into bottles or into flasks that have been warmed with hot water.
- Outdoors: let the fire burn down to embers and put the pan at the edge of the fireplace, where it is warm but not hot.
- Heat the glögg until it steams. Stir and feel the edge of the pan with a finger – it should be hot but not bubbling.
- Serve with a spoonful of raisins and almonds in each cup. Pour the children's glögg first, so that nobody takes the wrong pan.
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All recipes →How to keep the glögg warm outdoors
- Flask first. Warm the flask with hot water for five minutes, pour it out and fill it with steaming glögg. It stays warm for several hours.
- The edge of the fire. If the pan stands in the embers, the glögg comes to the boil in a few minutes. Move it out towards the edge and lift it when it starts to bubble.
- Lid on. A lid keeps in both the heat and the aroma – and the alcohol.
- Label the pans. A piece of tape saying "kids" on one pan makes it easy in the dark.
Glögg with kids
The children can crush the cardamom pods in a mortar, peel the orange and thread gingerbread biscuits onto sticks for dipping. The children's glögg is just as spicy as the adults' – it is the spices that give the glögg feeling, not the wine. Hot drinks by the fire can burn, so let the youngest children's cups cool for a while. More ideas for cooking with children by the fire can be found in cooking with children over a fire.
Vary the glögg
- White glögg: swap the red wine for white wine and the blackcurrant drink for apple and pear juice, and flavour with vanilla and lemon.
- Glögg with tea: brew a strong rooibos or black tea with the spices and sweeten with honey – a milder glögg without cordial.
- Stronger for adults: a splash of port or aquavit in the adults' cup, after the glögg has been heated.
- Dried orange peel: peel a few oranges during Advent and let the peel dry on a radiator. It gives more flavour than fresh peel and makes the kitchen smell of Christmas.
Common mistakes
- The glögg boils – the alcohol disappears and the spices turn bitter.
- The spices are left in for several days – the glögg becomes bitter and harsh.
- Too little sugar – glögg should be sweet, otherwise it just tastes like warm wine.
- Ground spices – they make the glögg cloudy. Use whole spices.
Frequently asked questions
How do you make alcohol-free glögg?
Heat blackcurrant drink and apple juice with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger and orange peel, and let it infuse for an hour. Strain and heat it again before serving.
Why shouldn't glögg boil?
The alcohol starts to evaporate at around 78 degrees, and the spices turn bitter if they boil. Heat the glögg until it steams and take it off the heat before it bubbles.
How long should the glögg infuse?
At least an hour, ideally overnight in the fridge. Then strain off the spices – if they are left in for several days, the glögg becomes harsh.
Can you freeze glögg?
Children's glögg freezes well in portions. Glögg for adults keeps in the fridge for a few days in a sealed bottle.
More warm drinks and Christmas food by the fire: try rice porridge over an open fire, a flask of hot chocolate or read the whole the Christmas guide.
More guides and recipes to read
More Christmas by the fire