Winter is in full swing and that means the food and flavors cannot get any better. With the cold weather and depending on where you live, endless piles of snow, there's something comforting about winter flavors that make the season more enjoyable.
While Autumn has essential flavors like apples and pumpkin spice, there are a bunch of flavors that relate to wintertime. Grab a warm cup of hot cocoa and check out all the seasonal flavors winter has to offer.
1. Cranberries
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I am totally that person at Thanksgiving dinner who eats all of the cranberry sauce! Cranberries are tart, but can easily be sweetened and cooked down. They also add gorgeous color to the table or a refreshing cocktail.
However, cranberries go beyond Thanksgiving and taste even better after the holiday season. Try using cranberries in your next winter baking recipe or toss them in sugar and use them to decorate a cake.
2. Peppermint
Peppermint is a signature winter flavor. From candy canes to peppermint mocha lattes to peppermint ice cream, the flavor screams wintertime. For all of your minty fresh cravings, check out these peppermint recipes to help you get started this season.
3. Pomegranate
Pomegranate is a winter fruit that is rich in antioxidants. When you dive into the fruit, you're left with the juicy seeds that are sweet and slightly tart. The seeds are great to throw into sparkling cocktails or even in savory dishes.
4. Gingerbread
When I think of winter flavors, gingerbread is one of the first things that pop into my head. With flavors like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, molasses and brown sugar, you can't beat that taste or the smell it creates throughout the kitchen when gingerbread cookies are baking.
5. Chestnuts
Every winter, my Dad and I roast chestnuts in the oven. We're also the only people in the house who eat them! Once cooked, they have a creamy texture and mild, nutty flavor.
This holiday flavor is also great to use in cakes and tarts or tossed with roasted vegetables like sweet potatoes and Brussel sprouts.
6. Pralines
Just like pecan, the flavor of praline brings out the sweetness of wintertime. While it's easy to relate praline to the popular caramel confection made up of sugar, butter, water and nuts, now you can also find praline flavored syrups and drinks. Praline lattes seem to be popping up at coffee shops as well.
7. White Chocolate
I get it, you either love it or you hate it, but white chocolate has a sweet flavor that seems to taste a tiny bit better during the winter season. Switch up your regular hot cocoa order to a white chocolate hot chocolate, make a yummy glaze or use melted white chocolate chips in your favorite peppermint bark recipe. You can even make them into truffles this time of year!
Let's give white chocolate some love this winter!
8. Eggnog
It's the drink of the holiday season, however, the flavors of eggnog go beyond just a boozy drink. If you want to get creative with all of the flavors of eggnog, try making eggnog cheesecake or an eggnog cake.
9. Hazelnuts
Hazelnuts happen to be my favorite nut. I love their deep, unique flavor. They're also the key ingredient to the popular hazelnut-chocolate spread, Nutella.
Hazelnuts are one of winters biggest flavor trends during the winter months and can be used to replace almonds and walnuts in recipes like granola and candies. You can also purchase hazelnut flour to use in your next baking recipe.
10. Fennel
The licorice taste from fennel might not be for everyone, but this crunchy vegetable can add a lot to winter meals. I love eating fennel raw after a big meal, but you can also roast it with other veggies or slice it thin for a citrus salad.
11. Citrus
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Winter citrus is more than just lemons and oranges. Winter has a lot of bright, refreshing citrus fruits to offer like grapefruit, tangerines and blood oranges. Use the juice and zest in your next winter cocktail or add flavor to your next slow cooker dinner.
12. Marshmallows
The perfect topper for hot cocoa, marshmallows make winter and the holiday season special. Toasted marshmallows are also an essential campfire ingredient when making s' mores. These are a favorite winter confection.
13. Maple Syrup
Basically sweet, liquid gold and one of Buddy the Elf's favorite ingredients, maple syrup adds a rich, caramel-like flavor to comfort food dishes. Drizzle some over French toast or swirl into your latte.
14. Apple Cider
Apple cider is a popular fall flavor but is also common throughout the wintertime, in line with apple pie and caramel apples. Use apple cider as a base for a warm winter cocktail or in a savory sauce for pork or chicken.
15. Mocha
If you're a coffee and chocolate lover, mocha is for you. Cozy up by the fire this winter with a fuzzy blanket, Christmas sugar cookie, mocha latte and good book in hand. For extra fresh flavor, stir with a candy cane for a minty flavor.
