Appetise Insights has released new data revealing what Kiwis are putting on their Christmas tables in 2025.
Used by more than 100,000 households across New Zealand and Australia to plan, shop and cook their meals, the platform’s data showed viral online trends, rising costs and global flavours reshaping festive food traditions.
Appetise has identified three major trends defining Kiwi Christmas cooking in 2025:
Trend: Social media is the new sous-chef, and it’s driving a more aesthetic Christmas table
Kiwis aren’t abandoning traditional Christmas desserts; they’re remixing and reimagining them through TikTok trends.
Viral ingredients like pistachio (popularised by the ‘Dubai chocolate’ trend), hot honey, miso and Biscoff are being added to classic festive dishes, with recipes such as this plan-based Biscoff cheesecake with hokey pokey ice-cream and Pistachio & White Chocolate Tiramisu Cups seeing a surge in engagement on Appetise.
Christmas cooking has also become highly visual, and dishes are being designed for the camera – like this Salami Rose Platters, Eton Mess Cheesecake and Chocolate Brownie Pine Cones – all of which have gained popularity as households craft tables that look as good on social media as they taste.
Significantly, AI has also stepped into the kitchen. More home cooks are using Appetise’s AI-powered Recipe Recommender to generate personalised Christmas menus, discover new dishes and streamline their planning.
“Search is now overtaking filters as the dominant way people navigate the platform, which signals a clear shift toward faster, more intuitive meal planning tools,” said Toby Hilliam, Co-Founder of Appetise Insights.
What’s more, Appetise’s search data showed an incredible 600 percent increase year on year in traffic coming from AI searches. NZ/AU households are cracking open ChatGPT rather than a cookbook.
Hilliam explained that viral dishes tend to produce quick spikes in views and saves, but most remain ‘one-hit wonders’ after Christmas. The exception is showstopper recipes, which become five times more popular in November and December as cooks invest in visually impressive dishes for the holiday season.
Trend: Flavours are going lighter, fresher and more global with tropical ingredients leading the way
Christmas 2025 is also defined by lighter, globally inspired twists on familiar favourites. Tropical fruits like mango, pineapple, coconut and papaya are shaping both main dishes and desserts.
Recipes like Chargrilled Prawns with Mango and the platform’s most popular dessert this year, Tropical Mess (a fresh take on Eton Mess), have topped Christmas menus. A strong NZ strawberry crop after two difficult seasons is also driving a welcome return to fruit-led festive desserts.
Global flavours also continue to influence the Kiwi table, with miso glazes, gochujang marinades, sumac rubs and pomegranate dressings adding depth and brightness to traditional formats.
“Unsurprisingly, cost pressures are also shaping menus. Many households are making budget-friendly protein swaps, creating salad and side spreads rather than relying on a single centrepiece. Three of the seven most-engaged Christmas dishes on Appetise this year are salads.”
Trend: Christmas planning begins earlier than ever, and NZ leads the way in the organisation of ‘budget-friendly’ Christmas fare
Appetise consistently saw two waves of festive planning, including an early spike the week after Halloween and a final surge just before Christmas.
This year had an even earlier start, with more users mapping out menus weeks ahead – especially in New Zealand. Kiwi households are engaging with festive recipes earlier and more deeply, and are making greater use of tools like the AI Recipe Recommender to structure and refine their menus.
“This growing cost awareness is also shaping how people plan for seasonal occasions, with early signs that many households are preparing for a more budget-savvy Christmas, focusing on value without compromising on the celebrations that matter.”
Hilliam added that the findings are especially valuable for food companies heading into the year’s biggest retail season.
“The days of waiting months for consumer insights are over. Brands need to launch campaigns and products that reflect what people want right now, and that’s exactly what this data shows.”
More insights here
Dining and Cooking