Christmas is usually a time for joy, gifts and celebrations — but this year, the holiday season also came with a wave of unexpected recalls.
This year, five notable recalls occurred around Christmas, impacting consumers during a time when awareness can easily be overlooked.
From festive Christmas candies to pet treats, these five recalls surfaced right around Christmas, reminding consumers that even the most festive time of year isn’t immune to safety concerns.
Here are the five recalls that stood out in the days leading up to and right after Christmas Day.
5 food, product and car recalls between Dec. 22 and Dec. 28ItemDetailStart DateWeek of Dec. 22-28Who’s affected?People who bought certain pet treats, consumers of certain brands of chocolate and holiday bark and drivers of certain Toyota vehicles.What’s changing?See each specific food, car or product recall for more information.What will happen?People will have to stop consuming or using the products, return them to their place of purchase, and/or throw the products out.FDA issues urgent recall on chocolate that has already caused an allergic reaction
A brand of milk chocolate is being recalled this holiday season due to an ingredient not listed on the label.
Approximately 112 units of Fran’s Pure Bar Almondmilk Chocolate made by Fran’s Chocolates, Ltd. of Seattle, Washington, are being recalled due to the presence of hazelnuts, which were not listed on the label, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
One allergic reaction was reported in connection with a consumer eating the chocolate.
“People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to hazelnut run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product,” the FDA stated in its recall announcement.
The recalled product is Fran’s Pure Bar Almondmilk Chocolate 46% Madagascar Plant-Based milk chocolate bars sold in 1.1-ounce bars.
The product was sold at Fran’s stores in Seattle and online nationwide at www.frans.com between Oct. 9, 2025, and Dec. 15, 2025.
If you have the Fran’s chocolates in your possession, the FDA urges people to not consume the product and instead return them to their place of purchase for a full refund.
For more information about this recall, you can check out our article here.
These chocolates may pose life-threatening allergy risks
If you received this brand of chocolate in your Christmas stocking or gift this year, you may want to double-check the label.
Willy Pete’s Chocolate Company LLC of Harwinton is recalling its Almond Despair chocolate bars due to almonds not being listed on the ingredients label, according to the FDA.
The list of ingredients incorrectly lists macadamia nuts instead of almonds on the label, posing a risk to consumers who are allergic to almonds.
No illnesses or adverse reactions have been reported to date.
According to the FDA, the recalled Almond Despair chocolate bars are packaged in purple wrappers with a weight of 2 ounces and a UPC code of 0 987261 5.
Customers who purchased the affected chocolate bars from Willy Pete’s Chocolate Company LLC should not eat the chocolate.
Instead, they should return them to their place of purchase for a full refund.
For more information about this recall, you can read our article on this subject.
Stop driving these Toyotas: 55K vehicles recalled due to this defect
Toyota issued a recall of 55,405 hybrid vehicles due to a defect that can cause loss of drive power and vehicle fires, according to a statement from the company.
The recalled Toyotas include the 2025-2026 Camry Hybrid and 2026 Corolla Cross Hybrid models made between August and November this year.
The recall was issued after Toyota received a field report about a vehicle that couldn’t start.
Then, the issue snowballed into 34 field technical reports and 15 warranty claims.
The issue concerns a bolt inside the inverter assembly that was not tightened properly, according to The EV Report.
If this bolt is not properly tightened, warning lights in the vehicle will go on and could cause complete power loss while the vehicle is in operation or a vehicle fire.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a fix is in the works.
Owners will receive a notification letter about the recall by February 2026, and they will get a second letter once a repair is available.
Those looking for more information can contact Toyota’s customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
You can identify the recall by Toyota’s internal numbers 25TB15 and 25TA15 and by the NHTSA campaign number 25V869.
Two varieties of Holiday Bark recalled due to life-threatening allergy risks
A recall of two varieties of 5-ounce holiday bark sold at Aldi has been expanded due to undeclared allergens.
According to the FDA, Silvestri Sweets issued a recall of its Choceur-branded Cookie Butter Holiday Bark due to possible undeclared pecans, and its Choceur-branded Pecan, Cranberry & Cinnamon Holiday Bark due to undeclared wheat.
No illnesses or adverse reactions have been reported in connection with this recall.
This recall began last month, but was expanded this week.
“The expanded recall was initiated after it was discovered that the Pecan, Cranberry & Cinnamon Holiday Bark had been packaged in Cookie Butter Holiday Bark packages resulting in undeclared pecan,” the FDA said.
The following Cookie Butter Holiday Bark packaged in 5-ounce bags is subject to recall:
Lot #: 28525 – Best By May 2026Lot #: 29925 – Best By May 2026Lot #: 30625 – Best By June 2026
The following Pecan, Cranberry & Cinnamon Holiday Bark packaged in 5-ounce bags is subject to recall:
Lot #: 28525 – Best By 08/2026Lot #: 29925 – Best By 08/2026Lot #: 30625 – Best By 09/2026
Consumers who purchased the recalled holiday bark are urged to discard the product.
Multiple dog biscuit varieties recalled in 7 states due to Salmonella risk
An Iowa-based distributor is recalling multiple dog biscuit varieties sold in seven states due to Salmonella contamination.
Consumers Supply Distributing, LLC of Sioux City is recalling its 4-pound bags of Country Vet Biscuits – Original Meaty Flavor and 4-pound bags of Heartland Harvest Dog Biscuits – Meaty Flavor with Chicken, according to the FDA.
No illnesses or adverse reactions have been reported to date.
The dog biscuits were sold in seven states, including Missouri, Iowa, Colorado, Kansas, Texas, Montana and Nebraska.
The FDA advises consumers to thoroughly wash their hands and any surfaces that have come into contact with this product, as Salmonella can affect humans who handle the product as well as animals that eat the product.
Consumers who have these products should stop using them immediately and return them to their place of purchase for a refund.
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