EVERY New Disneyland Holiday Treat That You Have To Track Down
The holiday season at Disneyland is always one of the most festive times of the year. You can expect an explosion of holiday decor, legendary hand-pulled candy canes, and plenty of creative new treats to track down.
This year, Disneyland created a wide variety of themed items, celebrating different holidays around the world. Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Diwali, Christmas, and other festive days are represented by the foods found in Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, and the Festival of Holidays Marketplace.
Here are the new celebratory creations to scope out while planning your food crawl through the parks this holiday season.
Disneyland
Holiday Churros
Photo courtesy of Disneyland
Location: Churro Carts around Disneyland Park
In Disneyland, you can find three different churros that celebrate the holidays. There’s the Peppermint and Pretzel Churro near Big Thunder, the Sugarplum Candy Churro near Haunted Mansion, and the Gingerbread Churro near the Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Photo courtesy of Disneyland
Peppermint Churro Sundae
Location: The Golden Horseshoe
Cajeta-filled churros garnish the top of this festive sundae, which is made with peppermint ice cream and topped with brownie crumbles, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream.
Churro Bites With Eggnog Gelato
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Location: Hungry Bear Restaurant
Eggnog fans are gonna love this as a way to beat the SoCal heat during the holiday season. Tiny churros are served with a scoop of eggnog gelato and a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Philly Cheesesteak Hot Dog
Photo courtesy of Disneyland
Location: Refreshment Corner
Disneyland likes to experiment with some wild meat-topped hot dogs each season. For the holidays, they’ve gone with the Philly Cheesesteak, using roast beef, peppers, onions, and cheese sauce to emulate the classic sandwich in frankfurter form.
Santa Hat Macaron
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Location: Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe
When it comes to flavor, this Santa Hat macaron keeps it “fresh” with a cooling white mint filling and a chocolate ganache interior.
Holiday Brownie
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Location: Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe
You’re basically getting three desserts in one with this item. There’s the actual brownie that serves as the base to some chocolate presents, and a Christmas tree gingerbread cookie.
Snowman Pancake With Bacon
Location: Red Rose Taverne
Disneyland got a bit clever with this breakfast. The snowman-shaped pancake is finished off with a “scarf” of bacon strips to further evoke the Frosty resemblance.
Holiday Pastry Wreath
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Location: Red Rose Taverne
Think of this as a round eclair stuffed with a plethora of fillings. On the inside you’ll find a cranberry-raspberry compote, AND an orange and white chocolate mousse.
Dessert Nachos
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Location: Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante
The menu calls these “Dessert Nachos,” but “apple pie nachos” is a better descriptor. The cinnamon crisp “chips” come with all of the standard characters in the treat’s lineup: apple filling, vanilla sauce, cajeta, and whipped cream.
Sopapilla Cheesecake
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Location: Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante
Sopapillas are pieces of fried dough, dusted with cinnamon and sugar. Disney is using a croissant dough as a “sopapilla,” which gets baked with cinnamon sugar and melted butter. Cheesecake filling is then sandwiched between layers of the croissant. If that’s not enough, the entire creation is finished with more sugar and whipped cream.
Space Dip Pizza
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Location: Alien Pizza Planet
You know that spinach/artichoke dip that’s always present at the appetizers table prior to virtually any big feast? This pizza takes that and uses it as a base sauce, with chicken, capicola, and shredded cheese going on top.
Alien Holiday Macarons
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Location: Alien Pizza Planet
One of Disneyland’s more popular new treats is getting a holiday twist, with an edible Santa hat and candy cane decorations adding contrast to the green Alien Macarons.
Lamb Kofta
Photo courtesy of Disneyland
Location: Bengal Barbecue
Looks like Disneyland is giving its Middle Eastern/Mediterranean meatballs a spin. Their take on the lamb kofta comes with tzatziki, pickled onion, spinach, and pita bread.
Traditional-Style Pozole
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Location: Harbour Galley
The tiny seafood shack nearby Haunted Mansion is adding the classic Mexican soup to its menu for the holidays. They’re keeping it close to the standard version, with hominy, slow-roasted tomatillos, and Serrano chiles used to make the soup. In California Adventure, a similar pozole is also being sold at the Paradise Garden Grill.
Santa’s Lump Of Coal Beignets
Photo courtesy of Disneyland
Location: Cafe Orleans
A dessert that’s a pretty nice treat for what’s supposed to resemble your “gift” for being naughty. The beignets are made with chocolate and hazelnut, and dusted in a dark peppermint sugar. To add even more minty flavor, a scoop of peppermint ice cream is served on top.
Disney California Adventure
Stocking Stuffer Funnel Cake Fries
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Location: Award Weiners
All of the little candies and cookies you might find in your stockings are piled onto these funnel cake fries. Candy-coated chocolates, creme-filled cookie sandwiches (aka Disneyland OREOs), crushed peppermints, peppermint ice cream, and whipped cream are all loaded on top.
Gingerbread Funnel Cake Fries (starting Nov. 23)
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Location: Award Weiners
Disney is unfortunately not using gingerbread in the funnel cake fry batter, but you still get the holiday sweet bread’s iconic flavor, as it’s topped with crumbled gingerbread, caramel, icing, and whipped cream.
Peppermint Affogatto
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Location: Schmoozies!
If you need a pick-me-up while walking around the park, this treat will power you through the day. It’s made with refreshing peppermint ice cream and a strong shot of espresso to wake you up.
Peppermint Crunch Shake
Photo courtesy of Disneyland
Location: Schmoozies!
The featured holiday shake at Schmoozies! is like drinking frozen candy canes. Made with a peppermint ice cream base, it also has cookie crumbles, crushed peppermints, and peppermint whipped cream on top.
Minnie Wreath Donut
Location: Schmoozies!
Peppermint and chocolate really is the name of the game for the holiday treats at Schmoozies! Even this Minnie Wreath cronut gets the treatment, as it’s packed with a generous amount of peppermint chocolate ganache.
Gingerbread Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich
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Location: Schmoozies!
The one non-peppermint treat at Schmoozies! pays tribute to another classic holiday flavor: Gingerbread. Two gingerbread cookies sandwich a heaping scoop of brown sugar cinnamon ice cream that’s coated with even more gingerbread.
Plant-etarium Street Tacos
Photo courtesy of Disneyland
Location: Studio Catering Co.
If you’re looking for some unique meat-free items, consider stopping by this food truck near the Monsters, Inc. ride. Their plant-based tacos feature Brussels sprouts, salsa verde, pickled red onions, and an apple and pomegranate slaw.
Holiday Frozen Horchata
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Location: Studio Catering Co.
Studio Catering is serving a holiday twist on L.A. street food, including this fragrant frozen horchata, imbued with cinnamon throughout. They’ve also got a take on the dessert nachos similar to those from Rancho del Zocalo, but without the apple pie filling.
Luigi’s Chicken Pesto Cone
Location: Cozy Cone Motel
Disneyland tends to knock it out of the park when it comes to pasta, and this seasonal cone is no exception. You’re getting a heaping amount of pasta, pesto, and chicken with a bit of kick, served with a balsamic reduction, Parmesan, and tomato for some fresh notes. Eating the chimney cone of bread that’s soaked up the pesto at the end is the best part.
Santa Cone Hat Macaron
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Location: Cozy Cone Motel
If Santa preferred to wear orange instead of red, this would be his macaron of choice. A spin-off of the Spok-ey Cone Macarons that show up during Halloween, these ones come with a cookies and cream filling rather than candy corn.
Turkey Pot Pie Soup
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Location: Pacific Wharf Cafe
Thanksgiving leftovers idea, anyone? This is essentially a turkey pot pie filling stuffed into a bread bowl, and with all of the turkey and trimmings you’ll have leftover, this hearty bowl could definitely serve as some inspiration.
Vegan Chile Relleno
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Location: Paradise Garden Grill
For those wondering how one makes a vegan chile relleno, Disney’s version comes with a vegetable stew on the inside and a tofu cream on top. It also appears to be roasted instead of deep-fried, leaving us still curious as to how you replicate chile relleno’s signature crunchy batter in a plant-based way.
Holiday Dinner Pizza
Location: Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta
There’s no cheese on this pizza, but it does capture virtually every key component of the classic holiday dinner. Chunks of turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, turkey gravy and bacon are loaded onto each hefty slice.
Turkey Carnitas Poutine
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Location: Lamplight Lounge
Disney is providing us with even more Thanksgiving leftovers ideas, as the thought of creating a cheesy, savory poutine with our leftover turkey could actually be a clutch one to get through all of the containers in the fridge. If you want Disney’s fresh version, though, the Lamplight Lounge does often require reservations, so keep that in mind.
Festival Of Holidays In Disney California Adventure
Turkey & Stuffing Tamale
Photo courtesy of Disneyland
Location: Merry Mashups
Thanksgiving dinner, meet tamales. The masa creates a base that’s unique on both flavor and texture to the standard holiday meal, and the amount of turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and gravy piled inside is pretty generous.
Lox & Everything Bagel Nachos
Location: Merry Mashups
“Nachos” is a very loose term for what’s basically loaded bagel chips, since there is no cheese on top of these. A delicately smoked salmon and tangy white sauce are the main flavors that make this dish taste like the bagel sandwich it’s based off of.
Hot Cocoa Macaron
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Location: Merry Mashups
If you’re wondering what makes this chocolaty macaron a “hot cocoa” one, it definitely has something to do with the crown of marshmallows that stud the top of this sweet treat.
Sparkling Wine Punch
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Location: Merry Mashups
This might be one of the most refreshing treats you can find in the entire Festival of Holidays. A generous glass of sparkling wine and Chandon Brüt is finished with a couple of scoops of lime sherbert for a boozy, tropical twist on a float.
Festive Mimosa Flight
Location: Making Spirits Bright
If you’re a fan of mimosas made with a variety of different fruits, you’ll want to get things going with this flight. You get a pomegranate mimosa, white cranberry mimosa, and pear nectar mimosa that intermingle sweet, acidic, and tart together in an orchestra of boozy flavors.
Chana Masala
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Location: Winter Wonders
This plant-based Indian curry is made with chickpeas, making the dish a lot more filling than it looks at first. The warming stew is served with grilled garlic naan.
Pumpkin Soup
Location: Winter Wonders
Disneyland’s all vegan holiday booth comes with a twist on the warming holiday classic. This pumpkin soup is topped with a maple cashew cream to bring out notes of sweet, savory, and creamy across every spoonful.
Vanilla And Cranberry Trifle
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Location: Winter Wonders
Trifle is one of the holiday season’s most prominent desserts in England, and Disney’s got their own version, layered with vanilla custard and cranberry.
Holiday Ham Shanks
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Location: Favorite Things
These little bone-in riblets evoke the flavors of the holiday ham centerpiece that graces several tables for the big family feast. These tiny shanks come glazed with brown sugar and pineapple.
Reuben Tots
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Location: Favorite Things
The Jewish deli classic just got reimagined into tater tots, with chunks of pastrami, a Thousand Island-style sauce, and crumbs of rye toast sprinkled over the top.
Curry Cauliflower Soup With Braised Lamb
Photo courtesy of Disneyland
Location: Holiday Duets
This dish has quite a bit of a fusion feel too it. A creamy curried cauliflower soup serves as the base, with braised lamb and a tangy, bright “mint-Churri” (minty chimichurri) sauce on top. It sounds like an explosion of flavor just based on the name alone.
Shrimp And Grits With Andouille Sausage
Photo courtesy of Disneyland
Location: Holiday Duets
Disney’s take on the Southern staple sounds promising, as the resort already has a pretty fire Cajun spot in the form of Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen.
Holiday Mickey And Minnie Cookies
Location: Holiday Duets
Shaped to look like the iconic Disney characters, the buttery shortbread cookies are each flavored differently based on the icing, both of which are slightly lemony.
Eggnog Wreath Eclair
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Location: Visions of Sugarplums
This is similar to the eclair you’ll find in Red Rose Taverne, only it contains a creamy eggnog interior instead of the fruitier interior its counter part has. The top is made with a white chocolate icing.
Cornbread Cakes With Collard Greens And Bacon Gravy
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Location: Blissfully Braised
Tender collard greens, savory bacon gravy, and a chewy cornbread cake… it’s a comforting mashup of Southern sides that melds each of the items flavors together in a tasty symphony.
Beef Pot Roast Mini Rolls
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Location: Grandma’s Recipes
The Foodbeast squad couldn’t stop downing these mini rolls. The soft potato roll combines with the supple braised beef for some pretty tasty mouthfuls.
Jalapeno Latkes
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Location: Spicy Celebrations
A spicy taste on a classic Hanukkah dish, these fiery potato cakes get an extra kick from a drizzle of chipotle crema.
Pozole Rojo Beef
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Location: A Twist On Tradition
Pozole Rojo is typically done with pork, but this beefy twist adds a rich texture to the classic, which gets a further twist with the addition of a polenta made from hominy.
Vegan Chicken Mole
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Location: A Twist On Tradition
The vegan “chicken” is a similar soy meat to the one used in the “Avocado Oumph!” that Disneyland created for the California Adventure Food and Wine festival earlier this year. It adds a savory, nutty flavor that compliments the aromatics in the mole.
Roasted Turkey Slider
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Location: Winter Sliderland
The entire Thanksgiving meal is packed into a slider in this creation, which features a stack of sliced turkey, gravy, and a tangy cranberry sauce to balance everything out.
Stuffing Mac And Cheese
Photo courtesy of Disneyland
Location: Winter Sliderland
The creamy, tangy cheese sauce mixed into this mac is an enticing flavor combination that’s accentuated by a garnish of stuffing crumbs heaped on like a pile of fresh snow.
On top of all of these items, several of the favorite treats from last year are also back on the menu. Keep an eye out for returning eats like chorizo queso fundido, s’mores parfaits, peppermint ice cream sundaes, and a whole lot more holiday treats. You can sample them all through January 8, when the holiday celebration officially concludes.
