Christmas is just around the corner, and the excitement is starting to build. The time when kitchens smell sweeter, and baking becomes part of the celebration. Those warm, nostalgic flavours are what make festive treats so special, whether you are making gingerbread, spiced cakes, or a comforting mug of mulled wine.
To capture that true Christmas taste without extra effort, the Holy Lama Spice Drops® Christmas Collection is the perfect addition to your pantry. These concentrated extracts make festive baking easier, giving you consistent flavour and plenty of creative freedom. With cinnamon, nutmeg, mulling spices, and orange zest all in one set, you have everything needed to bring seasonal warmth into every recipe.
Below, we explore these four must-have spices for festive baking, how to use them, and why this collection is such a great gift for the festive season.
Holy Lama Cinnamon Spice Drops is one of the most familiar aromas of the holiday season. It brings warmth and a soft sweetness that uplifts everything from baked goods to drinks.
Familiar and comforting festive flavour
Enhances both sweet and savoury dishes
Works beautifully with chocolate, apples, and nuts
Recipe to Try:
1 roll of puff pastry
For the filling:
100g Demerara sugar
40g unsalted butter
For the icing:
100 g cream cheese, softened
100g icing or confectioner’s sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder
Filling and Assembly:
In a small bowl, put in the sugar, Cinnamon Spice Drops® and butter and mix well. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350°F/gas 4.
Open out the chilled pastry on a flat surface and spread the filling on the pastry, evenly.
Start rolling up the pastry from the two short sides, simultaneously, until they meet in the middle like a scroll.
Cut the roll into 16 slices. Pinch the ‘v’ part of the cut pieces to given them a heart shape.
Place onto a lined or greased baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the pastry turns golden brown. Allow to cool.
For The Frosting:
Beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Then add the icing sugar and Vanilla Spice Drops® and beat until smooth. Drizzle over or use a piping bag to decorate the baked hearts.
Dust over with some cocoa powder.
These are best eaten on the day they are baked. If you wish to enjoy them the next day, warm them in the microwave for 20 seconds or so.
The Holy Lama Nutmeg Spice Drops have a slightly sweet, earthy flavour that pairs beautifully with other Christmas spices. Often used in creamy desserts and rich dishes, it creates depth without overpowering.
Why You Need Nutmeg in Your Festive Kitchen
Brings richness and warmth
Balances dairy-based desserts
Perfect finishing touch for seasonal drinks
Recipe to Try:
Ingredients:
Cake release spray
150g butter, softened
100g caster sugar
2 eggs
200g self-raising flour
115g Greek yogurt
1 tbsp whole milk
For The Mulled Spice Icing:
4 tbsp icing or confectioner’s sugar
2 tsp water
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
Spray the bundt tin moulds well with cake release spray.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl, and then add the eggs and mix. Tip in Orange, Nutmeg, and Cinnamon Spice Drops® and mix again. Add the flour, yogurt and milk and continue to mix until all the batter ingredients are well combined.
Carefully spoon the cake mixture into the moulds.
Bake for 30 minutes and check that the cakes are cooked through by inserting a metal skewer into the cakes. Leave them to cool in the tin and then gently remove each individual cake.
To make the icing, mix the icing sugar, water and Mulled Spices Spice Drops®. Drizzle the icing over the cakes and sprinkle with coloured sugar or sprinkles, if using.
Nothing says Christmas like mulled wine or a warming spiced drink. This special blend from Holy Lama is crafted to deliver the traditional seasonal taste without needing multiple spices.
Perfect for parties and gatherings
Great Taste Award-winning flavour
Instantly creates a festive mood
Ingredients:
For the muffins:
175g butter, softened
175g soft light brown muscovado sugar
3 large eggs
225g self-raising flour
100ml buttermilk
8 drops Mulling Spices Spice Drops®
150g mincemeat
2 tbsp icing or confectioner’s sugar, to taste
8 drops Mulling Spices Spice Drops®
For the icing:
300 ml double cream
1 tbsp. brandy
6 drops Clove Spice Drops®
6 drops Cardamom Spice Drops®
Silver balls for decorating
2 tbsp confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar, to taste
a few washed redcurrants, for decorating
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Line muffin tins with paper cases.
In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar together for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing continuously. The mixture might look split at this stage, but that is alright.
Fold in the flour and mix. Add the buttermilk and beat well. Add the Mulling Spices Spice Drops® and stir once again.
Place a spoonful of the cake mix into each paper case. Spoon a rounded teaspoonful of mincemeat over the mixture and cover with another spoonful of the cake mix.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and springy to the touch.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool. While the muffins are cooling, prepare the icing.
For the icing: whip the cream and brandy together till it makes soft peaks. Mix in the Clove and Cardamom Spice Drops®.
To decorate, pipe the cream mixture and make swirls on the muffins and decorate with silver sugar balls, icing sugar, and redcurrants to give a festive touch.
The Holy Lama Orange Zest Spice Drops bring sharp, fragrant brightness to balance rich spices during Christmas. It lifts flavours and creates a fresh contrast in dense cakes or chocolates.
Adds a refreshing citrus twist
Beautiful with chocolate and spices
Works in both desserts and beverages
Ingredients:
Makes 12-16 squares
200g butter, softened
300g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
3 eggs
180-200g caster sugar
The juice of 1 medium orange
100g plain or all-purpose flour
50g cocoa powder
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°/350°F/gas 4. Line a 24cm x 20cm or 10-inch x 8-inch brownie tin with baking parchment or greaseproof paper.
Put the butter, dark chocolate, and Orange Spice Drops® in a non-stick saucepan and very gently melt over a low heat, stirring every now and then, until smooth - take care not to overheat it. Leave to cool down.
Whisk the eggs and sugar together with an electric whisk until the mixture is pale, frothy, and leaves a trail when the beaters are lifted.
Gently stir in the cooled chocolate mixture and the orange juice, and continue to whisk. Sift over the flour and cocoa and stir in.
Pour into the lined tin and bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool in the tin, then cut into squares.
The Holy Lama Spice Drops® Christmas Collection brings together authentic flavours extracted from high-quality herbs, fruits, and flowers. Each drop blends smoothly with your food and drink, whether hot or cold, because the extracts are both water-soluble and fat-soluble, supported by a plant-based emulsifier that ensures a perfectly even taste without any clumping. The drops are designed to stay fresh for up to three years from the manufacture date when stored correctly, making them ideal for regular festive use as well as long-term pantry storage. In addition, the drops are vegan, GMO-free, sugar-free, alcohol-free, and nut-free, with no artificial colours or preservatives. Just add them at the end of cooking or before serving, and the flavour comes alive.
This collection is also crafted with strong ethical values. Holy Lama works closely with local farmers in Kerala, India, a region known for its rich heritage of spices, using a sustainable supply chain that focuses on reducing waste and recycling by-products wherever possible. More than 80 per cent of the workforce involved in producing these Spice Drops® consists of women, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, offering meaningful employment and positive social impact.
The result is a beautifully curated festive gift that delivers exceptional flavour while supporting communities and the environment. It is truly a gift that tastes good and does good.
The festive season is about sharing joy and taste. The Holy Lama Spice Drops® Christmas Spices Collection arrives in a lovely gift box, making it an excellent choice for bakers, home cooks, and businesses alike. What’s exciting is that businesses can now place bulk orders for their festive and seasonal product needs, ensuring they have enough stock to delight customers throughout the holidays.
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