Sandra Lee Shares Her Most Magical Christmas Traditions—Plus Her Famous Spiked Coffee Recipe! (Exclusive)

This Christmas season, celebrity chef, bestselling author, lifestyle expert and devoted state fair advocate Sandra Lee is embracing the warmth, happiness and joy that the holiday brings. Today, Christmas is synonymous with festive gatherings, delicious meals and thoughtful gift exchanges—but for Sandra, the holiday didn’t always hold that magic.

“I was raised Jehovah’s Witness and we didn’t believe in celebrating Christmas,” she tells Woman’s World as our cover girl (get your copy here!). “So I didn’t get to celebrate anything. Now, Christmas is very magical for me.”

Growing up, Sandra’s father lived out of state and her mother wasn’t always available, making family celebrations challenging. “Really, the first Christmas that I can actually remember was being Sandy Claus to my siblings and creating a holiday for them because we didn’t have any money. I took my siblings to the church near us and I got them tickets and we went to the bazaar to pick out our gifts for free.” Long before she became a household name, Sandra was “Aunt Sandy Claus” to her siblings—a nickname that has stuck for nearly three decades. “My nieces and nephews have always asked me where that name came from. It began about 28 years ago.”

With a career spanning more than 25 bestselling cookbooks, Sandra is an expert at creating unforgettable holiday meals, desserts and gatherings. From cherished family traditions to new festive ideas, she continues to inspire countless home cooks to bring warmth, joy and creativity to their own holiday celebrations. Here, she shares her best tips

Woman’s World: One of your secrets is to keep everything simple and make things that people actually love to eat. What’s on your holiday menu this year?

Sandra Lee: Herb-roasted turkey, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, green beans, cranberry jelly right out of the can and canned peas. And they’re not just any canned peas—they come in a beautiful silver can—Le Sueur Very Young Small Sweet Peas. This is the only kind I’ll use.

WW: You mentioned certain scents symbolize winter and the holidays for you. What are some of your favorites that bring back childhood memories?

SL: Always the cinnamon, because I’ve always made those yarn hanging wall pieces that are fabric rounds cut with pinking shears with a cotton ball in the center. You put a bunch of cinnamon in there and then mount them onto the braided yarn hanging pieces that go on the wall. Basically, you’re creating a braided ponytail. Put on fabric angels at the bottom of it, sprinkle on cinnamon and leave cinnamon sticks in between. Cinnamon brings back memories of the holidays and the season. And I was raised in Seattle, so pine brings back memories too.

WW: Red and green are your family colors and symbolize the holiday season. How do you use them?

SL: I use red all the time. It’s kind of my signature color. I’m really into red. And green is one of my favorite colors because I like gardening. For holidays, I’ll use red roses and dip the tip of the rose petal into a white egg wash, then dip in sugar crystals. It creates a very frosty holiday look. You can also get really inexpensive spray roses at the grocery store and they look amazing. Get a few bunches and you have a gorgeous holiday centerpiece.

WW: What holiday tradition goes way back in your life that always brings joy?

SL: I keep all my cards and letters every year. I’ll read boxed letters from my grandmother or that my siblings wrote to me, so that’s what I love to do. I keep them with my Christmas ornaments. And every year, I add to it, so it expands.

WW: Have you found a holiday hack that saves time, energy and money?

SL: Of course, I’m me! Buying gifts that are already pre-wrapped saves a lot of time and energy. Also, I buy a lot of gifts for my friends over the summer. I pre-stock and kind of collect gifts all year round.

WW: Can you give an example of a good pre-wrapped gift?

SL: Pre-wrapped bottles of champagne I give for Christmas and over New Year’s. That’s always a favorite. I like to get those wine bottle necklaces, but you can use them for anything and they are wonderful. Once you open the bottle’s wrapping and gift tag, they’re gone, but you can keep those necklaces forever. Everyone loves them. A few years ago, I gave my girlfriends champagne flutes that float in water. So I always try to get a gift that has an after gift—you drink the champagne, but you have the flutes later to use again.

WW: What was your favorite holiday-themed TV show as a child?

SL: Little House on the Prairie, and I always share that the best gingerbread recipe in the world is in Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

WW: What snack food reminds you of your childhood?

SL: Strawberry Pop-Tarts—I just had them yesterday. You can pop them in the toaster on extra crispy, then crumble them over vanilla ice cream with whipped cream and a green cherry. It looks like Christmas instantly.

WW: What is a favorite holiday-themed song?

SL: Steve Perry’s The Season album has all the classics. Steve’s voice still sounds like a Christmas angel and his “Silver Bells” is brilliant. I really like the older Rat Pack, like Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra, and I love “The Little Drummer Boy” with Bing Crosby and David Bowie—it’s the most beautiful rendition. With more modern stuff, I really like Kelly Clarkson because her voice has such range with such emotion. I think the album is Wrapped in Red. I just love it. And Stevie Nicks’ “Silent Night.”

WW: What’s your best party-confidence advice?

SL: All I can say is sage advice is cocktail time. And you’re not going to want to wear sky-high heels all night, so don’t even bother. Wear comfortable shoes and a long dress to cover up. You’re in your flats, you look fabulous and you’re comfortable.

WW: How has the holiday season changed for you since turning 50?

SL: I do a lot more Christmas markets. I do a lot more nostalgic Dickens than anything else now. I like leaning into the history and meanings of Christmas—the origins of Christmas. I like leaning into classical Christmas music and candlelighting events. I always love going to church. I just do more of it. I’m making more time for myself and already have planned on taking Christmas time off. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, I am off. I deserve it.

WW: Do you have a favorite cocktail?

SL: I love White Chocolate Eggnog, Christmas Tree ‘Tail, Spiked Coffee, Sweet Snowtini and Aunt Sandy Claus’ Classic Cocktail. I love Spiked Coffee as it combines my favorite coffee with a cocktail and wakes me up while keeping me in a festive spirit. 

Sandra Lee’s Spiked Coffee Recipe (Serves 6-8)

Want to make Sandra’s signature Spiked Coffee? This cozy, crowd-pleasing drink combines rich coffee with Irish cream and a hint of almond—it’s like a warm hug in a mug! Perfect for Christmas day or any chilly winter gathering, it serves 6-8, so you can share the love.

Prep time: 10 minutes

8 teaspoons instant coffee granules (Maxwell House)

8 cups boiling water

1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar (Domino)

1 cup Irish cream liqueur (Baileys)

¼ cup almond syrup (or 1 ½ teaspoons almond extract)

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups frozen nondairy whipped topping, thawed

Garnish: cinnamon sticks 

In a small pitcher, combine coffee grounds, 8 cups of water, and sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Stir in liqueur, syrup and cinnamon. Pour into glasses; top with whipped topping. Garnish with cinnamon sticks, if desired.