5 Christmas Simmer Pot Recipes That Make Your House Smell Like The Holidays
There is nothing better than walking into a house that smells like Christmas. The combination of fresh oranges, cinnamon, pine, cranberries, and warm holiday spices instantly makes everything feel a little more festive.
And while I love a good Christmas candle, one of my favorite ways to make the house smell amazing during the holidays is with a homemade Christmas simmer pot.
If you’ve never made one before, you’re going to love how easy they are!
All you need is a pot of water, a handful of ingredients, and your stovetop. As everything gently simmers, your kitchen (and eventually the rest of your house) fills with the most wonderful holiday scents.
The best part? You probably already have several of these ingredients in your kitchen.
Whether you want your home to smell like a fresh Christmas tree, warm apple cider, or something delicious baking in the oven, these 5 Christmas simmer pot recipes are perfect for making your home feel extra cozy this holiday season.
What Is a Christmas Simmer Pot?
A Christmas simmer pot is basically a homemade stovetop air freshener made with natural ingredients like fruit, herbs, and spices.
Instead of lighting a candle or spraying air freshener, you combine everything in a saucepan with water and let it gently simmer on the stove.
As the ingredients warm up, they release their fragrances into the air.
They’re especially fun to make during the holidays because you can create so many different Christmas-inspired scents.
Plus, they make your house smell like you’ve been baking or decorating for Christmas all day, even if you’ve actually just been relaxing on the couch!
How to Make a Christmas Simmer Pot
The instructions are pretty much the same for all five recipes, which makes this such an easy holiday tradition.
- Add all of your ingredients to a medium or large saucepan.
- Pour in 4–6 cups of water, or enough to generously cover the ingredients.
- Bring the water just to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Reduce the heat to low and let everything simmer uncovered.
- Add more water as needed to keep the ingredients submerged.
You can let your simmer pot fragrance your home for a few hours, as long as you’re keeping an eye on it and adding water when needed.
Important: Never leave a simmer pot unattended or let the water boil dry. Turn off the stove when you leave the kitchen for an extended period, leave the house, or go to sleep.
Now for the fun part: choosing your favorite Christmas scent!
1. Classic Christmas Simmer Pot
Smells like: A traditional Christmas morning with fresh greenery, citrus, and warm spices.
If I had to pick just one simmer pot recipe to make every Christmas, this would probably be it.
It’s the perfect combination of sweet oranges, tart cranberries, cinnamon, and fresh rosemary. The rosemary gives it that little hint of Christmas greenery without being overpowering.
It’s also one of the prettiest simmer pots because of the bright red cranberries and orange slices floating together.
Ingredients
- 1 orange, sliced
- ½ cup fresh cranberries
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 4–6 cups water
Instructions
Add the orange slices, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, rosemary, and cloves to a saucepan. Pour in the water and bring to a gentle simmer.
Reduce the heat to low and enjoy the wonderful Christmas fragrance as it fills your home.
Add water as needed.
Holiday tip: This is a great simmer pot to make when you’re decorating the Christmas tree or having family over for a holiday gathering.
2. Christmas Tree Farm Simmer Pot
Smells like: Walking through a fresh Christmas tree lot on a cold December afternoon.
If you love the smell of a real Christmas tree but have an artificial one, this recipe is for you!
Fresh evergreen branches give this simmer pot a woodsy, outdoorsy scent, while lemon and rosemary add a little brightness.
It’s a wonderful way to bring that fresh-cut Christmas tree smell into your home.
Ingredients
- 2 small sprigs of fresh pine, fir, or spruce
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon whole juniper berries (optional)
- 4–6 cups water
Instructions
Place the evergreen sprigs, lemon slices, rosemary, cinnamon sticks, and optional juniper berries into a saucepan.
Add the water and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low and allow the ingredients to release their fresh, woodsy fragrance.
Add more water whenever needed.
Holiday tip: Use only positively identified, untreated, non-toxic evergreen branches. Avoid yew and unknown greenery, as some evergreens are poisonous. Don’t use branches from trees sprayed with artificial snow, preservatives, or other chemicals.
3. Gingerbread House Simmer Pot
Smells like: Fresh gingerbread cookies baking in the oven.
This one is for anyone who loves the sweet, spicy smell of holiday baking!
The combination of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla creates a warm fragrance that reminds me of decorating gingerbread houses and baking Christmas cookies.
And the best part? You get that delicious gingerbread smell without actually having to bake anything.
Ingredients
- 1 piece fresh ginger (about 2 inches), sliced
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon molasses (optional)
- 4–6 cups water
Instructions
Add the ginger, cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg, vanilla, and optional molasses to a saucepan.
Pour in the water and bring everything to a gentle simmer.
Reduce the heat to low and let the warm spices fill your kitchen with a cozy gingerbread fragrance.
Check the water level frequently, especially if using molasses, which can leave sticky residue if the pot boils dry.
Holiday tip: This is such a fun one to make during a Christmas movie night or while wrapping presents.
4. Cranberry Orange Christmas Punch Simmer Pot
Smells like: A festive holiday punch with sweet citrus, cranberries, and a little spice.
This Christmas simmer pot is bright, fruity, and just a little sweet.
The cranberries and oranges give it that classic holiday scent, while apple, star anise, and cinnamon make it smell like something delicious you’d serve at a Christmas party.
It’s a great choice if you prefer fruity fragrances over the stronger woodsy scents of Christmas greenery.
Ingredients
- 1 orange, sliced
- 1 apple, sliced
- ¾ cup fresh cranberries
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 whole star anise
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 4–6 cups water
Instructions
Combine the orange slices, apple slices, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and cloves in a saucepan.
Add the water and bring to a gentle simmer.
Reduce the heat to low and let the fruity, spiced fragrance fill your home.
Keep adding water as needed.
Holiday tip: Make this one before guests arrive for Christmas dinner. It makes the house smell festive before you’ve even started cooking!
5. Cozy Christmas Sugar Cookie Simmer Pot
Smells like: Sweet vanilla, warm cinnamon, and holiday sugar cookies.
If your favorite part of Christmas is baking cookies, you’re going to love this one.
This recipe has a softer, sweeter fragrance than the others. Vanilla, almond, and cinnamon combine to create a warm, bakery-inspired scent.
It won’t smell exactly like cookies coming out of the oven, but it definitely gives your kitchen that cozy Christmas baking feeling.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 2 strips of fresh orange peel
- 4–6 cups water
Instructions
Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and orange peel to a saucepan.
Pour in the water and bring to a gentle simmer.
Reduce the heat to low and allow the sweet, warm fragrance to fill your home.
Keep an eye on the water level and replenish it as needed.
Holiday tip: This is the perfect simmer pot to make when you’re craving that fresh-baked Christmas cookie smell but don’t feel like turning on the oven.
Tips for Making the Best Christmas Simmer Pot
Once you start making homemade simmer pots, you’ll realize how easy they are to customize. Here are a few tips to get the best results.
Use fresh ingredients when possible. Fresh oranges, apples, cranberries, and herbs give your simmer pot a wonderful fragrance. However, you can also use dried citrus slices and dried spices.
Keep the heat low. You want a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil. Too much heat will evaporate the water quickly and can cause your ingredients to burn.
Don’t forget to add water. Check your pot regularly and add more water whenever the level gets low. The ingredients should stay covered with water.
Experiment with different combinations. Love cinnamon? Add an extra stick. Prefer citrus? Try adding another orange or some lemon peel. There’s really no need to follow these recipes exactly.
Use whole spices when you can. Cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and star anise are especially convenient because they release fragrance without making the water as cloudy as ground spices.
Keep simmer pots away from children and pets. The hot water can cause burns, and some ingredients, including certain evergreens and spices, can be harmful to animals if ingested.
Can You Make Christmas Simmer Pots Ahead of Time?
Yes! This is actually one of my favorite things about them.
You can prepare your Christmas simmer pot ingredients ahead of time so they’re ready whenever you want your house to smell festive.
Simply slice your fruit, measure out your spices, and place everything in an airtight container or resealable bag.
Store the ingredients in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before using.
When you’re ready, dump everything into a saucepan, add water, and start simmering!
You can also freeze many of the fruit and spice combinations for later use. Just keep the vanilla and other liquid extracts separate until you’re ready to make your simmer pot.
Can You Reuse a Christmas Simmer Pot?
Yes, you can often reuse the same ingredients for another simmering session.
After your first use, allow the mixture to cool, then refrigerate it promptly in a covered container.
For best freshness, use it again the next day and discard it afterward. The fragrance will usually be weaker the second time around, but adding another cinnamon stick or a few fresh orange slices can help.
Discard the mixture sooner if it develops an off smell or appearance.
Christmas Simmer Pots Make Great Homemade Gifts!
Another fun idea is to turn these recipes into homemade Christmas gifts.
A Christmas simmer pot kit is such a thoughtful and inexpensive gift for neighbors, teachers, coworkers, or friends.
You can package dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, star anise, and dried cranberries in a cute glass jar or cellophane bag.
Tie it with a festive ribbon and attach a little gift tag with the instructions:
Christmas Simmer Pot
Pour ingredients into a saucepan. Add 4–6 cups of water and simmer gently on low, adding water as needed. Never leave unattended.
You can even make several different scent combinations and give each one a fun holiday name.
Just be sure to use fully dried ingredients for shelf-stable gift jars. Fresh fruit and herbs need refrigeration and should not be packaged as room-temperature gifts.
Which Christmas Simmer Pot Should You Try First?
If you’re not sure which one to make, here’s a quick guide:
- For a traditional Christmas scent: Classic Christmas Simmer Pot
- For a fresh, woodsy fragrance: Christmas Tree Farm Simmer Pot
- For warm holiday baking spices: Gingerbread House Simmer Pot
- For a fruity, festive scent: Cranberry Orange Christmas Punch Simmer Pot
- For something sweet and cozy: Christmas Sugar Cookie Simmer Pot
Personally, I love the Classic Christmas combination when we’re decorating for the holidays, and the Gingerbread House version is perfect for a cozy December afternoon.
There’s just something about a house filled with the smell of cinnamon, oranges, and Christmas spices that makes the whole season feel a little more magical.
And with these five easy Christmas simmer pot recipes, you can enjoy a different holiday scent whenever you want.
Which Christmas simmer pot would you try first?
Don’t forget to save these recipes for later so you can make your house smell amazing all season long!
