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9 Easy Christmas Potpourri Simmer Pots

ByTandra Nicole

The holiday season is here and if you love Christmas and making things cozy just as much as I do, you’re going to love these Christmas inspired Stovetop Potpourri (Simmer Pot) recipes that makes your home smell of winter aromas.

Christmas Potpourri

I’ve been not so patiently waiting to make my Christmas Potpourri (or simmer pot as I like to call it) this year and FINALLY did this weekend.

If you haven’t heard of a Christmas Potpourri, maybe you’ve heard of a simmer pot? The idea is simple, a pan of water on your stove full of ingredients that bring a touch of nostalgia and captures the aromas of the season.

Christmas Potpourri in Our Home

I can’t recall exactly when I started making simmer pots during the holiday season in our own home but it was sometime while we were living in Texas.

You’ll hear me frequently reference Texas and my time there. I look back upon it fondly but honestly it’s because it’s where my homemaking journey began.

I do remember that I had seen something on the internet (of course) about making your house smell like Christmas with ingredients from your kitchen. I was willing to do literally anything to bring the holiday spirit to our home because even in December we were still hitting 70 degrees and I needed the essence of Christmas to take over my home in any way possible since it wasn’t going to be the snow.

The Christmas simmer pot, was love at first smell.

The scents of the season were running through my house and it was with all natural ingredients. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Each year since then, I bring the essence of Christmas aromas with our holiday simmer pots usually around the first of December and change up the ingredients frequently based on what I have around the house.

In this blog post, I’ll be sharing with you some of my favorite blends of seasonal ingredients to help you set the perfect holiday ambiance in your home too!

The Essence of Christmas Potpourri

Creating your own Christmas potpourri is not just about the fragrance; it’s about capturing the essence of the season. The true beauty of a Christmas Potpourri is that you can’t go wrong and all you need is just a handful of ingredients and a few cups of water.

I usually begin mine with a base of fresh cranberries, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. These timeless ingredients bring a touch of nostalgia, reminiscent of cozy evenings by the fireplace and the joy of exchanging gifts. This isn’t the only recipe to make a holiday potpourri though, you can mix and match any of your favorite holiday scents. Below I’ll share some of my favorite with you, each with a subtle nod to the holiday season.

Scents of the Season

Crafting your own stovetop potpourri is simple, start with a base of nostalgia-inducing ingredients and let your creativity take the lead. Consider what fragrances you already have in your pantry that can add a touch of holiday spirit, such as star anise, cinnamon, cloves, and other ground spices. Don’t forget about ingredients you can bring from outside too, such as pine sprigs and pinecones.

Cozy ingredients that I love to add in the winter include oranges, cranberries, rosemary sprigs, and evergreen sprigs.

Christmas Simmer Pot Recipes

Christmas Simmer Pot Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 3-5 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 orange sliced
  • 1-2 springs of rosemary (or fresh evergreen)
  • 1 tbsp whole cloves
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • 2 tsp nutmeg
  • Fill a pot (or slow cooker) with water and add your ingredients, bring to a boil, and then simmer! Top off with water as needed!
Apple Spice Simmer Pot Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 sliced apple
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 4 star anise
  • 1 tbsp cloves
  • Fill a pot (or slow cooker) with water, add your ingredients, bring to a boil, and then simmer! Top off with water as needed.
Cranberry Orange Simmer Pot
  1. 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
  2. 1 orange sliced
  3. 2 cinnamon sticks
  4. 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  5. Fill a pot (or slow cooker) with water, add your ingredients, bring to a boil, and then simmer! Top off with water as needed.
Fresh Winter Forest Simmer Pot

Ingredients:

  1. Fresh evergreen sprigs
  2. 1 tbsp cloves
  3. 1/2 orange, sliced
  4. Fill a pot (or slow cooker) with water, add your ingredients, bring to a boil, and then simmer! Top off with water as needed.
Winter Spice

Ingredients:

  1. Peel of two oranges
  2. 1 apple, sliced
  3. 3 cinnamon sticks
  4. 2-3 star anise
  5. 1 tsp fresh ginger
  6. 1 tsp cardamon
  7. 1 tsp cloves
  8. Fill a pot (or slow cooker) with water, add your ingredients, bring to a boil, and then simmer! Top off with water as needed.
Spiced Apple Cider

Ingredients:

  1. 1 sliced blood orange
  2. 1 sliced navel orange
  3. 1 vanilla bean pod
  4. Sprig of fresh pine
  5. 4-5 cups of apple cider

** This recipe is a tad different as your liquid is apple cider rather than water. You can refill with either your water or cider as the liquid simmers.

Cinnamon Citrus

Ingredients:

  1. 2 Oranges, sliced
  2. 2-3 cinnamon sticks
  3. 1 tbsp cloves
  4. Fill a pot (or slow cooker) with water, add your ingredients, bring to a boil, and then simmer! Top off with water as needed.
Fresh Winter Pine

Ingredients:

  1. Fresh pine or cedar twigs
  2. 1-2 bay leaves
  3. 1 tsp nutmeg
  4. 1-2 cinnamon sticks
  5. Fill a pot (or slow cooker) with water, add your ingredients, bring to a boil, and then simmer! Top off with water as needed.
Pinecone & Orange Spice

Ingredients:

  1. 2-3 Pine cones
  2. 2 Apples, diced
  3. 3-4 cinnamon sticks
  4. 1 orange, sliced
  5. 1 sprig rosemary, minced
  6. Fill a pot (or slow cooker) with water, add your ingredients, bring to a boil, and then simmer! Top off with water as needed.
Simmer Pot Tips
  • The measurements listed above will vary based on the size pot you are using, you may need to use more or less.
  • If you are using your simmer pot for longer periods of time make sure to refill the water as needed.
  • Experiment with different blends and combinations. As I mentioned above there is no wrong way to do a simmer pot. The beauty of the simmer pot aroma is that you can craft it to fit your desired scent.
    • Sweeter scent: add cranberries
    • More citrus scent: add lemons or oranges
    • More of an earthy scent: add fresh evergreen or rosemary
Simmer Pot Storage

You can store simmer pots in the fridge for up to a week and reuse it 2-4 times.

Before storing in the refrigerator, let your pot cool completely and place a lid on top.

Don’t forget to top off with new water each time.

Keep in Touch!

For more inspiration on nurturing homes & hearts, join me on Instagram and Pinterest. If you’re looking for more ways to bring the smell of Christmas to your home, check out my Cranberry Orange Bread recipe.

Mama, Homemaker, Photographer, Blogger

As military spouse, mom of four, and former children’s counselor, Tandra knows the value of family the importance of including your children into your world, which is why she start her blog “Tandra Nicole.”

She writes about finding (and adding) magic in your everyday life.

She enjoys sharing about activities you can do as a family, fun ways to add magic to your ordinary days, holidays, home decor, diy projects, recipes, crafts, family travel, and photography. Her hope is that other’s will find simple ways to connect and make memories as a family.

If you’re ever looking to catch up you’ll likely find her on Instagram stories sharing glimpses of her everyday life.

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