23 of the best Christmas crackers for 2024

Christmas was famously billed as ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ by old-time crooner Andy Williams back in the 1960s. But it’s fair to say that there can be a lot of pressure during the build up to Christmas to make sure that the big day goes off without a hitch.

One of those decisions is to find the best Christmas crackers available. After you have finished scouring all of the Christmas markets for new baubles and you have made up your mind about which choc-filled advent calendar you will be devouring, of course. No one likes a disappointing surprise, so we’ve rounded up the best Christmas crackers on the market this year.

Christmas crackers can really transform any tablescape, adding to the festivities with their fun and seasonal design. What is inside them is just as important too, with many crackers these days filled with snacks, alcoholic miniatures and even luxury gifts. If you are worried about sourcing the perfect crackers for your Christmas table, have no fear, because there are tonnes of crackers to choose from online, ranging from new and usual designs to those that have been specifically designed for your pets to enjoy. There are even some brilliant sustainable options floating around, with reusable shells for you to fill year after year with new treats.

If you find all of the choices available a little overwhelming though, let us be your guide. Check out our pick of the best Christmas crackers below, which we have categorised into different themed sections, so you can jump straight to the section that is tailor-made for you. Once you have settled on the best Christmas crackers for you, you will be one step closer to the perfect Christmas - now you just have to worry about cooking the turkey.

Christmas crackers for foodies

Christmas is all about good food and drink, so why not extend that to your table decorations? These Christmas crackers are either designed with fun food patterns or feature actual food and drink inside as a gift, and we can’t get enough.

Joe & Seph’s Giant Popcorn Christmas Cracker

What: Looking for a quirky centrepiece for your festive tablescape? Check out this giant cracker from posh popcorn purveyors Joe & Seph. Snap it open to discover a haul of six bags of salted caramel flavour popcorn, as well as six gold paper crowns and six, ahem, corny jokes. This big comical version also means you can double on crackers, and have individual ones for each person too!
How much: £18 each
Buy it: Joe and Steph's

Cocoba Hot Chocolate Bombes Cracker

What: While this cracker might not be the most practical choice for the Christmas table, it would make for a cute festive gift for a friend or a nice addition to a Christmas Eve box. Inside, you’ll find melting chocolate bombes made from 100% Belgian chocolate and filled with mini marshmallows - simply place the bombe into a large mug and pour over hot milk to watch the magic happen.
How much: £14.95
Buy it: Not on the Highstreet

Hotel Chocolat Table Cracker

What: If there's ever a time of year to indulge in chocolate treats, it's Christmas. These crackers from the famous chocolatier swap out the traditional mini gift for one of three festive figures made entirely of chocolate - will you get the milk chocolate penguin, the dark chocolate reindeer or the white chocolate Christmas tree? You’ll have to pull a cracker to find out!
How much: £5.95 each or three for £15
Buy it: Hotel Chocolat

Fortnum’s Piccadilly Crackers

What: Brand new for 2024, these majestic crackers each contain a recipe from the store's own cookbook, as well as a mini utensil to use while you cook. Expect to find the likes of tree and star cookie cutters, wooden honey drizzlers, mini graters, and measuring jiggers to use to bake or cook the recipe included.
How much: £65 for six
Buy it: Fortnum & Mason

Hotel Chocolat Mini Christmas Crackers

What: If the chocolate inside your advent calendar simply isn’t enough then these mini crackers from Hotel Chocolat will give you your sugar fix. Each cracker contains a delicious chocolatey treat inside. They come in packs of 10, so there is likely to be enough for everyone at the table, as well as a few spares that you might want to keep for yourself.
How much: £19.95 for ten
Buy it: Hotel Chocolat

Best alcohol Christmas crackers

Get into the festive spirit with...well...actual spirits, and explore our pick of alcohol Christmas crackers. There are plenty of options out there, from mixers and miniatures to make the perfect gin and tonic, to premade cocktails from the best mixologists around.

MOTH Cocktail Christmas Crackers

What: Known as one of the best-premixed cocktail brands, MOTH cocktails are taking Christmas by storm. First with an advent calendar, now with some properly cool crackers filled with jokes, trivia, and games along with fan favourite cocktails. There are six different cocktails up for grabs, including a Cosmopolitan, Margarita, Negroni, Old Fashioned, and Espresso Martini.
How much: £29 for six
Buy it: MOTH

Fever-Tree Christmas Crackers

What: Available exclusively at John Lewis, Fever-Tree have launched a glam range of Christmas crackers with a host of flavoured tonics paired with some of the UK’s best spirits. Choices include Tarquin’s blackberry gin paired with Fever-Tree’s elderflower tonic, and Mermaid pink gin with rhubarb tonic along with a host of other fun flavours and non-alcoholic versions.
How much: £9 each £36 for four
Buy it: John Lewis

Bloody Bens Gin Filled Crackers

What: For a Christmas cracker that feels extra special - these cute and quirky crackers from Bloody Bens are sure to shake things up this year. These mini gin crackers contain a miniature bottle of the brand's pink or signature award-winning gin along with a classic joke. They also look pretty cute too!
How much: £54 for six
Buy it: Not on the Highstreet

Best Christmas crackers for families

If your Christmas table is usually surrounded by little ones who just want to get through dinner so they can open the rest of their presents, these family-friendly Christmas crackers will be sure to keep them entertained.  

Elf Christmas Crackers

What: These fun and colourful crackers from Nancy & Betty come in festive red and green and we think their cute little faces could even bring a smile to Scrooge - even if they only smile when the little elf's heads come off... These crackers are also fully recyclable, plastic-free and for every box purchased the company plants one tree. They also have Santa and reindeer versions.
How much: £28 for six
Buy it: Nancy & Betty

Harvey & Mason Jingle Bells Crackers

What: Ensure your Christmas crackers are fun for all the family with this selection of music table treats. Each cracker contains a hat, a joke and a jingle bell with instructions on how to use the different tones to play a song together. Even if you don't have a musical ear to share between you, whether you're old, young, or somewhere in between, this jingly set of crackers is bound to be fun for the family.
How much: £22.99 for eight
Buy it: Harvey & Mason

Best luxury Christmas crackers

If you take your tablescaping seriously, only the chicest of Christmas crackers will do. Check out our pick of some ultra-stylish, luxury options below which are sure to make your guests Christmas-tree-green with envy.  

Harrods Berries Christmas Crackers

What: No one does Christmas quite like Harrods, every year it's the one true seasonal destination for decorations, festive gifts, and personal treats. One of the prettiest designs so gorgeous we’d decorate the walls with it, Harrods’ Berries Christmas crackers bring a little luxury to your table this year. Each velvet-tied cracker contains a gorgeous little item, from harmonicas and pens to keychains and a dinky gingerbread man spoon.
How much: £110 for six
Buy it: Harrods

Harvey Nichols Luxury Christmas Crackers

What: This one crosses the boundary between gifts, food, and drinks, and we’re not mad at it. Actually, we quite like it when Christmas crackers cover all the bases, it means you can trade and negotiate the prizes. Each wacky pink and purple cracker offers the chance to win a mini pot of Greek or orange blossom honey, miniature sloe gin, or creme de cassis. And just for good measure, they’ve thrown in a wine stopper and corkscrew too.
How much: £65 for six
Buy it: Harvey Nichols

Fortnum’s Winter Green Christmas Crackers

What: These gorgeous green crackers will add depth to any Christmas tablescape and come beautifully presented in a traditional Fortnum presentation box. The contents will delight guests too; inside, you will find the likes of silver-plated sugar tongs, tea towels and even a Fortnum’s Champagne stopper. If you're looking for crackers with gifts you'll actually keep then this is the one to go for! Who doesn't want a Fortnum & Mason treat?
How much: £295 for six
Buy it: Fortnum & Mason

Toast Lokta Paper Christmas Crackers

What: Crafted with Fair Trade lokta paper, printed by hand in Nepal, these Christmas crackers contain gifts such as felt mushroom decorations, lavender essential oil wax melts, packets of bird feed, and miniature pencils. Once they’re pulled, just peel off the adhesive and put everything into the recycling. Fun fact: lokta paper has been used for centuries for Buddhist writings, and local records.
How much: £45 for six
Buy it: Toast

Handmade Marbled Christmas Crackers

What: Featuring lovely marbled paper designs, these Christmas crackers conceal some seriously great finds to keep forever. There’s no plastic tat included with these ones. Everything is handmade in England, from the paper to the presents. In fact, all the little gifts are made of leather and include key rings, needle cases, suede jewellery pouches, luggage tags, and a little leather book for passwords or addresses.
How much: £60 for six
Buy it: Not on the Highstreet

Best fill your own Christmas crackers

If you’re a crafty type, why not have a go at creating your own bespoke Christmas crackers for you and your family? These fill your own options are a fun way to personalise your Christmas Day, and you could even get the kids involved with helping you make them.  

Lakeland Fill Your Own Christmas Crackers

What: Get crafty this Christmas with these oversized fill-your-own crackers from Lakeland. The beautiful design of the crackers is taken care of, so all that is left for you to do is add the finishing touches and fill them with your favourite treats. Plus, given their size, you can put almost anything you want in there!
How much: £14.99 for six
Buy it: Lakeland

Shelter's Fill Your Own Crackers

What: Each snow scene printed cracker in this set comes with a classic tissue hat, joke, quiz question and conversation starter. They’re already assembled so you can just pop your chosen gifts in without the fuss of folding or sticking. Apart from being totally recyclable and FSC certified, every purchase supports the homeless charity Shelter. Why not give back a little at this special time of year?
How much: £9.99 for six
Buy it: Shelter

Best reusable and eco-friendly Christmas crackers

If you’re wary of your carbon footprint this Christmas, check out these options which are a little kinder to the planet, including fabric crackers which can be used year after year and ones which you can easily recycle. 

Candy Cane Reusable Crackers

What: Although these crackers don’t ‘snap’ (you untie them instead), they make up for it with their cute candy cane stripes and can be reused again and again. They also come with reusable material crowns, and you can also personalise them to each guest, by filling the cracker with your favourite sweet treats or miniature trinkets. Sure they might be expensive, but crackers like these are a long term investment!
How much: £30 each
Buy it: Not on the Highstreet

Reusable Keep This Cracker

What: One of the best eco-friendly Christmas crackers around, Keep This Cracker makes several types in different designs and styles. Instead of a big bang, these crackers have a gentle pop. It’s one of the most affordable versions available and comes with an envelope to store them ready for next year. To reuse them, all you need to do is pop them up again and insert a new snap mechanism.
How much: £24.95 for six
Buy it: Not on the Highstreet

Best unusual Christmas crackers

Looking for Christmas crackers with a difference? Take a look at our favourite unique festive crackers to brighten up your Christmas dinner with something new and unusual. There are even crackers that look like trees!

Meri Meri Christmas Tree Crackers

What: Who says Christmas crackers all have to follow the same rules? Add some fun to your festive table with these crackers that don’t actually look like crackers. These adorable trees contain a joke, a party hat and a reusable glitter star brooch and make a great addition to the kids table and will minimize fighting over gifts.
How much: £30 for six
Buy it: Meri Meri

Marks & Spencer Star Shaped Christmas Crackers

What: Known for its brilliant M&S Christmas food range, the nation’s favourite festive supermarket has unveiled arguably this year's most unusual Christmas cracker. These singer star-shaped crackers each contain a pretty little wine charm, hat joke, and charade to play around the table. The crackers have two small loops to pull the cracker with, they’re also great for hanging on the tree or around the house in the lead-up to the big day.
How much: £20 for six
Buy it: Marks & Spencer

Best Christmas crackers for your pet

Christmas crackers are great fun, and who says we have to keep all that joy to ourselves? Everyone deserves a treat so show your furry friend some love with one of these Christmas crackers designed specifically for pets. 

Cat eco cracker

What: Ensure your most loyal pal doesn’t feel neglected on Christmas morning with this adorable cracker from Graham & Green - with a dog version and a cat version available. Made from recycled paper, this cracker comes complete with a noise-free bang (no...we're not too sure what that means either), a joke for you and a treat for them to please the fussiest of felines.
How much: £7.95 each
Buy it: Graham & Green

Fornum's Happy Hound Cracker

What: Your furry friend will be delighted to know that the cracker for dogs is - of course - from Fortnum & Mason. This decadent boxed cracker comes with a joke, paper crown, and a toy Champagne bottle that will surely please even the most discerning of dogs. This one is also free from frightening bangs.
How much: £25 each
Buy it: Fortnum & Mason

Once you’ve bought this year’s crackers, check out our pick of the best Christmas food hampers for 2024.