We Made Buddy the Elf’s Christmas Spaghetti—Here’s How

If you’ve seen the movie Elf, you’re likely familiar with the famous scene where Buddy makes himself breakfast. Instead of whipping up pancakes or one of our favorite Christmas brunch ideas, he transforms leftover spaghetti into a sugar-packed meal—complete with toaster pastries, mini marshmallows and chocolate candy.

The dish is fitting for Buddy. After all, an elf’s four main food groups are candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup. But how does the recipe fare with humans? A few brave Taste of Home staffers put it to the test—and now you can too! Follow along as we show you how to make a copycat version of the Elf spaghetti.

Still hungry? Try these other recipes inspired by classic Christmas movies.

How to Make Buddy the Elf’s Christmas Spaghetti

Ingredients

• Spaghetti
• Mini marshmallows
• Chocolate-covered candies
• Maple syrup
• Chocolate sauce
• Toaster pastries

Directions

Step 1: Boil spaghetti

Buddy uses pasta leftover from last night’s spaghetti dinner, but if you don’t have any on hand, it’s OK to make it fresh. Start by boiling a few quarts of water in a large pot. Add spaghetti and cook according to package directions. When cooked to desired firmness, drain and set aside. The spaghetti will need to cool completely before moving on to the next step.

Test Kitchen Tip: Place the pasta in a colander, then run cold water over the top!

Step 2: Add marshmallows, candy and syrup

Place cold spaghetti on a plate. Add marshmallows and chocolate candies. Drizzle mixture with generous amounts of maple syrup and chocolate syrup.

Psst! Find more of our favorite Christmas copycat recipes.)

Step 3: Crumble toaster pastries

Unwrap a package of toaster pastries. Buddy uses a chocolate one, but any flavor will do. With your hands, crumble the pastries on top of the spaghetti mixture.

Step 4: Mix well

Use your hands to mix the spaghetti. You’ll want to make sure that the syrup and chocolate sauce have a chance to coat each strand of pasta.

Step 5: Enjoy!

There you have it: Buddy the Elf’s famous spaghetti. With your hands, shovel an enormous mouthful of spaghetti into your mouth. Don’t worry about getting messy—it’s all part of the experience!

Find the perfect gift for someone obsessed with Elf or another Christmas classic.

Recipes Inspired by Christmas Movies

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Taste of Home

Roast Beast Inspired by How the Grinch Stole ChristmasAt the end of this holiday special, the Grinch himself carves the roast beast. We think this roast beef recipe is a worthy substitute for the Whoville favorite.

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Find Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas on Amazon Also, check out these yummy cake recipes if you're looking for Christmas cake ideas.

Taste of Home

Chocolate Biscuits Inspired by Love ActuallyThe Prime Minister loves his chocolate biscuits in this holiday rom-com. Whip up a batch of your own dipped English shortbread cookies and grab a cup of tea. And be sure to check out some of our other favorite shortbread cookies, too!

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Find Love Actually on Amazon Want to try more recipes inspired by TV shows? Here, learn how to make Ted Lasso’s biscuit.

Spaghetti and Meatballs Inspired by ElfWho can forget the iconic scene where Buddy the Elf serves up spaghetti loaded with candies, maple syrup and Pop Tarts? We give Buddy props for his originality, but we like this dish with meatballs and not gum balls. If you’re looking for more recipes inspired by movies, don’t forget to check out this Christmas fettuccine.

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Find Elf on Amazon

Eggnog Inspired by National Lampoon's Christmas VacationWe think that Clark Griswold would appreciate a cup or two of this tasty homemade 'nog. Swirled with nutmeg and vanilla, you have to try this classic.

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Find National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation on Amazon

Macaroni and Cheese Inspired by Home AloneIn one of our favorite '90s Christmas flicks, Kevin McAllister (played by Macaulay Culkin), asks God to "bless this highly nutritious microwavable macaroni and cheese dinner." This version is definitely a step up from the microwavable option, but we think Kevin would approve of this recipe (and our other faves, too).

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Pepperoni Pizza Inspired by Home Alone 2: Lost in New YorkBoth Home Alone films are Christmas classics. And like Kevin in the sequel, who can resist a hot pepperoni pizza? Only made better if you get to enjoy it in the back of a limo.

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Find Home Alone 2: Lost in New York on Amazon

Hot Cocoa Inspired by The Santa ClauseIt may have taken 1,200 years for one of the North Pole's elves to get her recipe right in this movie, but you can whip up the perfect hot cocoa in just 15 minutes.

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Find The Santa Clause on Amazon

Glazed Gingerbread Cookies Inspired by Jingle All the WayArnold Schwarzenegger taps into his action-star roots to find the most-wanted toy for his son in time for Christmas. While he's on an adventure, his wife Liz whips up Christmas cookies that are "out of this world." We think these treats might be what everyone in the film was raving about.

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Find Jingle All the Way on Amazon

Zesty Meatloaf Inspired by A Christmas StoryRandy might have hated meatloaf, but we're sure he never had a tasty version like this. Our homemade meatloaf recipe will have all the little piggies asking for more.

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Sugar Plum Cake Inspired by The NutcrackerSugar Plum Fairy meet this delicious sugar plum cake. Filled with spice and walnuts, this tasty cake is spot-on for the holidays.

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Taste of Home

Meringue Snowballs Inspired by The Nightmare Before ChristmasThe moment Jack Skellington arrives in Christmas Town, he takes a big bite of fresh snow. These meringue snowballs are definitely tastier!

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Find The Nightmare Before Christmas on Amazon

Caramel Apple Pecan Pie Inspired by It's a Wonderful LifeThis feel-good flick gets us into the Christmas spirit year after year. And every year, we admire Harry Bailey's talent for carrying pies. While we can't say for sure what he's balancing on top of his head, we think this pecan-studded pie looks pretty tasty (and just right for Christmas dessert).

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Find It's a Wonderful Life on Amazon

Plum Pudding Inspired by The Muppet Christmas CarolThe Muppets took inspiration from the classic British Christmas tale for this holiday favorite. We took some inspiration from the Brits as well with this plum pudding, just like Mrs. Cratchit (or Miss Piggy) would make.

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TMB STUDIO

Creamy Caramel Mocha Inspired by The HolidayWho doesn't love a good holiday rom-com? In this Christmas movie, Kate Winslet and Jack Black bond over fancy coffee house drinks like these. Get more coffee shop-inspired drink ideas.

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Find The Holiday on Amazon

Beef Stir Fry Inspired by ScroogedIn this rendition of "A Christmas Carol," Frank (the '80s version of Scrooge), grabs a Chinese dinner with his sweetheart Claire. We'd imagine they'd love to dig into a tasty stir fry like this one—or maybe one of these dishes.

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Find Scrooged on Amazon

Roasted Tomato Soup Inspired by Rudolph the Red-Nosed ReindeerIn this classic stop-motion special, Santa looks a little slimmer than usual, but at the last minute, Mrs. Claus is seen feeding him warm tomato soup. He regains his full figure – just in time to hop in his sleigh with Rudolph taking the lead. This rustic recipe is sure to warm bellies just like this movie warms hearts.

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Find Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on Amazon

Turkey, Thyme and Mushroom Risotto Inspired by The Last HolidayIn this film, Queen Latifah's character treats herself to an elaborate dinner for one including stuffed quail, lamb shanks, cassoulet and a tempting mushroom risotto like this one.

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Roast Goose Inspired by Christmas in ConnecticutIn this 1945 Christmas flick, food writer (and phony domestic expert) Elizabeth Lane has to pull off the perfect holiday dinner starring, you guessed it, a perfectly roast goose.

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Ham and Cheese Cuban Inspired by White ChristmasSitting in the resort dining room, Bing Crosby tells Rosemary Clooney that when he eats a ham and cheese sandwich, he's likely to dream of a beautiful blonde (like Clooney herself!). While this grilled Cuban sandwich is a bit of a departure from the classic ham and cheese, it's still darn delicious.

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Christmas Candy Train Inspired by The Polar ExpressAll aboard! This sweet train is the perfect nod to this heartwarming movie. Plus, kiddos will love helping create this Christmas confection for your holiday movie night.

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Don't forget to curl up with a cup of Tom Hanks coffee to honor the beloved conductor of the film, with all of the coffee proceeds going to charity. Or, for the adults in the room, enjoy this Tom Hanks' cocktail. Find The Polar Express on Amazon