Favorite Gifts to Eat (and Drink!)
I firmly believe that the best gifts are ones you can eat… or drink! I always appreciate a homemade gift or one I can enjoy as food.
See below for my favorite gifts to eat and drink– homemade or gifted!
Stovetop Potpourri: Stovetop potpourri kits are the perfect DIY Christmas gift. And, I’ve got a link to a customizable printable gift tag that you can add to the jars!
No-Knead Bread: Who doesn’t love a loaf of bread? I adore gifting a loaf of nice homemade bread, especially with a jar of homemade soup (like my creamy acorn squash soup, butternut squash soup, or spicy pumpkin soup!)
Chai Vegan Suger Cookies with Eggnog Glaze: Chai sugar cookies– with or without the eggnog glaze! Serve in a stasher bag or a tin for a nice hostess gift.
Chocolate Peppermint Cake: This cake is the PERFECT hostess gift for the holidays. Perfectly moist, lightly peppermint chocolate cake with a peppermint glaze.
Bourbon Balls: My mom makes bourbon balls yearly, and I’ve continued the tradition. They are such a nice, unexpected dessert, and the best part is that they keep in the freezer so you can make a few batches to give for last-minute gifts.
Homemade Chili Crisp: Once you try this chili crisp, you’ll spoon it on everything from noodles to vegetables to sandwiches and more. Make a few jars, store in the fridge, then you’re ready for hostess gifting!
Candied Jalapeno Peppers: Sweet and spicy jalapeno peppers! We love these peppers and I made them for several friends last year. Enjoy them on a sandwich or my favorite way, on chorizo nachos.
Pepper Jelly: This hot pepper jelly is perfect for first-time canners as it’s easy to make and requires no special equipment. I love hot pepper jelly. It’s fantastic on sandwiches, mixed into hummus for a sweet and spicy appetizer dip, or, as is traditional here in St. Louis– poured over cream cheese and served with crackers! It’s also great as a glaze or for using as a base for a marinade.
Hot Italian Peppers in Oil: This is another recipe that was passed down from my mom– she makes jars and jars for gifts every year! If your friends love spicy foods, then they will love these hot peppers. They are fantastic in sandwiches– wow.
Vahdam Christmas Holiday Breakfast Tea Set: There’s nothing like a warm cup of tea to start (or end) the day during the winter months. This holiday gift set from Vahdam — an iconic Indian tea house — includes enough loose-leaf tea for 90 cups, in fan-favorite flavors ranging from vanilla spice masala chai and turmeric ginger to classic Earl Grey. They also have a Chai Tea assortment and and Advent Tea Calendar option.
Calabrian Chiles in Oil: Melanie, the extraordinary chef who helps me create, test, and perfect many recipes, turned me onto these, and they are so incredibly delicious, I have a feeling you’ll be finding foods to put this on. I have stood in the fridge several times slathering these chiles on things that make no sense– tofu cubes, crackers with cream cheese my kids leftover grilled cheese… you get the point. These chiles on pizza and pasta, wow. A beautiful gift for anyone who loves spicy food! There are duplicates out there, but the ones from Williams Sonoma are superior.
Kostarina Olive Oil: My good friend Amanda turned me onto this olive oil last year, and after our Greece trip this summer, it’s also become my favorite olive oil. They have several different levels– for cooking, for drizzling, and the slightly grassy, olive flavor instantly transports me back to the Mediterranean.
I LOVE giving bottles of olive oil as it’s something that we all use, and a nice bottle is better than wine, in my opinion. Using this link will give you 15% off your order! Plus, in addition to olive oil, check out their line of olive oil-based skincare.
Luxardo Maraschino Cherries: These are the best cherries for cocktails and so luxurious, they are perfect for gifting. The kind of cherry that you usually don’t buy yourself, but always appreciate as a gift!
Maldon Sea Salt Bucket: This is the best finishing salt. It’s nice and flaky and perfect for topping on my Salted Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies, my homemade Pepita Crunch, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, Ricotta Flatbreads and more.
Tokyo Treat Box: How cute is this Tokyo Treat Box? I fell in love with Japanese treats on my trip last month and thought this would be a nice gift for anyone who loves authentic Japanese foods. Sakuraco works with many Japanese family-owned businesses to curate their boxes, and I think this would be a unique gift for any foodie.
Penzey’s Vanilla Extract: This is the best vanilla extract out there and sThis extract is 10% stronger than the pure vanilla extract sold in supermarkets, and has the great Madagascar flavor.o nice to give for those who love to bake.
Heilala Vanilla Paste: Another great gift for bakers! Vanilla paste that has such an intense flavor– I love it!
Burlap and Barrel Baking Collection: Burlap and Barrel makes such incredible spices and this package of high-quality (and somewhat unexpected) spices would make a lovely present.
Just Spices Topping Set: I was first introduced to Just Spices with their avocado toast topping and recently tried a few of their others. The caprese topping with tomatoes is amazing, and the spicy pizza topping well, you know how I feel about spicy things and pizza! This 4-pack is a combination of 4 different toppings and a nice, unique gift set.
Other 2024 Gift Guides: Favorite Cookbooks and Favorite Kitchen Gifts