19 Food Gifts for the Holidays

Want to give your loved ones a homemade treat this season? From Red Velvet Cookies to Holiday Spice Granola, any one of these favorite recipes would make a wonderful food gift!

By
Claudia Cash
Claudia Cash
Claudia Cash
Claudia is the Community Manager for Simply Recipes and has contributed numerous articles focused on cooking on a budget, quick and easy meals, and kid-friendly foods.
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Published December 10, 2019
Claudia Cash
Hot cocoa mix, red velvet cookies, and muffins for the holidays

Food gifts are beloved by all, especially during the holidays. Whether it’s a plate of cookies or something more involved, like a loaf of bread, the act of giving food can mean the world to your neighbors, colleagues, and especially family and friends who live far away!

So, what should you make for your loved ones?

We’ve narrowed it down to our all-time favorite food gifts. We’ve got sweet, savory, salty, and even some gluten-free gems to help make the season bright!

  • Chocolate-Covered Pretzels

    Chocolate Covered Pretzels
    Irvin Lin

    Everyone loves a little sweet and salty! Dip these pretzels in red, green, or white chocolate, and add some fun sprinkles for a jolly treat!

  • English Toffee

    Easy English Toffee in Bowl
    Irvin Lin

    This nutty, chocolate-covered toffee is the quintessential holiday treat, perfect for gifting to family or friends. It’s easy to make, but the best part is that it keeps for weeks, so you can make it ahead of time!

  • Red Velvet Cookies

    Red Velvet Cookies with White Chocolate Chips
    Irvin Lin

    Red velvet is typically associated with Valentine’s Day, but I use it all the time in my holiday baking. The rich red color is just what your holiday cookie tray ordered!

  • Christmas Cracker Candy

    Christmas Crack
    Irvin Lin and Emma Christensen

    This is a Christmas gift-giving MUST! Keep it simple or top it with some pretzels, toasted coconut, or even dried cherries!

    Continue to 5 of 19 below.

  • Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Donuts

    Vegan Gluten-Free Donut Recipe
    Megan Gordon

    Have a loved one who’s gluten-free? “Donut” forget to make them a treat, too! These tender gluten-free chocolate donuts are great for the holidays.

  • Rum Balls

    Irvin Lin

    The best thing about these rum balls? They’re NO-BAKE. These boozy treats are the first to go at a party, so I’m sure your neighbor or friend would love their own batch. Feel free to make them with any type of rum, or use whiskey, tequila, or bourbon.

  • Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins

    Chocolate Chip Muffins Gluten-Free
    Megan Gordon

    These muffins are studded with chunks of chocolate, and ready to go in under an hour. Bonus: They’re vegan!

  • Chocolate Crinkles

    Chocolate Crinkle Cookies on Plate
    Elise Bauer

    These are a Christmas classic! Rolled in powdered sugar, they look like they’re fresh from the snow.

    Continue to 9 of 19 below.

  • Homemade Almond Roca

    Homemade Almond Roca
    Elise Bauer

    Almond roca may seem intimidating to make, but our recipe calls for simple ingredients and doesn’t require a thermometer. You might just want to make an extra batch for yourself!

  • Gingerbread Cookies

    Gingerbread Man Cookies
    Elise Bauer

    What would the holidays be without gingerbread? Give these cookies in a little gift pack with some colored frosting and candy to decorate the cookies. Your friends will love it!

  • Holiday Spice Granola

    Holiday Spice Granola
    Sally Vargas

    Give the gift of crunch ‘n’ munch with homemade granola! It’s not overly sweet and tastes way better than anything you’ll find in the store.

  • Cream Cheese Pecan Cookies

    Cream Cheese Pecan Cookies
    Elise Bauer

    Elevate your cookie game with cream cheese! It’s tangy and adds a little softness to cookies, while pecans add crunch.

    Continue to 13 of 19 below.

  • Homemade Pancake Mix

    Pancakes Using Homemade Pancake Mix
    Alison Bickle

    This is the gift that keeps on giving. I would love to have this mix given to me so I could whip up some pancakes and get any day started off right. Better yet, add this mix to a mason jar and attach the recipe!

  • Whole Wheat Bread

    Whole wheat bread recipe
    Leela Cyd Ross

    Bread is love. This recipe makes two loaves and only takes 20 minutes of hands-on time. Wrap it in a tea towel or butcher paper tied with a string before gifting.

  • Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

    Browned Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
    Elise Bauer

    These chocolate chunk cookies have a deep, rich flavor thanks to browned butter. Everyone you give these to will immediately want to be your BFF.

  • Caramel Sauce

    Homemade Caramel Sauce
    Elise Bauer

    When I gift this to someone, I like to add the tag line, “In case of emergency, keep this on hand at all times.” Ha! This sauce can be drizzled over ice cream, swirled into brownies, added to your morning coffee, or eaten straight out of the jar.

    Continue to 17 of 19 below.

  • How to Make Vanilla Extract

    Stages of Making Vanilla Extract
    Elise Bauer

    Give the gift of vanilla, and you’ll give the gift of love. Vanilla is so expensive these days, so imagine how great it would be to receive this as a gift!

  • How to Make Homemade Chocolate Truffles

    Chocolate Truffles
    Elise Bauer

    Two words to describe these truffles: PURE JOY. They’re made from high quality ingredients to ensure that they’re top notch. Add in mint extract, amaretto extract, coconut extract, or even chopped walnuts for a sweet variety.

  • Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

    Hot Cocoa Mix
    Sally Vargas

    Seriously the best hot cocoa mix in all Christmas-land! We offer a few variations, one of which is to blend extracts into sugar so that the sugar becomes perfumed. So good!