90 Homemade Food Gift Ideas You’ll Want To Keep For Yourself

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This is a giant list of homemade food gift ideas. Perfect for any occasion, but especially great to give as a hostess gift, party favor, or a Christmas gift.

Some of them take a little bit of planning so it never hurts to start brainstorming early! Whether you make a big basket of homemade food gifts or use a few of these as stocking stuffers, homemade food gifts are always a hit!

Homemade food gifts are my absolute FAVORITE. I love making food gifts for others, and I also love getting them. A couple years ago we made beef jerky, candied ginger, and homemade mint tea bags for our family and it was a huge hit!

I intentionally put the desserts at the end of the list. Because EVERYONE has an abundance of sweets at the holidays. But everyone DOESN’T have an abundance of non-dessert homemade food ideas (like the salts, sauces, and jams listed below). Scroll through and find the perfect homemade food gift your friends and family will love.

And then have fun making it!

Homemade food gift packaging ideas

You might be wondering, “how do you package edible gifts?” The good news is: you have options! Here are a few ideas to get the wheels turning when you think about how you’ll package your food gifts.

Food gift basket ideas

If you decide to do a food gift basket with your homemade goodies, consider adding these to your basket.

• Gift card to Sun Basket (I’ve tried almost all of the meal kit services out there, and my favorite is Sun Basket. Their food is high quality, and DELICIOUS. Plus it caters to special diets if that’s an issue. And of course it’s awesome that they deliver the ingredients to my doorstep. Here’s a link to their gift card page.
• DIY food cookbook – Written by the folks at America’s Test Kitchen, this book teaches how to make food from scratch with recipes and pictures. We have this book and continue to learn from it. Ketchup, mustard, cheese, yogurt. It’s all there!
• Gardening book – Depending on their level of gardening expertise, choose a beginner gardening book or more advanced.
• Seeds for gardening– Tie it all together in a basket…give a jar of tomato chutney, with a book on how to grow tomatoes, and some tomato seeds. Perfect!
• Baking gifts: Here are some awesome gifts any baker would LOVE to have.

What to I put everything inside of?

Here are a few ideas for containers to hold all the goodies you’ll be including in your basket! For someone who loves to cook, give a new pot or mixing bowl!

Related: Essential Tools For Your Scratch Kitchen

Homemade food gift ideas

If you’re willing to spend a few hours in the kitchen, you can have Christmas gifts taken care of for all your family and friends. Below are 90 homemade foods you can gift this Christmas.

Jams

Whether you decide to make bacon tomato jam, or jalepeno pepper jelly, or maybe orange curd, enjoy the process of making homemade jams to give away as Christmas gifts! Use it as a stocking stuffer or make a gift basket.

• Bacon Tomato Jam – Drugstore Divas
• 2 Ingredient Plum Jam – Spice Cravings
• Pumpkin & Ginger Jam – Fab Food 4 All
• Bacon Bourbon Jam – Biscuits and Burlap
• Homemade Fig Jam Recipe With Fresh Figs – Melanie Cooks
• Merry Christmas Jam – Masala Herb
• Sugar Free Instant Pot Homemade Apple Butter – The Belly Rules The Mind
• Instant Pot Orange and Lemon Marmalade – Front Range Fed
• Quince Jelly – Tin and Thyme
• Guava Cheese Recipe – Jolly Homemade Recipe
• Simple Strawberry Jam Recipe – Cooking With Nana Ling
• Instant Pot Blackberry Jam – Green Schemetv
• Canning Lemon Curd – Practical Self Reliance
• Orange Marmalade – Beyond the Chicken Coop
• Blood Orange Curd – Sugar Salt Magic
• Best Jalepeno Pepper Jelly – Garnish and Glaze
• Low Sugar Raspberry Jam – Binkys Culinary Carnival
• Best Homemade Cardamom Fig Jam Recipe – Wicked Spatula
• Chunky Fig Jam With Whisky And Vanilla – The Endless Meal

Chutneys

These chutneys look SUPER tasty. They’re like a chunky, more flavorful jam. Enjoy and gift away!

• Peach Chutney in Instant Pot – Spice Cravings
• Spicy Baby Tomato & Sweet Pepper Chutney – Fab Food 4 All
• Runner Bean Chutney – Greedy Gourmet

Salts

I LOVE salt. I think it’s miraculous. It amplifies the flavor of food and brings out the best in your dish. When I saw these recipes, it got me inspired to start thinking about what we’ll make and give out this year for Christmas. These salts are at the TOP of the list.

• Homemade Spicy Salt – A Bride on a Budget
• Rosemary, Orange & Thyme Flavored Herb Salt – The Rising Spoon
• DIY Finishing Salts – Beyond Mere Sustenance
• Homemade Bacon Salt – Platings and Pairings

Snacks

Check out these awesome homemade snacks you can give as a holiday gift.

• How to Make Beef Jerky Without A Dehydrator – The Rising Spoon
• Healthy Holiday Granola – Meals With Maggie
• Apple Cinnamon Granola – Debra Klein
• Homemade Ranch Crackers – Scratch to Basics
• Dukkah Recipe With Almonds – Cadrys Kitchen
• Marinated Goat Cheese – Whole Food Bellies

Nuts

Nuts are a delicious high protein snack. Spice them and sweeten them for a special Christmas gift!

• Cinnamon Sugar Almonds – Scratch to Basics
• Bourbon Candied Pecans – Sidewalk Shoes
• Slow Cooker Candied Pecans – The Magical Slow Cooker
• Maple Vanilla Spiced Pecans – Lemons and Zest
• Sugar Free Candied Pecans – Wholesome Yum
• Spicy Honey Mustard Almonds – Spoonabilities
• Baked Cinnamon Sugar Pecans – One Delightful Life

Spice mix

Give the gift of flavor this holiday season! Forget the store bought spice mixes full of preservatives, make your own spice mixes and they’ll get to enjoy the gift for weeks or months to come.

• Cardamom Chai Spice Mix – Scratch to Basics
• Homemade Ranch Seasoning – Snappy Gourmet
• Italian Seasoning Mix – Wholesome Yum
• Homemade Gingerbread Spice Mix – My Diaspora Kitchen
• 3 Ingredient Taco Seasoning – Scratch to Basics
• Speculaas Spice Mix – Nutmeg and Vinegar

Sauces

Who wouldn’t want a tasty sauce homemade in your kitchen, with love? I love giving homemade food as gifts, and sauces are no exception.

• Homemade Teriyaki Sauce – A Bride on a Budget
• Cranberry Salsa – The Welcoming Table
• Blackberry Tomato Ketchup – Twists and Zests
• Homemade Soy Sauce – The Things We Make

Drinks

Check out these awesome homemade drink recipes! Pick one or two and make them as Christmas gifts for your family and friends.

• Easy White Chocolate Liqueur Recipe – Masala Herb
• Vegan Baileys Almond MIlk – My Pure Plants
• Homemade Chocolate Liqueur – Cooking With Mamma C
• Passionfruit Cordial – Cooking With Nana Ling
• Italian Limoncello Recipe – Your Guardian Chef
• Homemade Peppermint Liqueuer – The Things We Make
• Sous Vide Limoncello Recipe – Platings and Pairings

Misc food gifts

Vanilla extract, preserved lemons, and flavor-infused foods are among the delicious food gift options you’ll find in this section.

• Preserved Lemon Butter – Savor the Best
• Lemon Infused Olive Oil – Cooking With Mamma C
• How to Make Preserved Lemons – Grits and Pinecones
• Homemade Vanilla Extract – Julie Blanner
• Lavender Infused Sugar – Savor the Best
• Vanilla Syrup (for coffee, tea, cocktails) – Neighbor Food Blog

Desserts

Ohhhh holiday desserts. It seems for the whole month of December, all I think about (and see) are sweet treats. Everywhere! If you’re looking for some new non-cookie recipes, keep reading!

Caramels, Toffee & Brittle

Caramels, toffee and brittle are a sure sign the holiday season is here. Use these recipes for an extra sweet treat!

• Pumpkin Spice Pecan Toffee – What A Girl Eats
• Nana’s Almond Roca Recipe – Sustainable Cooks
• Homemade Almond Roca (no corn syrup) – Suburban Simplicity
• Honey Nut Brittle Recipe – Jolly Homemade Recipes
• Southern Pecan Toffee – One Happy Housewife
• Homemade Caramels – Garnish and Glaze
• Apple Cider Caramels – Dish N The Kitchen
• Candied Bacon Nut Brittle – Running To The Kitchen
• Cajeta – Mexican Caramel – In Mama Maggies Kitchen

More Desserts

Here are even more delicious dessert ideas to make this Christmas. Make a double batch and keep half for yourself!

• Spanish Soft Nougat – Caroline’s Cooking
• Salted Chocolate Honeycomb – Veggie Desserts
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge – A Sweet Alternative
• Dreamy Creamy Chocolate Coffee Truffles – Ginger With Spice
• Peppermint Dark Chocolates – Ginger With Spice
• Pistachio Toffee Dark Chocolate Bark – The Toasty Kitchen
• Dark Chocolate Pecan Toffee Bark – The Toasty Kitchen
• No Bake Dark Chocolate Balls – Ilonas Passion
• Dark Chocolate Billionaires Candy – Grits and Pinecones
• Crystalized Ginger – The Belly Rules The Mind

• 2 Ingredient Hot Cocoa Mix (Dairy Free) – Scratch to Basics
• Eggnog White Chocolate Truffles – Crumb Blog
• Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Peel – Went Here 8 This
• Hazelnut Praline Chocolate Truffles – Sugar Salt Magic
• Dark Chocolate Almond Clusters With Sea Salt– Scratch to Basics
• Matcha Peanut Butter Cups – Proportional Plate
• Spiked Hot Chocolate Truffles – Family Table Treasures
• Double Chocolate Chip Gluten Free Freezer Cookie Dough – The Pretty Bee
• No Bake Chocolate Ginger Date Balls – Scratch to Basics

Give the gift of food

As someone who loves food (especially healthy and delicious food), I see food gifts as a way to give your time, not just money. Instead of buying gifts for people out of duty or obligation, spend a few hours in the kitchen making them something special. And while you’re there, think about the ways you’re thankful for them. Write down your ideas in a card and stick it in your gift to them.

We all want to be loved and appreciated. Let’s spread the love this holiday season!

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