A Guide to Food Christmas Gifts

The holidays are a time of generosity, but we’re all on a budget, so why not make some easy food gifts for Christmas? Homemade food Christmas gifts are always appreciated and are heartfelt and inexpensive! You don’t have to be a master baker to impress your friends and family with your Christmas gift food! We’ve gathered together some easy ideas for Christmas gift food as well as some handy tips for making your homemade Christmas gifts look beautiful!

Peanut Butter Truffles: These treats are a favorite around Christmas! Simply grind up some graham crackers, mix the crumbs with powdered sugar and peanut butter. Roll the peanut butter into balls and dip them in melted chocolate. Make them as big or as small as you want, these homemade candies are perfect as food for Christmas gifts!

Hot Chocolate Mix: Its easy to dress up plain hot chocolate mix to give as a gift. Just pour some in a jar and top with a treat like crushed candy cane or mini marshmallows. Dress up your jar with a Christmas ribbon and a homemade tag with instructions.

Candied Nuts: Candied nuts are a classic Christmas tradition that is always a favorite. Use different types of nuts if you know the receiver doesn’t like a specific kind, or just go for a big mix. These are small so it’s easy to package a lot in decorative jars, boxes, or bags. You can also give a lot or a little depending on who you’re giving them to.

Bread: Fresh baked bread always makes welcome food Christmas gifts. A bread maker makes this a lot easier, but if you don’t have one, look for recipes that don’t need a lot of kneading. You can also try out a loaf baked in your slow cooker to make it easier! Dress up your bread in a decorative kitchen towel tied with a ribbon for a great hostess gift.

Herb Butter: How about some herb butter to go with your bread? The key to making this is starting with soft butter, but not melted butter. Mix in whatever herbs you like! Try mincing and sautéing some garlic to start. Then mix that in a bowl with the butter and add some sage and thyme. Use a spoon to blend it together thoroughly. Chill the butter slightly in the bowl until it is moldable, and shape it into a log or a circle, cover with plastic wrap and chill!

Cookies and Recipes: Giving cookies at Christmas is a classic gift, but this year, try adding the recipe so they can make it themselves! If you have a cookie recipe that’s always a favorite, print the recipe on decorative paper and tie it to your cookie packaging with a ribbon. That way, when they’re done with the cookies, they’ll still have a gift!

Homemade Jam: Jams and preserves are easy to make and are a great Christmas gift! Making the preserves when your fruit is fresh makes for the best taste. If you can remember in advance, this is a great way to use up extra berries from berry picking in the summer.

Pie in a Jar: Bake your favorite pies in mason jars for the perfect Christmas gifts. These mini pies are the perfect crust-to-filling ratio! Leave the pie unbaked with directions attached on how to bake so your gift receiver will have a fresh, warm pie.

Sweet Treat Sampler: Instead of just limiting your Christmas gift to just one treat, why not try a bunch. You can bake a whole assortment of cookies and treats all at once, but make small batched of each. Then divide each up among gifts for different people so everyone can get a sampling of your handiwork.

Hot Chocolate On A Stick: This treat is a fun way to give homemade hot chocolate! Try this recipe:

• 8 oz chocolate (bittersweet, milk, white, or dark)
• 1/4 cup cocoa, sifted
• 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
• pinch of salt

Chop up the chocolate. On a double boiler, melt the chocolate, and remove from the heat when there are still small pieces of un-melted chocolate. Keep stirring to melt completely, and add the rest of the ingredients gradually while continuing to stir. When the mixture is thick and completely blended, pour it into a plastic bag. Snip off the corner and pipe the mixture into ice cube trays. Put a wooden stick or wooden spoon into each ice cube. Put in the refrigerator to set for a couple hours. Package individually with directions to stir the chocolate into 1 cup of hot milk or cream to make hot chocolate!

No matter what kind of Christmas food gift you’re giving, the key is in the details. Make your gift special with special packaging. You can turn anything into a clever gift with the right packaging! Try giving “snowman poop” (really just mini-marshmallows) or “reindeer noses” (eight malted milk balls and one red gumball). Make sure to package your food with decorative ribbon, or paper to dress it up. Mason jars also make great containers for treats and can be reused by your friends.

Whatever you decide to make, your Christmas food gifts will help you and your friends celebrate the season with cheer! Hosting an event this year? Check out our collection of FREE Christmas party invitations!