Our list of the best homemade food gifts for Christmas or for anytime. These gifts from the kitchen make perfect gifts for coworkers, for a friend who is ill, and for new mothers. These edible gifts are ideal to use anytime you need to bring a little something special to someone you care about.
As I sat down to write this post, I had in my mind that I would be writing about the best homemade food gifts to give at Christmas. Soon after I started writing, I quickly realized that any of these recipes make wonderful food gifts to give any time of the year.
Why These Recipes Work
When we think of holiday baking we often think of a kitchen filled with baking trays and piles of Christmas cookies. If you enjoy baking, the holidays provide a wonderful opportunity to have some fun in the kitchen.
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The reality is though, not everyone will be cooking and baking for large numbers of people. Sometimes you just want one very special gift for one or two special people.
If you find yourself in need of one or two gourmet food gifts, I hope you find this list a perfect one to turn to when you need gifts for people who love food.
I think you will also find this list beneficial if you are looking to take a small treat or small batch of baked goods to a sick neighbor, a friend who has just had a baby, or maybe a co-worker.
Gingerbread Recipe - So easy to make and perfect for the holidays. A small batch of sweet, perfectly spiced old fashioned gingerbread. This gingerbread is baked in a small baking dish and is the perfect amount for one or two people.
Peppermint bark is so easy to make! This delicious treat is made with semi-sweet chocolate, white chocolate, peppermint extract, and a crushed candy cane.
Cowboy Cookies, also known as Texas Governor's Mansion Cookies - these famous jumbo cookies are filled with oats, chocolate chips, pecans, and coconut and are spectacular! You'll love this half batch recipe for these soft and chewy cookies.
Microwave Fudge For One - a single serving recipe for rich, smooth, incredibly delicious homemade chocolate fudge. One bowl and a microwave is all you need to make this scaled down version of my favorite fudge recipe!
Buttery Apple Cinnamon Scones filled with bits of sweet apples and toasted pecans and topped with a delightful maple glaze. This wonderful small batch recipe will yield 4 tender scones.
This is the best oatmeal cookie recipe! This small batch of soft oatmeal cookies are ones you'll want to keep in your cookie jar. Filled with oats and raisins, these cookies are buttery and crisp around the edges and soft and chewy in the centers. Better than Grandma's!
These chocolate truffles are a chocolate lovers' dream. They're rich, creamy, and will melt in your mouth. This small batch Chocolate Truffles recipe is made using only 3 ingredients and will yield 4-5 chocolate truffles.
All-natural, Healthy Chocolate Coffee Creamer made with coconut milk, sweetened with honey and flavored with cocoa powder and vanilla extract. This small batch coffee creamer is a delicious way to sweeten your coffee.
Lemon curd is so easy to make and this incredible small batch lemon curd recipe requires just 5 ingredients! Enjoy this sweet, tart, velvety smooth cream on just about everything - from desserts to pancakes to baked goods. Ready in minutes!
Satisfy a cupcake craving with this small batch recipe for TWO vanilla cupcakes. These delicious cupcakes have a lovely melt-in-your-mouth texture and are topped with a rich, indulgent buttercream frosting. One bowl and no fancy equipment needed and can be made in a toaster oven or conventional oven.
This soft and tender Sausage and Cheese Beer Bread has a buttery, crispy crust and is filled with flavorful cooked sausage and shredded cheddar cheese. It's a mini beer bread which is full of flavor and ready in minutes!
This is the best small batch sugar cookies recipe! This small batch recipe is definitely one for your recipe box. These soft, lofthouse style sugar cookies melt in your mouth and are topped with a rich buttercream frosting.
Small Batch Cherry Pie Filling Recipe - this wonderful recipe yields the perfect amount of cherry pie filling for a mini cherry pie. Cooks in minutes and can be made with fresh or frozen cherries. Enjoy as a pie filling, over pancakes, or even as a yogurt or ice cream topping.
These Small Batch Flourless Chocolate Pecan Cookies are THE BEST chocolate cookies! No flour, no butter, no oil needed. They're fudge-like, rich, chewy and easy to make too! Made with cocoa powder, powdered sugar and chopped pecans. This small batch recipe yields 5-6 delicious chocolate pecan cookies. The perfect amount for one or two people!
This Cherry Dump Cake recipe is the easiest dessert recipe in the world! Made with cherry pie filling, Maraschino cherries, and boxed cake mix. Quick, easy to make, and incredibly delicious. Enjoy this mini cherry dump cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for an amazing dessert!
Easy recipe for Homemade no-churn vanilla ice cream for one. No ice cream maker needed, this simple 3-ingredient ice cream is perfect to cure your ice cream cravings.
This is a wonderful small batch pumpkin bars recipe. Tender pumpkin cake topped with a creamy cream cheese frosting and sliced into squares. No need to make a big batch, this small batch pumpkin bar recipe gives you the perfect amount to satisfy a sweet craving.
This homemade Butter Pecan Granola recipe is the only granola recipe you need! Perfectly sweet, crunchy and full of so much flavor. This butter pecan granola can be ready in minutes and tastes so good!
This Mini Orange Oat Breakfast Cake is a dream, it's tender crumb perfumed with oranges makes it ideal for breakfast, an addition to your brunch table or as an afternoon snack or dessert. Made with oats, orange juice and a few other ingredients. Bake in a small baking dish or use the batter to make 2 muffins.
This homemade Butter Pecan Granola recipe is the only granola recipe you need! Perfectly sweet, crunchy and full of so much flavor. This butter pecan granola can be ready in minutes and tastes so good!
Before delivering your goodies, make sure to note whether or not they have any allergies. If you're unsure if your family or friends have specific dietary sensitivities, tie a small tag on the outside of the package of goodies noting if the treat contains nuts, dairy, or gluten.
Consider packaging your food gifts in reusable containers such as canning jars, food storage jars, pretty boxes or decorative bags.
Frequently Asked Questions
If Shipping Your Gift, How Perishable Is It?
Food gifts are perishable items. Prior to shipping, factor in how long your gifts will last and mail them accordingly. Also, do not ship any food items that need refrigeration. Those are best given in person.
What Is The Best Way To Ship Cookies?
Certain cookies ship better than others. Drop cookies ship well, but thin and crispy cookies do not. * Allow your cookies to cool to room temperature before packing. * Use an airtight container for packing the cookies. Line the bottom of the shipping box with bubble wrap or sheets of packing paper. * Place the container inside the shipping box and stuff packing paper into various corners of the box so that the container fits snug inside. * Write the word, "fragile" on the outside of the box. Sometimes the word will get noticed and may be handled with a little extra care.
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If you’ve tried any of these DIY food gifts or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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Joanie Zisk is the creator of OneDishKitchen.com, the number one go-to site for single serving recipes. The aim of One Dish Kitchen is to inspire individuals with access to single serving recipes that will enable them to enjoy the preparation of a meal that will nourish both body and soul. Her website is filled with hundreds of easy, flavorful recipes that are tailored for those cooking for one. Joanie is the author of "The Ultimate Cooking For One Cookbook" and her recipes and food photography have been featured in various publications including, TODAY.com, Huffington Post, Real Simple, Self.com,Women’s Day, Buzzfeed, and others. Come say hello and follow Joanie on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and LinkedIn.
