33 DIY Holiday Food Gifts for Everyone on Your List

Updated October 09, 2020
Ryan Liebe

Handmade gifts are the best kind, particularly when they're edible. They're so much more personal, and no one can resist a homemade jam or truffle, especially when these gourmet goodies are prettily packaged. The recipes and ideas here are all easy to make and are thoughtful, delicious gifts.

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Credit: Ryan Liebe

If you want to get creative with this year's gift giving, look no further than these DIY holiday food gifts. They're inexpensive to make, absolutely delicious, and perfect for everyone on your list.

Home bakers might want to gift batches of their favorite cookies or individual pies, like the apple-raspberry ones shown here. For chocolate lovers, classic fudge that's decorated with peppermint candies poking out the top of each piece is always a winner. It's festive, rich, and the ideal present for those loved ones in your life who have a serious sweet tooth. Looking for a combination of sweet, salty, crunchy, and creamy all in one bite? Our Chocolate Tortoises fit the bill. Layered with nuts, chocolate, and ribbons of caramel, these bite-sized candies are absolutely adorable.

Before delivering (at a social distance, of course) a batch of biscotti or fudge to your neighbors, make sure to be cognizant of allergies. If you're unsure if your family and friends have specific dietary sensitivities, tie a small tag on the outside of the package noting if the treat contains dairy, nuts, or gluten. Give the cocktail connoisseur in your life homemade Meyer Lemon-Orange Bitters. It's a gift that encourages creativity (pair them with vodka? gin? whiskey?) and is sure to liven up what will likely be a far more mellow holiday season then they're used to. Or experiment with our formula for flavored vodkas—from grapefruit and coriander to coffee bean and hazelnut, there's a flavor combination here for everyone (and the cocktail options are endless).

If you're looking for creative ways to share a taste of home with relatives you won't be able to see this year or want to surprise your mailman with something delightful, these DIY food gifts are just the thing. They're a delicious, homemade surprise that will surely disappear in an instant.

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Fig and Ginger Granola

Credit: Anna Williams
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Customize this breakfast favorite to surprise all your friends this holiday season. To package, place the granola in clear plastic gift bags and seal with a sticker. Pack the bag of granola in a box with honey or other favorite toppings if you like. We used handsome compostable wooden boxes lined with tissue.

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Butter Mints

Credit: Lennart Weibull
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For the friend who is always asking if you have a mint to spare, put together an adorable tin of homemade butter candies. They're easy to prepare and the colors can be customized (for example, blue and white for Hanukkah or red and green for true Christmas spirit).

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Tangerine and Lemon Marmalade

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Bring some sunshine to the holiday season with a gift of this easy marmalade. All you need are citrus fruits and sugar. Be sure to can the marmalade correctly so it can last up to year, though we're sure it will be gone before January!

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White Chocolate Fudge with Cranberries and Candied Citrus

Credit: Lennart Weibull
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Fudge is an old-fashioned sweet to give out around the holidays, so why not create this festive version? White chocolate lets ruby red dried cranberries and bright citrus pop in every single slice.

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Cocktail Syrups

Credit: Chelsea Cavanaugh
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Elevate anyone's favorite cocktail (or just seltzer) by stirring up and bottling one of these deliciously bright homemade syrups. The Fennel-Orange blend borrows its flavors from Italy, while the Hibiscus-Ginger delivers a tropical punch, and the spicy cinnamon adds depth to hot drinks. Give one bottle to every home on the block—or all three to the people you really love.

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Plum Pates de Fruits

Credit: Louise Hagger
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It doesn't get more sophisticated than these French fruit jellies! We used plum purée, but blackberry, raspberry, or even a combination of the three would be wonderful.

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Coconut-Pistachio Biscotti

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Shredded coconut, lemon zest, dried cherries, and pistachios make a lovely quartet of flavors in these classic Italian cookies. Cornmeal gives them a pleasant crumbly texture. As for the packaging, give a plain box a seasonal makeover with fresh pine. Arrange the leaves in a small ring and glue together the stems before securing the delicate wreath with ribbon.

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Chocolate-Dipped Luxardo Cherries

Credit: Chelsea Cavanaugh
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Turn syrupy, aromatic Luxardo cherries into adorable truffles with a little tempered chocolate and some green cloth-wrapped floral wire for the "stems." Package with gold candy inserts and boxes.

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Anisette

Credit: Addie Juell
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A classic ending to a Mediterranean feast is this rich liqueur. It has a shelf life of about six months, so no need to finish the bottle during the New Year's Eve party.

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Whole Wheat Seeded Crackers

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Whole-wheat flour and sesame seeds give these rustic crackers a nutty, earthy flavor that we can't get enough of. They would be a welcome addition to any cheese platter. To pack them up as a gift, find a small cheese board (we love the modern look of slate) and roll dough just a tad smaller than the board. Once crackers are baked and cooled, wrap them on the board with a tea towel, top with a spreader, and finish with a bow.

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Peppermint Fudge

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We love the peppermint candies peeking out of these bite-size squares of rich fudge. Use parchment or colored plastic wrap to package, or visit a crafts store for shiny, colorful foil squares. Twist the ends for a candy-like look, then stuff some stockings!

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Seeded Honeycomb Brittle

Credit: Kate Mathis
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Four kinds of seeds—pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, and poppy—give this crunchy candy extra oomph.

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Snowball Truffles

Credit: Louise Hagger
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You only need five ingredients to make these festive truffles—roasted cashews, shredded coconut, white chocolate, heavy cream, and salt. Package in paper candy cups, and if you really want to lean into the winter wonderland theme, add some paper snowflakes.

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Fruitcake Cookies

Credit: Louise Hagger
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You don't have to be a fruitcake lover to fall for these oh-so-elegant bites covered in chocolate and edible gold leaf.

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Citrus Salt

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Gift a jar or two of these salts infused with the essential oils of lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits. They boast a bright flavor and can be used for finishing everything from dark chocolate to pastas, salads, and roasted vegetables.

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Hazelnut Puppy Chow

Credit: CHELSEA CAVANAUGH
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Give everyone reindeer food for Christmas this year! Also known as muddy buddies, our grown-up version calls for doctoring toasted rice cereal with Nutella, bittersweet chocolate, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder. Box 'em up in gold takeout containers to make the treat feel extra-special.

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Caramel Candies

Credit: Christopher Testani
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Want an edible gift that feels extravagant? These buttery, salty, and deliciously chewy confections are just the thing. They're easy to make and fun to give away—that is, if you can stand to part with them!

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Gingerbread Loaves

Credit: MARIA ROBLEDO
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Molasses, buttermilk, vanilla, candied ginger, and a trifecta of spice—cinnamon, allspice, and cloves—give this holiday quick bread its complex flavor.

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Chocolate Tortoises

Credit: Johnny Miller
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How adorable are these? Our turtles have cashew legs, hazelnut heads, and a delicious shell made of chocolate, caramel, and pecans. Package in colorful paper cupcake liners, then box them up and add some festive baker's twine.

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Meyer Lemon-Orange Bitters

Credit: Photo
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Crafting these intense cocktail elixirs is like undertaking a fun science experiment. Vodka, citrus zest, spices like fennel seed and coriander, and the bitter root gentian steep in a jar for a few weeks, resulting in a heady, complex flavor. To make yours truly gift-worthy, pour bitters into dropper bottles and garnish with citrus zest. Label with a white paint pen and tie at the neck with a ribbon.

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Dark Chocolate Vegan Truffles

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These rich truffles are as good as anything you'd get from a chocolatier. Even more amazing: They’re vegan. (Coconut oil, not heavy cream, gives them their buttery richness.) Finish simply with cocoa powder or roll in toppings like crushed pistachios, Marcona almonds, and shredded coconut. Mini cupcake liners are just the right size to cradle these little flavor bombs. Pack the finished product in a shallow box to keep them from rolling around.

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Bacon Jam

Credit: MARIA ROBLEDO
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A heavenly sweet-savory mixture; brown sugar, bourbon, maple syrup, shallots, and vinegar help transform a pound and a half of bacon into approximately 10 gifts. Add a gift tag with serving suggestions: spread on a burger, stir into a dip, or eat straight off a spoon.

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Chocolate-Almond Wood-Grain Bark

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White chocolate meets bittersweet in this striking faux-bois (a wood-grain pattern, for the uninitiated) bark. Wrap in cellophane and tie with ribbon for a gift that'll really stand out underneath the tree.

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Flavored Vodkas

Learn How to Make Flavored Vodkas

Infusing vodka at home couldn't be easier—or tastier! Try our sweet or savory flavor suggestions, then let your imagination run wild.

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Caramelized Sesame Chickpeas

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A delicious, tree nut- and peanut-free alternative to the typical candied nuts. These salty-sweet treats are made without any sugar and are a healthy treat. Pack them in individual bags tied with ribbon.

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Rocky-Road Bites

Credit: Chelsea Cavanaugh
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Once you master tempering chocolate (it's easier than it seems) all you have to do is add almonds, marshmallows, and pretzels to make these crowd-pleasing treats.

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Seasonal Fruit Leathers

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So much better than the snack you had as a kid, we promise! All you need are fresh fruit (we used pineapple, mango, and persimmon), honey, and a couple hours in the oven. Roll each piece of leather in a strip of parchment of equal size and then in a larger parchment square. Seal with printed tape and tie with baker's twine.

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Nut Brittle

Credit: Joseph De Leo
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Use any variety of nuts that tickle your fancy—or even a nutty combination—to make this family-size slab of brittle. Wrap the finished brittle block with cellophane and include a small hammer and bow.

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Lavender-Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce