Simple Homemade Edible Gift Ideas

From the Simple Bites kitchen comes inspiration for simple homemade edible gifts. From savoury to sweet, there’s a recipe for every home cook, plus tips for eco-friendly packaging, too.

Homemade edible gifts are a big part of my holiday preparations. They are small tokens of appreciation, shared with everyone from teachers to neighbours, and slipped onto the counter of my host when I’m a guest.

A jar of tangy citrus curd, sea salt infused with homegrown herbs, frosted gingerbread cookies – the thought and care that goes into a gift from the Simple Bites kitchen is reflected in the ingredients, preparation and presentation.

Almost all of these sweet and savoury treats are made in advance in November and either frozen or shelf stable. December will be busy enough, thank you! Today I’m sharing my very favourite gourmet -and not so gourmet – gifts from the kitchen, because Christmas is just over seven weeks away.

These simple homemade edible gift ideas range from a jar of toasted granola to a buttery soft caramel. You’re sure to find the perfect recipe to create and share with others this holiday season.

Edible Gifts are Eco-Friendly

The environmentally conscious cook always considers an eco-friendly gift option. A homemade treat means that you’ve used zero travel miles to source your gift, and you’ve eliminated much of the excess packaging, too.

Many of the edible gift ideas listed here are inspired by a zero waste kitchen, using pantry ingredients and locally grown produce. (I really want to follow that up with the Mandalorian moral code: This is the Way.)

Right now as I write, it’s frosty outside and a grey mist covers the lake. Indoors the whole house smells like gingerbread and toasted nuts because I’ve just pulled a try of granola from the oven. Soon, I’ll divide it between jam jars and decorate them into a gourmet gift that used only my pantry staples. Winning!

Packaging Edible Gifts

You know me, I’m a fan of repurposing and recycling, and that carries over to gifting. Instead of buying a bunch of cake boxes or paper bags for my edible gifts, I much prefer to source unique containers at vintage shops or thrift stores.

Whether I’m styling a cookie tray or packaging up salted caramels, I can give new purpose to an antique tin or basket. Of course, for sanitary reasons, a few purchases are necessary for packaging edible gifts. Here’s the breakdown:

Thrift These Items:

Jars. Vintage plates. Cookie tins. Linen napkins. Vases. Wooden boxes. Rustic baskets. Retro glassware. Lace doily.

Buy New:

• Kitchen Twine
• Cupcake Liners
• New lids and rings for mason jars
• Culinary parchment paper
• Gift Tags with twine

Savoury Gifts

Herb-Flavoured Salts ~ Good quality salt infused with homegrown herbs and citrus zest. These salts are a great way to add a burst of flavour to pastas, salads, mains and appetizers. Gift in small 125ml jars. Can be made well in advance!

Mix & Match Granola ~ The classic, comfort food edible gift that everyone loves. This EASY customizable recipe lets you build a granola with ingredients you already have. Gift in small bags or mason jars. May be frozen in advance, in fast, I recommend it, to keep the granola as fresh as possible.

Make it gingerbread flavour for the Christmas season! Use orange juice for the fruit juice, plenty of pumpkin spice blend for flavouring and pure maple syrup to sweeten.

Spiced Preserved Lemons ~ This highly versatile citrus preserve needs a few weeks to cure. Gift in small mason jars, perhaps with a note on how to use preserved lemons in cooking and baking.

Oysters with Cranberry Mignonette ~ One of my favourite winter holiday party tricks is to show up with a case of fresh oysters, my shucking knife and a jar of fresh cranberry mignonette. Happy hour just got more slurpy!

A tin of charcuterie & cheese ~ Who wouldn’t love a grazing board delivery, complete with fruits, cheese, salami and more. Gift with a box of homemade crackers to really level up (below).

Two Homemade Crackers ~ Surprisingly easy to make, fun to bake with kids, and loved by all. Gift with a round of cheese (or charcuterie) and you’ll be on the nice list forever. May be frozen.

More Savoury Edible Gift Ideas

• Spiced Nuts – This recipe from Alison Roman is one of my favourites.
• Waffle Mix – A great shortcut to a festive breakfast or your own waffle cake.
• Fruit and Nut Crisps – THE holiday cracker, essential for cheese plates.

Sweet Gifts

I think if we’re being honest, a box of holiday cookies is what most people want to receive as an edible gift. It’s just a top tier treat, especially when presented in a vintage tin with a lid. Here are a few more favourites.

Homemade Salted Caramels with Nutmeg ~ Perhaps THE most well-received treat I have ever gifted. These are surprisingly simple to make; the labour of love comes in the individual wrapping, so enlist an extra pair of hands to help. (May be frozen, in fact my kids prefer these caramels straight from the freezer.)

Soft Maple Sugar Cookies ~ Bake these melt-in-your-mouth, maple-sweetened snowflake cut-out cookies, then top them with a maple syrup glaze. An exquisite holiday cookie! May be frozen.

Chocolate Truffles – A lot of love (and expensive ingredients!) goes into making homemade truffles, but they are so special, it’s worth the effort. I use the best chocolate I can afford, and nestle just 6 to a box. They are so decadent, a half dozen is enough! (May be frozen)

Rolled, Frosted Gingerbread ~ Not only are these a classic Christmas cookie, they are sturdy, travel well, and stay fresh for a long time, thanks to molasses and spices. Choose the shape you want and customize to your heart’s content.

Basic Royal Icing recipe – essential for decorating! This yields an icing that’s good for piping on cookies, sets rock hard and doesn’t crumble.

A Gingerbread House ~ If you are really ambitious, make the whole gingerbread house! The kids and I make one every year using the After School Gingerbread Project.

Lemon or Orange Cardamom Curd ~ Gift a tiny jar of decadent citrus curd to spread on scones or swirl into Eton Mess. This tangy condiment is simple to make and extremely versatile.

Chef’s Tip: Curd can be frozen!! So make a big batch when citrus fruit is on sale, freeze in 1/2 cup jars and dole out as gifts when the occasion is right. Christmas brunch, anyone?

A Whole Bundt Cake ~ My Apple Cider Gingerbread Bundt Cake is popular all season long and makes a terrific gift. It stays fresh for a long time (the ideal ‘counter cake’) or can be made in advance and frozen. Lemon Bundt Cake is also a standout, showstopper for gifting.

All Cookies, All the Time – Assorted Shortbread ~ It’s hard to resist a classic holiday cookie and this simple shortbread recipe delivers several varieties of cookies! Choose your own adventure, then gift in small tins or boxes. May be frozen.

Home Preserves

Homemade Mincemeat – Cooks and bakers take note: this is a refrigerator recipe, no canning required! It also can be frozen.

Last year I gifted 250ml jars of this mincemeat to friends. It’s such a treat – and not just for tarts anymore. Gourmets stir mincemeat into steel cut oats or bake into cookies like biscotti. Karlynn makes a mincemeat cinnamon bun (!!) and across the pond they are shaking together Mince Pie Martinis. I love it in a crumble bar, as well as the classic tartlettes.

My version is full of local cranberries, apples, fresh ground spices, spiked with a splash of liquor and sweetened with maple syrup. It’s a versatile condiment that packs a punch of flavour! PSst!: for a blast from the past, watch me make my family recipe for mincemeat on YouTube in my old Montreal kitchen.

Cranberry Quince Conserve ~ A vibrant, seasonal conserve that absolutely dazzles. If you’re into preserving, put up a few jars, but otherwise make and gift fresh, with instructions to keep refrigerated.

Blueberry Lavender Preserves – Can be made with frozen blueberries. This one is currently on my home canning shelf, waiting to be gifted.

Spiced Apple Preserves – Another seasonal creation that’s unique!

Maple-Sweetened Pumpkin Butter ~ Use most any winter squash for this delicious breakfast condiment – butternut, buttercup or kabocha works well. Gift in small jars. May be frozen, with adequate headspace.

And that’s a wrap on simple, homemade edible gift ideas! In the comments below, share what you will be making to gift this holiday season.