Picking the right gift can be stressful and overwhelming, especially if the recipient is someone who already has everything they need, or you don’t really know what they would like. Perhaps you don’t have the money or the time to run around shops looking for that perfect something. So, then what?
Well, there is one thing that 99% of the people really enjoy and it’s the easiest gift of all. I’m talking about food, and more specifically edible gifts. You can stock up on delicious, gourmet goodies at specialty stores, health food markets and online, but it is so much more thoughtful and fun to make your own DIY edible presents. In today’s post, I want to share some fun and creative ideas for edible gifts that would be perfect for Christmas, birthdays, housewarming or any other occasion.
They say, give them a gift of love. I say, give them a gift of food. All you need is imagination and a bunch of cute labels and ribbons.
1. Pesto Jars
Making your own pesto is super easy and you can use any seasonal herbs as well as leafy greens such as rocket/arugula or spinach. Add some nuts, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil and you’ve got yourself a delicious present. You can also make a pesto using sun-dried tomatoes, marinated olives and roasted eggplant. Check out this pesto recipe from Passion Meets Creativity.
2. DIY Flavoured Extracts
Making your own extracts, or flavour infusions is easy and fun. You can use vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, citrus peel, pine nuts and mint leaves, to name a few. Check these ideas from Just Putzing.
3. Homemade Granola
Homemade granola keeps well and is easy to make in a large batch. Store it in gorgeous mason jars with cute labels for that extra special touch. Try this spiced pumpkin granola with cashews and cranberries from Healthy Green Kitchen, or my favourite paleo granola recipe, which I have made for gifts in the past. Alternatively, you can make a batch of paleo granola or muesli bars and wrap them in small packages to give as gifts.
4. Homemade Nut Butters
Homemade nut butters make wonderful gifts because everyone likes them and they are very versatile in the kitchen. Plus, there are so many ways you can play with these. Check out these three simple nut butter from Cheap Recipe Blog, or for something more decadent, try this lush cashew coconut butter from Bakerita or this paleo and vegan Nutella from Greens of The Stone Age.
5. Homemade Condiments
DIY condiments are super easy and fun, and make for great gifts. There are too many to choose from but perhaps you’d like to try this quick and easy homemade harissa or my apple & cinnamon BBQ sauce. Tomatillo salsa verde from Heart Beat Kitchen and this no cook Whole30 ketchup from Noshtastic are also worth checking out.
6. Homemade Fudge
Fudge is not something you have every day but it’s awesome on holidays, which make it a perfect edible gift. Try this paleo and vegan friendly mocha almond fudge from Paleo Running Momma.
7. Spice Blends
You might already make your own spice and herb blends, so why not make a bigger batch and pack a few jars and bottles as gifts. Love these 6 ideas from The Nourish Revolution or this paleo BBQ dry rub from Against All Grain.
8. Homemade Cookies
Everyone loves cookies, so I had to include a few ideas here. Try these double chocolate chunks macadamia cookies from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen, or how about homemade Oreos from Living Healthy with Chocolate. You can find a list of yummy paleo Christmas cookies here.
9. Chicken Liver Pâté Pots
This would have to be the most nutritious gift of all. Liver is not to everyone’s taste, except when it comes in a form of buttery (butter being the operative word here) and velvety pâté. It’s not too hard to make your own and you can store it in small pots or jars with a layer of clarified butter sealing the top. Check out this recipe from Donal Skehan, and for a dairy-free version from The Healthy Foodie.
10. Paleo Crackers
Since you might be making a homemade pâté, dips or pesto, you might as well bake some of my paleo crackers. These would be great as gifts, especially during food-focused holidays.
11. Flavoured Salts
Sure, a store-bought packet of pink salt would be a nice gift as is but you could definitely go that extra mile and make your own, fun, flavoured salt mixes. Pack the salt tightly into small jars or bags and add a cute label. It’s simple and inexpensive. Check out these 6 flavoured salt ideas from Mommy Potamus, or these more classic flavours from Popsugar.
12. Homemade Coffee Liqueur
Not all of the gifts have to be edible. How about a few beautifully presented bottles of homemade coffee liqueur? Perfect as a pick-me-up digestive after a celebratory meal. Forget about Kahlua here, we’re making our own sweet poison. Check out this recipe, and replace the sugar with brown rice syrup, maple syrup or honey and use a little less than specified. You could do a slightly different version with good quality tequila and put little sculls on the labels – great as Halloween gifts or for a NYE party.
What are you favourite DIY edible gifts to make? Let me know in the comments.
For more Christmas related blog posts, check out my ultimate paleo gift guide, these top 12 awesome homemade edible gifts, my Christmas jaffa rum balls, and this succulent crusted rack of lamb cutlets or my roast chicken with inside out stuffing.
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