You’ll probably be hard pressed to find anyone who will pass up a homemade gift of food, especially at Christmastime. So why not take advantage of that? If you love to bake, not only will you enjoy whipping up a variety of yummy Christmas food gifts, but you’ll generally save money in the process. Here are a few festive food ideas to get you started:
Hot Chocolate Jars
Who doesn’t love a cup of hot chocolate during the cold winter months? Putting these together takes no time at all and is every bit as thoughtful as other homemade goodies. There are many variations of this classic treat to choose from, some of which include adding ground cinnamon, chili powder, or even crushed candy cane pieces. If you want a creamier hot chocolate, try adding a scoop of non-dairy creamer.
Mini Sweet Breads
Sweet breads are a nice change of pace from the usual Christmas favorites and you can really go as simple or complex as you want. Try using mini loaf pans for a trio box, or make full-sized loaves and cut them into thick slices.
Jams And Jellies
Homemade jams are a great choice for a DIY gift, because you can make a different flavour for everyone. There are all kinds of recipes out there that feature fruits, veggies, or even bacon. These jellies can be enjoyed on a simple cracker, or even alone. You can also make a simple bread, or cookie to give them as a complementary gift.
Assorted Cookie Box
Christmas cookies are a time-honored tradition for many families. But, Father Christmas doesn’t have to be the only one who gets to enjoy them. Make a dozen of each of several kinds of cookies and put a couple of each kind into gift boxes.
Bourbon Balls
These bite-sized treats need time to cool after you make them in order to tame the bold bourbon flavour. But, they are a great dessert for a Christmas party, as well as a delicious stocking filler. If you’re looking for an alternative to the bourbon flavour, try making rum balls instead.
Chocolate Bark
Chocolate bark is a treat made by layering crushed sweets (usually peppermint), or nuts, seeds and coconut, onto chocolate. There are an endless amount of custom bark recipes to choose from, meaning that you could give out a different delicious bark every year.
Biscotti
There’s nothing better than hand-made biscotti. These twice-baked Italian biscuits are typically made with almond extract, making it easy to pair with a wide variety of dried fruits, nuts and chocolate. The end result is a delicately sweet, almost too-pretty-to-eat dessert, that everyone will enjoy. Make them a few days before handing them out so the flavours have time to meld.
As you might guess, this is just a teeny-tiny part of all the homemade Christmas food gifts ideas available. Pinterest is a fantastic option if you’re interested in coming up with additional ideas. In the end, whatever recipes you decide on, it’s almost a sure bet that your thoughtfulness (and baking talent) will be remembered for weeks or months to come.
Just one last thing; don’t forget Father Christmas’s treat!