20+ Homemade Edible Gifts for the Holidays

‘Tis the season to show the love, and we all know the best way to do that is with chocolate. Or caramel. Okay fine, a combo of both really does the trick for me. Perhaps you show love with homemade cocoa mix, infused liqueurs, all of the cookies, or flavored salts. Whichever way your culinary love bone bends, you’ll find a recipe to please in this round-up of Easy and Elegant Edible Christmas Gifts.

Attention:  If you need me in the next few weeks, you’ll find me in the kitchen watching Love Actually for the eleventy billionth time while I cook infinite batches of salted caramels, more cookies that I’d ever publicly admit, and enough homemade peanut butter cups to keep my brothers in my good graces all year long. I’m gonna need stock in sugar cane by the time I’m done, and ya know what? That’s okay. Food is love.

If you also need some special treats to share with family, friends, teachers, neighbors, the Amazon Prime delivery guy, and anyone else you want to share a little love with this holiday season, you’re in the right place. I’ve rounded up more than 20 easy and elegant edible Christmas gifts. I because I also love you, my dear readers, I’ve included my favorite of ways to dress up those gifts in the prettiest packagings around!

Look good and taste good? I think that’s a…wrap.

Easy and Elegant Edible Christmas Gifts

Soft and Chewy Salted Caramels

via Our Salty Kitchen

Homemade Caramel Candy

Homemade Caramel Candy

These soft and chew caramels are an easy, homemade holiday gift for family, friends, neighbors, teachers, and most importantly, yourself. They're soft and chewy, creamy and sweet, with a healthy dusting of flaky sea salt for the perfect sweet-savory bite.

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Instant pot Vanilla Extract

via Tidbits

Look y’all, it really doesn’t get any easier than this. If you’ve ever wanted to make your own homemade vanilla extract for holiday gifts, this is 100% the way to do it. Slaps on one of those adorable printed labels and you’ll be the neighborhood gift-giving hero!

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Italian Butter Cookies

via Our Salty Kitchen

Italian Butter Cookies

Italian Butter Cookies

Slightly sweet with the perfect crumb, Italian Butter Cookies were a staple of holiday parties throughout my childhood. Recreate these bakery classics using very good butter and my grandmother's simple, no-fail recipe.

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White Chocolate Bark with Macadamia and Cranberries

via Our Salty Kitchen

Macadamia White Chocolate Bark

Macadamia White Chocolate Bark

While certainly edible year-round, candy barks are a must-have during the holidays, and require less time and precision than just about any other treat. Macadamia White Chocolate Bark is a lovely, creamy confection featuring crunchy nuts and dried cranberries. Simply melt, mix, and set before “dressing up” as a gorgeous gift. The most effort you’ll put into this recipe is not eating it before it's wrapped.

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Gingerbread Cookie Truffles

via Easy Cooking with Molly

It’s a cookie…no, wait, it’s a truffle. Oh dear, it’s both. These gingerbread cookie truffles are a great excuse to whip up a batch of gingersnap cookies and turn them into a very delicious two-for-one.

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Orange Marmalade

via Beyond the Chicken Coop

This vibrant orange marmalade just screams happy! Bring a smile to a neighbor by gifting a jar of this sunshine-packed jam.

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White and Dark Chocolate Bark with Cherries & Pistachios

via Our Salty Kitchen

White and Dark Chocolate Bark with Cherries and Pistachios

White and Dark Chocolate Bark with Cherries and Pistachios

Chocolate bark is the easiest, most satisfying candy you can make at home. My white and dark chocolate bark with cherries and pistachios is sweet and salty, with the perfect balance of sweet and bitter. 

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Butterscotch Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares

via My Kitchen Love

These butterscotch peanut butter marshmallow square are a mash-up of my 80’s childhood and adult self in the most delicious way possible. Also? No bake and only 15 minutes. If you need a last-minute edible Christmas gift, this is your golden ticket.

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Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

via Table for Two

So, foodie challenge? Go make a batch of this salted caramel sauce and attempt to not keep more than half for yourself. I dare you!

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Cinnamon Sugar Candied Nuts

Homemade Candied Nuts

Homemade Candied Nuts

Suitable for both the naughty and the nice list, these cinnamon sugar candied nuts are an impressive yet budget-friendly holiday gift. Crunchy, sweet, and salty, they'll become a crave-worthy recipe every holiday season. They're quick and easy too! You can make a batch for a dozen friends and family in less than an hour. 

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Earl Grey Tea Infused Bourbon

via Feast in Thyme

Tea plus bourbon? Swoon. It’s like she knows me. Find the friend on your list with the best taste and go make this Earl Grey Infused Bourbon for them right now!

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Blueberry Vanilla Applesauce

via Our Salty Kitchen

Blueberry Vanilla Applesauce

Blueberry Vanilla Applesauce

Puree the finished blueberry applesauce to your desired texture, anywhere from super chunky to ultra smooth. Enjoy it as-is for a healthy snack loved by all ages, mix into greek yogurt for an antioxidant packed breakfast, or serve over ice cream – warmed up and thinned just a bit, it's an amazing sugar free coulis substitute.

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Gingerbread Marshmallows

via Supergolden Bakes

Food is love, yes? Yes. So elevate your homemade marshmallow game with this gingerbread variation. It’s like food love on crack. Wrap ’em up in a pretty little box for the loveliest edible gift under the tree for miles.

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Chocolate Covered Pretzels with Peppermint

via Well Plated

Shut the front door. How freaking adorable are these? I’d like to say these are perfect for all the little ones in your life, but then that would suggest they’re not also totally appropriate for adults too. Let’s own it, these chocolate peppermint pretzels are the perfect edible Christmas gift for all ages!

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Gingerbread Men Cookie Decorating Kits

via The PKP Way

Speaking of adorable, this gingerbread cookie decorating kit sets the bar so high in the easiest way possible. Who wouldn’t love to be gifted this fun set?

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Infused Salt Trio

via Our Salty Kitchen

Infused Salt Trio

Infused Salt Trio

Whether gifting or keeping, Infused Salts will be a welcome sight in any kitchen where flavor is right at home. Made from simple, natural ingredients like coarse salt, citrus peel, and fresh herbs, these are sure to delight more than one of your senses. Simply muddle salt with add-ins and store in dry, airtight containers (mason jars recommended).

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Herb Salt and Spiced Sugar Duo

via Umami Girl

It ain’t all sweets ’round these parts, especially when you can make a batch of these herbs salts and spiced sugar sets. These guys are the ultimate naughty and nice combo.

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Mocha Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate on a Stick

via A Cookie Named Desire

This would not be an appropriate edible gifts round-up without food on a stick, and these Mocha Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate sticks deliver in a big, delicious way.

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Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Hello gorgeous, get my in my belly stat. I’ll 100% be making these flourless chocolate peanut butter cookies this year and gifting them entirely to myself.

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via Occasionally Eggs

Pistachio Truffles

via Well Plated

Truffles are the be-all, end-all decadent and luxurious dessert, and you’ll also soon found out that they are deceptively easy. These pistachio truffles really ratchet up the fancy factor with literally almost no extra work. They almost look like they’re dusted with gold. So sexy. So delicious. So gift-able.

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Salted Dark Chocolate Hazelnut

via Lively Table

Yes, more chocolate bark. No, I'm not sorry. Not even a little. I literally have no shame when it comes to chocolate, and you shouldn't either. Make 'em, gift 'em, and save some for yourself.

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Limoncello

via Supper in the Suburbs

Homemade limocello is stupid easy to make, and gorgeous to boot. So much winning!

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Salted Chocolate Honeycomb

via Veggie Desserts

Four ingredients, vegan and gluten free? Yes, it really is a Christmas miracle! This salted chocolate honeycomb is shockingly easy to make and the perfect allergy-friendly gift to give freely.

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Spiced Candied Orange Peel

via Mother Would Know

Crank your candied peel game up a notch with this spiced version. Peppercorn, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves give these candied orange peels and extra special kick. They're the perfect edible gift for that spicy friend in your life!

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Beautiful Edible Gift Packaging Ideas

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Bags and Boxes

Tuck cookies and bark into affordable cellophane bags, and caramels, truffles, and candies into ½-pound or 1-lb candy boxes. I also like these windowpane bakery boxes. For a pretty finish, tie them off with grosgrain ribbon or red and white baker’s twine.

Labels and Tags

Label jars with these adorable chalkboard sticker tags. Use plain paper paper gift tags for a minimalist look or these beautiful graphic tags for affixing to boxes and gift bags. I like these printed stickers or elegant gold stickers for closing candy boxes and cellophane bags. 

Jars

Ball pint jars are classic containers for gifting jams, jellies, and sauces, but if you have a little extra cash to spend, splurge on Weck jars. They’re modern and sleek, so pretty you don’t even need wrapping. Okay, maybe a pretty ribbon.

• Mini Weck Jars
• Half Liter Weck Jars
• Mini Ball Jars
• Ball Widemouth Pint Jars
• Ball Half Pint Quilted Jelly Jars

Wrapping and Washi

Wrap up those boxes in some festive wrapping paper, like this modern design, this fun collection, or these gold beauties, or wrap in simple brown craft paper and add a few strips of decorative washi tape.

Did you make any of these Edible Gifts? I’d love to know how they turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.

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