12 Amazing Homemade Edible Gift Ideas
Looking for edible gift ideas? I’ve got you covered with ideas for any occasion. Below you will find 12 amazing salty, sweet, and savory ideas and recipes to give your loved ones at your next celebration.
Edible gifts are the perfect idea for so many reasons. For starters, your minimalist friends will love it because it’s not “more clutter.” Secondly, a homemade gift always seems like it has a extra bit of love and care put into it. Each of these ideas below, I have personally made and LOVE! Let’s check them out…
Sweet Edible Gift Ideas
Each of the sweet edible gift ideas you will find below have all natural ingredients and zero white sugar! Health and nutrition are important to our family, if they are to you too, you will love this list of sweet recipes.
1. Marmalade
Any type of citrus will make a delicious marmalade! Marmalade is one of the easiest things to make and it is so yummy on toast. One of my favorite marmalade recipes can be found here. I gave some family members canned marmalade for Christmas this past year and they loved it. You could use citrus fruit from the store or to make it even more special find a local source for the fruit. You could shop a farmers market or find someone in the community with a fruit tree. Satsumas, oranges, and lemons make delicious marmalade.
2. Jam
Homemade jam or jelly is similar to marmalade but you can use any fruit you want. Strawberry jam is one of my favorites! Check out this sugar free jam recipe by clicking here. One of the great things about homemade jam is that you control the ingredients. Making jam is super easy and it will make your house smell delicious in the process. To make the gift extra special try sources the fruit locally!
3. Banana Bread
Good ole banana bread is a holiday favorite around here. I have a favorite banana bread recipe that is sweetened with honey. Check out the recipe here! Banana bread is a great gift for new neighbors, extended family Christmas parties, a co-worker or boss. You could also make banana nut bread but I typically leave out the nuts because you never know if people like them in baked goods or not.
4. Cacao covered strawberries
What girl doesn’t love some chocolate covered strawberries? This is one of the easiest and quickest festive treats to make. Feb-April is a great time of year for this gift because strawberries are in season. Go take a trip to a U-pick farm and pick the strawberries yourself to make the gift extra special. A simple swap to make this sweet treat a little more nutritious is to replace the baker’s chocolate bars with cacao butter and raw cacao. The cacao will have more of a dark chocolate flavor but none of the additives, artificial sweeteners, flavoring, and other blah ingredients that are found in most store bought chocolate bars. To find a cacao covered strawberry recipe, click here!
5. Cacao Nib Brittle
I grew up eating peanut brittle but I’ve recently discovered cacao nib brittle and I am loving it! This is a great edible gift idea for those occasions when you need to make multiple gifts or goody bags. You can make a big batch of brittle and divide it into multiple candy bags. This would be great for teacher gifts, friend get togethers, or even co-workers. This is a delicious sweet crunchy treat. Click here to see a cacao nib brittle recipe. Cacao nib brittle tastes similar to dark chocolate bark.
6. Apple Butter
The final of the sweet edible gift ideas is apple butter. This is a great gift to add to a gift basket or tie a bow around and give it all by itself. Apple butter is a sweet spread that goes well with any type of bread. We love to spread it on pancakes! You could find apples at a local market, go to an orchard, or simply buy a few bags at the grocery store. No matter where the apples come from, taking the time to make the apple butter is what makes the gift special. To make apple butter check out this recipe by clicking here.
Savory Edible Gift Ideas
Savory and salty gifts can be just as delicious and special as sweet. Be sure to check out the whole list to find an idea that works for you.
7. Homemade bread
There is nothing like eating warm homemade bread right out of the oven. I am a sourdough girl myself but if you don’t make sourdough bread, yeast works just fine too. The bread options are endless…rolls, sandwich bread, artisan loaves, french bread. If you are looking for sourdough recipes, Little Spoon Farm is my absolute favorite. She has so many recipe ideas with easy to follow directions. Pair a loaf of bread with some marmalade, jam or apple butter and make a cute little bread basket!
8. Canned Broth
Homemade broth has such a rich flavor and makes a great gift for your cooking friend. You could make chicken broth (check out my chicken broth recipe here), beef bone broth, or venison broth if you have a hunter in the family. Making broth in an instant pot is super easy. Canned broth is another great gift for when you need a large batch of gifts to give. I wouldn’t recommend this gift if you do not have a canner. The broth will not last long if you do not can it.
9. Homemade Seasoning Blends
This is a great “gift in a mason jar” idea! A helpful source for buying bulk herbs and spices is Azure Standard. Homemade seasoning would be a fun gift around the holidays. You can get creative and make your own blends or you could follow a recipe. Melissa K Norris has some great recipes. This would be a good gift basket idea for your food lover friend.
10. Pepper Sauce
I am from the south and in the south, people love their pepper sauce! This is possibly one of the easiest edible gifts to make as well. To make pepper sauce you will need an empty jar, peppers, and apple cider vinegar. If possible, grow the peppers yourself or source them locally to make the gift extra special.
To make pepper sauce:
- Fill a jar all the way up with sliced hot peppers (you can leave the seeds)
- Pour Apple Cider Vinegar over the peppers until the jar is full
- Place the lid on and leave for a few weeks to let the flavors enhance
- Refrigerate and enjoy!
11. Salad Dressing
Homemade salad dressing is a good option for your vegan friends. I got this salad dressing bottle as a wedding gift and it is a lot of fun to follow the recipe on the bottle to try out new dressings. This salad dressing would pair well with the seasoning mix mason jars!
My favorite salad dressing recipe – Balsamic Vinegerette:
- 1 minced clove
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 cups oil
- 1/2 balsamic vinegar
12. Refrigerator Pickles
The last item on our edible gift list is pickles! During the summer is a great time of year to find fresh cucumbers at the farmers market. If you have a garden of your own you could grow some pickling cucumbers next season for this recipe. Refrigerator pickles are an easy gift to give to that vinegar loving friend. One of my favorite recipes can be found by clicking here. You can make a variety of flavors (sweet, spicy, dill, etc.) and give a whole pickle gift basket if you have a pickle obsessed friend.
I hope you have been inspired by these homemade gift ideas! Let me know in the comments below what edible gift you would love to receive.
