Food Gifts for Christmas

William Dickey / Styling by Buffy Hargett

Sweet Spice Blend

This special spice blend makes an easy food gift for Christmas. Give it with accompanying recipes for Sugar-and-Spice Nuts and Honey-Spice Butter.

Use a funnel to fill narrow-mouthed glass jars. Creative a unique gift tag and secure with decorative ribbon.

Recipe: Sweet Spice Blend

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Herbed Cheese Spread

Our Herbed Cheese Spread is a perfect gift for the holiday season. Include homemade Biscuit Crostini to make entertaining a breeze.

Recipe: Herbed Cheese Spread
Recipe: Biscuit Crostini

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Bourbon-Cream Cheese Brownies

Rich brownie and cream cheese batter is kicked up a notch with bourbon—great for both chocolate and bourbon lovers!

Recipe: Bourbon-Cream Cheese Brownies

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Pecan-Toffee Shortbread

Buttery shortbread and sweet toffee and chocolate are a delicious combination in this treat. Package some up in a festive container for a yummy holiday gift.

Recipe: Pecan-Toffee Shortbread

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Caramelized Ginger Pears

With all the entertaining taking place this holiday season, an appetizer gift is both tasty and thoughtful. Pair a jar of our Caramelized Ginger Pears with a round of Brie and include our easy serving instructions.

Recipe: Caramelized Ginger Pears

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Bourbon Balls

These tasty treats really pack a punch! You'll want to make plenty to give as gifts and to enjoy yourself.

Recipe: Bourbon Balls

Photo by Beau Gustafson

Hot Fudge Sauce

Ready in 10 minutes, our velvety chocolate sauce and its delicious variations make terrific presents. When giving as a gift, include a reminder to refrigerate.

Recipe: Hot Fudge Sauce
Variations: Espresso-Hot Fudge Sauce
Whiskey-Hot Fudge Sauce
Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Hot Fudge Sauce

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Cranberry-Pecan Cheese Wafers

Tired of giving cookies and sweets to your friends this holiday season? Make savory Cranberry-Pecan Cheese Wafers instead.

Recipe: Cranberry-Pecan Cheese Wafers

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Butter-Pecan Granola

Try making this Butter-Pecan Granola to give as a gift instead of cookies. It's great with yogurt and fruit or just by itself as a snack.

Recipe: Butter-Pecan Granola

Muffins

Bake several batches of Cranberry-Orange Tea Bread Muffins or your favorite muffin or quick bread. Wrap them up with tea bags and mugs for a complete tea-time present. For added flair, use festive muffin wrappers.

Muffin and Bread Recipes

Photo: Jennifer Davick / Styling Buffy Harget

Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies

Fill inexpensive metal containers from crafts stores with Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies for a gift your neighbors and friends will love.

Recipe: Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies

Hot-Spiced Bourbon Balls

Chopped, toasted pecans and crushed vanilla wafers lend an extra layer of flavor and texture to Hot-Spiced Bourbon Balls. Serve them with coffee, or package them up as take-home gifts at the end of a party.

Recipe: Hot-Spiced Bourbon Balls

Ralph Anderson, Charles Walton IV / Styling Mindi Shapiro Levine, Rose Nguyen / Food Styling Marian Cooper Cairns, Angela Sellers

Salty Chocolate-Pecan Candy

The hardest part about making Salty Chocolate-Pecan Candy is waiting for the chocolate to firm up before devouring it.

To get the marbled effect, alternate white and dark chocolate squares on a baking pan. Bake as directed, remove from oven, and immediately swirl the warm chocolate with a wooden pick.

Recipe: Salty Chocolate-Pecan Candy

Praline Pecans

Pralines are best made when the weather is dry--humidity tends to make them grainy. Be sure to use a heavy saucepan, and work quickly when spooning the pecan mixture onto the wax paper.

Recipe: Praline Pecans

Christmas Cookies

Everyone loves homemade cookies. Package Cranberry-White Chocolate Cookies (pictured) or your favorite variety in a festive tin or box. You can make the cookies (or just the dough) in advance and freeze it.

Southern Living's Ultimate Cookie Recipes

Spice Bag

Wrap up a Spice Bag by, give it as a gift, and let the recipient choose how to use it. Include our mulling spice recipes with the bag.

Instructions: Place 8 black peppercorns, 6 whole allspice, 6 whole cloves, 2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks, and 3 (3- x 1-inch) orange rind strips on a 5-inch square of cheesecloth. Gather the edges, and tie securely with kitchen string.

Mulling Spice Gift Ideas

Photo: Jennifer Davick/Styling: Buffy Hargett

Milk Chocolate-Peppermint Bark

As if milk chocolate morsels and peppermint candies weren't perfect enough a mixture, we added rich cream-and-mint-filled chocolate sandwich cookies and salty pretzel sticks to our peppermint bark. This recipe is great for giving as gifts, but be sure to save a few pieces as a holiday treat for yourself.

Recipe: Milk Chocolate-Peppermint Bark

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites

Great things come in small packages! These pecan pie bites are small but full of flavor and just the right size for pass-along party desserts.

Recipe: Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites

Jennifer Davick / Styling Buffy Hargett / Food Styling Angela Sellers

Velvety Pecan Candy

Make two batches of Velvety Pecan Candy, one each of chocolate and vanilla. Then prepare to see them disappear.

Recipe: Velvety Pecan Candy

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Shortbread Cookie Sampler

Buttery bites make for well-received packages. We used a 9- × 6-inch box and inserted individual white treat boxes as dividers ($8 for six at kmart.com)

Recipe: Chocolate-Peppermint Bars
Recipe: Bourbon-Pecan Snowflakes
Recipe: Cinnamon-Orange Squares
Recipe: Sweet Potato-Marshmallow Sandwich Cookies
Recipe: Key Lime Stars
Recipe: Cherry-Chocolate Thumbprints

Download the Custom Legend and Gift Tag

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Pound Cake Truffles Sampler

These sweet little gems—our update on the ubiquitous cake ball—fit perfectly in 4-inch square jewelry boxes with mini cupcake liners (both found at crafts stores)