Happy December! Since there are so many opportunities to show people your love and appreciation through homemade gifts this month, I’ve created a collection of DIY holiday food gifts. Think of this post as your go-to spot for brainstorming hostess gifts, holiday presents, and Secret Santa trinkets.
With a busy month of social events ahead, it’s a good idea to make gifts in advance in case you forget to buy a present, get invited to a last-minute party, or receive a surprise visit from gift-bearing neighbors. Then you don’t have to stress – you always have something ready!
To help you prepare for the holidays, I’m hosting a giveaway with California Almonds.
Two lucky readers will win a Holi-DIY almond gift box, containing everything you need to make multiple presents: 2 Mason Jars, a one-pound bag of California Almonds, spices, gift tags, ribbons, tissue paper, cellophane and a recipe booklet.
You can smell the spices as soon as you open the box!
Enter the Giveaway at the Bottom of the Post
The Top 10 DIY Holiday Food Gifts:
Cinnamon Glazed Almonds – California Almonds (you’ll get everything you need in your DIY box)
Homemade Vanilla Extract – What’s Gaby Cooking
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe by What’s Gaby Cooking / Ceramic Tags from Fifty One and a Half
Gingerbread Boy Granola – Half Baked Harvest
Photo Credit – Half Baked Harvest
Vegetarian Five Bean Soup Mix – Back to Her Roots
Photo Credit – Back to Her Roots
Cranberry Ginger Baked Oatmeal Gift Kits – Mom’s Kitchen Handbook
Photo Credit – Mom’s Kitchen Handbook
Farmer’s Wife Strawberry Granola – California Strawberries
Photo Credit – California Strawberries
DIY S’more Kits – Twig & Thistle
Photo Credit – Twig & Thistle
Homemade Chai Tea Kit – BuzzFeed
Cranberry Orange Scones – Food in Jars
Photo Credit – Food in Jars
Candied Orange Peel – Closet Cooking
Photo Credit – Closet Cooking
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Note: California Almonds is providing giveaway prizes to winners. They sent me a Holi-DIY almond gift box to try. I was not paid for this post. All opinions are my own.
Caroline is a freelance writer, nutrition communication consultant, and counselor with a holistic approach to healthy living. 
Oh, I love this round-up! Homemade holiday gifts are the best! My favorite holiday treat from childhood is so simple — Grandma’s homemade dinner rolls topped with lots of butter and extra gooey raspberry jam.
McKenzie, those dinner rolls sound amazing!! So glad you like the roundup 😉 xx
Great ideas!
Thanks Christine! 🙂
My favorite holiday treat is one that you don’t admit to. But I like my mother’s fruitcake.
There’s no shame in fruitcake! 🙂
This is such a beautiful blog post! My favorite holiday treat from childhood are rainbow cookies! YUM
Thanks Jaime! Rainbow cookies are soooo good.
This is so fun!! I would love to try making these.
I forgot my favorite treat. Gingerbread houses! My mom and I would make them every year.
That’s awesome! I love gingerbread houses – both the construction and deconstruction 😉
What a great list of DIY Gift ideas. I’m super into homemade gifts, so I look forward to trying my hand at spiced nuts this year. My favorite childhood treat is probably Rice Krispie treats. Or my mom’s toffee!
Thank you Sarah! I just saw your gluten-free Walnut Cocoa Brownies Jar gift go up today and it looks amazing! Here’s a link to anyone who wants to make them for the holidays: http://www.snixykitchen.com/2014/12/08/gift-jar-walnut-cocoa-brownies-gluten-free/
I love Rice Krispie Treats too 🙂 xx
I love, love, love this idea! My favorite treat is gingerbread houses – just the experience of making them! But to eat, I’d have to say warm chocolate chip cookies 🙂
Thank you Megan!! I hear you – warm chocolate chip cookies are the best! 🙂
my favorite holiday treat was a caramel apple
I love those too. When I was little, my mother would take me to a farm shop a few miles away, and they had a little table outside where they would dip the apples, coat them in nuts, and hand you the stick – still warm. I’ve never had a better one 🙂
I love the food gifts in jars! What a great way to choose a healthier, and less commercial gift. (By the way, the Center for a New American Dream would LOVE this–have you shared it with them?)
My favorite childhood Christmas treat is anise pizzelles. Apparently these are Italian cookies, but they are a tradition in my Lithuanian family. Each batch has a full dozen eggs, an entire bottle of anise extract, and 2T of anise seeds. They may not have been the healthiest thing (also butter and oil are involved there) but we only got them once a year, and the strong flavor meant you didn’t need to eat a bunch of them.
Hi Bain! I haven’t reached out to them, but I’ll send them a message about my post – thanks for the recommendation. I’ve had anise cookies, but never pizzelles. Those sound like some pretty delicious cookies!!
I grew up in New orleans ( a long time ago!) and my mother used to make pralines around Christmas to send to people; so naturally we ate all of the broken ones.
Ahh pralines – how wonderful. What a nice memory 🙂
My favorite holiday treat was my great grandmas sugar cookies. No one can make them like that anymore!!!
I love it!
my favorite treat was a cup of warm chocolate and butter cookies from my mom 😀
That sounds like such a lovely memory. Thank you for sharing!
My favorite holiday treat is hot cocoa with whipped cream and a candy cane.
That’s a perfect holiday-themed drink! I love the candy cane garnish 🙂
Pumpkin pie has always been my favorite holiday treat, since I was a kid.
I hear you, Cassidy. I look forward to it every year too!