Homemade Christmas gifts: 55 of our favourite DIY edible gifts
There's nothing more thoughtful than a homemade Christmas gift to show someone you really care this festive season. Even better, if the gift is edible! Our cookery team have come up with over 50 recipes that will delight any friend or family member this year.
Move over mince pies, these homemade Christmas food gifts include everything from a DIY mulled wine kit, to gorgeous Christmas brownie bites and classic gingerbread men biscuits.
Why not even make a Winter Wonderland gingerbread house, send it flat-packed ready for building, for a real show-stopping present. Or we love this chocolate salami, dusted in icing sugar and wrapped in string, it looks like the real thing but is made with chocolate, brandy, almonds, pistachios and walnuts. If you're feeling especially generous one of our Christmas cake recipes would also make an incredible gift.
We've also developed some boozy treats too (well it is Christmas after all) including an espresso martini liqueur and a gingerbread cream liqueur.
And if you're looking to make lots of homemade edible Christmas gifts then our customisable hot chocolate stirrers, wrapped up in cellophane with candy canes at the handles, are just the thing.
Take time to think about how to wrap your finished gift. Recipes like our giant Christmas cookie look just the part when served in a pizza sized box and wrapped with a ribbon.
Pretty boxes, lined with paper and filled with homemade Christmas biscuits and cookies are an extra thoughtful touch as are pretty glass jars and bottles for chutneys and liqueurs.
And if you’re aiming for a more eco-friendly Christmas, use recyclable wrapping paper.
Here is a selection of our top homemade Christmas food gifts...
(Good Housekeeping)
Sea salt and toasted pecans really elevate this classic vanilla fudge. Perfect for gifting at Christmas.
Recipe: Toasted Pecan Fudge
(Good Housekeeping)
Nothing evokes Christmas quite like the flavours of stollen, so we've combined them in these eye-catching biscuits for a twist on a homemade Christmas gift. You can leave out the brandy, if you prefer, or soak the fruit in apple juice instead.
Recipe: Stollen Crinkle Biscuits
(Alex Luck - Hearst Owned)
Sweet, salty and spicy – be warned: this brittle is an incredibly moreish homemade edible Christmas gift.
Recipe: Spiced Cashew Brittle
(Alex Luck - Hearst Owned)
These make great homemade edible Christmas gifts for a chocolate lover; simply stir 1 or 2 into a mug of warm milk. We’ve given some flavour ideas below, but you can let your creativity run wild.
Recipe: Hot Chocolate Stirrers
(Alex Luck - Hearst Owned)
If you can’t find Manchego, use a mature Cheddar instead. And if you’re not a fan of thyme, freshly chopped rosemary works well, too.
Recipe: Manchego and Thyme Shortbreads
(Alex Luck - Hearst Owned)
These tiramisu-flavoured biscuits are the perfect festive gift for the coffee lover in your life!
Recipe: Tiramisu Biscuits
(Oscar Hather - Hearst Owned)
These truffles are the perfect bite-sized homemade Christmas gift, with a creamy centre and a crunchy nutty shell.
Recipe: Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles
(Alex Luck - Hearst Owned)
If you can’t get hold of rice or wafer paper, line your tin with baking parchment and dust generously with cornflour. Top the nougat with an even dusting of cornflour and lay on a square of baking parchment before setting.
Recipe: Honey, Cherry & Almond Nougat
(Alex Luck - Hearst Owned)
This Christmas-spiced twist on a Middle Eastern classic is the ideal sweet treat to accompany tea and coffee.
Recipe: Chocolate Baklava
(Alex Luck - Hearst Owned)
Try drizzling this boozy homemade Christmas gift over your favourite ice cream, stir a little into hot chocolate or simply serve over ice.
Recipe: Espresso Martini Liqueur
(Alex Luck - Hearst Owned)
A well-spiced wintry piccalilli perfect for serving with festive ham and cheeses.
Recipe: Cheeseboard Piccalilli
(Alex Luck - Hearst Owned)
This also makes for a fun pudding served warm in slices topped with vanilla ice cream.
Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookie Pizza
(Alex Luck - Hearst Owned)
Inspired by that Christmas classic, The Nutcracker, our fictional preserve is a softly set blend of plums, raspberries, prosecco and sweet spices in a sparkly spread, perfect for toast or spooning on rice pudding. Check the glitter you are using isn’t soluble otherwise it may dissolve and disappear!
Recipe: Sugar Plum Fairy Jelly
(Alex Luck - Hearst Owned)
A crisp exterior and luscious soft interior make these the ideal Christmas chocolate. They're so easy to make, and they keep well, too!
Recipe: White chocolate and hazelnut cups
If you prefer, substitute chopped blanched almonds or hazelnuts for the pistachios. Every variation is just as delicious!
Recipe: Pistachio and honey nougat
These nutty sweet treats make a great homemade Christmas gift.
Recipe: Peanut butter balls
Double this recipe and you'll have enough marzipan to cover a 20.5cm (8in) fruit cake.
Recipe: Marzipan stars
If you love Nutella as much as we do, this home-made version is irresistible. For an incredibly indulgent snack, melt a little of this spread and pour over ice cream.
Recipe: Home-made chocolate hazelnut spread
A clever gelatine trick, plus a little help from a sugar thermometer, makes these really failsafe.
Recipe: Marshmallows
Wrap up these tasty Italian biscuits for the perfect Christmas gift.
Recipe: Choc and nut biscotti
Spice up your jam with this deliciously festive recipe and give a pot as a sweet Christmas gift.
Recipe: Spiced plum and fig jam
Packed together in a pretty new or vintage tin, these elegant mints are an ideal gift for the host of a dinner party.
Recipe: Peppermint creams
(Good Housekeeping)
Great as a sweet nibble to end a party, with a cup of tea or presented in a special tin or box. If you prefer your brownie bites less sweet, simply drizzle them with plain chocolate.
Recipe: Christmas brownie bites
Home-made Turkish Delight with some golden garnish make a great yule-time gift.
Recipe: Turkish Delight
This traditional festive favourite is all the nicer home-made. Package them up and wish your neighbours a Merry Christmas!
Recipe: Nougat
For those with a sweet tooth, flavoured sugars make fantastic home-made gifts.
Recipe: Flavoured sugars
A beautifully presented DIY biscuit mix makes a thoughtful home-made gift.
Recipe: The ultimate biscuit mix
Fresh and delicious, this oil will be popular with food lovers.
Recipe: Lemon and fennel oil
A home-made mulled wine kit is simple to put together but looks impressive.
Recipe: Special mulled wine kit
This scented syrup makes a sophisticated Christmas gift.
Recipe: Golden mulling syrup
Package up these party nuts to make a thoughtful home-made gift.
Recipe: Spiced party nuts
These home-made thyme oatcakes are a perfect match for a slab of stilton.
Recipe: Thyme oatcakes for Stilton
A thoughtful gift for gin lovers.
Recipe: Berry spiced gin
A great one to make in bulk and in advance, package these into pretty jars to give to friends and family.
Recipe: Fig and apple chutney
This looks just like the classic cured sausage, but is actually full of nuts and chocolate! A decadent and fun homemade Christmas gift.
Recipe: Chocolate salami
Just 3 ingredients go into these festive sweets.
Recipe: Snowflake peppermint creams
These vanilla and almond biscuits melt in the mouth, and make a lovely Christmas gift.
Recipe: Vanillekipferl
Homemade edible Christmas gifts don't come better than this. Follow our recipe to create your very own Winter Wonderland gingerbread house, a great activity to do with the kids.
Recipe: Winter Wonderland Gingerbread House
From biscuits to houses, nothing says Christmas quite like the smell of gingerbread. If you want to give a unique homemade edible Christmas gift this year try this easy gingerbread wreath.You can freeze the unbaked dough, wrapped, for up to one month. Just defrost overnight in fridge and complete recipe.
Recipe: Gingerbread wreath
These piped Christmas cookies (‘spritz’ means to squirt or spray in German) hold their definition well as there is no chemical raising agent in the dough mix. If you prefer, leave out the green food colouring.
Recipe: Christmas spritz cookies
(Good Housekeeping - Gallery Stock)
Infuse the gin for at least 2 weeks for the flavours to develop. This will work well with vodka, too!
Recipe: Marmalade and bay gin
(Good Housekeeping UK/Maja Smend)
This biscuit recipe is a take on the classic red velvet cake and is a perfect biscuit for Christmas. You can keep these biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Recipes: Red velvet Christmas snowflake biscuits
(Good Housekeeping UK)
Even Santa can’t escape the weekly wash! These washing line biscuits are a perfect Secret Santa gift or an alternative Christmas decoration for your home.
Recipe: Santa's Washing Line Biscuits
(Oscar Hather - Hearst Owned)
All the flavours of the festive drink in a chewy, American-style cookie. Yum!
Recipe: Eggnog cookies
(Mike English - Hearst Owned)
These rocky bites have the delicious combination of white chocolate and coconut.
Recipe: Snowy rocky road
(Good Housekeeping)
A toasty nut surrounded in a crisp, buttery caramel. Add a sprinkle of flaked salt as soon as you have coated in the caramel, if you like.
Recipe: Buttered Brazils
(Mike English - Hearst Owned)
Making these fruity treats needs your presence in the kitchen, but they are still a simple and delicious sweet to make.
Recipe: Peach Pâte de Fruits
(Mike English - Hearst Owned)
Kids will love piping and decorating these cute Christmas tree meringues – and there’s no risk of tangled lights! Easy to double the recipe it you want to make more homemade Christmas gifts.
Recipe: Christmas Meringues
(Mike English - Hearst Owned)
This gingerbread cream liqueur is a smooth after-dinner tipple or add a dash to hot chocolate - it's a perfect homemade Christmas gift.
Recipe: Gingerbread Cream Liqueur
(Mike English - Hearst Owned)
We’ve turned the famous Cumbrian confection into chocolate-dipped gifting bars. Swap the dark chocolate for milk or white, if you like things sweeter.
Recipe: Christmas Kendal Mint Cake Bars
(Mike English - Hearst Owned)
The perfect accompaniment to any cheese board. Try spreading a little on your cheese toastie or stirring into sauces and stews. Adjust the chilli to suit your heat tolerance.
Recipe: Sticky Tomato Jam Recipe
(Mike English - Hearst Owned)
These make a wonderful accompaniment to cheese and pickles, or simply enjoyed as a snack by themselves.
Recipe: Gluten-Free Seeded Crackers
(Mike English - Hearst Owned)
This fiery, fruity hot sauce has the perfect blend of heat and sweetness.
Recipe: Mango and Scotch Bonnet Hot Sauce
(Mike English - Hearst Owned)
This gloriously vibrant, Chinese-style chilli oil is perfect spooned over everything from noodles and rice dishes to grilled vegetables or roasted chicken.
Recipe Fragrant Chilli Oil
(Mike English)
We've added vanilla to our rhubarb jam recipe to make a sweet and slightly tart jam that's perfect on crumpets.
Recipe: Rhubarb and Vanilla Jam
(Mike English - Hearst Owned)
Make the most of British plum season with this delicious infused brandy, which can be kept for up to six months and makes the perfect festive aperitif or Christmas gift.
Recipe: Plum brandy
(Getty Images)Homemade Christmas gifts are incredibly thoughtful presents, and a great way to save money. Here are some of our favourite edible gifts to make.