Fantastic (and Easy!) Edible Christmas Gifts for Neighbors
Do you take around Christmas gifts for neighbors?
We didn’t really start doing this until we lived in Arizona, but the first year we really made an effort to stop by a lot of our neighbors’ homes, I was surprised by how much I loved it!
When I was a kid, we took Christmas gifts for neighbors pretty much every year, but we always went on Christmas Eve before dinner and it seemed to take forever, getting darker and later, with a million trips in and out of the car, while all of us kids wanted to just get home, have dinner, and get our own Christmas celebrations underway.
Over the past few years, we’ve gone the week before Christmas and we spread it out over several evenings, stopping by 4-5 neighbors per night.
It didn’t take forever, the girls loved riding their bikes and scooters up and down the streets (this is less likely to happen in Utah. . . ), it wasn’t interrupting anyone’s Christmas Eve, and it was the nicest way to connect with our neighbors (and I love that we could stay 30 seconds or have a 5 minute chat on the doorstep).
If you’re looking for some ideas of edible gifts to take around to your neighbors (or for teachers, co-workers, or friends), here are six winners:
GIFTS FOR NEIGHBORS, CO-WORKERS OR FRIENDS
Salted Caramel Christmas Crackers
These might be my all-time favorite Christmas sweet, and they are easy to make in big batches. I could eat this by the panful without even blinking an eye. It is THAT good. And so so easy.
Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies
These are just too cute and I can never say no to a Nutter Butter cookie. Plus, these are a perfect afternoon project with children – my girls love helping add the antlers and eyes.
White Chicken Chili in a Jar
If you want to avoid sweets as Christmas gifts for neighbors, this is a totally useful gift they can use any time. All they have to do is dump the contents of the jar in the crockpot, add a couple of chicken breasts, and no worries about dinner! Which is basically the nicest gift you could give someone during the holidays.
Double Chocolate Muffins
There’s nothing not to love about these delicious chocolate muffins. They really do manage to be a muffin, not a cupcake in disguise, and they look so enticing. Also, they’re perfectly acceptable breakfast food, right?
Homemade Lemon Curd
Since we had a lemon tree in our backyard in Arizona that was in full swing in December, this is what we took around to our neighbors the last couple of years Many people had never heard of it, but we got lots of good feedback as people discovered how delicious it is on pancakes or toast or ice cream. This is a deceptively easy recipe that they won’t be getting 20 versions of over the holidays.
Churro Caramel Popcorn
Only about forty times better than the popcorn that comes in a tin. The only thing better would be a churro at Disneyland. And if you want to take your neighbors to Disneyland as a neighbor gift, let me know where you live so I can move in next door to you.
Homemade Vanilla
Have you ever made homemade vanilla extract? It’s super simple and is the perfect gift at the holidays! Plus this comes with some free printable tags!
I also asked for some edible neighbor gift suggestions on Instagram and got lots of recommendations. These are all neighbor gifts I haven’t given before, but there are a lot of fabulous ideas!
Spice Seasoning
It is so easy to make homemade seasonings – grab a few spices, mix them together, pour them in a jar, and voila! A taco seasoning or a rosemary lemon salt would be super fun to gift.
Frozen Cookie Dough
The holidays are so full of cookies and treats, why not gift the neighbors something they can enjoy in a month when all the holiday treats are gone? You can do this with any cookie recipe (but you can’t go wrong with a classic chocolate chip). Make your dough, form into balls, and freeze.
Bread
This was the number one suggested edible neighbor gift from the Instagram community. And the fun thing is, you could go sweet or savory with it! Ideas included: Christmas Cinnamon Bread (my sister Merrick makes this every year for her neighbors), Butter Pecan Bread, Cranberry Orange Bread, Focaccia Bread, and Sourdough. If you aren’t a huge baker, you could gift a really great loaf from your local bakery (we love Great Harvest Bread here in Utah).
Chips & Salsa
This is such an easy, yet genius gift! I don’t know a single person who could resist chips and salsa when set out for a snack. I also love that there are so many unique salsa flavors out there to try.
Dulce de Leche
Did you know you can make dulce de leche in the instant pot by just popping in a can of sweetened condensed milk? This would be delicious on toast, crepes, or in ice cream.
Gingerbread House Kit
We host a gingerbread house party every year, but how fun would it be to gift a gingerbread house kit, especially for a family with kids. These kits are cute and don’t break the bank (they are under $5!).
Homemade Fruit Spreads
One of the number one gifts we have given our in-laws has been a variety pack of jams. It’s an edible gift that definitely gets used for toast and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. A raspberry jam or an apple butter sounds amazing!
Fizzy Drinks
We don’t drink much besides water at our house, so having a little fizzy drink would be a TREAT! A bottle of sparkling cider goes great with holiday feasts, a few bottles of root beer with pipe cleaners to make them look like reindeer, or a few cans/bottle of Sprite with a gift tag that says “Merry & Sprite” would all be fun ideas.
Chex Mix
I love that a Chex mix can be sweet or savory. A savory mix is great to set out for snacking and reindeer chow is such delicious treat. Plus, if someone gifted me some reindeer chow, I’d be forever grateful because it would keep my own kitchen clear of all the powder sugar.
Trader Joe Goodies
Trader Joe’s has some of the most fun and unique treats and food! Whether you grab some candy (I LOVE their chocolate covered sea salt butterscotch caramels), cookies, or even fun spices, you can’t go wrong.
Ice Cream Kit
We love ice cream sundaes at our house, so this gift idea would be a huge hit! Fill a basket with various ice cream toppings and a gift card to a local ice cream shop and I guarantee you will have smiles all around.
Local Coffee
If you know your neighbors are coffee drinkers, a bag of locally roasted coffee would be a treat – and it supports local small business.
Treat Mix
This is the gift that comes in handy when you least expect it. It can be made at anytime, especially when the holidays are over. Throw in a cookie cutter with a cookie mix or wrap up a box of brownie mix.
Harry and David Pears
We would always get a catalog in the mail for Harry and David. I have never ordered or eaten anything from them, but the fruit and treats always looked mouthwatering. This is such an easy idea if you don’t want to messy your kitchen. Plus, they come in pretty packaging ready to deliver!
Nice Chocolates
Who could resist a little bag of nice chocolates – think Lindor, Ghirardelli, or something special from a local chocolate company. I wouldn’t be able to stop myself at just one!
Homemade Granola
I don’t know why I didn’t think of this! I have a granola recipe that I have been making for more than a decade and it is too good not to share!
Mini Charcuterie
I would be thrilled if someone showed up at my door with a little tray of meat, cheese, and crackers! It would be such a gift to have an easy snack or lunch for my family during one of the busiest times of the year.
Hot Chocolate Mix
Who doesn’t love a hot cocoa on a cold winter day? You could even fancy up a box of hot cocoa mix with a bag of mini marshmallows and candy canes! (This is my favorite hot chocolate mix, but you could easily pick up a box at your local grocery store.)
Candied Nuts
One of my favorite smells at a festival is the roasting candied nuts. Whether you use pecans, almonds, or a variety, this is an easy snack that many will enjoy.
Fudge
This is the classic holiday treat right? I don’t know if I could go a holiday season without a little taste of fudge. If you make a batch and pour it right into a 4×6 aluminum tin, you can gift the whole thing and they don’t need to return any dishes.
Breakfast
When the holidays are in full swing, sometimes I am so busy planning all the dinners and treats, that breakfast can get overlooked. Getting a gift of pancake mix & syrup or a batch of frozen cinnamon rolls would definitely save the day!
Do you take around neighbor gifts? If so, what are your favorite things to take?
How many does the white chicken chili feed?
I’d say 4-6!
These are such fun ideas! Now that we’re in Utah I feel like we’re going to be obligated to make this a priority this year haha.
I just had one of those muffins for my morning snack today! Delicious!
We don’t do neighbor gifts but I am always looking for easy stocking stuffer ideas so some of these might work for that! Thanks!!