Over 70 Last Minute Holiday Goodies & Gifts

A rich collection of homemade holiday goodies and gifts from your kitchen that will bring joy to your household or whoever you gift them to. Making something special with your own two hands is so much more meaningful and full of love than anything from the store. Spread kindness, love and homemade goodness this year.

Here’s a list of great ideas and recipes to get you started.

Christmas is NEXT WEEK! Eeeeek! Do you have everyone covered? Do you want to spread a little extra holiday cheer this year? Browse through this list to find something for everyone on your list (including YOU!)

For our gluten free friends, I’ve denoted the gluten free items in this list with (GF)

Cookies & Cakes

• Ooey Gooey Oreo Toffee 7-Layer Bars
• Chocolate Caramel Pecan Bars
• Soft Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
• Soft & Chewy Gluten Free Sugar Cookies (GF)
• Mint Chocolate Mocha Fudge Cookies (low fat)
• Chocolate Candy Cane Pretzel Kisses
• Angel Slices – from the Pastry Chef Online
• Buche de Noel (Chocolate Log Cake) – from Hadia’s Lebanese Cuisine
• Povitica (Croation Nut Roll) – from Ally’s Kitchen
• Holiday Nut Rolls – from Hostess at Heart
• Daddy’s Craisin Oatmeal Cookies – from Southern with a Twist
• Homemade Apricot Tarts – from Amee’s Savory Dish

Candy

• Melt in your Mouth Peanut Butter Fudge (GF)
• Bailey’s Irish Cream Truffles
• Cranberry Red Wine Truffles (GF)
• Easy Peppermint Fudge (GF)
• Dark Chocolate Red Wine Fudge (GF)
• Pretzel English Toffee (GF)
• Cranberry Truffles – from Caroline’s Cooking (GF)
• Festive White Chocolate Fudge – from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Christmas Caramels – from Southern with a Twist
• Easy Cake Truffles – from Seduction in the Kitchen

Homemade Seasonings

• Homemade Greek Seasoning + 18 more homemade spice mixes including Red Robin Seasoning, Bacon Morel Salt, Taco Seasoning Mix, multiple Spice rubs, Zaatar, Apple Pie and Pumpkin Pie seasoning … so many good ideas here! (most items GF)
• Spice Rubs & Seasonings – from The Black Peppercorn
• Copycat Qdoba Taco Seasoning
• Z’aatar Spice Mix – from Ally’s Kitchen
• Ras El Hanout (the Premier Spice Mix) (GF)
• Smoky Harissa Paste (GF)

Jams, Salsas and Pickles

• Christmas Jam – from Cooking with Mary & Friends
• Caramel Apple Jam (GF)
• Five Alarm Apple Hot Pepper Jam (GF)
• Bourbon Raspberry Fig Jam
• Grilled Chipotle Walnut Salsa
• Cilantro Almond Salsa
• Copycat Chili’s Salsa
• Asian Quick Pickled Veggies
• Crisp & Spicy Pickled Green Beans

Breads and Rolls

• No-Knead Sourdough French Bread
• Bread Machine Hawaiian Rolls
• Honey Oat Zucchini Bread
• Hoppin’ Jalapeno Beer Cheese Bread
• Spiced Cranberry Rum Bread with Walnuts
• Kardemummakrans (a Braided Swedish Christmas Bread)
• Sweet Harvest Pumpkin Ale Bread
• Cinnamon Chai Banana Bread
• Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
• Bacon Cheddar Biscuits – from Southern with a Twist

Spiced Nuts, Popcorn and Snack Mixes

• Toffee Crunch Popcorn
• Bacon Chocolate Chipotle Popcorn
• Cinnamon Roasted Almonds
• Jack’s Sweet Hot Party Pecans
• Butter Rum Sweet Spiced Pecans
• Italian Garlic Spiced Nuts
• Spicy Smoky Salt-Free Chex Mix
• Sugar and Cinnamon Candied Pecans – from Southern with a Twist

Cheese and Crackers

• Rosemary Garlic Marinated Feta Cheese
• Marinated Havarti Cheese 
• Basil Rosemary Marinated Mozzarella
• Mango Ginger Montrachet (goat cheese spread)
• Smokin’ Chipotle Pimento Cheese
• Herbed Bacon Sundried Tomato Cheese Spread
• Rosemary Asiago Sourdough Crackers
• Everything Bagel Whole Grain Sourdough Crackers
• Cheese Pennies – from Southern with a Twist
• Spent Grain Crackers – from Pastry Chef Online

Liquors, Liqueurs & Boozy Treats (for those 21 and over)

• Honey Apple Whiskey
• Quick Blueberry Lavender Limoncello
• Blueberry Pineapple Tequila
• Rose Petal Vodka
• Mocha Cream Liqueur (skinny version)
• Homemade Kahlua (coffee liqueur) – from An Affair from the Heart
• Easy Bailey’s Hot Fudge Sauce
• Boozy Holiday Cherries – from Cooking with Mary and Friends
• Cranberry Merlot Chutney – from Cooking with Mary and Friends

How to use Homemade Goods as Gifts

So how do you make these homemade goodies into full-fledged gifts? Here’s a few ideas for you:

• Cheese & Wine (or cider!): marinated cheese or a delightful cheese spread + homemade (or store-bought) crackers and a bottle of wine or (for the non-drinking crowd) sparkling apple cider
• Movie Night: toffee crunch popcorn or other popcorn or snack mix + movies and maybe add some craft soda or beer
• Hot Chocolate Gift Basket: a few reindeer cocoa treat bags, a couple cute mugs, and some candy cane hot cocoa dippers plus some Christmas Pretzel sandwiches make a great gift basket for the chocolate lovers on your list
• Soup & Bread: a quart of special homemade soup (perhaps some Irish Seafood Chowder? or whatever soup you love to make) + a loaf of homemade bread or rolls would warm up anybody’s day
• Hot Peppers: All things spicy to please the pepper heads on your list: five alarm hot pepper jam, a spicy salsa, sweet hot party pecans, a spicy seasoning and why not toss in a loaf of hoppin’ jalapeno beer bread
• Spicing up Life: An assortment of homemade spice mixes is every cook’s delight!
• Taco Night: Homemade taco seasoning + taco shells and a homemade salsa
• Cheese Lovers: A jar of marinated cheese + homemade (or store bought) crackers. Add in some store bought specialty cheeses and perhaps some Italian Garlic spiced nuts or pickles.
• Magical Jars: give them a pretty jar full of spiced nuts, candy or snack mix and tell them they can return it to you anytime to see the jar “magically” refill.
• Cocktails-to-be (21+): a pretty jar filled with your homemade liqueur or infusion, plus the recipe(s) &/or ingredients needed to make their own cocktails with your special gift
• Reindeer Cocoa Treat Bags or Candy Cane Hot Cocoa Dippers – from Moore or Less Cooking – package with a pretty mug for a lovely gift
• Christmas Cookies in a Jar – from Amee’s Savory Dish – package with a set of holiday oven mitts or pretty measuring spoons/cups or maybe even a cookie sheet or two
• Redeemable Coupons: If you want to reduce the pressure on yourself right now and your gift-ees are local, give them coupons they can redeem later for homemade meals, a batch of homemade cookies, a pot of soup, a loaf of homemade bread or something they especially love about your homemade cooking.