Creative homemade birthday gifts are inexpensive but show the person you give them to how much you care. These homemade food gift ideas are cheap, simple, unsual, and the best way to show that you really care.
Even if you don’t think you’re an expert in the kitchen, try out one of these easy present ideas. Remember: just because the gift is cheap doesn’t mean it needs to look inexpensive: make sure to decorate any jars you give to give your present beautiful packaging.
Cake or Brownies in a Jar
Powdered brownies in a jar is a simple recipe; you’ll mix the powders in the jar and the person you give it to will have a delicious dessert to make. If you want to change it up a bit, you could give a single-serving pre-made cake in a jar. This is even easier for the birthday boy or girl – the most work they’ll do is only eating one!
Jams and Pickled Vegetables
Canned fruit and vegetables are a great gift, particularly for those with a vegetable garden. Try giving a jar of pickled cucumbers, radishes, or an assortment of vegetables such as homemade salsa. For a sweet gift, give a jam, such as strawberry jam.
Marinated Olives
Marinated olives lets you create your own masterpieces to give away. Try mixing in some of your favorite spices instead of following the recipe strictly.
Mulled Cider or Wine Mix
Mulling mix is a simple yet delicious gift to give. Include equal ratios of cloves, shelled cardamom, dried star anise seed, dried ginger root, crushed cinnamon sticks, and vanilla pod. This can be mixed with any liquid and heated, but is particularly good with a bottle of red wine or apple cider.
Pretzels Dipped in Chocolate
Homemade chocolate dipped pretzels are easy and relatively cheap to make. Put the pretzels in decorative cups or bowls and know that you’ve given a great gift. The recipe is simple: just melt chocolate on a double boiler and dip pretzels away. You can use any kind of chocolate: flavored chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate. If you buy multiple types of chocolate, use a spoon to drizzle different colored chocolate over a base of chocolate for easy, tasty decoration.
Jar of Granola
This simple recipe for Granola will help you to give a healthy snack for any time of the day. Make sure to make enough for you and the birthday boy or girl!
Sack or Jar of Soup
Almost everyone likes soup, so why not give this curried lentil soup? You could put it in a jar, as the recipe says, layering each of the ingredients, or try putting it in a sack. If you know the birthday person’s favorite soup, try giving them a sack or jar of the raw ingredients for the soup as a gift.
