DIY Homemade Food Gifts
Homemade Food Gifts are a wonderful way to share the love!
Usually around the holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas, we often see beautifully photographed articles in my favorite magazines about food and baking gifts you can create to give to friends and family.
A popular theme at kitchen showers these days is to share recipes with the Bride-to-be. There are some adorable printable recipe cards online that help you do just that.
So in doing my research and wanting to create the perfect blog post for you, I decided to take this idea one step further. To actually create the perfect homemade food gift – it could be a delicious Chocolate Cake, a mouthwatering Cheesecake or a fresh batch of your favorite cookies.
This post was originally published in October 2017, and updated December 22, 2019.
I’m always on the lookout for a unique way to combine my love of baking and creativity to come up with a gift that keeps on giving. By now the word is out – my passion for baking and pies means that family and friends often ask for their favorite pie – and the recipe!
Give The Gift of Pie!
I wanted to share how I wrap a pie as a homemade food gift with you! Kind of like DIY meets Baking!
What is it? Well I bake a pie, place it in a beautiful pie dish or plate, add a pie server, print out the recipe and wrap it all up in a bow – I like to use raffia, it has a homespun, but elegant look.
I usually have a fairly good inventory of pie plates and pie servers since I love to haunt antique shops and flea markets. This is helpful because often you don’t have a lot of time to put a homemade food gift together.
If you know the person receiving the gift, this part is easy, you can put together a pie plate and server fairly easily. But even if you don’t, I typically choose a combination that I really like personally. It hasn’t failed me yet!
TIPS ON HOW TO WRAP A PIE AS A GIFT
Next comes the pie. Again, a bit of thought needs to happen here as to what type of pie you want to give. If the event is close to home, perhaps an elegant lemon meringue – or mousse.
If you need to travel a bit – why not try a delicious chocolate or pecan pie, something with a fairly stable filling, that can be warmed by your host/hostess – or popped into the freezer, so that he or she can enjoy it another day!
The final touch is the recipe.
I just love the look of these beautiful calligraphy recipe cards and I hope you do too.
They are free for you!
There are so many events where you could share your delicious homemade food gift. Some ideas are:
- Kitchen Shower
- Holiday Gifts like Christmas
- Hostess Gift
- Pot Luck
- School or Charity Bake Sale
Homemade Food Gifts
Everyone loves to receive a special homemade gift from the kitchen, but have you tried to make your own delicious food gifts? You'll be surprised at how easy it really is! And the crowd will go wild.....
Quick Cake Mix Biscotti
You won't believe this amazing Cake Mix Biscotti recipe is just like Italian Almond Biscotti you get in Tuscany! An easy dessert recipe, and oh those rave reviews!
Easy Recipe for Lemon Loaf Cake
a richly flavored lemon loaf cake - almost like pound cake with a creamy vanilla frosting.
Homemade Butter Tarts
The sweetest and the best homemade butter tart minis. A family recipe!
Instant Pot Vegan Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Instant Pot Vanilla Extract + Video Tutorial {Vegan, Gluten-free, Paleo, Low Carb, Keto}
The Easiest Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce - Three Minute Cook Time
You can be sure that your homemade food gifts idea will be happily received and talked about for some time.
Enjoy!
More easy desserts to enjoy!
Nothing says Fall Harvest like a delicious Apple Pie Lasagna.
This easy desserts recipe will definitely feed a crowd, and it's no bake too.
The first time I made this apple pie lasagna it disappeared in seconds!
Might be the caramel sauce, sweet apples or crunchy caramel chocolate bits?
I'll let you decide. 🙂
This scrumptiously super EASY no bake grasshopper pie from the 60's is so light and fluffy.
And made with easy to buy ingredients like delicious whipped topping, cream cheese, Oreos and Crème de Menthe!
And you can leave the Crème de Menthe out if you prefer - just substitute a drop or two of green food colouring.
With a smooth minty chocolate-y taste, folks will ask for seconds.
Think mint chocolate chip ice cream! NOTE: Cook Time shown is actually 4 hours to chill in the refrigerator.
This gooey chocolate brownies recipe is the best chocolate fudge brownie ever!
We use a brownie mix as the base and add lots and lots of chocolate!
Chocolate chips or chunks are headed. We always recommend that you sift the cake mix before you bake.
You can make this into a Brownie Ice Cream dessert that will rival you know who!
Instant Pot Cheesecakes are really the best in my opinion!
So easy to put together, and the result is a creamy, delicious cheesecake.
Our Mint Chocolate Cheesecake tastes just like Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.
We drown it in a chocolate ganache because you want all the chocolate right?
Talk about easy!
The quickest pumpkin pie recipe you will ever make.
We used our own easy pie crust recipe
And ready made pumpkin pie filling.
The pie crust leaf cutouts are so cute right?
You need this pumpkin pie for your next family gathering.
A rich and delicious Chocolate Cake with a thick Chocolate Frosting, mixes up in one bowl, and looks beautiful when baked in a Bundt Pan.
So easy, yet so very good, this cake has BIG Chocolate flavor.
You can feed 12 chocolate lovers with this cake!
A one bowl scratch cake that delivers every time.
One of my favorite cake mix hacks is to make a Pineapple Upsidedown Cake.
We use a yellow cake mix to make this moist and easy to make cake that bakes up in a 13 X 9 pan.
The cake batter bakes into the pineapple slices, maraschino cherries and brown sugar and butter in the bottom.
Yum! Yum!
You know that delicious lemon loaf you can buy at Starbucks?
Well you can make your own!
This easy desserts recipe is a richly flavored lemon loaf cake - almost like pound cake with a creamy vanilla frosting.
We use a lemon cake mix, and lemon pudding.
The best part? It makes two loaves, one for you and one for a friend. xo
Have you baked with sugar substitutes or blends?
I have had great success with Truvia, so I wanted to share this delicious recipe with you.
Quick and easy blueberry muffin recipe that is low fat and low sugar!
Only 163 calories per muffin, and packed with delicious blueberries!
You can't beat the wonderful aroma of a freshly baked blueberry muffin.
Slow cookers are not just for chili and beef stew you know!
I have some amazing slow cooker dessert recipes you might want to check out too!
This is just like the wonderful chocolate lava cake that is often served in restaurants.
Just mix it all up following our step by step video.
Then drown it in chocolate sauce and enjoy. 🙂
Vintage Recipes are fun to make, and Raspberry Dream Bars have been around a long time!
Our version of this easy dessert combines a shortbread cookie base, sweet raspberry filling and a crunchy, nutty topping.
Use a shortbread cookie mix to speed things up, and your absolute favorite strawberry jam for the filling.
This easy desserts recipe feeds a crowd and freezes really well too.
This Chocolate Raspberry Tart on a sugar cookie crust is a real show stopper would you agree?
Just look at those juicy plump raspberries and all that chocolate!
Honestly, making this dessert for your family couldn't be easier.
We recommend using a sugar cookie crust, get the freshest raspberries, and cook the filling on the stove top.
Step by step instructions will help you achieve this delectable dessert.
Chocolate Mayan Bundt Cake is an easy to make dessert.
Full of rich flavor, smoky chocolate goodness and a teeny bit of spice to give it some heat.
Bundt cakes always look so pretty and this one is no exception.
Easy desserts that feed a crowd are just what you need!
DELICIOUS!
Now before you say whoa baking pies is not easy, hear me out.
Grandma's Cherry Pie recipe is a simple, yet tried and true recipe that uses sweet frozen cherries and that will turn a novice baker into a rockstar!
We even use a store bought pie crust that you can see in our step by step video.
Homemade Cherry Pie tops the list of favorite summer fruit pies.
Fresh juicy strawberries and light buttery shortcake are just what you need to make this easy dessert that's a summertime fave.
The shortcakes are made from scratch, and so easy to put together.
You can adjust the size of your shortcakes too.
But make sure you have lots and lots of fresh strawberries, and whipped cream!
The combination of rhubarb with either fresh or frozen strawberries results in an old fashioned fruit pie.
Easy to make when we use a frozen strawberry rhubarb mix and ready made pie crust.
But don't worry, if you want to make this delectable pie from scratch, all the instructions are there.
It's the perfect pie recipe for Beginner Bakers!
The flavour is a sweet and tangy ambrosia, with a strawberry rhubarb pie filling that tastes just like homemade strawberry rhubarb jam. Yum!
You won't believe this amazing Cake Mix Biscotti recipe is just like Italian Almond Biscotti you get in Tuscany!
An easy dessert recipe, and oh those rave reviews!
Experiment with different flavors, dip them in chocolate, use cranberries, chocolate chips, sprinkles too!
This recipe makes a big batch and this cake mix hack is a perfect homemade food gift too!
A delicious strawberry rhubarb dessert that’s easy to make and will feed a crowd.
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp or Crumble, this recipe uses a yellow cake mix for the topping and the flavours are amazing!
We like it warm from the oven with lots of whipped cream, but you can add ice cream instead if you prefer.
This classic apple crisp recipe gets all dressed up with a delicious cinnamon swirl pie crust topping!
So easy to make and a perfect way to use leftover pie crust.
Like Cinnamon Pastry met Apple Crisp and fell in love.
Making the cinnamon roll crust is just like rolling up play dough.
And very therapeutic!
Apple Crisp is definitely a vintage recipe, and you can enjoy it any time of the year.
Especially if your crisper is full of apples that need to be used up.
Or there was a great sale on apples at the grocer.
An easy to make and bake apple dessert, full of crunchy goodness, brown sugar, butter, this fall & winter classic is always a crowd pleaser
This old fashioned rice pudding recipe in the slow cooker is so creamy and easy to make,.
The recipe uses Arborio rice and raisins, and is THE Ultimate Comfort Food!
Be sure to double the recipe though, coz it won’t last long!
An easy desserts recipe that is perfect for breakfast too!
Judy Kahansky
Judy Kahansky is an experienced writer and baker, creating delicious desserts (including pie!) for over 40 years. She loves to take classic and vintage recipes and update them to fit the busy lives of her readers. When not baking, Judy and her husband Mark are passionate golfers, travelers and dog lovers, spending as much time as they can with their sweet pup Millie.
