14 Last Minute Christmas Food Gifts

1111636 Chef John's Christmas Miracle Fudge 235900 Lorem Ipsum
Photo by Lorem Ipsum.

We've gathered together 14 incredible, edible gifts for the Christmas procrastinator, the last-minute planner, and the just plain forgetful. When it's Christmas crunch time, these 5-star food gifts will save the day, especially if you haven't had time to find other holiday food gifts! They require minimal effort and are done in almost no time (but that can be our little secret). Truly, it's the food-for-thought that counts.

01 of 14

Sweet and Spicy Roasted Almonds

sweet and spicy roasted almonds in a gift jar
Sweet and Spicy Roasted Almonds | Photo by Allrecipes. Allrecipes

4.4 Stars | Prep Takes 5 Minutes
These aren't your typical roasted almonds. Seasoned with chili powder, cinnamon, and white and brown sugars, they're an eyebrow-raising sweet-and-spicy experience. Dial up the heat with a little cayenne.

02 of 14

Red Hot Liqueur

Red Hot Liqueur |
Red Hot Liqueur | Photo by Chef John.

5 Stars | Prep Takes 10 Minutes
Chef John turns a favorite childhood candy into a boozy Christmas cordial that's wonderfully sweet and spicy. And just couldn't be easier. You'll pulverize Red Hots into a powder, and then dissolve the powdered candy in vodka. Of course, it's also a love potion, making it the perfect Valentine's Day gift, as well.

03 of 14

Chai Tea Mix

Chai Tea Mix
Chai Tea Mix | Photo by Allrecipes.

4.8 Stars | Ready in 30 Minutes
Instant chai tea mix from scratch. It's impossibly easy! The aromatic mix combines milk powder and creamer with ground spices, sugar, and instant tea. Simply blend everything into a fine powder. Add hot water for tea. Or make chai tea latte, or blend it with ice cream for a yummy chai milkshake.

04 of 14

Banana Nut Bread Baked in a Jar

Banana Nut Bread Baked in a Jar
Banana Nut Bread Baked in a Jar | Photo by Allrecipes.

4.8 Stars | Prep Takes 10 Minutes
Here's an ingenious trick. individual mini-loaves of banana nut bread that you bake in canning jars. Add different fruits and nuts, or make some with zucchini and pumpkin, and package them all up together.

05 of 14

Chef John's Christmas Miracle Fudge

1111636 Chef John's Christmas Miracle Fudge 235900 Lorem Ipsum
Photo by Lorem Ipsum.

4.8 Stars | Prep Takes 15 Minutes
This rich fudge is 100-percent vegan. That's what makes it a Christmas miracle. The secret ingredient here is refined coconut oil. There's no butter, no evaporated milk, no dairy at all. Dust them with a little cocoa and package 'em up as a beautiful Christmas gift for your vegan and non-vegan friends.

06 of 14

Mom's Best Peanut Brittle

peanut brittle tied together with ribbon
The Comfort of Cooking

4.7 Stars | Prep Takes 10 Minutes
Peanut brittle is a Christmas classic. It's also incredibly easy to make. The trick? Have all the ingredients measured out and ready to go in advance. Everything comes together super quickly, and you'll need to react fast.

07 of 14

Dry Rub for Ribs

Dry Rub for Ribs
Dry Rub for Ribs | Photo by Shalaine.

4.5 Stars | Ready in 10 Minutes
The go-to gift for BBQ lovers. This super-simple, slightly sweet dry rub combines brown sugar with paprika, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. It's designed for pork ribs but is also terrific on chicken and pork or beef steaks.

08 of 14

Caramel Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Coins

Caramel Chocolate Coins
Caramel Chocolate Coins | Photo by Chef John.

4.3 Stars | Prep Takes 10 Minutes
These are rich dark chocolate coins of the realm of deliciousness. They're essentially a ganache. You'll simply drop spoonfuls of batter onto a cookie sheet, sprinkle with sea salt, and flatten with a pan into coins. Bonus: They're no-bake.

09 of 14

Red and Green Christmas Jalapeno Jelly

Red and Green Christmas Jalapeno Jelly
Red and Green Christmas Jalapeno Jelly | Photo by 3BoysMama.

4.8 Stars | Ready in 30 Minutes
Trust us, your friends can handle this jelly. Chopped jalapeno peppers and red bell peppers combine with sugar and apple cider vinegar, for a sweet, spicy sensation that makes a festive, colorful Christmas gift. Spread some cream cheese on a cracker and top it with this jelly. It's also an amazing relish for holiday roasts.

10 of 14

Doggie Biscuits I

Doggie Biscuits
Doggie Biscuits | Photo by Lutzflcat.

4.5 Stars | Prep Takes 25 Minutes
Bone appétit. Here's one for the dog people. Something to please their pooches: Easy, baked doggie treats made with peanut butter, eggs, flour, cornmeal, and rolled oats.

11 of 14

My Amish Friend's Caramel Corn

My Amish Friend's Caramel Corn
Molly

4.9 Stars | Prep Takes 15 Minutes
Here's the top-secret caramel corn recipe of an Amish family who packaged it every year and gave it away for Christmas presents...now available to the masses! The recipe is completely foolproof. Toss with peanuts or mixed nuts if you like.

12 of 14

Easy Decadent Truffles

546268 Easy Decadent Truffles Photo by LaurenM 650x465
Easy Decadent Truffles | Photo by LaurenM.

4.6 Stars | Ready in 1 Hour
The only hard part about making these no-bake chocolate truffles is actually giving them away. You might suffer some separation anxiety. Softened cream cheese and melted chocolate chips are the keys to these surprisingly easy, gorgeous cookies.

13 of 14

Hot Buttered Rum Batter

Hot Buttered Rum Batter in mugs
The Gruntled Gourmand

4.7 Stars | Ready in 10 Minutes
This rich and buttery batter stars butter, sugar, ice cream, nutmeg, and cinnamon. To warm up a chilly night, combine the batter with rum and a little boiling water (or even hot cider). It's a terrific drink for celebrating the holidays. It stores in the freezer for several months.

14 of 14

Cajun Spice Mix

closeup of a small bowl of homemade seasoning mix with a metal measuring spoon
TTV78

4.8 Stars | Ready in 5 Minutes
Here's where you turn when it's December 24th at 9:30pm, and you need a gift idea. This Cajun spice mix is a combo of spices you probably already have in the pantry. Add some crushed red pepper to bring a little extra heat. It's great with so many things: stirred into ranch dressing; sprinkled over French fries, hashbrowns, shrimp, and chicken; or rubbed onto the holiday turkey.

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