The Dessert Lover’s Gift Guide

Do you have a friend whose catchphrase is “I want a little sweet treat?” The kind of person who thinks leaving a restaurant without ordering dessert for the table is absolutely sacrilegious, who keeps a bar of chocolate in their bag at all times “for emergencies,” and who always seems to have some sort of snacking cake sitting on their kitchen counter? If the answer is yes—if you have a Designated Dessert Lover in your life—then you’ve come to the right place. The best gifts for dessert lovers range from handcrafted bonbons that’ll be devoured by New Year’s to dessert-shaped jewelry and puzzles they can enjoy throughout 2024 and beyond. Read on to find gifts for every kind of sweet tooth, whether they’re ice cream obsessives or wannabe confectioners.

• For the chocolate fiend: Spring & Mulberry Embellished Holiday Collection, $65 at Spring & Mulberry
• For the ice cream lover: Graeter’s Ice Cream Bestsellers 6-Pack, $85 at Goldbelly
• For the avid baker: GIR Mini Best Tools Set, $40 $33 at Amazon
• For the cookie monster: Crumbs: Cookies and Sweets from Around the World by Ben Mims, $50 $45 at Amazon
• For the person who wants to wear their dessert: Holy Cannoli 14k Yellow Gold Charm, $128 $102 at Catbird
• For the dessert-loving puzzler: Cake Puzzle, $42 $29 at Piecework
• For the candle connoisseur: Friandise (Sweet Treat) Candle with Golden Lid, $84 at Diptyque

For the chocolate fiend

If the dessert lover in your life can’t function without their emergency bag of M&M’s and would always choose Milk Duds over Twizzlers at the movies, gift them an upgraded box of chocolates they can savor over the holidays. The bonbons from Stick With Me Sweets are almost too pretty to eat, while the chocolates from La Maison du Chocolat include various ganaches, pralines, and almond pastes in an equally stunning display. The chocolate-covered licorice balls from Lakrids by Bülow are a personal favorite treat of mine that will convert even the most staunch licorice skeptic. If your giftee lives for a little post-dinner square of dark chocolate, get them a set of date-sweetened bars in flavors like Mango Chili, Lavender Rose, and Pecan Date from Spring & Mulberry. A set of Jacques Torres hot chocolates makes for a sweet gift, especially when paired with a cute ceramic mug and a bag of snowflake-shaped marshmallows. Or if they're a fan of Nutella, they’ll fall hard for Ghia’s take on the Italian hazelnut and chocolate spread, gianduja, which comes in both smooth and crunchy varieties. And yes, I have been known to eat the crunchy one straight out of the jar.

For the ice cream lover

If you know someone who cannot go to bed without their nightly bowl of ice cream, resist the temptation to simply restock their grocery store go-to. Instead, use this opportunity to broaden their horizons with a delivery of handcrafted pints or ice cream sandwiches in unique flavors, a machine or cookbook that’ll let them DIY the process, or a precious little bowl and spoon so they can enjoy their nightly ice cream fix in style. For bonus points, tack on a bottle of fun sprinkles and a jar of hot fudge.

For the avid baker

If your giftee is the kind of dessert person who prefers to make their own treats, give them some new tools and ingredients to play with. For your resident brownie lover, pair some top-notch baking chocolate with a pan that guarantees crispy edges and chewy middles for every brownie in the batch. Or, opt for a set of baking tools that includes the mini spatula we love: It’s just begging to be used to whip up a single-serve batch of cake. Give the baker who loves exploring new treats a cookbook all about the wonderful world of Sicilian desserts. The busy baker who likes things homemade-ish will appreciate an editor-approved, actually good cake or cookie mix they can have in the oven in a matter of minutes. Looking for even more gifts for bakers? We’ve got a gift guide for that too.

For the cookie monster

Good cookies can be great, but bad cookies can be really bad. Make sure your cookie-crazed friend is stocked up for the season with an assortment they’ll actually want to eat, like the cult favorite chocolate chippers from Levain Bakery or a festive tin of ginger spice cookies. If the cookie monster in your life also loves to bake, get them a cookie-dedicated cookbook that’ll keep them busy all winter long.

For the person who wants to wear their dessert (and eat it too)

Treats are pretty much ubiquitous during the holiday season, so maybe you’re looking for a gift that celebrates your giftee’s penchant for sweets without adding to their already-overflowing sugar stash. Food-themed clothing and jewelry is all the rage right now, so give your friend the gift of a statement piece they can wear for years to come. Opt for a dainty charm shaped like a cannoli from Brooklyn-based jewelry brand Catbird, or a pair of teatime-ready earrings from Haricot Vert. For the dessert lover living in a cold climate, go with a puffer jacket adorned with teeny-tiny jelly cakes or a sweater that’s on ode to the classic rainbow cookie—both will keep your giftee nice and warm this winter.

Fun and games

In my house, the winter months are for puzzles and card games—always played while sitting on the floor around the coffee table and always accompanied by a hot beverage and/or sweet treat. If you’ve got a friend who shares this sentiment, gift them a puzzle that looks good enough to eat or a deck of cards that’s an ode to Swedish bakery classics (best paired with a warm-from-the-oven Giant Cardamom Bun, of course).

For the person whose aesthetic can best be described as “dessert-core”

When gifting for a sugar fiend, you can’t go wrong with dessert-themed home goods or accessories. Give the gift of a candle shaped like a cronut or one that smells like all their favorite festive winter treats rolled into one, with notes of gingerbread, cinnamon, candied orange peel, and vanilla. If your giftee’s walls are in need of some dessert decoration, a print of one of Wayne Thiebaud’s most classic paintings is both timeless and on theme. For the on-the-go dessert devotee, a frosted cake-shaped compact mirror will add a dose of joy to every makeup touchup.

Looking for more gift ideas? Head right this way for all of our editors' top pick for all your gifting needs this holiday season.