![Best Food Gifts](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.foodandwine.com/thmb/l8QfTCkZ0RoUUJdH0Gwhr8p2QGA=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Best-Food-Gifts3-FW-tout-02f98a5559f541d8ac3c2dc689c8bfde.jpg)
Food and Wine / Boarderie
The best food gifts satisfy a sweet, salty, or savory craving your recipient didn’t even realize they had. Not all food gifts or food gift baskets are created equal — and having gifted and tested many of them, we know this firsthand. The best food gifts combine quality eats with beautiful packaging for a one-of-a-kind treat that your loved one can’t wait to dig into.
We’ve eaten our way through dozens of the below picks to amass a list of 25 tried and true favorites sure to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. From luxury caviar and authentic New York City bagels to bespoke chocolates, fancy tinned fish, farm-fresh meat, and tasty food subscription boxes, our list of the best food gifts will earn you a very gracious thank-you note — and maybe even a bite or two, of course, if you’re lucky.
Nothing says “I love you” (or “Congrats on your new house” or “Sorry about your hip replacement”) quite like a cookie that clocks in at an impressively hefty 6 ounces. Levain is a New York institution for those with a sweet tooth, and now you can send their confections all around the country. Choose from a combo pack of 4, 8, or 12 cookies, all of which contain their four signature flavors: chocolate chip walnut, dark chocolate chocolate chip, dark chocolate peanut butter chip, and oatmeal raisin.
What better way to help a friend ring in the next decade than with a meat and cheese board designed in their honor? This creative charcuterie board collection from Boarderie is made daily and shipped overnight, arriving to your recipient fresh, arranged just so, and ready to eat (and Instagram). The brand has numerous pre-designed boards to choose from, but the birthday one comes complete with their age cut out of cheese — and really, who can resist that?
If you want a grilling gift for your favorite pitmaster, try an epic box of meat from ButcherBox. It’s packed full of high-quality, humanely raised meat from farmers across the country, specifically curated to satisfy even the pickiest carnivores. Their Ultimate Grill Box is filled to the brim with everything needed for summer cookouts, including chicken wings, baby back ribs, sirloin tips, Italian sausage, and more. The only thing missing, of course, is a top-notch grill.
Ice cream may seem like a complicated thing to send someone, but it’s one of the best food gifts out there, especially if your recipient needs a bit of comfort — after all, nothing boosts morale quite like indulging in a personal pint on the couch. McConnell’s Ice Cream has mastered the art of delivering delicious frozen treats around the country, even earning itself the top spot of honor in our best ice cream delivery services review.
Spring for their Pint of the Month club and send your pal four pints of their artisanal and creative flavors, including mainstays like Salted Caramel Chip and Sprinkle Cake, as well as limited-edition combos like Banana Split and Root Beer Float.
If you think tinned seafood is too niche to make a fabulous gift, think again. Fishwife has perfected the art of preserved fish, packaging up everything from trout and tuna to sardines in stunningly designed tins that double as art. In our comprehensive roundup of the best tinned fish on the market, we raved about the woman-owned brand’s collaboration with another industry disrupter, Fly by Jing.
This limited-edition mashup teams Fishwife’s smoked salmon (brined with mouth-watering flavors like garlic salt and brown sugar) with Fly by Jing’s iconic Sichuan Chili Crisp for a unique gift that packs major flavor — and just the right amount of heat.
Bagels are the ultimate comfort food, making them a sure-fire hit no matter what the occasion. While many New Yorkers are firmly divided on the city’s best bagel, we think Ess-a-Bagel earns top marks — and they happen to sell on Goldbelly, one of the best spots on the web for food gifts. We truly cannot think of an instance where carbs wouldn’t be a welcome gift.
Maybe you can’t bear to watch your coworker snack from the paltry office vending machine for one more day, or maybe you have a friend who is embarking on a road trip — whatever the reason for your gift, this jerky sampler pack from Righteous Felon fits the bill. The Pennsylvania-based company has a storied reputation as the go-to joint for jerky, and this comprehensive kit is packed full of their top-selling all-natural meat snacks.
Your pal will get to sample tastebud-tingling jerky flavors like Truffle-O Bill and Habanero Escobar, as well as meat sticks in combos like Lemon Pepper Turkey and Fiery Habanero Beef.
You’ll never have to show up to neighborhood movie night empty-handed again, thanks to this clever gift set from Sur la Table. It includes everything you need for souped-up kernels, including three different kinds of corn and five flavors of popcorn seasonings, ranging from classics like Movie Theater and Zesty Cheddar to off-beat picks like Cookie Dough and Dill Pickle. Now, you’ll just need to set up your favorite popcorn maker.
If there’s anything more dreamlike than receiving a literal cake of cheese as a gift, we're not sure what it is. This decadent tower for two from New York City’s iconic Murray’s Cheese will make any caseophile’s day, whether you’re gifting it for Valentine’s Day or celebrating a work milestone.
Clocking in at almost 2 pounds, it’s comprised of three sure-to-please cheeses that Murray’s customers love, including buttery Cave Aged Cornelia, ash-coated Selles-sur-Cher, and Vermont Creamery Bijou. Finally, a cheesy gift we can get behind.
This food gift is the next best thing to snagging a reservation at one of David Chang’s iconic Momofuku restaurants. It’s packed with sweet and spicy items including their Chili Crunch, Sweet & Spicy Noodles, and Chili Crunch Hot Honey. To balance things out, there are even three unique chocolate bars formulated in collaboration with Raaka Chocolate, with flavors ranging from White Chocolate Crispy Rice to Miso Potato Chip.
The next time you’re packing up your camping gear for a weekend hiking trip or borrowing a pal’s beach house for a last-minute trip, consider gifting them a tasty bite as a way to say thank you. This s’more set from Uncommon Goods is chocked full of everything needed to roast up 12 s’mores, including graham crackers, marshmallows, chocolate, and various ways to upgrade your fireside creations.
You can even throw in a mini fire pit candle, should you want to recreate the magic of a campfire without the whole fire pit setup.
Whether you’re looking to up the romance during your next anniversary celebration or hoping to toast a friend’s engagement from afar, you can’t go wrong with this luxury caviar gift set from The Caviar Co. Selected as one of our favorite Valentine’s Day food gifts, this comprehensive collection takes the guesswork out of shopping for caviar — which, let’s be honest, can be a bit intimidating.
Each gift set comes with your choice of caviar (we recommend the Smoked Trout Roe, by the way), a jar of crème fraîche, French cocktail blinis, and fancy caviar spoons, all shipped in a reusable cooler bag.
In our book, no birthday is complete without a few birthday cake truffles, the playful and innovative dessert made iconic by pastry chef Christina Tosi of Milk Bar. They’re our go-to food gift for far-away friends celebrating another year around the sun, thanks to their bite-sized, crowd-pleasing nature. This playful box set comes packed with 18 decadent truffles (a mix of their classic cake and chocolate cake flavors) for a sweet treat that beats a slice any day.
When it comes to authentic (and transparent) olive oil production, no one does it better than Brightland. The woman-founded and minority-owned California brand makes each of its blends from olives grown on small family farms, which are then cold-pressed to lock in all the freshness, flavor, and nutritional value.
This dynamic duo pairs together two of their best-selling varietals — Alive and Awake, which we loved in our olive oil tasting for its “peppery kick” — for a gift any home cook is sure to appreciate.
No one does pasta like the Italians — and no one does Italian like Giada de Laurentiis. The famed celebrity chef and cookbook author recently launched her namesake brand, Giadzy Pantry, making it easier than ever to bring the flavors of Italia to your home kitchen. This pasta kit is perfect for anyone who prides themselves on knowing the difference between cavatappi and cavatelli, with a selection of goods from small purveyors all over Italy (think: two types of pasta, savory sauce, and a charming tote bag).
Weeknight dinners just got a lot more delicious thanks to Omsom, an AAPI-founded instant noodle brand we love. Omsom is known for its thoughtful, flavor-packed pantry staples — most notably, its saucy noodles, which promise seriously outrageous flavor in just four minutes flat. This sampler bundle is the ideal food gift for anyone who relies a bit too heavily on takeout but doesn’t have time to whip up a fancy dinner during the week (perhaps your pal who just scored a new gig?).
With flavor profiles inspired by Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese cuisine — and sauces that range from garlic black pepper and chili sesame to soy garlic and coconut lemongrass — it’s a thoughtful and delicious way to treat your loved one to dinner from a distance.
What's better than the gift of carbs? We love this gift set from the beloved New York Italian restaurant Rubirosa, which offers a creative twist on the classic holiday tinned gift. In addition to three different pasta shapes, this food gift also includes two jars of pasta sauce (one vodka, one marinara) and the restaurant’s signature olive oil, so your giftee can carb load like a local.
Home cooks are always on the lookout for new pantry staples, and nothing is a guaranteed hit quite like this olive oil duo from Graza. Chances are you’ve probably seen this iconic squeeze bottle all over TikTok or Instagram (or perhaps on our site via our Graza olive oil review) — the brand emphasizes quality ingredients and complex, fresh flavor profiles to ensure their EVOO stands out from the pack.
This versatile set comes complete with their two best sellers, Drizzle and Sizzle, each aimed at a different part of the cooking process. Sizzle is ideal for all your cooking needs, from coating a pan before searing chicken to sweating garlic for sauce; Drizzle is a finishing oil, with a nuanced, grassy flavor that’s perfect atop salads, soup, or even ice cream (really!).
There’s just something about quality maple syrup that calls to mind lazy fall mornings, crisp fresh air, and cozy flannels. If you have a friend who stashes a bottle of “the good stuff” in their bag any time they go out to breakfast, they’ll love the sweet, well-rounded flavor profile of Runamok’s organic maple syrup, boiled from sap to syrup at the source in Vermont.
It even won top honors in our maple syrup tasting, thanks to the brand’s sustainable organic practices and the rich, dynamic flavor. Your recipient’s buttermilk pancakes just got a serious upgrade.
We all know coffee connoisseurs — and they’re probably just as passionate about their beans as they are about their current favorite coffee maker. When looking to treat your favorite java fan, spring for a caffeine-loaded delivery from Trade, a DTC brand uniting coffee lovers with local roasters around the country. The brand made our list for one of the best places to buy coffee online, thanks to its partnerships with some of the biggest names in the business of beans, including Stumptown Roasters in Oregon, Oren’s in New York, and Good Citizen in Nashville.
You can choose from a one-time purchase or a recurring subscription, depending on your budget (and how many cups a day your recipient is downing).
One of the nicest food gifts we’ve come across this year, these tins offer a generous selection of gourmet nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews, and walnuts) and sun-dried fruit (Black Mission figs, kiwi, tricolor raisins, pears, and pineapple). We especially like that the tins keep everything fresh. As a bonus, the California-grown products are all from a family-run farm that prioritizes solar energy, healthy soil, and protecting honey bee habitats.
We can't think of a better food gift than a flight of gourmet, chef-designed dark chocolates. This 16-piece dark chocolate truffle set is perfect for the adventurer in your life. Each chocolate is infused with ingredients from around the world, be it Kalocsan paprika from Budapest, ground guajillo chiles from Oaxaca, or wild fennel pollen from Tuscany.
Name one person who isn’t immediately charmed upon seeing a Tony’s Chocolonely bar — you can’t, right? The iconic brand pairs Willy Wonka-style branding with ethically sourced ingredients for a melt-in-your-mouth candy experience that would please even the most discerning palette (Veruca Salt included).
In our best chocolate taste test, we loved the standard milk chocolate option, but this six-bar set comes with even more flavors to enjoy (think: caramel, almond, and pretzel) for a chocolatey treat fit for any celebration.
Simple yet special, Swiss Miss has been a gifting staple for teachers, coworkers, and kiddos for decades — and for good reason. The tried-and-true brand delivers a delicious cup of cocoa every time, encouraging sippers to revisit their childhood with every steamy mug — so much so that it was even awarded “Most Nostalgic” in our hot chocolate mix taste test.
Pair this box of 50 cocoa envelopes with a cozy coffee cup and you have the perfect food gift for the homebody in your life.
When one of our editors credits a spice line with basically revolutionizing her cooking, you best believe we pay attention. Such is the case with this Burlap & Barrel Spice gift set, which commerce editor Danielle St. Pierre says blew her away with their flavor, aroma, and thoughtful origin. This collection of six is a great introduction to Burlap & Barre’s spices, bottling their most popular spices and seasonings (like tomato powder, purple stripe garlic, and royal cinnamon) into a do-it-all assortment that would make any home cook do a little kitchen happy dance.
Salt? As a food gift? You betcha — at least when it's Maldon. As the go-to brand for pro chefs and restaurants, Maldon salt is, in a word, iconic. One sprinkle of Maldon on a piece of dark chocolate cake will make even the most staunch skeptic a convert, so it’s best to invest in the 20-ounce tub for anyone you’re considering gifting.
We love to pair this gift with an additional item that encourages experimentation in the kitchen, like one of our favorite fall cookbooks that will have your recipient mixing up their weekly menu in no time.
If your friend is constantly ordering the spiciest wings on the menu or refuses to miss an episode of Hot Ones, this next food gift is for them. Ranked best overall in our best hot sauce tasting, Texas Pete’s Hot Sauce is beloved for its nuanced flavor and goes-with-anything flexibility (one tester remarked how well it pairs with breakfast foods). This tasty trio combines their widely lauded original blend, along with a sautéed garlic version and an even hotter formulation, for those who dare to go bold.
This tasty trio of sea salts from Saltverk is basically the next best thing to a trip to Iceland. Each of the three salts in the bundle (pure sea salt, lava salt, and birch smoked salt) is sustainably hand-harvested in the Westfjords region of Iceland, providing the perfect pop of flavor and crunch to everything from chocolate chip cookies to steamed fish to seared steaks. We bet they’ll become a staple in their pantry in no time, and they definitely make for one memorable food gift.
Truffle can be a polarizing flavor, but those who love it can’t get enough of it, which makes this next pick the ideal food gift for the mushroom lover in your life. Truff has taken their signature black truffle-infused flavor profile and kicked things up a notch on the Scoville scale, resulting in two bespoke hot sauce blends that are earthy, nuanced, and unforgettable (they even made our list of the best hot sauces). We can pretty much guarantee your favorite heat-seeker will be talking about these blends for months to come.
As anyone who has ever spent time tediously scraping out a vanilla bean knows, the task is not for the faint of heart. Baking fans will feel so seen when they receive this thoughtful gift, which is a baking tool staple in professional pastry kitchens around the country. Heilala’s Vanilla Bean Paste harnesses all of the flavors of real vanilla beans without any of the hassles, combining those telltale flecks with just a touch of syrup to create an easy-to-use paste that promises to level up their baking game in an instant.
More Food & Wine Gift Guides
- The 30 Best Gifts Under $50, Including a Few of Our Tested Favorites
- The 25+ Best Gifts Under $25, Including a Few of Our Tested Favorites
- The 20 Best Chocolate Advent Calendars
- The 30 Best Gifts for Bakers, According to Pastry Chefs and Editors
- The 25 Best Chocolate Gifts
Our Expertise
Alyssa Longobucco is a freelance writer, editor, and stylist living in New York with over a decade of experience in the food, home, and lifestyle categories. When she's not diving into the latest trends and products, she's restoring an 1820s farmhouse in the Hudson Valley alongside her husband and children.