Edible gifts are yummy to receive and fun to make! Here are some easy, giftable treats the whole family can help create. Give them away, but keep some for yourself to enjoy. They’re that delicious!
Festive popcorn
Forget those prepackaged popcorn variety tins that are stale half the time! It doesn’t matter whether you’ve been naughty or nice because we’re all about sweet and salty. Take your pick.
Note about popcorn: With our recipes, you can use any type of popcorn: Air popped, microwave, store-bought, whatever you want!
ROSEMARY PARMESEAN POPCORN
Get ready for a flavor explosion of olive oil, rosemary, and garlic! This gourmet popcorn is so fancy and delicious, you’ll have to convince people that you actually made it (and that it was ridiculously easy to make).
Ingredients
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp. garlic salt or more to taste
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper or more to taste
- 2 cups popped popcorn
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Cut rosemary spring in half. Place half sprig, minced garlic, and olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in garlic salt and pepper. Heat until very warm but not simmering. Turn off heat.
Pull leaves from remaining half sprig of rosemary and mince. Should be about 1 teaspoon. Set aside.
Pour olive oil mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove rosemary and garlic. Drizzle olive oil over popcorn then toss to coat.
Sprinkle popcorn with grated Parmesan, fresh minced rosemary, and additional garlic salt and pepper to taste.
Pack in a cute box, baggie, or cup and watch your friends and family devour this delectable delight.
MARSHMALLOW POPCORN BALLS
Kids and grownups will enjoy these sweet, chewy popcorn balls. We used sugar-free gelatin to cut back on the sugar. You can make this treat anytime of the year, but since it’s the holidays, we chose strawberry and lime so we could have red and green popcorn balls.
Ingredients
- 8 oz. mini marshmallows (half a bag)
- 4 Tbsp. butter (half a stick)
- 0.3 oz. package flavored sugar-free gelatin
- 1 Tbsp. water
- 2 cups popped popcorn
- Festive sprinkles (optional)
Note: If you double the recipe and make two colors, you’ll be able to use up the bag of marshmallows and stick of butter.
Instructions
Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add marshmallows, water, and gelatin and stir until all ingredients are incorporated. Turn off heat.
Add popcorn and stir until coated. Once the popcorn cools, butter or oil your hands (things are going to get sticky) and shape into balls. Place popcorn balls on parchment paper when done. Decorate with festive sprinkles, if desired.
Store in an airtight container until you’re ready to give them away. Package the popcorn balls in a goodie bag that has a little window or place in a cupcake liner in a cellophane bag.
Don’t forget to save some for yourself!
Since it only snows here in Hawaii where elevation is 10,000 feet or more, such as Haleakala, Mauna Loa, and Mauna Kea, it’s up to us to make our own winter wonderland. These adorable teddy bear sleighs are the perfect gift for anyone who enjoys sweets or cute things. Beware! These creations are almost too cute to give away, much less eat! Proceed with caution.
Ingredients
- Hazelnut spread, peanut butter, or frosting
- Mini candy canes
- Cookies, candy bars, or anything that would make a cute sleigh (we used chocolate-coated cookies with peppermint)
- Teddy bear or other animal crackers
Instructions
Use hazelnut spread to affix two candy canes to the bottom of each cookie.
Cut teddy bear crackers legs off and use hazelnut spread to stick them on the sleigh. Note: If it seems inhumane to cut the teddy bear legs, you can leave them intact, but it’s more difficult to make them stay in place.
Festive fruit cups
Parents, these festive fruit cups are the perfect gift for classmates, soccer teammates, or cousins. Bonus: They’re nonperishable, not candy, and you and your kids can show off your artistic skills.
SNOWPAL AND SANTA FRUIT CUPS
Light-colored fruits such as pears or pineapple are the perfect backdrop for your snowpal. And any red fruit cup will work for Santa. Be sure the fruit cups have clear lids so you can draw on them.
Ingredients
- Light fruit cups for snowpals
- Red fruit cups for Santa
- Black and orange markers
- Gold glitter puffy paint
Instructions
Draw your snowpal’s face on the light fruit cup and a black belt with glitter gold puffy paint for the buckle on the red fruit cup.
Note for non-artists: If you don’t want to draw, you can decorate the cups with stickers, ribbons, and bows.
May you and your loved ones have a happy holiday season!
