If you’ve ever looked up gift basket ideas, you know that there are a lot of options out there. From chocolates to wine to cheese, there’s a basket for just about every type of palate and interest. Despite the amount of options available, shopping for these sets isn’t an easy task due to the bad rap they’ve garnered for featuring mediocre snacks and knickknacks that no one really wants—not to mention the absurd amount of cellophane that’s used to wrap them up. While that may be the case for many, there are plenty of good, high-quality Christmas gift baskets out there that are jam-packed with items that people actually want.
From mega retailers that sell gourmet products to boutique brands that make curation and presentation a priority to local purveyors who hand-assemble their artisanal products—there are several options to choose from. Not sure where to start? Here’s a breakdown of some of the best gift baskets to give this holiday season. From sweet treats to savory goodies to a hearty steak bundle, there’s something for everyone in the mix.
A Classic Gift Basket That Satiates A Taste For Everything
Harry & David is famous for its bountiful holiday gift baskets that are popular for a reason. All the sweet and savory treats are solid quality and the fruit is especially flavorful—and great to have around midwinter when the selection at the supermarket is less than stellar. This basket includes pears, gouda and hickory-smoked summer sausage, plus everyone’s movie night favorite: Moose Munch.
A Kit That Shakes Things Up
While technically not a gift basket, we doubt your gift recipient will get caught up in technicalities when they open this Absolut Espresso Martini Cocktail Kit. The beautifully designed box comes with one (750 ml) bottle of Absolut Vodka, one (750 ml) bottle of Kahlúa, a cocktail shaker and jigger, a cocktail stencil and five mouthwatering rim and/or garnish flavors like Cookies and Cream and Instant Espresso. Heads up: Because this gift contains alcohol, there are shipping restrictions in certain states.
The Perfect Charcuterie Experience
The Charcuterie Essentials Gift Basket from Hickory Farms delivers a grand experience with an assortment of handmade charcuterie, cheeses, cranberry pistachio chips and seasonal sausages. There’s also a Mini Acacia Cheese Board and Acacia Cheese Spreader to complete the experience.
A Next-Level Dessert Gift Basket
Milkbar is famous for its next-level desserts, and fortunately you can have them shipped as a gift basket. The Little Somethings Gift Set includes a dozen of the brand’s famous B’Day Cake Truffles and another dozen of its Chocolate B’Day Cake Truffles, along with an assorted cookie tin featuring bestsellers like the Corn Cookie, Compost Cookie and Confetti cookie. Worth noting: The cookies come in a reusable tin.
The Ultimate Gift Basket For Steak Fans
Got a meat lover on your list? Indulge their savory tooth with this variety box from ButcherBox, featuring boneless pork chops, top sirloin steaks, burgers and St. Louis ribs (among other cuts). All meat is humanely raised and beef is grass-fed and grass-finished, for meat that you can truly get excited about.
A Christmas Gift Basket With The Perfect Pairing
Wine and chocolate go together like, well, wine and chocolate. This gift set from Harry & David includes a bottle of cabernet sauvignon and 12 signature truffles in four difference flavors (raspberry, all dark, coffee and double chocolate). If you want to up the ante, you can opt for an upgraded chocolate box or a sweet and savory chocolate, cheese and wine basket instead.
A Basket Filled With Classic Middle Eastern Confections
This trio of Seed + Mill’s famous halva will delight anyone with an adventurous sweet tooth. It features three half-pound blocks of the brand’s bestselling halva flavors (Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt, Pistachio and Toasted Coconut Chocolate). For the unacquainted, halva is a popular Middle Eastern treat that’s made up of sesame paste mixed with hot sugar syrup to form a dense, fudge-like confection.
A Gift Basket That Transports You To Italy
Send artisanal Tuscan treats to someone’s door with this charming gift basket. Like provisions that one might bring for an afternoon picnic among the region’s rolling hills, assorted antipasti are packed inside a classic straw market tote. The goods are provided by Bella Cucina—maker of artisanal Italian foods—by way of Food52.
A World Coffee Tour From The Comfort Of Their Couch
Seattle-based coffee brand, Bean Box is known for its high-quality beans sourced directly from farmers around the world. This particular gift includes 16 expertly curated bags of coffee that are sourced from producers in Latin American, Africa and Indonesia. Each bag includes tasting notes and brewing tips, and you can choose between whole bean or freshly ground coffee. If you’re running out of time for holiday delivery, you can opt to send this as an e-gift that gets delivered instantly.
A Gift Basket That Has Breakfast Covered
We may not all agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But what we can agree on is that pancakes are delicious, especially when they’re paired with pure Vermont maple syrup. This Breakfast Box from Ackermann Maple Farm includes one bottle of pure maple syrup, one bottle of infused or barrel-aged maple syrup, a half-pound of maple cream and a box of pancake mix (regular or gluten-free, your choice). You can order a single shipment or opt into a recurring subscription that’s shipped four times a year.
The Gift Basket That Scratches The New York Itch
If you know someone nostalgic for NYC comfort food, this gift basket is the perfect gift. Eli Zabar is a New York icon who’s been whipping up baked goods and Jewish deli specialities since 1973, and this package includes nearly everything he’s famous for. There’s classic chocolate babka, half pound pastrami, onion rolls, Jewish rye bread, plus all the fixings you need to put together a delicious sandwich. There’s also an edible Metro Card cookie thrown in for good measure.
An Option That Covers All The Cravings
It’s tough to go wrong with anything from Stonewall Kitchen, as its dry mixes, jams, condiments and other products are all excellent and reasonably priced. The lucky person who receives this sweet and savory gift basket will get ready-to-eat snacks delivered straight to their home. The gift basket includes avocado oil and sea salt crackers, dipping pretzels and espresso caramels, along with dark chocolate and sea salt caramel sauce and hot pepper cranberry jelly.
A Decadent Gift Basket They’ll Never Forget
Feasting on caviar is a splurge at any time of day, but it’s especially decadent during brunch—and something most people wouldn’t typically treat themselves to. This set comes from legendary Russ & Daughters, another New York institution, which opened its first store on Orchard Street in the Lower East Side in 1904. The box includes a tin each of American Transmontanus, Paddlefish and Hackleback caviar, along with crème fraîche, blinis and a mother of pearl caviar spoon.
The Ultimate Cheese Spread
The original Murray’s Cheese is located in New York’s Greenwich Village, but luckily the brand ships its sensational cheese board just about anywhere in the country. It contains everything from gorgonzola and chèvre to Italian soppressata and chorizo, plus a mix of sweet and savory snacks like chocolate-covered figs and Blenheim almonds. Yum.
A Japanese Snack Box Filled With Oishii Snacks
This quirky gift box from Bokksu can be ordered as a single box or gifted as a monthly subscription, with each delivery featuring a new theme. As for what’s in the box, your lucky recipient will find an assortment of high-quality, traditional Japanese snacks sourced from regions across the country. Trying the different salty, sweet (and sometimes fishy) munchies is just as much fun as enjoying the whimsical, colorful packages that everything is wrapped in.
A Special Treat For Chocolate Lovers
La Maison Du Chocolat is known for its exceptional confections replete in elegant packaging that one might expect from a high-end French chocolatier. The sparkling holiday Hatbox is filled with decadent treats like chocolate twigs, an intensely dark chocolate bar, dark chocolate truffles and a box of 14 signature chocolate bites.
A Gift Box Filled With Fresh Flowers
For the loved one who can’t resist a bouquet of fresh blooms, Bloomsy Box’s Super Gift Trio will instantly brighten their day. The box includes three specialized bouquets composed of flowers sourced from sustainable farms across the world. You can choose to have your bouquets sent on the same day or pick different delivery dates.
A Gift Box Brimming With Travel-Inspired Gourmet Ice Cream Treats
For those unfamiliar with Marco Ice Cream, the DTC brand creates delicious, high-quality confections inspired by the founder’s travels. Irresistible flavors in the top sellers collection include Thai Coco-Lime, Aztec Chocolate and Spicy PB Caramel to name a few. Go ahead and build a case of five pints for your favorite ice cream lover—and since gifting the handcrafted treats will leave you with major FOMO, you may as well order one for yourself too.
The Perfect Gift Basket Filled With Delicious Treats
There are enough goodies in this gift box to last through the new year, but anyone with a sweet tooth will have a tough time resisting the urge to tear everything open at once. Chocolate chip cookies, brownies, caramels and chocolate-infused peanut butter are just a few of the offerings in the bountiful box, curated by Mouth. If you want to embrace the holiday theme, you can also add Peppermint Bark, Ginger Baby Cookies and Organic Candy Cane for an additional fee.
The Ultimate Gift Box For Anyone Who Loves Cheese
Jasper Hill Farm creates award-winning cheeses on-site at its working dairy farm, located in the idyllic Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. The Cheese Baller gift box contains a massive range of delicious cheeses including Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, Harbison, Moses Sleeper and Eligo—all in all about six pounds of artisanal cheese.
The Best Gift Box For Heat Seekers
For chili heads and heat seekers, this “tame-to-insane” set of hot sauces from Fuego Box is the perfect gift. It comes with 11 different varieties featuring different peppers like habanero and guajillo, all ranging from mellow to evil—with zesty, hot and explosive in between.
A Spice-Laden Gift Box
This is truly a great gift for anyone who cooks or is setting up a new kitchen and might appreciate a fresh set of spices. The 24-bottle set comes from The Spice House, which has been around since 1957 and is a trusted name by professional chefs. All the basics (and a little more) are included for whipping up a wide range of delicious dishes.
For Those Who Take Cocktail Hour Seriously
Anyone who’s a fan of an Old Fashioned will enjoy this gift box, which comes with two personalized glasses and everything needed for the classic drink (plus wood-smoked maple syrup for a smoky take). The colossal ice cube tray is an absolute essential for a perfectly chilled cocktail.
A Calming Gift Basket That Encourages Relaxation
An Artfully Arranged Gift Basket For Wine Lovers
While you could ship a few bottles of wine and call it a day, it won’t have the same pizzazz as this basket. Your giftee will enjoy three bottles of wine, cheese and other snacks like cookies, caramels, popcorn and more to go along with it—all artfully arranged in a leather tote with hand-stitched trim.
A Delightful Chest To Elevate Tea Time
This kit doesn’t just contain a lot of tea—it comes in a gorgeous bamboo wooden tea chest that can be filled and refilled. With nine different types of Harney & Sons’ famous teas (for a total of 90 bags), this should last your favorite tea fanatic for a little while, at least.
