Essentials

Christmas gift guide 2022: The best edible gifts to give

By Leah Groth

Updated on: December 19, 2022 / 12:16 PM EST / Essentials

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Stumped on what to get your coworker, friend or family member this holiday season? Since (mostly) everyone loves to eat, consider gifting a box or basket filled with their favorite treats.

Top products in this article:

Crumbs Bakeshop Cupcakes 12-pack, $85

$85 at Crumbs Bakeshop

Hickory Farms Ultimate Holiday Charcuterie gift basket, $199

$199 at Hickory Farms

Tropical Fruit Box Taste the Exotics Fruit Box, $149

$149 at Tropical Fruit Box

When it comes to edible gifts, there are so many creative options. If they love to cook, consider buying a gourmet meal kit from Blue Apron with everything needed to whip up a holiday feast, or a box of pasta and sauces from the world famous Rao's Homemade.

If their hobby involves dining at Michelin-starred restaurants, start your shopping at Goldbelly, where you can order food from fine dining spots around the world – including Philadelphia-based Zahav. Or, if they have a favorite cuisine, tap into that. Spice up any Mexican food lover's holiday with Somos Salsero Holiday Gift Set or gift Asian food fanatics with Momofuku Goods Dave's Faves Pack.

Sweet treats always make a great gift – like Crumbs Bakeshop cupcakes, a Radio Flyer red wagon filled with goodies from Dylan's Candy Bar or a basket of Santa-inspired snacks from Lucy's Market.

Wherever their taste buds gravitate, CBS Essentials has you covered with the best edible gifts to give in 2022.

The best and most creative edible gifts to give

These edible boxes and baskets make great last minute gifts, as they can be shipped straight to the recipient.

Blue Apron's Holiday Roast Box

Gift a gourmet holiday meal in a box with Blue Apron's Holiday Roast Box, which includes a pre-trimmed roast beef tenderloin with a bunch of sides, like a cheesy potato bake, honey-orange glazed rainbow carrots, creamy spinach and kale and an apple-cranberry trifle. Serves six to eight. Available to ship the weeks of 12/12, 12/19 and 12/26. Looking for a great last minute gift? You can't go wrong with a Blue Apron gift card to use toward a subscription plan.

Blue Apron's Holiday Roast Box, $190

$190 at Blue Apron

Blue Apron gift card, $70 and up

$70 and up at Blue Apron

Rao's Homemade Pasta and Sauce Sampler

Perfect for any pasta lover, this sampler set from Rao's includes 44-ounce jars of Rao's Homemade famous marinara, arrabbiata, tomato basil, vodka, roasted garlic, and bolognese sauces along with bags of fusilli, linguine, penne, spaghetti, and farfalle pasta along with a jar opener.

Rao's Homemade Pasta and Sauce Sampler, $80

$80 at Rao's Homemade

Mercado Famous Holy Jamon bundle

For the lover of all things Spanish, this bundle of three, 6-ounce packages of Mercado Famous' Jamon Serrania, Jamon 50% and Jamon 100% takes the taste buds on a trip to Barcelona.

Mercado Famous Holy Jamon bundle, $53

$53 at Mercado Famous

Goldbelly Zahav Lamb Shoulder

What better Hanukkah or Christmas gift than a culinary experience sourced from the most famous Israeli restaurant in the world? Nothing compares to dining inside of one of James Beard Foundation award winner Chef Michael Solomonov's uber popular restaurants, Philadelphia-based restaurant Zahav or Brooklyn hotspot Laser Wolf. However, the Zahav Lamb Shoulder with all the fixings from Goldbelly offers a great alternative. The meal kit includes some of the restaurant's most popular dishes, including six salads like hummus with pita, beets with tahini and Moroccan carrots, and fragrant spiced rice. To complete the gift, order up a cookbook to go along with the feast.

Goldbelly Zahav Lamb Shoulder, $280

$280 at Goldbelly

Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking, $21

$21 at Amazon

Goldbelly e-gift card

Looking for an easy, last-minute gift? Order a Goldbelly e-gift card, and send your recipient an instant culinary treat.

Goldbelly e-gift card

Get a gift card now

Hickory Farms Ultimate Holiday Charcuterie gift basket

Who doesn't love receiving a Hickory Farms gift basket during the holiday season? For decades the gourmet food purveyor has been putting together some of the most delectable treats, usually involving cured meat. Splurge on a huge charcuterie basket filled to the brim or opt for a more budget-friendly summer sausage and cheese box.

Hickory Farms Ultimate Holiday Charcuterie gift basket, $199

$199 at Hickory Farms

Happy Holidays Summer Sausage and Cheese gift box, $55

$55 at Hickory Farms

Not Just Co. Stock My Pantry, Please! Pack

Great for a new homeowner or a young adult living on their own for the first time, this clever gift set offers a variety of pantry-stocking goodies from Not Just, including salad dressing, pasta sauce, pesto and caramel.

Not Just Co. Stock My Pantry, Please! Pack, $74

$74 at Not Just Co.

Magnolia Bakery Holiday Candy Store Mini Cupcakes

Former residents of the Big Apple will go wild over this set of mini chocolate and vanilla cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery, all decorated for the holidays with themed candy. Choose from 24 or 36 mini treats with nationwide shipping.

Magnolia Bakery Holiday Candy Store Mini Cupcakes, $45

$45 at Magnolia Bakery

Momofuku Goods Dave's Faves Pack

Gift them the flavor of Dave Chang's Momofuku restaurants. The world famous chef curated this gift set of his favorite asian staples, including soy and scallion noodles, tamari sauce, chili crunch, and spicy seasoned salt.

Momofuku Goods Dave's Faves Pack, $45

$45 at Momofuku

Somos Salsero Holiday Gift Set

Spice up the holidays for Mexican food lovers with this bundle of Somos salsas – including Roasted Tomatillo Jalapeno, Cuatro Chiles Taqueria, Smoky Chipotle Red, Roasted Tomatillo Pasilla, and even a salsero for four salsas, homemade by Mexican artisans.

Somos Salsero Holiday Gift Set, $40

$40 at Somos

Gourmet Gift Baskets Taste of Christmas gift basket

This quick-ship goodie basket from Gourmet Gift Baskets is available on Amazon and includes so many great sweet treats, like caramel popcorn, chocolate covered cherries and red velvet cookies.

Gourmet Gift Baskets Taste of Christmas gift basket, $82

$82 at Amazon

Crumbs Bakeshop Cupcakes

Send Crumbs Bakeshop's famous cupcakes anywhere in the country this holiday season. Choose from 13 flavors and curate your own pack of cupcakes to their liking.

Crumbs Bakeshop Cupcakes 6-pack, $45

$45 at Crumbs Bakeshop

Crumbs Bakeshop Cupcakes 12-pack, $85

$85 at Crumbs Bakeshop

Kevin's Natural Food reset bundle

Is your gift recipient on a keto, paleo or gluten-free restrictive diet? Kevin's Natural Food bundles make the perfect treat for healthy eaters or anyone looking to incorporate clean eating in the new year. The reset bundle includes eight entrees, including Teriyaki-Style Chicken, Mongolian-Style Beef, Chicken Tikka Masala, Thai Style Coconut Chicken, Roasted Garlic Chicken, Chicken Chile Verde and Cilantro Lime Chicken.

Kevin's Natural Food reset bundle, $99

$99 at Kevin's Natural Food

Harry and David Deluxe Christmas Gift Basket

Year after year, and Harry and David gift baskets never go out of style. This deluxe curation includes premium pears, peppermint bark, signature truffles, chocolate-covered cherries, milk chocolate popcorn, gourmet crackers, cheese, salami and more. For an additional $20 add a bottle of wine.

Harry and David Deluxe Christmas Gift Basket, $110 and up

$110 and up at Harry and David

Brightland Mini Artist Series olive oil set

If it's good enough for Oprah…This set of artsy olive oil landed a well-deserved spot on Oprah's Favorite Things list this year. The set of four petite bottles of Ardor, Rosette, Lucid and Arise oils tastes as good as it looks. Shopping for multiple gifts? Now t

Brightland Mini Artist Series olive oil set, $85

$85 at Brightland

Lucy's Market Santa Snacks basket

What would Santa eat and drink? Candy cane hot cocoa, peppermint sugar cookies, ginger snaps, marshmallows and more, according to this clever, Christmas themed gift basket from Lucy's Market.

Lucy's Market Santa Snacks basket, $85

$85 at Lucy's Market

Goldbelly Ess-a-Bagel New York Bagel Brunch Kit

Get New York bagels anywhere in the country with Goldbelly. This brunch-in-a-box kit from Ess-a-Bagel, one of the top bagel spots in the Big Apple, comes with six bagels, one-half pound cream cheese and half-pound of nova.

Goldbelly Ess-a-Bagel New York Bagel Brunch Kit, $100

$100 at Goldbelly

Dylan's Candy Bar Christmas Morning Gift Basket

Perfect for the young or simply young at heart, this clever gift from Dylan's Candy Bar consists of a Radio Flyer red wagon overflowing with tons of sweet treats and toys, including their trademark tackle boxes, a frosted donut pillow and temporary tattoos.

Dylan's Candy Bar Christmas Morning Gift Basket, $325

$325 at Dylan's Candy Bar

Citarella's Finest Selection

What do you buy the person who has everything? A generous gift box brimming with the finest eats from New York gourmet market Citarella. The box includes cured meats, smoked salmon, an assortment of pasta, sauce, olive oil, handmade truffles, and more fine food, along with a mug, apron and reusable bag. Feeling generous? Add caviar.

Citarella's Finest Selection, $359

$359 at Citarella

Tropical Fruit Box TropiKids Fruit Activity Box

Kid-friendly recipes, fun cutters, cute popsicle molds shaped like fruit and 12 pounds of fancy fruit, including pink pineapple, passion fruit, rambutan, dragon fruit, manzano bananas and more fruits come in this delectable box for kids.

Tropical Fruit Box TropiKids Fruit Activity Box, $89

$89 at Tropical Fruit Box

Tropical Fruit Box Taste the Exotics Fruit Box

Another idea for the person who has everything, this box of exotic fruits contains difficult-to-find delicacies like soursop, Pinkglow pink pineapple, longans, cherimoya, rambutan and cacao pod. Fruit is delivered almost ripe.

Tropical Fruit Box Taste the Exotics Fruit Box, $149

$149 at Tropical Fruit Box

Cheese Brothers Best Gifts Are Cheesy holiday pack

Send a taste of Wisconsin with this selection of four 6-ounce blocks of Wisconsin-made cheese (Smoked Gouda, Dill Havarti, 3 Amigos Spicy Gouda, Fratello along with one 8 oz. jar of Cherry Lavender Jam and a 5.5 ounce salami.

Cheese Brothers Best Gifts Are Cheesy holiday pack, $60

$60 at Cheese Brothers