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Homemade Food Gifts (for the Holidays + More!)

BySamantha Skaggs

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This collection of Homemade Food Gifts is full of yummy ideas for sharing love and showing care or appreciation to family, friends, neighbors, and more...on Christmas, holidays, or ordinary days!

Homemade Food Gifts collage showing Christmas food gifts or food gifts for any time of year.

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'Tis the season for showing love and appreciation! And my favorite way for doing so has always been by sharing food. So every holiday season -- and really, year-round -- I enjoy giving homemade food gifts to family, friends, neighbors, teachers, and various workers in the safety and service industries who make my life easier all year long.

Whether it's a cookie platter or a loaf of homemade bread or something a bit more unique, I hope you find some yummy ideas to try (and share!) in the collection of homemade food gifts listed below!

And don't forget to pin this round-up in case you'd like to keep these ideas in a handy place for future reference. 🙂

Jarred Gifts

Some of these need to be refrigerated and others can be kept at room temperature, so just take that into account when gifting! 🙂

  1. CHAI TEA MIX
Chai tea mix in jar as homemade food gift and chai tea latte in mug.
Chai Tea Mix
This unique homemade food gift is perfect for those who love Chai Tea! Use the mix to whip up everything from a chai tea latte to a vanilla chai tea milkshake, or put it in a jar with the free printable tag of directions for gift giving!
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  1. EASY HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE
Caramel Sauce being poured into jar.
Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce
This quick and easy sauce is thick, gooey, and made with just FIVE ingredients in FIVE minutes, perfect for apples, brownies, ice cream, or as a gift!
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  1. MARINATED CHEESE + OLIVES
Marinated Cheese in a jar with gift tag.
Marinated Cheese and Olives
This easy food gift in a jar features cheese cubes and olives in a herb- and garlic-infused dressing!
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  1. HOMEMADE VANILLA COFFEE CREAMER
Close-up of Vanilla Coffee Creamer.
Vanilla Coffee Creamer
This 5-minute recipe is easy to make homemade using just four simple, natural ingredients, flavored with vanilla extract, sweetened with maple syrup, and without condensed milk. Pair a jar of creamer with a bag of coffee for a thoughtful gift!
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  1. HEALTHY TRAIL MIX
Trail Mix Recipe
Healthy Trail Mix
This homemade recipe is easy to make and customize, loaded with healthy fats from wholesome nuts, dried fruit, and your favorite add-ins. You can even use green pistachios and red cranberries for a holiday color scheme!
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  1. CINNAMON DOLCE SYRUP
Cinnamon Dolce Syrup in glass jar with cinnamon sticks.
Cinnamon Dolce Syrup
This easy, homemade, 5-minute recipe is perfect for creating an all-natural copycat of a Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Latte or Caramel Apple Spice Cider...and it doubles as a delicious topping for pancakes, waffles, ice cream, and more!
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  1. HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE SYRUP
close-up of Homemade Chocolate Syrup in a glass bottle with a white label on front
Chocolate Syrup
This amazing recipe -- made with five simple ingredients in about five minutes -- is a scrumptious topping for ice cream and makes perfect chocolate milk! It's economical and easy to make using real, straightforward ingredients.
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  1. PECAN PRALINE HONEY BUTTER
Pecan Praline Butter ~ a scrumptious twist on honey butter laced with cinnamon and vanilla and studded with toasted pecans, making it the perfect spread for dinner rolls, pancakes, waffles, sweet potatoes, and more! | FiveHeartHome.com
Pecan Praline Honey Butter
This scrumptious twist on honey butter is laced with cinnamon and vanilla and studded with toasted pecans. Pair a jar with a loaf of fresh bread (homemade or from a bakery) for a lovely gift!
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  1. CRAN-RASPBERRY JEZEBEL SAUCE
Cran-Raspberry Jezebel Sauce ~ with its bold horseradish kick, this sweet and spicy, versatile sauce can be poured over cream cheese as an appetizer, served alongside holiday ham or turkey as a condiment, or given as a homemade food gift in a jar! | FiveHeartHome.com
Cran-Raspberry Jezebel Sauce
This sweet and spicy sauce, with its cran-raspberry base and bold horseradish kick, is a versatile sauce that can be poured over cream cheese as an appetizer, served alongside holiday ham or turkey, or jarred up for gift-giving!
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  1. EASY HOMEMADE SALSA
Aerial view of Canned Tomato Salsa Recipe in bowl.
Easy Homemade Salsa
A jar of this fresh, easy, canned tomato salsa makes a great gift. It takes just a few minutes to throw together in the blender or food processor and it rivals the best restaurant-style salsa!
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  1. RANCH POPCORN SEASONING
Ranch Popcorn Seasoning in small glass bowl with spoon.
Ranch Popcorn Seasoning
Pair a small jar of this savory mixture of dried herbs, spices, and Parmesan with a bag of popcorn kernels for the gift of a delicious snack or perfect movie night treat!
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Snacks

Sweet and savory snacks are perfect to package up in a bag or a jar!

  1. CHRISTMAS PUPPY CHOW (AKA, MUDDY BUDDIES)
Christmas Puppy Chow (or Christmas Muddy Buddies) in a bowl surrounded by candy canes.
Christmas Puppy Chow
This delicious holiday snack mix is made with white chocolate, peppermint, and Chex cereal...perfect for serving at parties, giving as a gift to neighbors and friends, and using up leftover candy canes!
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  1. CANDIED CASHEWS WITH HONEY, CHIPOTLE, + LIME
Close-up of Candied Cashews in a bowl.
Candied Cashews
The perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and smoky, these cashews are baked to perfection and completely addictive, making them a fantastic food gift or a tasty party snack!
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  1. CINNAMON SUGAR PECANS
White bowl of Cinnamon Sugar Pecans.
Cinnamon Sugar Pecans
These candied pecans have a crunchy, sweet, warmly spiced coating, perfect for snacking, dressing up a salad, or holiday gift giving!
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  1. GINGERBREAD GRANOLA
Gingerbread Granola with Cranberries, Pistachios, and White Chocolate Chips ~ warm spices and Christmas colors make this a perfect holiday breakfast or homemade food gift! | FiveHeartHome.com
Gingerbread Granola
This sweet, lightly spiced, homemade granola is studded with red dried cranberries, green pistachios, and white chocolate chips, making it a perfect holiday breakfast or homemade food gift!
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Quick Breads, Muffins, + Cakes

Who wouldn't love to receive a sweet loaf of bread, a basket of muffins, or an impressive bundt cake?

  1. CINNAMON BREAD
Thick slice of Cinnamon Bread on a plate
Cinnamon Bread
This soft, sweet quick bread is a tasty treat for breakfast or as a snack. And since it yields multiple loaves, it's also perfect for holiday (or anytime) gift giving!
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  1. CHOCOLATE COCONUT BANANA BREAD
Thick slice of Chocolate Coconut Banana Bread on a plate
Chocolate Coconut Banana Bread
This quick bread is soft, moist, and easy to make, bursting with ripe banana, creamy chocolate chips, and chewy coconut!
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  1. SNICKERDOODLE PUMPKIN BREAD
Sliced Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Bread on a cutting board
Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Bread
This sweet, moist pumpkin bread recipe is swirled and topped with a generous amount of cinnamon sugar for a delicious treat!
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  1. PECAN PRALINE BREAD
Quick Bread Recipes
Pecan Praline Bread
This delicious quick bread recipe boasts a tender crumb and a ribbon of brown sugar pecans for added sweetness and crunch!
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  1. TRIPLE CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD
Triple Chocolate Banana Bread ~ moist, fudgy, and loaded with three kinds of chocolate, making this banana bread recipe a mouthwatering, delicious way to use up overripe bananas! | FiveHeartHome.com
Triple Chocolate Banana Bread
This moist, fudgy quick bread is loaded with three kinds of chocolate, making it a mouthwatering way to use up overripe bananas!
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  1. ORANGE POUND CAKE MINI LOAVES
Orange Pound Cake Mini Loaves ~ moist, buttery, and bursting with sunny citrus flavor! | FiveHeartHome.com
Orange Pound Cake Mini Loaves
This from-scratch recipe is buttery, moist, and bursting with sunny citrus flavor!
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  1. FRENCH BREAKFAST PUFFS
French Breakfast Puffs.
French Breakfast Puffs
These tender vanilla muffins are drenched in melted butter and dipped in cinnamon sugar for a sweet and crunchy coating that makes breakfast time a treat!
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  1. SPICED OATMEAL MUFFINS
Oatmeal Muffin on a napkin.
Spiced Oatmeal Muffins
Wholesome and delicious muffins are perfectly flavored with crunchy tops and pillowy centers!
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  1. CHOCOLATE BANANA MUFFINS
Banana Bread and Chocolate Muffin on turquoise tabletop
Chocolate Banana Muffins
These sweet, moist, bakery-style muffins combine half plain banana batter and half chocolate banana batter!
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  1. ORANGE MUFFINS
Orange Muffins
These muffins are lovely and easy to make from scratch, with a soft, tender texture and delicate flavors of vanilla and fresh citrus!
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  1. POMEGRANATE CAKE
Pomegranate Cake with arils on plate.
Pomegranate Cake
This easy and delicious cake features a simple golden batter topped with juicy pomegranate arils and baked to sweet, tender perfection!
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  1. THE BEST LEMON POUND CAKE
Lemon Pound Cake sliced on cake stand and on plate.
The BEST Lemon Pound Cake
This gorgeous bundt cake is soft and moist with a golden exterior and a tangy lemon glaze!
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  1. PUMPKIN BUNDT CAKE
Pumpkin Bundt Cake slice on a plate
Pumpkin Bundt Cake
With flavors of pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, and caramelized cookies, this moist bundt cake boasts a Biscoff swirl and a topping of Biscoff glaze!
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Cookies for Tins and Platters

From classic cookies to Christmas cookies, some of these recipes are perfect for packaging in a cellophane bag tied with twine or ribbon...and any of them would be delightful additions to a holiday cookie platter!

  1. THE BEST THUMBPRINT COOKIES
Close-up of Jam Thumbprint Cookies coated with nuts and coconut.
The BEST Thumbprint Cookies
These simple, classic cookies are lightly sweet with an almost shortbread-like texture, a versatile coating of toasty coconut or chopped pecans, and a fruity center of your favorite jelly or jam!
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  1. CHRISTMAS SHORTBREAD COOKIES
Christmas Shortbread Cookies on red plate with sprinkles.
Christmas Shortbread Cookies
Easy to make and loaded with festive sprinkles, these tender Christmas cookies are the perfect addition to your holiday cookie platter!
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  1. SOFT SUGAR COOKIES
Soft Sugar Cookies on a pewter platter.
Soft Sugar Cookies
These sugar cookies are extra easy to make because they require no rolling! They have soft, puffy interiors with a crunchy coating of sugar.
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  1. EGGNOG COOKIES WITH EGGNOG GLAZE
Eggnog Cookies with eggnog glaze and Christmas sprinkles.
Eggnog Cookies
These soft, tender cookies are delicately flavored with eggnog and spices and then topped with a sweet eggnog glaze and festive Christmas sprinkles!
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  1. SOFT + CHEWY GINGER COOKIES
Ginger Cookies piled on plate made from the best ginger cookies recipe.
Soft + Chewy Ginger Cookies
Loaded with molasses and warm spice and coated in crunchy sugar, these soft, chewy, crinkly, sparkly cookies are as pretty as they are delicious!
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  1. COWBOY COOKIES
Cowboy Cookies ~ soft, chewy, and loaded with different flavors and textures from oats and coconut to chocolate chips and pecans | FiveHeartHome.com
Cowboy Cookies
These soft, chewy, addictive cookies are loaded with a variety of flavors and textures -- from oats and coconut to chocolate chips and pecans!
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  1. LIME COCONUT SNOWBALL COOKIES
Lime Coconut Snowballs ~ tender shortbread-like cookies studded with lime zest & toasted coconut and generously rolled in powdered sugar for perfect year-round treats...from the lazy days of summer to a Christmas cookie platter! | FiveHeartHome.com
Lime Coconut Snowball Cookies
These tender, shortbread-like snowballs are studded with lime zest and toasted coconut and generously rolled in powdered sugar for yummy treats!
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  1. TRIPLE CHOCOLATE FUDGE COOKIES
Triple Chocolate Fudge Cookies ~ intense chocolate flavor with chewy, gooey centers and two types of chocolate chips | FiveHeartHome.com
Triple Chocolate Fudge Cookies
These fudge cookies are rich and intensely chocolatey with chewy, gooey centers and two types of chocolate chips!
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  1. COCONUT MACAROONS
Coconut Macaroon scene with coconut in background
Coconut Macaroons
These chewy, delicious, and easy-to-make cookies require just six simple ingredients and NO condensed milk!
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  1. PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD COOKIES
Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
These simple cookies are delicately sweet and studded with bits of salty pistachios. And for an extra-special touch, fill them with lemon curd, fruity jam, or Nutella to turn them into sandwich cookies!
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  1. ONE-BOWL WHOLE WHEAT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
One-Bowl Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies ~ chewy, delicious, and made with 100% whole wheat flour in just one bowl, there's no need to feel guilty about enjoying an extra cookie...or three! | FiveHeartHome.com
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
These chewy and delicious one-bowl cookies are made with 100% whole wheat flour, so there's no need to feel guilty about enjoying an extra cookie...or three!
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  1. COCONUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES
Coconut Shortbread Cookies
Tender, buttery shortbread is loaded with toasted coconut in these delicious, addictive, easy-to-make cookies. Drizzle or dip in melted chocolate to make them extra-special!
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Bars, Brownies, + Other Treats

While not traditional cookies, these treats are still perfect for holiday platters!

  1. REINDEER RICE KRISPIE TREATS
Aerial view of ring of Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats on a plate.
Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats
These cute, festive treats are easy to make as a fun holiday project for kids or a yummy treat to share with neighbors and friends!
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  1. CHRISTMAS TREE BROWNIES
Christmas Tree Brownies on a plate.
Christmas Tree Brownies
Whether you need a treat for your cookie platter or goodies for Santa, these delicious brownies are decorated with cream cheese frosting, fun sprinkles, and candy cane "trunks" for a fun and festive holiday treat!
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  1. CANDY CANE KISS BROWNIE BITES
Candy Cane Kiss Brownie Bites on platter.
Candy Cane Kiss Brownie Bites
Candy Cane Hershey's Kisses are perched atop moist, fudgy brownie bites for a festive addition to your holiday cookie platter!
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  1. CHRISTMAS TREE SHEET CAKE POPS
Christmas Sheet Cake with cream cheese frosting decorated as Christmas trees.
Christmas Tree Sheet Cake Pops
Tender vanilla sheet cake is slathered in cream cheese frosting, showered with sprinkles, cut into triangles, and embellished with candy canes to make cute & festive Christmas trees! These treats are perfect for any holiday party or Christmas cookie platter!
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  1. M&M CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS
Stack of M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies Bars.
M&M Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
These thick, chewy, big-batch cookie bars are simple to make, fun to share, easy to customize with holiday-colored M&Ms!
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  1. CHEWY SNICKERDOODLE BARS
Chewy Snickerdoodle Bars
These soft and chewy bars are as effortless as spreading batter into a pan and showering with cinnamon and sugar...half the work of the popular cookies with the same yummy flavor and texture!
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  1. PEANUT BUTTER BROWNIES
Peanut Butter Brownies stacked on a white plate.
Peanut Butter Brownies
These rich and decadent brownies boast an amazingly fudgy texture. They're studded with peanut butter chips and swirled with peanut butter on top for a chocolate/PB lover's DREAM! And since they're also flourless, they're naturally gluten-free!
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  1. SNICKERS CHEESECAKE BARS
Snickers Cheesecake Bars
A crunchy Oreo crust is topped with a decadent layer of Snickers-studded cheesecake, drizzled with smooth chocolate and gooey caramel, and sprinkled with salty chopped peanuts!
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  1. MONSTER COOKIE BARS
Monster Cookie Bars
These bars are naturally gluten-free and loaded with oats, peanut butter, chocolate and PB chips, and M&Ms. They require just ONE BOWL for a BIG BATCH, making this the perfect easy recipe when you need a bunch of sweet treats for gifting!
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  1. PECAN PIE BARS
Pecan Pie Bars with shortbread crust and easy homemade filling.
Pecan Pie Bars
With a buttery shortbread crust, a gooey nut filling, and a crunchy, crackly top, these bars are like portable, hand-held, pecan pie cookie treats!
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  1. RASPBERRY SWIRL BROWNIES
Raspberry Brownies with swirl of jam and berries.
Raspberry Swirl Brownies
These fudgy homemade brownies are studded with chocolate chips and topped with raspberry preserves for rich, decadent treats!
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  1. HOMEMADE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS
Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
These easy, all-natural, treats whip up with just THREE real ingredients...betcha' can't eat just one!
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Savory Appetizers

These food gifts are perfect for hosts or hostesses, whether you're attending a party or staying as a guest in someone's home!

  1. CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT CHEESE BALLS
Christmas Ornament Cheese Balls ~ a fun, festive addition to your holiday party menu in three mouthwatering flavors -- Cranberry, Blue Cheese, & Pecan; Garlic, Feta, & Dill; and White Cheddar, Rosemary, & Pomegranate! | FiveHeartHome.com
Christmas Ornament Cheese Balls
These fun, festive addition cheese balls cane be made in three mouthwatering flavors -- Cranberry, Blue Cheese, & Pecan; Garlic, Feta, & Dill; and White Cheddar, Rosemary, & Pomegranate!
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  1. HOLIDAY CHEESE WREATH
Holiday Cheese Wreath ~ this easy and festive Christmas party appetizer is made by arranging cubes of cheese in a ring, accenting with cherry tomatoes and a garland of rosemary, and finishing off with a bell pepper bow! | FIveHeartHome.com
Holiday Cheese Wreath
This easy and festive party appetizer is easy to make by arranging cubes of cheese in a ring, accenting with cherry tomatoes and a garland of rosemary, and finishing off with a bell pepper bow!
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  1. SAVORY THUMBPRINT COOKIES WITH CHEDDAR + JALAPEÑO JELLY
Savory Thumbprint Cookies with pepper jelly, cheddar, and nuts, plus a fresh jalapeño on the table.
Savory Thumbprint Cookies
These delicious appetizers are bursting with sharp cheddar cheese and filled with sweet and spicy jalapeño jelly for a fun twist on classic thumbprint cookies!
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  1. CHRISTMAS BRIE
Christmas Brie ~ a simple, red-green-and-white holiday appetizer featuring Brie, pomegranate, and pistachios, garnished with a festive rosemary Christmas tree! | FiveHeartHome.com
Christmas Brie
This simple, red-green-and-white holiday appetizer features Brie, pomegranate, and pistachios, garnished with a festive rosemary Christmas tree!
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Hope you find a recipe or two to help spread cheer this holiday season! 🙂

Homemade Food Gifts collage with text.

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