The holidays are often a hectic and frenzied time of year and it seems that no matter how well you plan out your gift buying, it's inevitable that you will need a few quick gift ideas for those "in-a-pinch" moments.
Whether you need a last minute gift for a teacher, a co-worker or a hostess, an edible DIY gift is one of my go-to resources. Sharing sweets and treats (or any yummy food really, think soup, sauce or salsa, or hot chocolate or cookie/brownie mix) is a thoughtful way to show your love and appreciation — and DIY gifts are easy on the wallet too. Best yet, you can make big batches of your favorite holiday eats and delight loads of people (and sneak a quality control tasty bite for yourself too).
The recipes I'm sharing in today's Neat Little Nest blog are a breeze to put together, are tasty festive delights and they meet a variety of different taste profiles. Placing them into a Ball® Keepsake Snowflake Pint Jar provides you a gift giving solution in mere minutes!
This post is sponsored by the makers of Ball® home canning products.
white chocolate peppermint Oreos
My kids love Oreo cookies, so making a holiday treat using one of their favorites was a no-brainer. You can go from plain old Oreos to a finished holiday inspired gift in less time than it takes you to eat lunch! What's even better is that the creative options are endless with all of the mix and match options or by melting various types of chocolates and toppings.
I put these Oreos into a Ball® Snowflake Keepsake Pint Jar and tied it up with Baker's Twine and added a handwritten label.
Ingredients:
Oreo cookies
Almond bark or candy melts - in vanilla, chocolate or both!
Crushed peppermint sprinkles
Instructions:
Place a few squares of the almond bark or a cup of candy melts into a microwave safe bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. When the time is up, take the bowl out (be careful, it may be hot), stir the bark, and then put it back in the microwave. Continue to heat the bark in 15 second increments, taking it out and stirring each time.
Once bark is melted, use a fork to dip each Oreo in the chocolate. Gently tap the fork against the side of the bowl to remove any excess chocolate from the Oreos.
Place the Oreos on a sheet of parchment paper. Add sprinkles to the top of each Oreo, then let the cookies sit until completely dry.
Display in an airtight container, like the Ball® Snowflake Keepsake Pint Jar for up to 2 weeks.
gingerbread granola
This is my favorite recipe of the bunch. I've already made this for a second time because I ate the first much of the initial batch in less than a week! For me, there is something undeniable about the gingerbread flavor of this granola mixed with the large sized nuts that makes this a perfect cereal, yogurt topper or simply eaten by the handful as a snack.
Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups rolled oats
1 3/4 cups raw nuts (I used almonds, pecans, and walnuts)
3 Tbsp organic cane sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1 pinch ground cloves (optional)
1/4 cup coconut or olive oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 Tbsp molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mix oats, nuts, sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and clove together in a large bowl.
In a small saucepan over medium low heat, warm the coconut oil, maple syrup, molasses and vanilla extract and then pour over the dry ingredients and mix well.
Spread the mixture evenly onto a a large baking sheet (line with parchment for easy clean up!) and bake for 18–22 minutes. Use a spatula to flip the mixture near the halfway point to ensure even cooking.
Once the granola is visibly browned (keep an eye on it after 18 minutes so it doesn't burn), remove from the oven and let cool completely on the pan before storing.
Put into a Ball® Snowflake Keepsake Pint Jar and it should keep well for about 3 weeks (if it lasts that long ... this granola mix is scrumptious!)
roasted cinnamon sugar chickpeas
If you're looking for a tasty holiday option that's less traditional, look no further than these roasted cinnamon sugar chickpeas. The prep for these treats is minimal and it may become a new go-to snack for the holiday season and throughout the year.
Ingredients:
2 15-ounce cans of chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and dried
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400º Fahrenheit.
Rinse the chickpeas and then put them into a bowl with a towel or paper towel to sit for about 30 minutes or more. You want to get as much moisture out of the chickpeas as possible so you get a nice crunch in the oven.
Toss chickpeas with oil and sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl.
Spread mixture onto a large baking sheet lined in parchment and bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes, or until golden brown and crunchy.
Put them in a Ball® Snowflake Keepsake Pint Jar and they should stay fresh for up to 2 weeks.
peppermint mocha trail mix
This peppermint mocha trail mix might be the perfect holiday treat for the coffee lover on your list. While the peppermint glazed pecans show off the flavors of the season, the lightly covered chocolate almonds are my personal favorite part of the mix. And once you've made the candied pecans, you just mix ingredients in a bowl, put them all into a beautiful Ball® Snowflake Keepsake Pint Jar and they are ready to give!
Ingredients:
2 cups raw nuts (I used peanuts and cashews)
1/2 cup of pecans
whites from 1 egg
2 TBSP of sugar
Peppermint extract
1 cup of chocolate covered almonds (I used the lightly covered ones)
1/2 cup of chocolate covered espresso beans
3/4 cup of white chocolate covered pretzels
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 300º Fahrenheit.
Vigorously whisk egg white in a bowl and add a few drops of peppermint extract.
Toss raw pecans into the egg white mixture until pecans are coated.
Add sugar to mixture and toss until coated.
Spread mixture onto a large baking sheet lined in parchment and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and crunchy.
chocolate covered peanut butter filled pretzels
These chocolate covered peanut butter filled pretzels are my son's favorite of the five recipes we made together. He loved the mix of chocolate coating with the peanut butter inside. What's not to love? Similar to the chocolate dipped Oreos, these can go from a bag of peanut butter filled pretzels to the perfect gift in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients:
1 bag Peanut butter filled pretzels
1 bag Almond bark or candy melts - in vanilla, chocolate or both!
Peanuts or other beloved toppings like sprinkles or crushed peppermint candy
Instructions:
Place a few squares of the almond bark or a cup of candy melts into a microwave safe bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. When the time is up, take the bowl out (be careful, it may be hot), stir the bark, and then put it back in the microwave. Continue to heat the bark in 15 second increments, taking it out and stirring each time.
Once bark is melted, use a fork to dip each peanut butter filled pretzel in the chocolate. Gently tap the fork against the side of the bowl to remove any excess chocolate from the peanut butter filled pretzel. To speed up the process, I put several peanut butter filled pretzels into the chocolate for each round.
Place the pretzels on a sheet of parchment paper. Add sprinkles to the top of each then let them sit until completely dry.
Place them in a Ball® Snowflake Keepsake Pint Jar and they should stay fresh for up to 2 weeks.
Holiday gift giving doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. I hope you've found a recipe here that you might try this holiday season. No matter what you choose, anything displayed in a Ball® Snowflake Keepsake Pint Jar with some twine and a label gives your gift some holiday charm.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post that is part of an ongoing partnership with the Fresh Preserving Division of Newell Brands. They have provided jars, equipment and monetary compensation. All thoughts and opinions expressed remain my own.