I love a good DIY food project to gift people for the holidays! It is something different and unique, and I typically like to put a (somewhat) healthy spin on it to get my friends and family to try new things! Most of the options are budget-friendly, and if you buy the ingredients in bulk, you can crank out a ton of gifts all at once. Making these gifts also gets me excited and into the holiday spirit and can be a fun way to involve your family/kids to get into the kitchen and help as a team. Place these foods in a cute glass mason jar with a ribbon, and you are good to go. Here are a few of my favorites that I hope you will enjoy!
Healthy Holiday Granola
Ingredients:
- 3 TBSP coconut oil, melted
- 3 TBSP maple syrup or honey, or combo of both
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2.5 cup whole rolled oats
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP dried unsweetened cranberries
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds (unshelled)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)
Directions: Preheat the oven to 300° F. Gently heat the coconut oil first to melt it to make it easier to work with. Place all of the wet ingredients in a large glass bowl then add the dry ingredients. Use your clean hands to mix the granola well, coating all of the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Transfer to an even layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 9-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before mixing in the coconut flakes and transferring it to mason jars to store.
Recipe via: Healthy Holiday Granola Recipe
Spiced Nuts Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp ground allspice
- 2 TBSP unsalted butter
- 2 cups pecan halves
- 1 TBSP sugar
Directions: Combine salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice in a small bowl. Melt butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat; add spice mixture, followed by pecans. Toast, stirring often, until color deepens slightly, 6 to 8 minutes. (Be careful, they burn easily!) Transfer nuts to a bowl and toss with sugar. Spread coated nuts on a plate to cool. Store in an airtight container—no need to refrigerate. Note – You can substitute almonds, walnuts, or cashews for the pecans, or you can use a mixture of nut types.
Recipe: How to Make Spiced Nuts
Mason Jar Monster Cookie Mix
Note: This recipe makes 1 dozen mason jars – 1 jar yields about 1 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
- 6 cups coconut sugar (1/2 cup each)
- 9 tsp baking soda (3/4 tsp each)
- 2 1/4 cups milled flax seed (3 TBSP each)
- 18 cups oats (1 1/5 cups each)
- 24 ounces chocolate chips (2 ounces each)
- 24 ounces colored m&ms (2 ounces each)
Directions: Fill mason jars with ingredients in order listed, starting with coconut sugar on the bottom. Press down each layer tightly as you go. (A pestle works well for this.) Screw on lids. Attach tags with additional ingredients and baking directions, with printable tags available HERE.
