If you’re struggling to think of a creative, thoughtful gift to give your pops, why not go for something homemade and delicious? Most of these projects are quick and easy, and all of them are guaranteed to impress. There are options for any palate including those with a raging sweet tooth, the health nut, the salt obsessed, and the coffee lover. So forget those iTunes gift cards. Here are 29 delicious homemade food gifts that your old man will actually love receiving.
1. Bacon-Dusted Chocolate-Covered Pretzels: Once your dad pops one of these pretzels into his mouth, he’ll know the truth. You love him. You really, really love him. (via Story by Modcloth)
2. Salted Caramel Sauce and Printable Labels: Wouldn’t this be divine on all those ice cream sundaes you’re going to be eating together this summer? (via Recipe Girl)
3. Tart-Cherry Dark Chocolate Bars: Try your hand at making these chocolate bars, or just wrap store-bought bars in these printable artisanal chic wrappers. (via Country Living)
4. Infused Sugars: Flavored sugar is such a fun gift because the possibilities are endless — cakes or sugar cookies, cocktails or iced tea. For a special touch, give this sugar with your favorite cocktail recipe. (via Sugar and Charm)
5. Flavored Salts: A beautifully packaged set of flavored salts makes an easy gift that any foodie will appreciate. There are recipes for porcini, smoked paprika, lime ginger, curry and herbs-de-provence flavors. He’ll be heading out to the grill with them as soon as he unwraps them. (via Country Living)
6. Coffee Syrups: Here is the perfect gift for the coffee lover in your life. We highly recommend making two or three flavors for a little matching set. (via A Beautiful Mess)
7. Quick Bread in a Bottle: Your dad might claim that he’s too busy or clumsy to bake, but he LOVES fresh bread. Give him a head start to making some deliciously quick chocolate chip oatmeal bread. (via Sunset)
8. Herbed Butters: By now lots of us have herbs in our windowsill. The irresistible flavors are begging to be added to everything. A roll of herbed butter with a loaf of fresh artisan bread would make a lovely gift. There are all kinds of flavor suggestions here like orange-tarragon-dijon and black-pepper-thyme-lemon (via The Fromagette)
9. Barbecue Recipe Rub: This barbecue rub is as easy as putting spices in a jar and is so delicious he’ll be using it all summer long. (via Delia Creates)
10. DIY Vanilla Extract: Did you know you can make your own vanilla? You can! It only takes two ingredients which means it is ridiculously easy while looking extremely impressive. (via Bell’alimento)
11. Homemade Lavender Coffee Syrup: It seems odd that something so light and floral would pair well with coffee, but it works deliciously and would be amazing to sweeten iced tea as well. (via The Sarah Linden)
12. Herb Honeys: It is as simple as adding herbs to honey and letting it steep for three weeks, but how impressive does rosemary-lemon thyme and sage honey sound? (via Not Quite Nigella)
13. Meyer Lemon-Orange Bitters: Making your own bitters isn’t the easiest process, so take care to use organic, unwaxed oranges and lemons for the best possible result. (via Whole Living)
14. Hot Cocoa Favors: This DIY is seriously the cutest. We love the little cork bottles and the pretty layering effect of each hot cocoa ingredient. (via Green Wedding Shoes)
15. Marinated Olives and Feta: Not very many padres would make this for themselves, making this homemade treat extra special. (via A Beautiful Mess)
16. Homemade Limoncello: Smooth and bright with zesty lemon, a bottle of limoncello makes for an excellent edible gift for cocktail-lovin’ dad. (via Style Me Pretty)
17. Peach Cherry Fruit Leather: Got an outdoorsy dad? Here’s something he can take on his next camping or hiking trip. Line up a row of healthy fruit roll-ups with a bit of twine for a fun treat; this is a perfect way to make use of summer fruit that may get a little soft and bruised. (via Make)
18. Homemade Bacon Salt: If you’re wondering what to put bacon salt on then consider how delicious it would be on a runny soft boiled egg, sprinkled on popcorn or on the rim of a bloody mary. How badly do you want to make some now? (And keep a jar for yourself?) (via Honestly Yum)
19. Homemade Thyme Beer Mustard: Summer grilling means condiments galore, and nothing tastes better on a hot dog than a spicy mustard. This homemade version will last up to three months in the fridge, and you can play with the curry and honey to get the perfect flavor. (via Vegetarian Ventures)
20. Homemade Coffee Creamer: We all love the deliciousness of coffee creamer, but the dicey ingredient list, not so much. Making your own is the perfect way to get exactly the flavor you want and here are several options like chocolate almond, Irish cream, peppermint patty and salted caramel. (via Reclaiming Your Castle)
21. Coffee Liqueur DIY: You can pour this over a chocolate cake (that you make for him), use it on ice cream (that you make for him) or in coffee or cocoa (that you make for him). In short: It’s an amazing gift for any passionate coffee lover. (via House of Brinson)
22. DIY Tea Mixes: If your dad doesn’t do coffee, customized tea mixes are a beautiful way to let him know how much you love him. Experiment with chamomile and jasmine for a soothing tea or black tea with vanilla bean for a more robust flavor. (via Free People)
23. Almond Nutella: Is the dude a Nutella addict? Let him enjoy the treat to the fullest with this homemade version that excludes all that icky hydrogenated oils. This almond version is also great for anyone who is allergic to hazelnuts or peanuts. (via Yum Sugar)
24. Brownie Mix: This is like a tasty version of those sand layer jars we all made as kids. Chances are, he’ll like this version better than the one you gave him when you were seven. Make sure you pack each layer down so they stay distinct and don’t muddle together. (via Call Me Cupcake)
25. Infused Olive Oils: Perfect for tossing with summer salads or using on the grill, here are four different flavors to try out — lemon, herb, Thai chili and garlic pepper. The hardest part will be deciding which to try first! (via Brit + Co.)
26. Candied Grapefruit Peels: These colorful candies make for a tangy, healthy-ish treat. Try with orange and grapefruit, maybe dip some in chocolate or coat others in one of those infused vanilla sugars. (via Pinch and Swirl)
27. Homemade Extracts: Recipes and a set of free printable labels for five different extracts: lemon, grapefruit, vanilla, cinnamon and orange — they’re all easy to make. The only thing you need is time since each extract takes about two weeks to make. So get on it right now. (via Spoon Fork Bacon)
28. Earl Grey Kumquat Marmalade: Less bitter than classic marmalade, this tangy and slightly floral marmalade would make an exceptional gift when paired with a loaf of homemade bread. (via Yum Sugar)
29. Espresso Flavored Sugar Cubes: Easy to make and fun to use, these caffeine-spiked sugar cubes do it all. Have fun stamping little burlap bags to make the cute gifts. (via Country Living)
Will you be bottling up any of these edible gifts for your dad? Let us know in the comments below!
