Holiday Gift Guide: Fun & Fancy Baking Ingredients for Your Foodie

It’s go-time for holiday shopping, which means another holiday gift guide is in order! If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that for the past couple years, I’ve shared a list of some of my favorite things to help you find a gift or two for the baker in your life.

Last year it was pie-baking tools, and in 2020 it was cookbooks. This year, I’m sharing some of my favorite fun and fancy baking ingredients that will make great gifts for your baking foodie.

I’ve included links for everything (I think—if I’ve missed one, let me know in the comments and I’ll find it for you:)). Wherever possible, I tried to link to smaller businesses (they need your business more than Amazon, after all) or to the brand’s own website. But where I couldn’t find the products anywhere else, I linked to them on Amazon.

I hope you find something perfect for your baking friends. Happy Shopping!

Chocolate & Cocoa Powder

There’s nothing better than good chocolate. Here are some of my favorite brands to bake with.

Chocolate

Valrhona chocolate feves are a major step up from grocery store chocolate chips. You can chop them up if you want, or just press a couple of whole ones into your cookie dough for big, luscious pools of chocolate. Plus, they have fun flavored chocolates (passion fruit, raspberry, strawberry…), vegan chocolates, and single origin chocolates to choose from.

Callebaut. This Belgian chocolate brand makes some of the best chocolate in the world. Their slabs of baking chocolate are amazing to work with, and their version of chocolate chips (“callets”) will elevate any baking project (they also make great snacks;)). Choose from dark, milk, or white chocolate, or go for something really unique with ruby or gold chocolate.

Tony’s Chocolonely. These giant chocolate bars are great for eating or for chopping up and folding into your favorite baked goods. Plus, this chocolate is made from 100% slave-free and child labor-free (because sadly, those are things that still happen in the chocolate industry), so you can feel great about where your money is going. Duluth friends, I’ve found this brand at both Duluth Kitchen Co and Mount Royal Market. You can also buy it online, of course.

Theo Chocolate is made in Seattle from ethically-sourced cocoa. Choose from individual bars, gift sets, and even a monthly subscription (more on that later). Again, these bars are great to snack on, but are also fantastic to chop up for cookies and bars. Their Coffee Toffee flavor is my favorite.

Nói Síríus Icelandic chocolate. For your baker friend who wants something really unique, how about some Icelandic chocolate? Choose from bittersweet, milk, toffee, or sea salt. In Duluth, I’ve found the bittersweet and milk chocolate bars at Hepzibah’s in the Dewitt-Seitz building. It’s also available online at World Market or Amazon.

Looking for something a little less pricey, but still fun?

I personally bake with Trader Joe’s Pound Plus Bars ALL the time. It’s fantastic chocolate (rumor is that Callebaut makes it…but no one knows for sure because TJ’s is mysterious like that) at a great price. Plus, who wouldn’t want to get a 17-oz chocolate bar in their stocking??

I like their bittersweet bar, but their dark chocolate and milk chocolate bars are great too. No link for this one, because TJ’s doesn’t sell it online. You can find it on Amazon but it’s much cheaper at the store.

Cocoa Powder

Get your baker some top-quality cocoa powder to really elevate their brownies, cookies, and cakes. Here are a couple that would make great gifts.

Dutch cocoa powder by Droste, King Arthur Flour, or Penzey’s. Dutch cocoa powder gives everything a darker, richer chocolate taste (think Oreo cookies).

Black cocoa powder is an especially fun one. As the name suggests, it’s so dark it’s almost black. It gives your baked goods an intense chocolate flavor and will make the darkest chocolate treats possible.

Locally in Duluth, I’ve seen Droste at Blue Heron Trading Company. Goat Hill Marketplace just started carrying King Arthur products, so you might be able to find their cocoas there.

Fancy Mix-Ins and Decorative Elements

Treat your baker to some fancy baking ingredients to stir into or sprinkle atop their baked goods. From unique mix-ins to fun decorative trimmings, these goodies will spark any baker’s creativity.

Mix-Ins

Candied lemon peel or Jammy Bits from King Arthur, or these candied Sicilian lemon peel from Milk Street. Stir them into muffins, quick breads, or scones for a burst of fruity flavor, or use them to decorate cakes.

Crystallized ginger can be used much the same way. I love it stirred into my homemade granola, chocolate chip cookies, or these fudgy ginger brownies. Try these from King Arthur or The Ginger People.

For something a little fancier than Maraschino cherries, try Amarena cherries in syrup or Griottines (French Morello cherries in Kirsch).

Spoon them over homemade ice cream, use them as a filling or topping for cakes, or stir them into cocktails. I’ve found the Amarena cherries locally in Duluth at Blue Heron Trading Co, and the Griottines at Duluth Kitchen Co. They’re both available online as well.

Halva is a Middle Eastern confection made from sesame paste. It’s sweet, flaky, nutty, and so delicious. It’s a great snack on its own, but it’s also fantastic crumbled up and stirred into brownies, quick breads, or cookies. Try these from Seed & Mill, Hose of Halva (in St. Paul), and Hebel & Co (I haven’t tried theirs but I’ve heard great things).

Gourmet marshmallows make a perfect stocking stuffer. Add them to brownies or cookies or pile them on top of a cake for an easy show-stopping dessert. These from Nikki Darling Confections and these from North Mallow both come in a variety of fun flavors.

Decorative Elements

Sparkling sugar (like this one from King Arthur) is coarse sugar to sprinkle on top of cookies, pies, muffins, or other baked goods to add a little sweetness and a little “sparkle.”

Infused sugars like these from Golden Fig in St. Paul are so fun to sprinkle on shortbread, scones, or muffins. My favorites are the Cherry Cardamom and the Chocolate Mint.

Edible glitter! Sprinkles are fun, but edible glitter is better. Add festive sparkle to any baked good in a rainbow of colors. Locally I’ve found them at Duluth Kitchen Co, but Sur La Table has them online as well.

Jams, Curds, & Dessert Sauces

Jams, fruit curds, and dessert sauces are a fun way to amp up any dessert. Marble them into loaf cakes or quick breads, spread them between cake layers or cookies, drizzle them over pavlova…you get the picture.

Jams & Fruit Curds

Fig Spread is so versatile. It’s great in desserts (like this Fig cake), and also goes well with savory dishes or cheese boards. I like this one from Divina, and Bonne Maman‘s is delicious too. In Duluth, I’ve found Divina fig spread at Duluth Kitchen Co and Mount Royal Market.

Lingonberry Jam is a Scandinavian treat that is absolutely divine with crepes or spread between cake layers. It’s a bit tart, like cranberries. I like this one by Elki, or this one by Felix (which I’ve found locally at Blue Heron).

Marmalades are a great accompaniment to many desserts as well (especially scones). Stonewall Kitchen makes several flavors, from the traditional orange to more unique varieties like Grapefruit, Blood Orange, and Lemon Pear. In Duluth, Duluth Kitchen Co carries a ton of Stonewall Kitchen jams, and often has a good variety of their marmalades.

Not sure what kind of jam to get your foodie? Opt for a gift set from Bonne Maman!

While Fruit Curds are relatively easy to make at home, it never hurts to have a jar or two in the cupboard. Lemon Curd like this one from Tiptree, or this Meyer Lemon Spread from Bella Cucina would make a great gift. Bella Cucina makes a delicious Lime Spread as well.

Dessert Sauces

Dulce de Leche is another sauce that can be easily made at home, but having some pre-made on hand sure makes whipping up dessert easier (like this Caramel Apple Galette). I like this one from Nestle or this one from Stonewall Kitchen.

If you go for the Stonewall Kitchen one, get their Coffee Caramel Sauce and Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Sauce to go with it. (Trust me.)

Extracts, Syrups, & Bitters

Unique flavorings are one of my favorite things to play with as a baker. Here are a few I’d recommend as gifts,

Extracts

Rosewater. Lightly rose-scented, rosewater is delicious in cakes, frostings, meringues, and whipped creams. I have this one by Al Wadi, but Nielsen Massey makes a lovely one as well.

Orange blossom water. I use this much the same way I use rosewater. It adds a citrusy, subtly floral scent to baked goods. I have both the Al Wadi one and the Nielsen Massey one and would recommend both.

Duluth Kitchen Co carries the Al Wadi brand of both the orange blossom and rosewater if you’re local to Duluth; otherwise it and the Nielsen Massey can both be found online.

Vanilla Bean Paste is a must-have for any baker. Vanilla bean paste allows you to add a lot more vanilla flavor to your baked goods without adding too much liquid.

I’ve tried both the Hielala and Nielsen Massey brands, and they’re equally delicious. I just picked one up from Trader Joe’s, which is a whole lot cheaper, but haven’t actually tried it yet so can’t say if it’s good or not. (I’ll update this once I try it.)

High-quality extracts (Watkins and Nielsen Massey are great brands) make good gifts as well. Opt for pure extracts whenever you can (though artificial flavorings have come a long way).

Vanilla and almond are great staples, but other flavors are more fun to play around with (though it depends on how daring your baker is:)). This Fiori di Sicillia from King Arthur (a citrus-vanilla flavoring with floral overtones) looks especially delicious and is on my own wish list.

Syrups and Bitters

Flavored syrups are another way to add unique flavors to your baked goods. I love this elderflower syrup in cake layers, frostings, or glazes. Simple syrups come in tons of other flavors as well, like lavender, mint, or ginger.

Bitters can also be added to baked goods to add or enhance flavor. I like this orange one from Bittercube. It’s flavored with orange, coriander, caraway, and cardamom, so it’s delightful in cocktails and baked goods alike. Angostura bitters are a good staple to have on hand as well.

As for something a little more unique, I’ve always wanted to try these Dashfire Chinese-inspired bitters. They’re flavored with clove, star anise, ginger, and cinnamon with a hint of red Sichuan peppercorns. I think they’d be a delicious addition to gingerbread cookies or a glaze on a spice cake.

Spices & Pantry

Fill your baker’s pantry with fresh spices, powdered flavorings, and unique flours!

Spices, Botanicals, and Salts

Fresh, high-quality spices really make a difference in your baking. This is especially true if you opt for whole spices and grind your own! I love to grate whole nutmeg and cinnamon sticks on a microplane, grind up whole Star Anise in my coffee grinder, or infuse cream or simple syrup with whole cardamom pods.

Pink peppercorns are a surprising choice for baking, but the flavor is SO good matched with red berries (strawberries especially) and white chocolate in cookies, cakes, or frostings.

Penzey’s or Golden Fig Fine Foods are great online spots to get quality spices. In Duluth, check out Duluth Kitchen Co, Blue Heron Trading Co, or Goat Hill Marketplace.

I also found these fun spice blends from Pereg Natural Foods & Spices online: Hawaij for Coffee (a blend of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom; and Koobah (a blend of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, and rosebuds). They are SO good!! I’m planning to add them to some holiday treats this year.

Flaky sea salt is a must for any baker. I love my Maldon salt and sprinkle it on anything chocolate.

Smoked salt is a fun one to add to baked goods as well, like these Dark Chocolate S’mores Cookies. Maldon makes a lovely flaky smoked salt, as does Golden Fig in St. Paul.

Flavored salts are a unique way to add flavor to baked goods. Golden Fig in St. Paul has a wide selection of fun flavors like chocolate, rose, and strawberry. And the Meadow has this delightful-looking dessert salt set that I’ve just decided I need.

Culinary botanicals like Lavender and rose petals can double as flavorings and decorative elements in baking.

Flavored Powders

Espresso powder is the perfect addition to chocolate desserts, and can stand on its own as a flavoring as well. I like these from King Arthur or Medaglia D’oro.

Matcha powder is another way to add unique flavor to baking. I don’t know as much as I’d like to about matcha varieties, but Minimalist Baker did a great matcha review. Check it out for tons of matcha recommendations!

Powdered freeze-dried fruits like strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries are delicious added to custards, whipped cream, frostings, or even cookie dough! Nuts.com has a nice selection.

Flours

00 Flour is tailor-made for pizzas and pasta, but it’s also great added to shortbread. You can find it in Duluth at Duluth Kitchen Co, or order it from King Arthur.

Have a bread baker in your life? Get them an assortment of unique flours, like rye, pumpernickel, and buckwheat. Check out King Arthur’s selection here. In Duluth, Goat Hill Marketplace carries a ton of King Arthur products, so you might find some fun flours there as well.

Subscription Boxes

There are so many fun subscription boxes out there for bakers! I’ve listed a few below, but my top recommendation is Fikabröd.

Fikabröd is the Swedish word for treats eaten during the daily coffee break (called fika). Their subscription boxes are filled with unique baking ingredients and have a different theme each month.

The one you can see in the photo here (gifted to me by the owner: thanks, Becky!!) is called “Seed’s the Day,” and it is full of seedy goodies: halva, black sesame spread, pepitas, chocolate-covered sunflower seeds, and a tasty black sesame sea salt snack bar. Some of their past box themes have been “Summer Heat,” “Inspiring Women,” and “No-Bake Bonanza.” So fun, right?

Plus, Fikabröd is a woman-owned small business, so you can feel great about where your money is going.

Check out subscription details here. They offer a gift option, plus month-to-month, 6-month, or 12-month options. Or you can shop for past boxes or individual ingredients in their Past Box Shop!

Here are a few more subscriptions to check out (disclaimer: I haven’t tried these—they just look fun).

Burlap & Barrel’s Spice Club. You get four full-sized jars of spices, a collaboration food product, and recipes four times per year. This one’s a mix of sweet and savory spices, so it would be perfect for a baker who also loves to cook or bake savory goodies.
The Meadow offers three fantastic-looking subscription clubs: a Chocolate Club, a Salt Club, and a Bitters Club. Their selection of products is unique, so this is perfect for the creative baker who gets bored easily.
Worldwide Chocolate’s Flight Club gives you a curated selection of chocolates from around the world. Choose from month-to-month, 3 months, or 6 months.
Theo Chocolate’s Chocolate Fix 3-month subscription gives your loved one a curated box of chocolatey treats each month.
Williams-Sonoma offers a bunch of foodie gift subscription boxes, like these for 3 months or 6 months of baking favorites.

Whatever you decide to buy for your baking foodie this holiday season, I know they’ll enjoy getting something unique to use in their favorite hobby. And if you’re lucky, they just might share what they bake with you!

Happy Holidays everyone!

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Holiday Gift Guide: Fun & Fancy Baking Ingredients for Your Foodie