10 Unique Savory & Sweet Christmas Treat Ideas
I’m a big fan of feeding people. It’s huge part of my love of food. So it’s probably no surprise that I think long and hard every year what I want to bring to my neighbors, friends, and family as a Holiday treat. I’m also a big fan of unique Holiday treats, to break up the large amount (but still delicious!) amount of gingerbread and Sugar cookies you’re bound to get.
So, here’s my 10 favorite unique, sweet AND savory recipes for you to bring to your neighbors this year!
#1
Imagine this beautiful red spread in a jar placed on your neighbor’s porch… It’s even better placed in your mouth though! This Instant Pot Tomato Bacon Jam is one of my favorites and hits the spot in every way possible! Put it on Eggs, Burgers, Avocado Toast (my personal favorite) or straight out of the jar! This Savory, sweet, spicy spread would be perfect!
You can find the recipe here.
#2
Okay. This is gold in a jar. These Quick-Pickled Veggies add the perfect pop of flavor to just about anything! I especially love it in a wrap with sandwich meat, avocado, and bacon. You can put it in small or large jars, and let the beautiful pickled colors do the rest of the work! This is great for those with allergies to gluten, dairy, or eat Vegan. And in case you’re intimidated about pickling something… don't be! This is a ‘quick-pickled’ method, so you get the tang of vegetables sitting in a spiced Vinegar water without having to go through the complicated method of actually pickling them. Just make sure you include in the tag or tell whoever you’re giving it to that it’s not shelf stable, and will last in the fridge for 2-3 weeks. But no worries there- these won’t last for anyways!
You can find the recipe here.
#3
Who doesn’t love a jar of Homemade Salsa? Especially this Chipotle Lime Salsa. This one is definitely perfect for giving to people with allergies or special diets, but is so easy that even the most inexperienced cook can make it! It’s literally all thrown in a blender for less than a minute, and you’re done! I’ve made this for neighbor’s in the past, and it was a total hit! We even bought large bags of chips from Costco and broke it into smaller portions in bread bags tied with a cute ribbon. It’s that simple!
You can find the recipe here.
#4
Can we all agree that one of the best parts of Mexican food is the chips and salsa? Chips and Salsa are addicting to almost everyone, but especially when it’s homemade Salsa. This Pineapple Tomatillo Salsa hits all the right notes: Spicy, sweet, acidic… all the components of a completely addicting snack, appetizer, or if you’re my husband… an entire meal!
You can find the recipe here
#5
We all know Peanut Butter is made from blended up peanuts, but who’s actually tried it? Because it’s seriously hard to go back to store-bought after making this absolutely divine Homemade Peanut Butter! It’s SO easy, and 100% customizable. You can make it a little more salty, a little more sweet, and your level of preferred chunkiness. It’s so simple to make. Just buy a large container of peanuts and blend away!
You can find the recipe here.
#6
Now, onto the sweet treats! These Maple Cookies with Brown Butter frosting are truly what dreams are made of. The cookie itself is soft, with a subtle flavor of Maple. Just sweet enough, and the perfect vehicle to deliver the star of this show… this Brown Butter frosting. If you’ve never browned butter, buckle up. Because this stuff is amazing and easy to do. By letting it melt on your stovetop until it browns, it brings out this nuttiness and Caramel flavor. And then add those flavors into a buttercream and it’s sure to wow your taste buds!
You can find the recipe here.
#7
These cookies are soft and then have a creamy dulce de leche center, drizzled with chocolate and then sea salt. The combination is heavenly- it doesn't get much better! If you've never seen dulce de leche, you can find it in a can at most grocery stores in the baking aisle. If you can’t find it, you can always make your own in the Instant Pot! If you look it up, you can find plenty of recipes on how to do this on Pinterest.
You can find the recipe here.
#8
We all love Snickerdoodles, but these cookies are made even more delicious with the add-on of Apple Cider Drink mix! Sure to be a hit on whatever you bake them for. There’s the slight tang from Apple Cider mixture, some sweetness, and it’s all encapsulated in a soft cookie. This is a can’t-miss recipe!
You can find the recipe here.
#9
Zucchini bread/muffins is a beloved favorite, but when you add the sweetness of Orange and the Flavor depth of Molasses? Game. Over. You’ll never want to make any other form of Zucchini Bread or Muffins. I love to give people food they think they know the flavor of, (like traditional zucchini bread) and watch their eyes get wide as they taste something totally different from what they were expecting! Don’t miss this one!
You can find the recipe for the muffins here, and the bread here.
#10
So, every year for Christmas, one of our family friends would bring my family a batch of Orange Crescent Rolls. And those beauties would be DEVOURED before they even made their way to the kitchen. In fact, I have a vivid memory of standing in the dark living room lit only the outside Christmas lights after receiving them at the door and chowing one down. It was definitely my favorite treat of the Holiday season!
You can find the recipe here.