Looking for nomtastic DIY holiday edible gifts to make and give to your friends, family, colleagues, teachers, neighbors, and all the other people in your life? These homemade gifts are easy to make, paleo-friendly, gluten-free, and super tasty!

A grid of four Nom Nom paleo recipes that make great edible gifts: World's Easiest Cookies, Liar Balls, Coco Nutty Dark Bark, and a jar of Magic Mushroom Powder.

If you’re starved for holiday inspiration, I’ve created a roundup of my classic giftable edible holiday treats. All of them are a cinch to make together and you can drop them off or ship them to all of your pals!

Sweet Edible Holiday Gifts

Matcha, Chocolate, or Vanilla Mug Cake Kit

A close-up of a grain-free and gltuen-free matcha mug cake puffed over a white coffee mug and topped with dairy-free coconut whipped cream. I love quick and easy paleo mug cakes and I bet your pals will, too! To make someone’s holiday a little sweeter, measure out the dry ingredients for one mug cake and package the mix in a clear cellophane bag tied shut with a pretty bow. Attach a printed recipe card and let the lucky gift recipients know that all they have to do is whisk in the wet ingredients before cooking the individual cakes. No matcha? The recipe also includes instructions for chocolate and vanilla mug cakes!

Tuck a bag (or three) in a brand-new coffee mug and voila!

A close-up of a grain-free and gltuen-free matcha mug cake puffed over a white coffee mug and topped with dairy-free coconut whipped cream.

Matcha Mug Cake (Paleo, Gluten-free, Keto-friendly)

4.74 from 42 votes
Want to whip up a single serving of homemade gluten-free green tea flavored cake in just minutes? This paleo matcha mug cake is a delicious emerald-hued sponge cake that you can bake in your microwave or toaster oven!
View Recipe

Chocolate-Dipped Pistachio Cookies

My chocolate-dipped pistachio cookies are crunchy, tender, salty, nutty, and perfectly spiced with cardamom and lime zest.

A closeup of a plate of chocolate dipped pistachio cookies.

A closeup of a plate of chocolate dipped pistachio cookies.

Chocolate-Dipped Pistachio Cookies (Gluten Free, Paleo)

5 from 9 votes
My chocolate-dipped pistachio cookies are crunchy, tender, salty, nutty, and perfectly spiced with cardamom and lime zest. These delightful gluten-free cookies are perfect for homemade holiday gifts!
View Recipe

Thumbprint Cookies

These paleo thumbprint cookies are the jam-filled treats from your childhood, remade to be gluten-free and grain-free!

Paleo thumbprint cookies cooling on a wire rack

A blue plate is piled with paleo and gluten free thumbprint cookies filled with apricot and strawberry jam.

Thumbprint Cookies (Gluten Free, Paleo, Grain Free)

4.81 from 26 votes
These paleo thumbprint cookies are the jam-filled treats from your childhood, remade to be gluten-free and grain-free! 
View Recipe

Raspberry Financiers

These adorably delicious raspberry financiers are mini almond flour cakes crowned with a tangy berry.

A close up of paleo and gluten free raspberry financiers on a cooling rack

A close up of paleo and gluten free raspberry financiers on a cooling rack

Raspberry Financiers (Paleo, Gluten Free, Grain Free)

4.88 from 25 votes
These adorably delicious raspberry financiers are mini almond flour cakes crowned with a tangy berry. They’re simple, elegant, and a crowd-pleasing paleo and gluten-free dessert!
View Recipe

Nom Nom Chocolate Truffles

These paleo and dairy-free chocolate truffles are a cinch to make, yet look extra fancy! If your kids are looking for a cooking assignment, this fab recipe is it!

A closeup shot of vegan and paleo chocolate truffles by Nom Nom Paleo

A closeup of a plate filled with Nom Nom Paleo vegan chocolate truffles topped with cocoa powder or toasted shredded coconut.

Nom Nom Chocolate Truffles

5 from 10 votes
These paleo, vegan, and dairy-free chocolate truffles are perfect for homemade holiday gifts! Everyone will love them and request them year after year!
View Recipe

Coco-Nutty Dark Bark

I love making Coco-Nutty Dark Bark ’cause it’s drop-dead simple and infinitely customizable. To be honest, I feel embarrassed even calling this a recipe: all you do is melt the best dark chocolate you can find, and top it with your favorite add-ins.

You can change the toppings to suit your taste, though in my humble opinion, the crowning trio consists of toasted coconut flakes, tangy dried cranberries, and salty roasted macadamia nuts. I’ve even provided some fun printable labels that’ll make your packs of chocolatey goodness look legit.

Gift bags filled with Coco-Nutty Dark Bark

Coco-Nutty Dark Bark

Coco-Nutty Dark Chocolate Bark

5 from 6 votes
Paleo Coco-Nutty Dark Chocolate Bark is perfect for DIY homemade edible holiday gifts because the recipe is drop-dead simple and infinitely customizable.
View Recipe

Grain-Free Dark Chocolate Cherry Scones

The homemade scones are crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside, and dotted with dried cherries and dark chocolate. Your friends will love them!

Two paleo chocolate cherry scones on a cutting board, a DIY edible holiday gift.

Grain-Free Dark Chocolate Cherry Scones by Michelle Tam https://nomnompaleo.com

Grain-Free Dark Chocolate Cherry Scones

4.78 from 9 votes
These grain-free dark chocolate cherry scones are one of my favorite baked paleo treats! They're perfect for DIY holiday gifts, too!
View Recipe

Liar Balls

My Liar Balls—delicious and healthy paleo energy balls—are the perfect on-the-go snack for your friends and family! You can make these no-cook vegan treats with your kids and  customize the flavor with your favorite nuts or seeds!

An overhead shot of healthy, paleo, no-cook energy balls on a piece of parchment paper.

An overhead shot of healthy, paleo, no-cook energy balls on a piece of parchment paper.

Liar Balls (Paleo Energy Balls)

4.65 from 14 votes
My Liar Balls are delicious and healthy paleo energy balls that are the perfect on-the-go snack! You can make these no-cook vegan treats with your kids and customize the flavor with your favorite nuts or seeds!
View Recipe

“PB&J” Energy Balls

If you’re gonna roll up a bunch of Liar Balls, you may as well make some “PB&J” Energy Balls, too! These peanut-free “PB&J” Energy Balls are made with just nuts and fruit (and a pinch of salt).

An overhead shot of a bowl of PB&J energy balls, a nut-free paleo energy ball

“PB&J” Energy Balls by Michelle Tam https://nomnompaleo.com

Peanut Butter and Jelly Energy Balls

5 from 9 votes
Nope—there’s actually no peanut butter or jelly in these bite-size "PB&J" energy balls, but their nutty crunch and sweet strawberry flavor never fail to bring back fond memories of munching on my favorite after-school snack. In fact, I created this recipe for our latest cookbook, Ready or Not!, because I wanted a portable and crave-worthy bite that’s easily made in a flash. (If you don’t already own a copy of our second cookbook, what are you waiting for? Buy one here!)
Unlike the PB&J sandwiches I used to make for myself, these homemade treats are made with just nuts and fruit (and a pinch of salt). So when you need a pick-me-up after a long run, a hard workout, or an afternoon of gardening like a maniac, just pop a ball or two in your mouth, and I guarantee you’ll feel like a kid again. And yes, your kids will love them, too!
View Recipe

Chocolate Cherry Paleo Granola

Warning: it’s hard to refrain from munching on this fabulously crunchy, nutty, and maple-syrup sweetened gluten-free treat, so package it up and give it away before you eat it all yourself!

A closeup of a jar filled with Chocolate Cherry Paleo granola and a bowl in the background with granola on top of coconut yogurt.

An overhead shot of a tray of chocolate cherry paleo granola, a tasty homemade holiday edible gift

Chocolate Cherry Paleo Granola

5 from 9 votes
This fabulous chocolate cherry paleo granola makes an easy and crowd-pleasing DIY homemade holiday edible gift! Warning: it’s hard to stop munching on this crunchy, nutty, and maple-syrup sweetened gluten-free treat so package it up and distribute to all your pals!
View Recipe

Tropical Paleo Granola

This grain-free Paleo granola is crunchy, not too sweet, and infused with tropical flavors that remind me of my favorite fruity beachside drinks!

A shot of Tropical Paleo Granola on a rimmed baking sheet.

Tropical Paleo Granola by Michelle Tam https://nomnompaleo.com

Tropical Paleo Granola

5 from 1 vote
This grain-free Paleo granola is crunchy, not too sweet, and infused with tropical flavors that remind me of my favorite fruity beachside drinks!  Just a handful of this stuff delivers a mildly-sweet, nutty, tropical crunch like nothing else.
View Recipe

The World’s Easiest Cookies

Yes, these delicious crunchy almond flour cookies are the world’s easiest cookies to make and they happen to be paleo, vegan, gluten-free, and grain-free!

A pink plate topped with The World's Easiest Cookies from Elizabeth Barbone

The World's Easiest Cookies from Elizabeth Barbone by Michelle Tam https://nomnompaleo.com

The World's Easiest Cookies from Elizabeth Barbone

4.74 from 15 votes
These delicious and simple grain-free Paleo cookies will please your whole family! They're also gluten-free, egg-free, and vegan!
View Recipe

Savory Edible Holiday Gift

Magic Mushroom Powder

If you gift someone a jar of my Magic Mushroom Powder, they will be your friend of life. Sprinkle this umami-packed, Whole30-friendly seasoning salt on anything to make it delicious—it truly is the secret weapon in my kitchen arsenal.

A jar of Magic Mushroom Powder with a tag that says Happy Holidays

Too busy to make it yourself? My Magic Mushroom Powder—in giftable tins!—are available at ALL Whole Foods Market locations nationwide! If you can’t find them, ask customer service to order it or restock it!

Someone scooping out of Magic Mushroom Powder with a measuring cup.

Magic Mushroom Powder by Michelle Tam / Nom Nom Paleo https://nomnompaleo.com

Magic Mushroom Powder

4.92 from 36 votes
Magic Mushroom Powder is my secret weapon in my kitchen! Sprinkle this umami-packed seasoning salt on anything to make it delicious!
View Recipe

Happy gifting and eating! Don’t want to bother making homemade gifts? Check out my Holiday Gift Guide!

[Originally posted on December 14, 2020. Updated with new details and photos on December 22, 2021.]


Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).

About Michelle Tam

Hello! My name is Michelle Tam, and I love to eat. I think about food all the time. It borders on obsession. I’ve always loved the sights and smells of the kitchen. My mother was (and is) an excellent cook, and as a kid, I was her little shadow as she prepared supper each night. From her, I gained a deep, abiding love for magically transforming pantry items into mouth-watering family meals.

Other Recipes You May Like

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

4 Comments

  1. Haven’t visited this site in forever and you’re still as awesome as I remembered! Love these ideas, too. I made the truffles a few years back for a Christmas party and they were spectacular.

  2. DIY gifts are so cool. People tend to appreciate them more and they can be fun to make too. The one catch is that they have to be decent or the process isn’t worth the effort. The ideas on your list all look like they would be extremely popular.

  3. Great recipe ideas for gifting and taking to Holiday gatherings without starch, so I can eat them too. Thanks!