Irresistible food gifts made in Canada for everyone on your list

Food gifts are a perennial go-to during the holiday season — easy, thoughtful and a fun way to share your favourite flavours. Maybe you delight in gifting your friends coffee beans from your much-loved neighbourhood café, sending a taste of home in the form of a special spice mix to far-away loved ones, or hunting down a hot sauce the aficionado in your life hasn't tried yet. Whatever you're after, we've rounded up ideas from 33 Canadian brands across the country to inspire your gift-giving this year.

From drinks and spreads to sweets and spices, there's something for everyone on your list. We've highlighted gift packs for many items, but we encourage you to explore the company's website for even more options. Plus, all these picks are available for shipping, so you can send them straight to your giftee.

Toronto's Spice Girl Chai offers a sweetened and unsweetened version of their chai concentrate, making it a warming gift. It might be the easiest (and tastiest) chai your loved one will ever make.

Chai Concentrate, $18, Spice Girl Chai

Benjamin Bridge has created a non-alcoholic version of their iconic sparkling wine, Nova 7. This pink-hued sipper from Nova Scotia's Gaspereau Valley is available in cases of 12 or 24 for a festive booze-free option. 

Nova Zero, from $47.97, Benjamin Bridge

Let Marchelle McKenzie of Toronto's Butter & Spice take care of your holiday baking! This mailer box of a dozen brownies ships across Canada and the U.S. and includes three of the shop's bestselling flavours: cornflake, cookies and cream, and chocolate chip. 

(If you're baking homemade treats this season, check out this cookie box with three delicious original recipes that she made for CBC Life.)

Brownies, $50, Butter & Spice 

Got an oyster lover in your life? This big box of P.E.I. oysters is sure to be a hit. It features 100 cocktail-size Malpeque oysters, great for kicking off a great party. Atlantic Aqua Farms ships overnight where possible, so your giftee can get a taste of the East Coast just in time for the holidays.  

Barstool Cocktails, $205, Atlantic Aqua Farms 

Vegan chocolate can be a tricky gift to get just right, but this one from Toronto chocolatier Purdys is sure to impress even the non-vegans on your list. Their new 16-piece gift box includes shimmery dark chocolates in four flavours: fig, raspberry, mango and tonka.

 

Vegan Dark Chocolate Collection, $35, Purdys

This pecan chai maple spread is an indulgent treat for the nut butter lover in your life. Made in Sherbrooke, Que., with 75 per cent roasted pecans, it will instantly elevate any slice of toast. 

Pecan Chai Maple Nut Butter, $17.95, Mille et Une Noix

A brunch starter in a box! This gift set from Edmonton's Sgambaro's features two packs of pre-sliced, vacuum-sealed Atlantic cold-smoked salmon and a jar of capers. All they'll need is a bag of bagels!

Smoked Salmon (Lox) Gift Box, $39.95, Sgambaro's Signature Seafoods 

Send them some love in the form of one of Montreal's most iconic bagels. St-Viateur ships across Canada and the U.S., and you can choose from eight flavours. You can even pair them with merch for the bagel-obsessed on your list. 

Bagels, from $28.50, St-Viateur Bagel

This kit lets them brew authentic Vietnamese coffee right at home. It comes with coffee beans from Toronto's Saigon Drip, an embossed, stainless steel phin filter and a can of Longevity Brand sweetened condensed milk. 

Vietnamese Coffee Kit, $43, Saigon Drip

Sure, you could buy just one or two flavours from Whitehorse's Klondike Kettle Corn, but why not go all out with their epic Christmas Countdown Box? It's packed with 24 bags of gourmet kettle and caramel corn in classic flavours and unique twists, including whiskey caramel, blood orange and dark chocolate, and spruce tip. 

Christmas Countdown Box, $84.99, Klondike Kettle Corn

For the caesar lover on your list, this kit from Winnipeg-based craft beverage company Abiding Citizen has all the makings for a next-level cocktail. It comes with their celery shrub, hot pepper bitters and a spicy rimmer. 

Caesar Kit Combo, $39, Abiding Citizen

This Saskatoon berry jam is made from Saskatchewan's most iconic berry. Regina-based Parenteau's Gourmet Foods offers a variety of products, but we think a jar of jam is a classic.

Saskatoon Berry Jam, $7, Parenteau's Gourmet Foods via SaskMade

North York, Ont.'s Cup of Té has tons of blends to choose from, but we're especially into this luxe set of organic teas — partly because it made Oprah's Favorite Things list this year, but mostly because it contains six flavours of tea and 84 individually wrapped servings.

Luxe Pyramid Tea Bag Gift Set, $94.99, Cup of Té

What's a Canadian food gift guide without maple syrup? This one from Quebec's Gaspé Peninsula is aged in oak bourbon barrels for extra depth and comes in a gorgeous glass bottle.

Bourbon Maple Syrup, $24.95, Sève de Mars

If your giftee always keeps a box of Maldon in their kitchen, they'll adore this brand from Vancouver. The all-natural, pyramid-shaped crystals are hand-harvested from the Canadian Pacific Ocean.

Flake Sea Salt, $10.95, Vancouver Island Sea Salt 

Chocolat de Kat makes some of the prettiest — and tastiest — chocolates around. Their Hanukkah box is designed to look like a hanukkiah (menorah) and is inspired by classic Jewish desserts. Inside, you'll find flavours like poppyseed hamantaschen, raspberry rugelach, and apple and honey cake.

Premium Chocolate Hanukkah Box, $35, Chocolat de Kat

A box of caramel sauces from this Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Que.-based company includes three flavours — salted caramel, butter caramel and maple caramel — which your giftee can enjoy on desserts, in coffee or any way they like. 

Classic Caramel Gift Box, $32, La Lichée

Build your own gift box with any of Zing's 10 offerings. The sauces and seasonings from this Toronto brand are pantry shortcuts for adding big flavour fast. Choose from Hakka-ish Chili Crisp, Zesti Jerk Seasoning, Ooomami Savoury Seasoning Salt and more. 

Build Your Own Gift Pack, from $23.98, Zing 

A delightful dinner starter, this tomato basil pasta from Nature's Farm in Steinbach, Man., is made with prairie-grown Canadian durum wheat and their farm-fresh, free-run eggs.

Tomato Basil Fettuccine, $5, Nature's Farm

This hot honey from Rosewood Winery in Lincoln, Ont., is sure to impress with its spicy kick! It's a great gift on its own but pairs well with a bottle of wine from their vineyard or some of their other honey products. 

Hot Honey, $16, Rosewood Winery

These individually wrapped treats from Vancouver's The Lemon Square are a tasty little gift to give this season. Order a dozen so you can snack on some, too! 

Lemon Squares, $48, The Lemon Square 

For the person on your list who can't start the day without a strong cup of coffee, these Sunrise Espresso beans from Yellowknife's Barren Ground Coffee make a great gift. 

Sunrise Espresso, from $21, Barren Ground Coffee

This hot sauce duo from Toronto's Ot Mama is great for marinating, dipping or spreading. The set includes bottles of both their award-winning chunky and smooth varieties.

Chili Garlic Sauce, $22, Ot Mama

Shop Morgan's Harbour for Jamaican patties this season. This Port Coquitlam, B.C., business ships their frozen patties, and you can select from five tasty flavours.  

Jamaican Patty Pack, $43.99, Morgan's Harbour Patties

Give the gift of a warm and cosy festive beverage. Made in St. John's, this hot chocolate is crafted from chocolate curls with a sprinkle of candy cane bits mixed in.

Candy Cane Hot Chocolate, $11.99, Newfoundland Chocolate Company

Give them a breakfast classic! This Windsor, Ont.-based company's pancake mix is dairy-free, nut-free and can even be made vegan. They also have an original version for those who don't need the gluten-free option. 

Gluten-Free Pancake Mix, $18.99, Stac(s) 

This mini fruit cake delivers big nostalgia. Made in Lunenburg, N.S., it's a limited-edition treat and pre-sales are open now. It stays fresh in its packaging for up to six weeks.

Holiday Fruit Cake, $15.75, Lunenburg Rum Cakes

Give a delicious movie night accompaniment. This bundle from Uncle Bob's comes with everything they need: three types of Ontario-grown popcorn kernels (including their specialty white hull-less variety), two tasty seasonings and a microwave bowl for easy popping.

Popcorn Lover Bundle, $41.99, Uncle Bob's

Shortbread is a holiday classic, and you can't go wrong with these buttery mini cookies from Etobicoke, Ont.'s Mary Macleod's. This pack contains 12 bite-size cookies and you can pick from four delicious flavours. 

Round of Mini Cookies, $12, Mary Macleod's Shortbread

This frybread mix from Richmond, B.C.'s Bangin' Bannock is made using family recipes from founders Kelsey Coutts and Destiny Houshte. As they say on their site, it's "perfect for both newcomers and seasoned bannock lovers." 

OG Bannock Mix, $11.99, Bangin' Bannock

This spice mix from Saint John might just become your giftee's new favourite steak seasoning. The savoury blend includes local dulse, bringing a taste of the East Coast to any dish. 

Slocum and Ferris NB 'Sea' Spice, $10, Rising Tide Gifts

Pick any two 250-ml jars of achar for this gift pack from Nani's Achar, a mother-and-daughter-owned business in Pickering, Ont. There are four flavours to choose from, and Spicy Mango is their most popular. 

Small Achar Bundle, $17.99, Nani's Achar

You can now get Stratford, Ont.'s iconic Rhéo Thompson chocolates delivered right to your door. Choose from their famous mint smoothies or an assorted mix, but trust us — the mint smoothies are a favourite for a reason. Plus, the wrapping is already done for you!

Gold Bow Box, $36.95, Rhéo Thompson Candies