Food gifts are often considered luxury items, but sometimes it’s fun to be on the receiving end of indulgence. Further, many of these food gifts last—baked goods can be frozen for months, wine subscriptions keep on coming, and artisanal jams are called preserves for a reason.
A homemade box of cookies is always a nice gesture, but if you’re looking to give a little extra this year, any one of these tantalizing vegan food gifts will be sure to put a smile on everyone’s face. From gourmet chocolates to vegan meal subscriptions, here are 10 exceptional edible vegan gifts for everyone on your list.
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What makes a gift ‘vegan’?
Everyone who has a vegan on their gift list should know that for many, the concept of not eating animals extends beyond their everyday meals. Not every vegan who considers the lifestyle a part of their identity is conspicuous about it—they may not bring it up regularly and they may not own a ‘vegan’ t-shirt, but they do try to incorporate compassion into all they do. This includes gifting.
When it comes to food gifts, it’s fairly obvious that products made without animal ingredients are in the clear. However, what about other gifts such as skincare, candles, and apparel? Like food, you’ll want to look at the ingredients first. Does it contain animal products? Things like beeswax, wool, cashmere, and honey are all ingredients to watch out for. If you’re looking at makeup or bodycare, is it both cruelty free and vegan (yes, both are necessary). For non-food gifts, check out our vegan gift guide, but keep reading to find the perfect fit for your vegan (or vegan-curious) foodie friend, family member, or office mate.
Vegan food gifts
These 10 edible vegan gifts will have everyone on your list reeling in holiday cheer.
1 Vegan Ice Cream Pint Club
Pre-pandemic, the idea of shipping ice cream seemed absurd. Thanks to packing innovation (and dry ice), frozen foods can weather the—er—weather of overnight travel. While this novelty seems a bit extravagant (okay, it totally is), it also offers a way to support small vegan businesses even when you live five states away. Companies such as Salt and Straw, NadaMoo, Clementine’s Creamery, and Frankie & Jo’s all ship packs of their vegan ice cream—the latter even offers a subscription-based pint club. With luck, your gift recipient will share a pint or two.
Find it here
Lagusta’s Luscious
2 Gourmet vegan chocolates
Vegan chocolate can be found anywhere, but when it’s being given as a gift, it must be fancy. We’re talking ornate wrappings, delicate chocolate art, and decadent fillings. There are several luxury vegan chocolatiers out there, but to start, try Laderach, Nhiar Chocolates, La Maison du Chocolat, or Lagusta’s Luscious. Forget candy canes—vegan truffles really bring out the jolliness of the season.
Find it here
SriMu
3Vegan cheese subscription
Ever since vegan cheese evolved from the rubbery substance of yester-year to the divine food it is today, there have been vegan cheese addicts. Many locally owned vegan cheese shops offer subscriptions—like Rebel Cheese in Austin, TX—but if your area is lacking a plant-based cheese monger, rely on SriMu. The Ritz Carlton of vegan cheese, this artisan vegan company offers both subscriptions and single holiday boxes of the funkiest, most complex, and mouthwatering cheeses money can buy. It may sound like we’re exaggerating, but one bite of this cheese, and you’ll get it.
Find it here
Sip & Share
4 Vegan wine club
Save your giftee the hassle of scrolling through Barnivore.com by giving them a curated box of vegan wines. There are several options—there’s the subscription-based wine club option or the one-time gift option. We recommend checking out Winc for a personalized subscription, Vegan Wines for its rotating vegan partnerships (think wine and plant-based charcuterie or chocolate), and Sip & Share Wines for its virtual SipSerpiences (it comes with a four or seven-wine sampler pack). Cheers!
Find it here
Erin McKenna’s Bakery
5 DIY cookie decorating kits
It’s okay to love to decorate but not love to bake. For this person, a cookie, cupcake, or brownie decorating kit is the perfect gift. Try Erin McKenna’s Gingerbread Men Kit for a gluten-free option or Sticky Fingers Bakery for an assortment of drool-worthy cupcake, brownie, and sandwich cookie decorating kits. No judgment if you find the ingredients half-eaten before starting the assembly. That peanut butter frosting from Sticky Fingers is darn good.
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PlantBelly
6 Vegan virtual marketplace subscription
Brace yourself, because there is the strong possibility of tumbling down the rabbit hole with this gift. Virtual vegan markets are like walking into a supermarket only stocked with vegan items with the added addiction of an endless scroll. From novelty products to local brands, the options are mesmerizing. Either procure a gift card or subscription to one of these digital shopping centers (we’re big fans of GTFO and PlantBelly) or purchase a themed and curated bundle of goodies. You can’t go wrong here!
Find it here
Sakara
7 Vegan meal kit
Last spring, we tried 13 different meal kits. From frozen and pre-made to do-it-yourself, you can find a comprehensive report of our thoughts here. We stand by the fact that there is a meal kit for everyone, which means there is a meal kit for everyone on your shopping list.
Find it here
Seed + Mill
8 Fancy vegan condiments
We all know the stores—the homey boutiques full of everything you never knew you needed—from candles to stationary to small-batch, artisan-made, locally produced jars of jellies, nut butters, and hot sauce. The number of times we’ve actually purchased something from these stops is zero to none, but that doesn’t mean we don’t secretly crave these products. Here are a few luxury items to finally add to your cart: Prospect Jam Co’s Red Pear Preserves with Gingerbread Spice & Molasses, Brooklyn Delhi’s achaars and chutneys, Seed+Mill’s Tahini Swirl Brownie Baking Kit, Big Spoon Roasters’ Tigerwalk Espresso Butter, Anne’s trio of flavored toum sauces, and Runamok’s Holiday Spice Infused Maple Syrups.
Find it here
L’artisan Creative Bakery
9 Vegan baked goods
From a box of quarter-pound cookies to flaky croissants that taste fresh from the oven, anyone with a semblance of a sweet tooth will melt over a box of expertly made vegan baked goods. A number of vegan bakeries have perfected their nationwide shipping game, but here are a few places to get started: VegNews Pink Karma Box from Karma Baker, Mystical Box from Giselle’s Vegan Kitchen, croissants from L’artisan Creative Bakery, and enormous stuffed vegan cupcakes from Southern Roots Bakery. Find it here
Canva
10 Exceptional coffee or tea
No two coffee grounds are alike, just as all tea varieties have a unique taste to them. For the coffee or tea snob, a bag of high-quality beans or loose leaf tea is the perfect gift. Start with your recipient’s favorite coffee or tea shop to see if they sell their own products. If not, try out Tradition Coffee Roasters, Stereoscope, or The Te Spa.
For more vegan gifts, read:
Tanya Flink is a Digital Editor at VegNews as well as a writer and runner living in Orange County, CA.
