This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share things I own, use, or would happily wrap up for someone I love.
Okay, I have to tell you something fun. My recipe cards keep a little tally every time someone hits Print, and since summer you've printed my KitchenAid vanilla ice cream more than 200 times. Two hundred! That's two hundred kitchens with my recipe stuck to the fridge, and honestly it makes my whole heart happy.
Right behind it on your printers: my smoked queso dip, meringue frosting, the no-egg Mexican vanilla ice cream, and that pork tenderloin spice rub. So this year I built my gift guide straight from your printouts: gifts for ice cream lovers, smoker fans, bakers, and the dinner-makers in your life, plus a handful of real stocking stuffers. Every gift below is the tool or pantry staple that makes one of those recipes work, which means you're either shopping for the cook in your life or dropping some very loud hints for yourself. (I see you. I support you.)
Jump to: ice cream lovers · smoker fans · bakers · dinner-makers · stocking stuffers
Gifts for ice cream lovers (my most-printed recipe, by a mile)
1. The KitchenAid Ice Cream Bowl
If there's one gift on this whole page, it's this. The KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment is exactly what my vanilla ice cream recipe is written for. It snaps onto a KitchenAid stand mixer, you keep the bowl in the freezer, and you're scooping creamy homemade ice cream about half an hour after you pour in the base. It's also the gift readers click on more than anything else on my site, so you're in very good company.
Gift tip: print the recipe card and tuck it inside the box. Instant first batch.
2. A KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer (for the big gift)
No mixer yet? The KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer is the workhorse behind my ice cream, my meringue frosting, my pumpkin pie, and my cupcakes. Pair it with the ice cream bowl and you've given someone a whole new hobby.
3. A Standalone Ice Cream Maker
Shopping for someone without a stand mixer? My Mexican vanilla ice cream works beautifully in a standalone machine like the Cuisinart ice cream maker. No eggs, no custard, no stress.
4. Really Good Vanilla
Vanilla is the whole show in a vanilla ice cream, so this is the little gift that makes a big difference. My KitchenAid recipe calls for vanilla bean paste, which gives you those gorgeous little vanilla bean flecks. Or grab a bottle of Mexican vanilla (warm and a little spicy, perfect for my no-egg recipe) or Haitian vanilla for something different. Wrap one up with an ice cream bowl and you're officially the favorite.
Gifts for smoker fans (hello, queso people!)
My smoked queso dip is your second most-printed recipe, and the pork tenderloin rub and smoked vegetables aren't far behind. Here's what actually makes those recipes easy on a pellet smoker.
5. A Wireless Smoker Thermometer
On the smoker, we reach for our Inkbird IBT-4XS Bluetooth thermometer almost every time. Four probes, and you can check the temperature from your phone instead of opening the lid every ten minutes. Perfect for a pork tenderloin that you want juicy, not dry.
6. An Instant-Read Thermometer
For quick checks on steak or chicken on the grill or in the oven, I grab my Maverick PT-100BBQ instant-read thermometer. It reads fast, and it's a different job from the Inkbird. Honestly, every cook should have one of each.
7. A Stack of Disposable Aluminum Pans
Not glamorous, I know! But my smoked queso goes on the smoker in a disposable aluminum pan, and a big stack of them means game day cleanup takes about four seconds. Tie one up with a bow and a printed queso recipe and watch them laugh, then use every single one.
8. A Heavy-Duty Sheet Pan
My smoked vegetables and pork tenderloin both go on a sheet pan, and ours are USA Pan half sheet pans. They clean up easily and go from smoker to oven to cookie day without a fuss.
9. Basting Oil
The secret to my smoked vegetables is a good drizzle of Benissimo basting oil. It's already seasoned, so it's an easy, delicious little add-on gift for anyone who loves their smoker.
10. Heat-Resistant Gloves
For pulling hot grates, pans, and pork off the smoker, I love these elbow-length heat-resistant gloves. Your forearms will thank you.
11. A Wooden Grill Scraper
We use a wooden grill scraper on our grates. No metal bristles to worry about, and it shapes itself to the grates the more you use it.
12. The Big One: A Pellet Smoker
Shopping for someone who doesn't have a smoker yet? Our very first smoker was a Traeger from Costco, and the Traeger Pro 780 is still the one I'd hand a beginner. Want more smoker ideas? My pellet smoker gift guide has a whole list sorted by budget.
Gifts for bakers (meringue frosting fans, this one's for you)
13. A Pastry Bag, Tips and a Mini Torch
My meringue frosting is made for piping, so a pastry bag and a set of pastry tips are the perfect pair for the baker who wants those tall, swoopy cupcake tops. Then add a mini kitchen torch so they can toast those meringue peaks golden, just like I do. It's the most fun gift in the whole baking section!
14. A Cake Decorating Turntable
A cake decorating turntable makes frosting a cake feel like magic, even for beginners. It's one of those gifts people never buy for themselves and then use constantly.
15. A Pretty Pie Dish and Pie Weights
For the person who prints my cream cheese pumpkin pie every fall, an Emile Henry ruffled pie dish goes straight from the oven to the Thanksgiving table. Add a set of ceramic pie weights for perfect crusts.
16. A Portion Scoop and Cupcake Liners
My O.G. vanilla honey cupcakes bake up even and bakery-pretty with a portion scoop and these tulip-style cupcake liners. Small, sweet, and so easy to wrap.
17. Pre-Cut Parchment Sheets
Pre-cut parchment paper sheets are my absolute favorite kitchen shortcut. They lie flat on the pan and never curl up on you, whether you're baking cookies or smoking a pork tenderloin. Any baker will be thrilled, I promise.
Gifts for the dinner-makers
Your printers love my cozy dinners too: Scottish shepherd's pie, Dutch oven chili, seafood ravioli cream sauce, and smoked salmon toast. These are the bigger kitchen gifts that make every one of them better.
18. A Cast Iron Skillet
A Lodge 12-inch cast iron skillet is a gift that gets passed down. It's what gives my smoked salmon toast that crispy, buttery bread.
19. A Dutch Oven
For chili nights and cozy braises, a good Dutch oven is the gift that gets used all winter. The Emile Henry Sublime Dutch oven is a gorgeous pick for my Dutch oven chili.
20. A Potato Ricer
The fluffiest mashed potato topping for my shepherd's pie starts with a potato ricer. No lumps, no gluey potatoes, just a cloud on top of that rich beef filling.
21. Glass Storage Jars
Homemade staples deserve a pretty home. A set of glass storage jars is perfect for my homemade chorizo and tomatillo salsa, and for gifting a jar of either to a neighbor, too.
Stocking stuffers (small, useful, and they actually fit)
Little gifts that slip right into a stocking. The vanilla bean paste and pastry tips from above fit in a stocking too!
22. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
Diamond Crystal kosher salt is my absolute favorite salt. It's in my pork tenderloin rub and nearly every recipe on this list, and it's the second most-clicked link on my whole site. Yes, a box of salt is a real gift. Every cook who gets one says thank you.
23. Dried Chiles for Homemade Chorizo
A bag of ancho chiles and guajillo chiles plus a printed copy of my chorizo recipe is such a fun gift for the adventurous cook.
24. A Microplane, a Garlic Press and a Garlic Peeler
My seafood ravioli sauce leans on fresh lemon zest and lots of garlic, so a Microplane zester, a garlic press, and a silicone garlic peeler make the perfect little trio.
25. Paper Ice Cream Cups
A sleeve of paper ice cream cups is the cutest stocking stuffer for the ice cream maker in your life. Sundae bar at the holiday party? Done.
Frequently asked questions
What's a good gift for someone who loves ice cream?
If they have a KitchenAid stand mixer, the KitchenAid ice cream bowl is the winner. If not, a standalone ice cream maker plus a bottle of really good vanilla makes a sweet, complete gift.
What should I get someone who just got a pellet smoker?
A good thermometer first. A wireless one like the Inkbird lets them watch the cook from their phone, and an instant-read thermometer handles quick checks. After that, gloves, a scraper, and a stack of aluminum pans.
What are good stocking stuffers for a home cook?
Diamond Crystal kosher salt, dried chiles, a Microplane zester, a garlic press, vanilla bean paste, or paper ice cream cups. Small, useful, and always appreciated.
One last little idea
Whatever you pick, print the recipe that goes with it and tuck it in the box. It turns a kitchen tool into a plan, and it's my favorite way to gift. Want even more ideas? My Christmas gift guide for home cooks has gifts for every kind of cook, and my KitchenAid Black Friday guide covers the mixer deals.
Happy gifting, friends! xo, Tabi
Comments
No Comments