Healthy Homemade Gifts-in-a-Jar

Homemade gifts are as fun to make, as they are to give to others!  Gift Jars and sizes shown from left to right: Pumpkin Pie Muffin Mix (pint-size jar), Homemade Soaked Granola (quart-size jar), Raw Cookie Dough Bites Mix (half-pint jar) and Jumbleberry Jam (half-pint jar).

One of my family’s favorite Christmas traditions is to make homemade gifts in a jar. And the wonderful thing is, they’re as much fun to make together, as they are to give to others! Simply layer the ingredients of a favorite recipe in a jar, then add a festive ribbon and tag, and there you have it – a thoughtful gift made with love.

There are certainly a ton of gifts-in-a-jar recipes out there, but unfortunately, many rely on unhealthy ingredients. So I thought it would be fun to share just a few of my favorites with the hope that this may help you to create some healthy homemade gifts of your own! And certainly, if you have some whole food based gift-jar recipes, please share a link to them in the comments below.

My Top 5 Favorite Gifts-in-Jar Ideas
Pictured above are just a few of my favorite recipes that work well as Gifts-in-a-Jar:
1. Pumpkin Pie Muffins Mix in a Jar (pint) – A much requested favorite, my GF pumpkin muffin recipe makes a beautiful and tasty gift in a jar! See “gift idea #1″ below for details.
2. Raw Cookie Dough Bites Mix in a Jar (half-pint) – My new Raw Cacao-Coconut Cookie Dough Bites recipe also works beautifully as a gift in a jar! See “gift idea #2″ below for details.
3. Healthy Homemade Granola Gifts-in-a-Jar – whether it’s simply combined with some crispy nuts and dried fruits – or all layered up in a mason jar ready to be transformed into some oh-so-chewy granola bar treats – the delicious versatility of homemade granola makes it a thoughtful and welcomed gift!
4. Jumbleberry Jam in a Jar –  You can use any whole food jam recipe to create a delicious holiday gift. I especially love to give my family’s favorite  – Jumbleberry Jam – it’s secret ingredient allows the jam to set without the use of pectin powders! (My recipe makes four 8-ounce jars.)
5. Cranberry Christmas Bread Mix in a Jar – This traditional quick bread recipe makes a delightful gift-in-a-jar and is so easy to make your friends and family will love it!

Visit Keeper of the Home for my special Granola Bars-in-a-Jar recipe! It’s a real favorite of adults and kids alike!

Creating Your Own Homemade Gifts from the Heart!
When thinking about which of your favorite recipes will work well as a gift-in-the-jar, it’s important to consider the following:
• Will the recipe ingredients fit in a standard size mason jar, such as a half-pint, pint or quart?
• How easy is the recipe to assemble? Are the additional items needed to complete the recipe standard ingredients that most people have on hand?
• How will you include instructions for making the recipe? (My preferred option is to include the instructions inside a card and place the card and gift jar into a recycled gift bag.)
• What are the storage requirements for the gift jar – should it be refrigerated or stored at room temp? And for how long? (Be sure these are explained to the recipient.) 

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Gift Idea #1:
Pumpkin Pie Muffins Gift-in-a-Jar (GF)

These scrumptious Pumpkin Pie Muffins make a delicious and nutritious gift, especially for those who are living GF. Simply layer these ingredients in a wide-mouth one-pint (2 cup) mason jar in the following order:

• 1/4 cup crispy walnut pieces
• 1/3 cup organic raisins
• 1 3/4 cups blanched almond flour
• 1/4 tsp celtic sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

Finishing the gift:
Cut out festive paper in circles the same size as the jar top; place paper on top of the circle seal and then screw the lid over the paper. Add decorative ribbon and a gift tag.

Be sure to include the baking instructions (see below).
I like to print the directions out and place them into the Christmas card we give along with the gift jar. To make it extra festive, I place both the card and gift jar in a recycled gift bag.

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Instructions for Baking Pumpkin Pie Muffins
You will need the following ingredients to bake these delicious & healthy grain-free pumpkin pie muffins:

• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup whole milk yogurt (or unsweetened applesauce)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with 12 paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, blend together the pumpkin, eggs, maple syrup and yogurt (or applesauce) until smooth.
3. Then, dump the contents of the jar into the bowl and use a large spoon to mix together until well blended.
4. Fill muffin liners 2/3 full with batter.
5. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.Then, turn the oven down to 325 degrees and continue baking another 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Enjoy!

Storage: This gift-in-a-jar can be stored in the pantry for 2-3 weeks. Yield: 12 muffins.

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Gift Idea #2:
Raw Cacao-Coconut Cookie Dough Bites Gift-in-a-Jar (GF)

These scrumptious Raw Cacao-Coconut Cookie Dough Bites make a delicious and nutritious gift, especially for those who are living GF. Simply layer these ingredients in a wide-mouth half-pint (1 cup) mason jar in the following order:

• 3 tbsp unsweetened finely shredded coconut
• 2 tbsp ground flax seed (this ingredient is not in the original recipe; I added it to help fill the jar up and add color)
• 2 tbsp organic cacao nibs
• 1/3 cup, plus 2 tbsp coconut flour
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Finishing the gift:
Cut out festive paper in circles the same size as the jar top; place paper on top of the circle seal and then screw the lid over the paper. Add decorative ribbon and a gift tag.

Be sure to include the baking instructions (see below).
I like to print the directions out and place them into the Christmas card we give along with the gift jar. To make it extra festive, I place both the card and gift jar in a recycled gift bag.

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Instructions for Making Raw Cacao-Coconut Cookie Bites
You will need the following ingredients to make these delicious & healthy grain-free raw cookie dough bites:

• 1/2 cup creamy unsalted raw almond butter
• 1/4 cup pure raw sage honey
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. In a large bowl, mix together the raw almond butter, honey and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
2. Next, dump the contents of the jar into the bowl and use a large spoon to mix together until well blended. Then, using your hands, knead the dough to further combine all the ingredients together.
3. Scoop out teaspoon-size portions and roll into balls using your hands to form the cookie bites. Place cookie bites on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
4. Refrigerate cookie bites for at least 30 minutes prior to serving. Or, place the entire baking sheet of cookies into the freezer for about 2 hours. Once frozen, you can transfer the cookies to a freezer-safe container and simply thaw-out the desired amount of cookies for a couple of minutes prior to serving. Enjoy!

Storage: This gift-in-a-jar can be stored in the pantry for 2-3 weeks. Yield: 1 1/2 dozen cookie bites.

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I hope these ideas inspire you to create some healthy homemade holiday gifts of your own! Wishing you and your family many blessings for a joyful and merry CHRISTmas!

Joyfully Serving Him, Kelly

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