The Best Food Gifts Under $25 (That Feel Thoughtful and Chic)

Eater’s under-$25 holiday gift guide is, unabashedly, one of my favorites to curate during gift guide season — both as a shopping writer and a writer who lives, laughs, loves to shop. I live for the thrill of a thrifty find; that rush of finding the perfect gift that somehow comes in way under budget is a sensation I first experienced while thrifting with my mom as a kid, when I was taught to sniff out authentic English ironstone bowls like an Antiques Roadshow bloodhound. I have been John Wick-training for this moment.  The best gifts under $25 for the true food freaks in your life (including yourself) should speak to their specific culinary obsessions, tastebuds, and cult-fave restaurants. Keep an eye out for those limited-edition holiday gifts that are going to sell out soon, and, when you see a potential present, ask yourself: does it inspire whimsy? Why should I settle for a spoon rest that isn’t shaped like ravioli? Move those mugs and snacks from heritage and indie brands to the front of the line, and maybe even click add-to-cart twice so that you, too, can experience the magic of Spaghetti Dust.  Whether you’re looking for a White Elephant present or an offering to impress your in-laws, let’s shop for the best food- and drink-related gifts under $25.  A versatile gingerbread spice  Diaspora Spice Co. is one of my favorite places to buy spices online, because the selection is always exciting and the company pays its farm partners an average of six times more than the commodity price. This year’s enticingly versatile gingerbread spice blend caught my eye, because it can be used for baking, or for simply sprinkling over coffee for a festive boost. Bundle it up with a nice velvet bow and a highly specific, nostalgic thrift-store mug for a delightful gift.  Diaspora Spice Co. Gingerbread Spice Diaspora Spice Co. Gingerbread Spice Where to Buy: $14 at Diaspora Spice Co. This cult-fave tube of seasoning for spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino The wonder elicited from this traveling tube of “Spaghetti Dust” — aka ready-to-sprinkle dried garlic, Calabrian chile flakes, parsley, and sea salt — with its groovy graphics and gift-ready packaging, makes it one of the coolest food-themed presents that’s sure to sell out this holiday season. Just add olive oil and al dente pasta, and you’re ready to eat a delicious meal.   L’Isolina Spaghetti Dust (4 Pack) Where to Buy: $28 at L’Isolina A stoneware mug for Mom or Dad’s collection There’s something so comforting about a stoneware mug — holding one makes me feel instantly more cozy and learned, like a Nancy Meyers character rediscovering joy in an English countryside cottage. The ceramic material makes stoneware a great insulator when it comes to heat retention (without burning your hands), and this rustic, splatter stoneware mug from Hudson Grace is a looker.  Nuno Splatter Stoneware Mug Where to Buy: $18 at Hudson Grace For the Kewpie mayo devotee Your giftee has all the deep-cut Kewpie mayonnaise flavors. They might even own the Kewpie cookbook. Now, give them the gift of a Kewpie mayo ornament to solidify their fealty to the Japanese mayo brand.  Kewpie Mayonnaise Ornament Where to Buy: $17.99 at The Christmas Loft Beautifully packaged olive oil Ya Albi is a Palestinian American, mother-daughter-owned company that sources its slightly sweet, full-bodied olive oil from the West Bank, and packages it all in a chic pink tin. Plus, all of the oil’s proceeds go toward HEAL Palestine, a nonprofit organization that supports Palestinian children impacted by the war on Gaza. (To shop for even more Palestinian olive oils, check out this Eater guide.) Ya Albi Extra Virgin Olive Oil Ya Albi Extra Virgin Olive Oil Where to Buy: $25 at Ya Albi Soap inspired by Swedish princess cake Technically, it’s 20 cents over our $25 budget, but this princess cake-inspired soap from Flamingo Estate is too good to pass up. The soap is made by whipping together shea butter and raspberry oil, and perfumed with a combination of scents like sweet almond, heliotrope blossoms, and musky amber to create a marzipan and cream-esque olfactory profile. The bar is then given a final romantic garnish, and elegantly engraved with its prinsesstårta namesake. Prinsesstårta Milk Bar Soap Flamingo Estate Prinsesstårta Milk Bar Soap Where to Buy: $25.2 at Flamingo Estate Take Eater to Paris with you From traditional, sprawling brasseries to the incoming wave of Parisian global gastronomy, Eater has you covered for dining out in the City of Lights with The Eater Guide to Paris. Whether your giftee is planning an upcoming trip to Paris or an aspirational one, this trusty tome is filled with vetted Eater favorites for every kind of hungry traveler.  The Eater Guide to Paris Where to Buy: $24.99 $9.83 at Amazon The stocking stuffer for someone who watches The Gilded Age  It’s always a bonus when you find a gift with packaging so stunning that it’s already gift-ready. Pastiglie Leone is