Ahh the holidays! One of my favorite times of year. Also probably some of the most stressful time of year. Holiday parties galore, sweet treats everywhere and all this shopping to do. Some of my clients really struggle during this time of year, especially when it comes to keeping up with their nutrition goals. Your dietitian is full of plenty of tips to help you get through the holiday season, especially when it comes to navigating the holiday parties and cookie exchanges. But that doesn’t take care of the gift issue. These homemade mason jar gifts are easy and affordable to make. Plus they make everyone feel so special! The nice thing about these is that a lot of the ingredients are similar, so you can make different varieties of the mason jar gifts with ease.
1. Pumpkin Cranberry Bread
This Mason Jar gift will come in handy when pumpkin is on sale at the grocery store! This bread is delicious, and the oats in the mix add extra fiber to this bread. Learn how to make the mix here and how to make the actual bread here.
2. Fudge Brownies
I will always be a chocolate girl. So brownies is one of my favorite things to make for parties or to give as gifts. These brownies are easy to put together, and can also be customized! If you want to make mint brownies, add mint chocolate chips to the mix instead. The sky is the limit! Find the mix recipe here and the brownie recipe here.
3. Friendship Soup
My roommate actually told me the story of friendship soup. The story is similar to that of the “stone” soup. It comes from the old child’s tale of a man coming into the village and telling the hungry villagers that he could make soup from stone. However, in order to make the soup he required certain ingredients, like carrots, celery, pasta etc. The villagers each brought something to the soup pot, and were able to come together to make a soup to feed the whole starving village. Now, this soup isn’t exactly like that, but I can guarantee that whoever makes this soup feels like they are getting a nice warm hug. Plus, you can freeze any leftovers in smaller mason jars for a quick meal another day. All the ingredients for the jars are here, and the friendship soup recipe is here.
4. 5 Bean Vegetarian Soup
Another great soup Mason Jar mix, that is easy to put together and even easier to make. This is a perfect meal prep recipe, and can be made in the slow cooker after the beans are soaked initially. Just cook for 4 hours on high, or 6-8 hours on low once all the ingredients have been added. You can find the ingredients for the jars here, and the recipe for the soup here.
5. Toffee Blondie Bars
These blondie bars are delicious and easy to put together. The crispy rice cereal gives these cookies a nice crunch, and are a real crowd pleaser. Recipe for the mix is located here and the recipe for the bars is located here.
6. Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies
Finally, probably one of my favorite cookies! These cranberry white chocolate mason jar gifts are delicious, and are perfect year round. Find the recipe for the mix here, and the recipe for the cookies here.
There you have it! 6 homemade mason jar gifts that are easy to make, cheap and will take the stress out of holiday gift giving.
The holidays are stressful, but nutrition doesn’t have to be! Your dietitian is here to help. To make an appointment with Klara or another one of our nutrition professionals, click here or call 301-474-2499.
Klara Knezevic is a registered dietitian nutritionist based in Maryland. She has over a decade of experience in the nutrition field and currently serves as the CEO and co-owner of Rebecca Bitzer and Associates, one of the largest nutrition private practices in the country. Klara is passionate about sharing practical nutrition tips to help you feel confident in the choices that you make. Coauthor ofCooking with Food Sensitivities Survival GuideandNourished: 10 Ingredients to Happy, Healthy Eating.