Christmas Gift Baskets: Delightful Ideas for Everyone on Your List

Though the concept is classic, our experience shows the Harry & David Bear Creek Gift Box is the riskiest pick in this guide, earning 5/10. You get nine gourmet items—fresh Royal Riviera pears, seasonal apples, and sweet-savory extras like Moose Munch, cheese, and sausage—in gift-ready packaging. However, multiple buyers (and our checks) flagged bruised or melted items and customer-service and tracking issues, which is tough at $89.99. If you gift it, consider local delivery or a backup plan.

For a taste of New York nostalgia, we found Zabar’s Story Gift Box arrives gift-ready with instant holiday warmth: nine premium goodies anchored by chocolate babka, rugelach, a 12 oz Special Blend coffee, and a Zabar’s mug. Scoring 8/10, it’s pricey at $155 but creates a memorable unboxing and an immediate coffee-and-pastry moment. Our experience shows it’s best for recipients without gluten or dairy restrictions, and a few customers report occasional freshness or packaging hiccups, so ship early when possible.

For the home cook on your Christmas list, we found G’s Go-To Italian Gift Box to be a beautiful, ready-to-gift pick: seven gourmet, vegetarian-friendly items, including two signature pasta shapes, extra-virgin olive oil, and seasoned salt. It scored 7/10—tasty and thoughtful, though pricier at $97 than basic pantry bundles and not suitable for gluten-free diets. Presentation is excellent with crinkle paper and a gift note, but our experience shows occasional delivery hiccups, so plan ahead if timing is critical.

If brand recognition matters, this Ghirardelli Chocolate Gift Basket delivers premium-name appeal and arrives attractively packaged for holiday gifting. During our review, we found the packaging solid for shipping, which helps ensure chocolates show up in good condition. That said, its 6.5/10 score reflects occasional delivery hiccups and a size that can feel smaller than the $69.38 price suggests. Order ahead to buffer against shipping issues, or consider higher-scoring sweets if value per ounce is your priority.

See’s Classic Gift Pack piles on over two pounds of favorites—assorted chocolates, molasses chips, peanut brittle, Little Pops, and milk chocolate drops—ready to gift with a bow. We liked the shareable quantity and polished presentation, but at $82, its 6/10 score reflects mixed freshness reports and a relatively high price. Our experience shows heat sensitivity can be an issue, so avoid warm shipping routes or choose expedited delivery. It also contains milk and nuts, limiting who can enjoy it compared with allergen-friendly sweets.

If you want a festive, polished gift without guessing flavors, our testing shows Sugarfina’s Signature 8-Piece Candy Bento Box hits the sweet spot. Eight vegetarian-friendly cubes of curated gummies and chocolates arrive in a beautiful, reusable bento that feels luxe and gift-ready right out of the box. It earned 8/10; the main trade-offs are the $78 premium and common allergens like milk, nuts, eggs, wheat, and soy. Perfect for office sharing or a chic stocking companion.

During our review, this Godiva and Bakery Gift Basket proved a reliable chocolate-forward crowd-pleaser, pairing premium Godiva pieces with an assortment of bakery treats across 12 luxury items. It scored 7/10: attractive packaging and easy gifting, but portions can feel small for the $94.96 price tag compared with some sets in this guide. Our experience shows occasional delivery or customer-service hiccups, so order with a time cushion. For chocolate lovers, it’s a safe pick, just not the best value.

Murray’s Greatest Hits strikes a sweet spot for small gatherings, pairing four crowd-pleasing cheeses with spiced cherry preserves, Marcona almonds, and sea salt crackers. During our review, the gift-ready box with thermal protection kept everything fresh and earned a confident 8/10. Quantity lands around two pounds, so for larger parties you may want to supplement, especially since meats and fresh fruit aren’t included. Note the almonds for nut-sensitive recipients, but otherwise we found it a polished, dependable upgrade over basic cheese samplers.

For a classic, shareable spread, Hickory Farms’ All-Time Favorites packs five cheeses, a broad selection of meats, mustard, and two cracker types for easy entertaining. In our testing, the generous 14-item assortment and gift-ready packaging made it a reliable crowd-pleaser, earning a strong 8.5/10. We also appreciate the free shipping eligibility to APO/DPO/FPO addresses, which simplifies sending holiday cheer to deployed loved ones. Just account for the $130 price and common allergens like milk, wheat, and soy when picking for mixed-diet groups.

When you need to wow a crowd, igourmet’s 2025 Ultimate Party Collection delivered our top-rated experience, earning a stellar 9.5/10. In testing, the generous, hand-assembled assortment of cheeses, cured meats, crackers, and accompaniments made an instant charcuterie spread for 12–14 guests. The premium price and need for expedited shipping on perishables are worth budgeting for, particularly if timing matters around holiday parties. Also expect occasional substitutions when items are out of stock, but our experience shows quality stays consistently high and gift-ready.

Our top-rated choice at 10/10, D’Artagnan’s Grande Charcuterie Gift Collection is the showstopper we reached for in our holiday hosting tests. Ten gourmet, ready-to-eat items—think duck rillettes, truffle mousse, and artisanal cured meats—arrive in a handsome gift box with a charcuterie brochure and serving tips. The trade-offs are practical: some items are perishable within 3–5 days, substitutions may occur, and allergens like wheat, milk, and tree nuts are present. If recipients love grazing boards, this luxury set is unforgettable.

Dylan’s Candy Bar’s Tackle Box is a playful pick with a reusable 12-compartment organizer that doubles as a desk caddy after the sweets. We found the candy variety fun for sampling, and buying the two-box bundle stretches your dollar compared with two singles. Still, portions run small for $48, and its 5.5/10 score reflects allergen limitations plus occasional reports of stale candy or a finicky lid. Consider it more of a novelty stocking stuffer than a value play, especially compared with higher-scoring sweet gifts.

Planning a holiday party? In our testing, the Baked by Melissa Cupcakes 100-Pack scored a strong 8.5/10 for sheer crowd appeal and value—100 premium minis for $37, all gift-ready. The bite-size format makes sampling easy and portion-friendly, and the assortment covers classic favorites so everyone finds a flavor. Just note the kitchen processes nuts and, per piece, it’s pricier than standard bakery cupcakes, so we’d save this for gifting or events where variety and convenience matter most.

During our review, Wolfermans Grand Bakery Gift Basket impressed with a substantial 6 lb spread—12 gourmet items from bagels and English muffins to scones, cookies, and preserves—arriving in a reusable woven basket. It’s gift-ready and looks generous under the tree, but the 6/10 score reflects reliability concerns compared to higher-rated picks. Our experience shows perishable shipments can run late around peak season, and customers report higher shipping costs and tracking issues. If you order, build in extra time to preserve freshness.

For a cozy Christmas morning, Stonewall Kitchen’s New England Breakfast Basket packs pancake mix, maple syrup, two jams, cinnamon bun mix, and coffee in a reusable Nantucket-style basket. During our review, we loved the ready-to-gift presentation, but recurring reports of damaged or insecure packaging kept its score to 5/10. If you’re shipping under tight holiday deadlines, our experience shows reliability can be an issue, so order early or choose a higher-scoring option. Also note it contains milk and wheat allergens, making it less flexible than some baskets for mixed-diet households.

For a cozy night in, the Williams Sonoma Classic & Peppermint Hot Chocolate Stacker brought rich, ultra-smooth sipping thanks to premium Guittard chocolate shavings. In our testing, adding the included marshmallows made the mugs feel festive, and the stackable tins looked tidy on the counter. It’s a solid 7/10 value for under $35, though dairy limits recipients and single-flavor options can be cheaper. Because it’s seasonal, we recommend grabbing it early in the holidays to avoid stock gaps.

We loved this mid-priced $42 self-care set for the friend who needs a calm Christmas. In our testing, Lush’s Relax Gift earned an 8/10 thanks to four sleep-focused favorites—Dream Cream, Sleepy, Twilight, and a mini Sleepy—presented in a recycled, gift-ready box with biodegradable packing. The trade-offs: travel-size portions go fast, and the strong lavender fragrance isn’t ideal for sensitive noses or fragrance allergies. Compared with food baskets, it’s smaller but more personal and delightfully spa-like to unwrap.

This luxe two-piece set is a pampering win for plant-based shoppers: in our testing, L’Occitane’s Almond Shower Oil and Almond Milk Concentrate left skin silky without a heavy residue. It scored 7.5/10—beautifully gift-ready and effective, though $87 for two items feels steep compared with larger bath sets on our list. Our experience shows the almond aroma is soothing but not for sensitive noses, and the almond oil may pose a nut-allergen concern. A thoughtful self-care upgrade when food gifts won’t fit.

For plant-based friends, Paryani Foods’ Vegan Snack Sampler Pack impressed us with five distinct, organic treats and single-origin Peruvian chocolate bark. In our testing, its gluten-, dairy-, and refined sugar–free formulas made gifting easier for varied diets, earning a solid 7.5/10. Just know it contains tree nuts and the banana bread needs refrigeration with a short chilled shelf life, so plan delivery timing. At $60 and not gift-wrapped out of the box, it’s pricier and requires a little extra prep, but thoughtful for vegan recipients.