I would wager that the average Utahn has a longer Christmas shopping list than pretty much any person in the country. From friends to neighbors to the 57 cousins in your Utah-sized extended family, it can get overwhelming fast. Not to pooh-pooh the spirit of giving, but nothing saps the fun out of the holidays like trying to find the perfect present for the ward Relief Society president or the coworker you only talk to on Zoom.
Food may seem like a foolproof holiday option—after all, who doesn’t like to eat? Let’s be honest, though, a lot of those gift baskets end up in a neglected corner of the kitchen, next to the dubious-looking fruitcake and 17 cinnamon-scented candles. Want to ensure your gift isn’t secretly tossed in the trash can after New Year’s? These Utah food gifts for foodies are cute, tasty and all-local, so you can feel extra good about where you’re spending your money.
For the Sweet Tooth
Cache Toffee founder Lori Darr uses her mother’s techniques to make small batches of homemade toffee with local ingredients. During the holidays, look for the Tartan Turtle with caramel, drizzled chocolate, pecans and cashews, or get extra festive with the sweet, salty and a little bit spicy Pizzaz toffee featuring peppermint, peppercorn and pink Himalayan sea salt.
For the Teetotaler
Think beyond the bakery with unique gift boxes from WB’s Eatery. WB’s sells an extensive variety of dry spirits and non-alcoholic beers and wine, and their cocktail kits and glassware have everything you need to make a drink at home that everyone can enjoy. Beyond the (alcohol-free) liquor cabinet, the Good Day Sunshine Pack includes coffee, homemade jam and waffle mix, while the Bud Box is complete with a grinder and water pipe. Even your dog can get in on the fun with a gift box just for pets.
For Gluten-Free Family
There are plenty of great foodie gifts at Fillings and Emulsions, a Latin bakery whose pastries and desserts are featured at many restaurants across town. For those who can’t (or won’t) eat gluten, Fillings and Emulsions has one of the biggest and best gluten-free menus around, including decadent cakes and mix-and-match boxes of French macarons.
For a Gift (Almost) Too pretty to Eat
On Instagram, videos of The Sweet Storyline’s colorful, intricate lollipops have garnered millions of views, and it’s not hard to understand why. These gourmet suckers are basically miniature works of art. The Sweet Storyline is a one-woman operation and lollipops sell out fast, but if you manage to snag some, there’s no doubt your phone will eat first.
For the Carb Counter
Most holiday treats have one thing in common—sugar, sugar and more sugar. This is no fun for the health-conscious among us that won’t indulge in a cheat day even for Christmas. (Can’t relate.) We aren’t here to vouch for or against keto—a popular high-fat, low-carb diet—but for anyone on your holiday list avoiding sugar, Keto Cakes offers a menu of the treats they’ve been missing, including cupcakes, mini-cheesecakes, muffins and peanut butter bars.
For the Devout Vegan
Your vegan friends will thank you—and everyone else will be pleasantly surprised. Passion Flour is a coffee shop, cafe and bakery with an entirely plant-based menu of treats. Petit fours include the usual suspects along with unique creations, like an artisan pop-tart with puff pastry, berry jam and vegan cream cheese.
For the Hungry Francophile
The downtown French bakery Les Madeleines is best known for its kouign-amann, a flaky, buttery cake made from layers of laminated dough and lots of caramelized sugar. (Les Madeleines was the first bakery in the western U.S. to sell the now-trendy pastry.) If any of your out-of-state friends are craving this Brittany-via-Utah treat, boxes of kouign-amann can be shipped nationwide. Sadly, Les Madeleines announced they will be closing after this holiday season, get your fixings before their last day Dec. 30.
For the Long-Term Relationship
Long before Utah’s “cookie wars” made headlines, the SLC shop Ruby Snap was selling gourmet cookies with mouthwatering flavor combinations. (Trust us, these are a big step up from Crumbl.) There’s no wrong way to gift Ruby Snap, but consider splurging on a subscription to the “Cookie of the Month” club, which delivers new flavors to your door all year long.
Giving delicious gifts isn’t the only way to celebrate the holidays, check out these events and activities throughout the month of December.
