The Best Gifts for Dessert Lovers

Do you have a friend whose catchphrase is “I want a little sweet treat?” The kind of person who thinks leaving a restaurant without ordering dessert for the table is absolutely sacrilegious, who keeps a bar of chocolate in their bag at all times “for emergencies,” and who always seems to have some sort of snacking cake sitting on their kitchen counter? If the answer is yes—if you have a Designated Dessert Lover in your life—then you’ve come to the right place. The best gifts for dessert lovers range from handcrafted bonbons that’ll be devoured by New Year’s to dessert-shaped candles and jewelry they can enjoy throughout 2024 and beyond. Read on to find gifts for every kind of sweet tooth, whether they’re ice cream obsessives or wannabe confectioners.

For the chocolate fiend

If the dessert lover in your life can’t function without their emergency bag of M&Ms and would always choose Milk Duds over Twizzlers at the movies, gift them an upgraded box of chocolates they can savor over the holidays. The bonbons from Stick With Me Sweets are almost too pretty to eat, while the chocolates from La Maison du Chocolat include various ganaches, pralinés, and almond pastes in an equally stunning display. If your giftee is a fan of Nutella, they’ll fall hard for Ghia’s take on the Italian hazelnut and chocolate spread gianduja, which comes in both smooth and crunchy varieties. And yes, I have been known to eat the crunchy one straight out of the jar.

For the ice cream lover

If there’s an ice cream lover in your life, resist the temptation to simply restock their grocery store go-to. Instead, use this opportunity to broaden their horizons with a delivery of hand-crafted pints in unique flavors, a machine that’ll let them DIY the process, or a precious little bowl and spoon so they can enjoy their nightly ice cream fix in style. For bonus points, tack on a bottle of fun sprinkles and a jar of hot fudge.

For the baker

If your giftee is the kind of dessert person who prefers to make their own treats, give them some new tools and ingredients to play with. For your resident brownie lover, pair some top-notch baking chocolate with a pan that guarantees crispy edges and chewy middles for every brownie in the batch. Or, opt for a set of baking tools that includes the mini spatula we love. It’s just begging to be used to whip up a single-serve batch of cake.

For the cookie monster

Good cookies can be great, but bad cookies can be really bad. Make sure your cookie-crazed friend is stocked up for the season with an assortment they’ll actually want to eat, not one that looks great in the box but tastes like stale, sugar-coated cardboard.

Wearable dessert

Treats are pretty much ubiquitous during the holiday season, so maybe you’re looking for a gift that celebrates your giftee’s penchant for sweets without adding to their already-overflowing sugar stash. Food-themed clothing and jewelry is all the rage right now (just ask your resident Grocery Girl), so give your friend the gift of a statement piece they can wear for years to come. Opt for a dainty cannoli charm from Brooklyn-based jewelry brand Catbird, or a pie-adorned top that’ll keep them cozy this winter.

Fun and games

In my house, the winter months are for puzzles and card games—always played while sitting on the floor around the coffee table, and always accompanied by a hot beverage and/or sweet treat. If you’ve got a friend who shares this sentiment, gift them a puzzle that looks good enough to eat, or a deck of cards that’s an ode to Swedish bakery classics (best paired with a warm-from-the-oven Giant Cardamom Bun, of course).

Dessert decor

When gifting for a sugar fiend, you can’t go wrong with dessert-themed decor. Give the gift of a candle that’ll add a touch of whimsy and a cozy glow to their living space through the dark and cold months, or a print of one of Wayne Thiebaud’s most classic paintings.