We’re going to let you in on a little secret that will make gift-giving a lot easier: Gift baskets—those cellophane-wrapped, hodgepodge collections stuffed into tacky containers—have undergone a serious makeover. With luxury brands and well-loved foodie favorites getting in on the act, the best gift baskets have been modernized to become thoughtful, welcome presents that are filled to the brim with surprises. Not to mention, these unique gift basket ensembles (think, international treats, gourmet olive oils and home spa essentials) cater to recipients of all kinds and are priced for budgets across the board.
The very best gift baskets arrive fast, fresh and ready to enjoy. Eye shadow box
While food baskets are here to stay, they’ve been elevated to include delicacies from “the world’s best cookies” to quality cuts of meat. Wine drinkers can sip and munch pairings and globetrotters can transport their tastebuds to a New York deli or a Middle Eastern cafe. In sum, with gift baskets undergoing a bit of a renaissance, you can go as specific or as traditional as you like.
If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve got you covered with the best gift baskets for any occasion—and most of them are even available for expedited shipping, should time be of the essence. For truly last-minute gifts (that don’t feel last-minute), check out our favorite coffee subscriptions, beauty subscriptions, subscription boxes for men and subscription boxes for women.
Harry & David is famous for its bountiful gift baskets—and they’re popular for a reason. The sweet and savory treats are consistently good, and the fruit offerings manage to be especially flavorful all throughout the year. This basket hits all the right notes, loaded with everything from juicy pears and apples to delicious gouda cheese, dry salami and mixed nuts.
It’s tough to go wrong with anything from Stonewall Kitchen, as its dry mixes, jams, condiments and other products are all excellent and reasonably priced. The lucky person who receives this sweet and savory gift basket will get ready-to-eat snacks including sea salt crackers, cheddar asiago cheese sticks and tortilla chips, along with dipping pretzels, chocolate beach stones and an assortment of jams and dips.
Milkbar is famous for its next-level desserts, and fortunately you can have them shipped as a ready-made gift basket. The Little Somethings Gift Set includes a dozen of the brand’s famous B’Day Cake Truffles and another dozen of its Chocolate B’Day Cake Truffles, along with an assorted cookie tin featuring bestsellers like the Corn Cookie, Compost Cookie and Confetti cookie. Worth noting: The cookies come in a reusable tin.
Your favorite Francophile doesn’t even need to book an international flight to indulge in their favorite snacks, thanks to this gift box from iGourmet. Among the delectable French offerings are four cheeses (camembert, comte, agour ossau-iraty and fourme d’ambert), assorted crackers and biscuits, sausage, pate, olives and pickles. Dessert is covered, too, with shortbread cookies, chocolate and a fruity spread.
Give the gift of a ready-made picnic with this basket from Williams Sonoma. Filled with a gourmet spread that includes Manhattan Fruitier’s finest selection—seasonal fruit, freshly baked artisanal bread, handcrafted cheese and salami, plus sparkling apple cider—it has all of the essentials for a lovely meal outside. The reusable wicker basket even comes with paper napkins, a bamboo cutting board and a cheese knife, so they can head right to the park.
The original Murray’s Cheese is located in New York’s Greenwich Village, but luckily the brand ships its sensational cheese board just about anywhere in the country. It contains everything from gorgonzola and chèvre to Italian soppressata and chorizo, plus a mix of sweet and savory snacks like chocolate-covered figs and Blenheim almonds. Yum.
They’ve been called the “best chocolate chip cookies” in the world, with lines snaking around the block at Levain Bakery’s original New York location to prove it. But now you can sample their signature sweets without waiting in a queue. Levain bakes-to-order and ships an assortment of their four most popular cookies (chocolate chip walnut, dark chocolate chocolate chip, dark chocolate peanut butter chip and oatmeal raisin) in 4, 8 and 12-cookie packs. With each cookie weighing in at a whopping 6 ounces, there’s more than enough to go around—but trust us, no one will want to share these decadent treats.
It’s time to reward the real head of the household: The dog. Chewy’s Goody Box Adventure gift set will delight any canine companion, with three plush toys and two bags of delicious treats for some well-deserved spoiling. Sure, the theme of the box may seem like it caters to pups that enjoy the great outdoors, but there’s no hiking or camping required to enjoy this assortment—promise.
This gift basket from Wolferman’s Bakery is sure to cheer up anyone who isn’t feeling their best. The goodies packed inside the woven basket include English muffins, a banana walnut scone, an apple streusel loaf cake, shortbread cookies, strawberry preserves and chamomile fruit tea. It’s a delicious—and thoughtful—way to show how much you care.
For the recipient who goes nuts for, well, nuts, this affordable gift box might as well be the jackpot. Featuring a mix of the most popular snacks from Nuts.com, it includes a variety of sweet, salty, crunchy and chewy treats, each inside its own 3 ounce bag. From wasabi peanuts and roasted cashews to dark chocolate sea salt almonds and dried strawberries, there’s something for everyone to munch on.
There’s nothing quite like a Bokksu snack box. The brand is known for delivering uniquely curated assortments of authentic Japanese snacks, candies and teas, all of which are sourced from family-run businesses in Japan. If you choose the subscription option and select one month, your recipient will get the Seasons of Japan box, brimming with 22 tasty treats. If you’re feeling generous and want to opt for a lengthier subscription (up to a year), the price goes down—and the monthly themes only get better.
There are cookies, and then there are biscotti—those crunchy, dunkable, coated-in-chocolate-and-so-good-you-can't-eat-just-one Italian treats. Grab an assortment featuring 24 biscotti in mouthwatering flavors like chocolate craisin, almond crunch and cookie crunch from Barnett’s Sweet Creations. The treats are all certified Kosher and boast all-natural ingredients—no preservatives or additives.
This gift set from Harry & David does it all. It can be ordered with one or two bottles of wine—a merlot is included, but you can receive a white blend, too, for an an additional $20—and is brimming with everything you could possibly need come happy hour. We’re talking salami, sausage, smoked salmon, blue cheese, gouda and pepper jack, plus honey hot mustard, green olive spread and three-seed crackers...the list goes on. A bamboo cutting board is even included, to boot.
The red wine lover will be delighted by this assortment from GourmetGiftBaskets.com. It includes a bottle of Cabernet from Viu Manent alongside savory treats like crisp artisan crackers, cheese straws, vegetable cheddar cheese and sausage, plus sweet hazelnut wafer rolls and cinnamon pecan straws.
Cupcakes and wine? Talk about a treat. This indulgent gift set from Wicked Good Cupcakes delivers on both fronts, with two of the brand’s signature cupcake jars—one red velvet, the other chocolate ganache—accompanied by a bottle of Ilo rosé. The cupcake jars can even be frozen up to six months, should your recipient choose to save one (or both) of them for later.
It’s a fun, festive way to raise a glass—without alcohol. This gift set includes Töst’s non-alcoholic sparkling rosé, a set of gorgeous handblown artisan glasses in the perfect shade of rosé pink, Seattle Chocolate’s pink bubbly chocolate truffles and Voluspa’s Sparkling Rose candle with matches. A refreshing assortment, it’s sure to sweeten up any celebration.
Seattle-based coffee brand, Bean Box is known for its high-quality beans sourced directly from farmers around the world. This particular gift includes 16 expertly curated bags of coffee that are sourced from producers in Latin American, Africa and Indonesia. Each bag includes tasting notes and brewing tips, and you can choose between whole bean or freshly ground coffee.
Candy lovers of all ages will be enamored with this magical delivery from Dylan’s Candy Bar. Thanks to its colorful packaging, the Ultimate Tub of Fun lives up to its name right off the bat—but the joy is really sparked once the goods are unwrapped. With a mix of the candy shop’s beloved chocolate bars, Whirly Pop lollipops and candy necklaces, as well as classic sweets like Swedish Fish, Gobstoppers and Nerds, you’ll be giving the gift of a top-tier sugar rush.
This is truly a great gift for anyone who cooks or is setting up a new kitchen and might appreciate a fresh set of spices. The 24-bottle set comes from The Spice House, which has been around since 1957 and is a trusted name by professional chefs. All the basics (and a little more) are included for whipping up a wide range of delicious dishes.
If you know someone nostalgic for New York City comfort food, this gift basket is the perfect gift. Eli Zabar is a New York icon who’s been whipping up baked goods and Jewish deli specialities since 1973, and this package includes nearly everything he’s famous for. There’s classic chocolate babka, half pound pastrami, onion rolls, Jewish rye bread, plus all the fixings you need to put together a delicious sandwich. There’s also an edible Metro Card cookie thrown in for good measure.
This trio of Seed + Mill’s famous halva will delight anyone with an adventurous sweet tooth. It features three half-pound blocks of the brand’s bestselling halva flavors (Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt, Pistachio and Toasted Coconut Chocolate). For the unacquainted, halva is a popular Middle Eastern treat that’s made up of sesame paste mixed with hot sugar syrup to form a dense, fudge-like confection.
If you know someone mochi-obsessed, they’ll love this tasting bundle from New York’s Mochidoki. They’ll get four pieces of each best-selling flavor (for a total of 32 pieces), which includes vanilla chip, strawberry, cake batter, matcha, black sesame, purple sweet potato, mango and passion fruit. Worried about melted mochi? You’re covered: The mochi is shipped with enough dry ice to ensure that it stays frozen for up to five hours after delivery.
Caviar aficionados will appreciate the famous Tsar Nicoulai brand, while novices will love the two mother-of-pearl spoons included in this kit. Shipped in a reusable cooler that keeps things fresh, this gift set features two caviar tins from the California-based producer, which doesn’t mix eggs but rather includes all the eggs from one single fish per tin. Caviar and salmon roe are included, along with French-made blinis and Crème Fraîche for the ultimate caviar experience.
Whether your favorite martini drinker prefers gin or vodka, shaken or stirred, Patet’s sophisticated set will majorly upgrade any happy hour (or nightcap) to come. All of the essentials are here, including a pair of faceted martini glasses, cocktail picks, pimento olives, a bottle of dirty martini mix and, of course, a creative cocktail book for inspiration. Cheers!
This gift set features smaller sizes of French parfumerie Diptyque’s best-selling scents—including one that’s been spotted in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s home. The attractively packaged trio includes Baies (which is reminiscent of berries), Figuier (Markle’s favorite fig-based candle, which has a fresh, green scent), and roses (a classic floral scent).
Nothing says luxury quite like a quintessential British gift basket from Fortnum & Mason, and it doesn’t get any more royal than the aptly named King’s Tea Hamper. It includes everything that the Anglophile in your life could possibly want come tea time: assorted biscuits, chocolates, preserves, marmalade, coffee, tea and, fittingly, a very chic mug.
When it comes to decadent deliveries, the Goldbelly Favorites Dessert Box is unmatched. The assortment of goodies hails from New York’s iconic Ferrara Bakery and Cafe and includes six large hand-dipped chocolate cannolis, six large plain cannolis, an eight-inch tiramisu cake, a two-pound cookie tray and a pound and a half of tri-color cookies. It also includes a can of Ferrara Espresso, for good measure.
Just looking at this set of Herbivore bath products (French pink clay soap, soaking salts), pink cloud cleanser and darling candle makes us feel calm. We bet it’ll do the same to anyone on your gift list who could use some incentive to relax, so why not put that theory to the test?
For chili heads and heat seekers, this “tame-to-insane” set of hot sauces from Fuego Box is the perfect gift. It comes with 11 different varieties featuring different peppers like habanero and guajillo, all ranging from mellow to evil—with zesty, hot and explosive in between.
If he can’t say no to deli foods, this gift basket will rock his world. Hailing from New York City’s Lower East Side institution Katz’s, it includes everything he needs to make his sandwich dreams come true: hand-carved pastrami, corned beef and brisket, plus two half loaves of deli rye bread, two jars of mustard, one quart of half sour pickles and another quart of full sour pickles. He’ll even get his own Katz’s Deli t-shirt or hat (your choice). It’s also worth noting that Katz’s has excellent gift box offerings for every occasion, from Rosh Hashana to the Super Bowl.
Anyone who’s a fan of an Old Fashioned will enjoy this gift box, which comes with two personalized glasses and everything needed for the classic drink (plus wood-smoked maple syrup for a smoky take). The colossal ice cube tray is an absolute essential for a perfectly chilled cocktail.
Football season is officially upon us, and if your favorite guy spends his Sundays glued to the TV, then this box from Cheryl’s Cookies is for him. It includes a delectable mix of cookies—crunchy chocolate chip, sugar, buttercream-frosted and oatmeal raisin—plus some very tailgate-themed cutout cookies and chocolates.
A cool guy deserves a cool gift basket, and this curated box from Neiman Marcus hits the mark. It comes with a copy of the Virgil Abloh. Nike. Icons. book, a Kiehl’s men’s facial set, an exclusive 14kt gold-plated flask and a private label scarf. Classy, indeed.
China Soft Packaging Got a meat lover on your list? Indulge their savory cravings with this variety box from ButcherBox, featuring boneless pork chops, top sirloin steaks, burgers, ground beef, St. Louis ribs, bacon, chicken breast and wings. All meat is humanely raised and beef is grass-fed and grass-finished, for a gift that you can truly get excited about.