10 Homemade Edible Christmas Gifts People Will Actually Eat (Slideshow)

Though you can produce pretty much anything at home these days with the right tools and supplies, the easiest way to DIY through your Christmas list is to head to the kitchen and whip up a few edible gifts. But making food for the holidays quickly raises another problem: How do you know people will actually eat what you spent so much time creating? By making these treats!

There's something comforting about candied nuts during Christmastime, making these almonds a perfect gift. Cinnamon and sugar create a hard coating over the almond, adding sweetness and a beautiful crunch to this already-delicious snack. To really take this gift to the next level, turn your candied almonds into a sweet holiday trail mix of sorts by adding white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.

For the Candied Almonds recipe, click here.

During a season where the nights are long and the mornings are dark, coffee is an absolute necessity. And what goes better with coffee than some Italian biscotti? Pistachios make this biscotti seem expensive and luxurious, while chocolate makes it accessible for even the pickiest eaters on your Christmas list. As a bonus, this particular biscotti is dipped in sprinkles, allowing you to easily add holiday colors to make this a Christmas-ready treat.

For the Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti recipe, click here.

For those on your gift list who prefer salty treats to sweet ones, try your hand at making your own soft pretzels. Though baking your own bread might seem intimidating, the most difficult part of making pretzels is nailing their signature shape. Accompany this homemade gift with your favorite local mustards to make the package complete.

For the Giant Soft Pretzel recipe, click here.

A sweet and salty concoction is perfect for any time of the year. Give the gift of a healthy, crunchy snack by making some trail mix. Almonds and dark chocolate give this particular mix a seasonal sweetness, balanced out perfectly with salty, crunchy pumpkin seeds. Turn this trail mix into a perfect Christmas gift by dubbing it "reindeer chow" and decorating the mason jars with red poof ball noses, googly eyes, and antlers made of pipe cleaners.

For the Mason Jar Trail Mix recipe, click here.

The airy, light macaron makes a great holiday gift anyway, but your friends and family will be wildly impressed if you actually make this difficult-to-master dessert yourself. These Nutella macarons feature a rich chocolate-hazelnut filling that will be impossible to resist, and the natural white color of the macaron cookie lends itself to being dyed in holiday-appropriate red or green, perfect for festive packaging.

For the Nutella Macarons recipe, click here.

Though pumpkin-flavored desserts may be more closely associated with Thanksgiving than Christmas, this impressive spiced dessert will wow your friends and family at any time of the year. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves give this pumpkin roll a welcoming flavor and fragrance reminiscent of the holiday season. Add in a luxurious, silky cream cheese filling, and you simply cannot go wrong.

For the Pumpkin Roll With Spiced Cream Cheese Filling recipe, click here.

Giving someone homemade jam for Christmas is a classic gift, but the idea of jarring can be intimidating. However, this jam does not need to be jarred, saving you tons of time. This easily customizable recipe can also utilize any fresh fruit that you or the people on your gift list prefer. Jazz this gift up by decorating the jars with Santa Claus belts and hats made of construction paper, cotton balls, and felt.

For the Quick & Easy Jam recipe, click here.

The season of roasting marshmallows over a campfire may be temporarily traded in for roasting chestnuts over an open fire, but a good s'more can be appreciated at any time of the year. This riff on the classic dessert puts homemade chocolate pudding, crumbled graham crackers, and mini marshmallows in a mason jar, making it perfectly portable. For an extra holiday-themed touch, decorate your jar with red and green ribbons.

For the S'Mores in Jars recipe, click here.

The sugar cookie is a Christmastime staple, but make yours stand out from the pack by turning your favorite cookies into a usable Christmas tree ornaments. Cut out sugar cookies into fun holiday shapes (e.g., snowflakes, Santa hats, stars) and poke a hole in the top of each cookie before baking. Once they come out of the oven, tie a ribbon around the cookie and —voilà! — you have an ornament! If you can wait to eat it, that is!

For the Sugar Cookie Ornaments recipe, click here.

Not only does the refreshing taste of peppermint recall all classic holiday flavors, but the red and white colors of crushed candy canes make this sweet treat look incredibly festive. Plus, nobody can resist the lure of chocolate. Break up this bark and put it in a festive holiday box to add an extra boost of holiday cheer.

For the Swirled Peppermint Bark recipe, click here.