7 of the cutest (and greenest) ways to gift your baked goods

Giving baked goods as gifts is a labor of love. Once you’ve chosen your DIY gifts and strategized your baking game plan, the final step of wrapping them all deserves just as much attention. Here, we’re sharing seven ways to store and wrap your baked gifts that will help reduce single-use packaging to boot.  

Posie Brien

1) Glass jars (and other sturdy containers)  

This no-brainer “gift box” may already be sitting in your kitchen cabinets, such as old soup jars and empty oatmeal canisters. You can fill clean, unused paint pails with your favorite giftable granola, while Mason jars can house a portable cheesecake or thoughtfully assembled homemade baking mixes. Once empty, it’s infinitely useful for food storage, homemade butter, or better yet, as a vehicle to make whipped cream without any special tools.  

Tatiana Bautista

2) Tea towels and wrapping cloths   

To wrap your baked gifts, take inspiration from furoshiki, the traditional Japanese wrapping cloths used to wrap and carry objects. Plus, whatever fabric or tea towel you choose can double as a second gift.  

Posie Brien

3) Reusable cookie tin   

Cookie tins are a practical way to transport your holiday cookies, and there’s a wide variety of designs to suit everyone on your list. A visit to the gift-wrapping aisle (or local thrift store) has options dressed in holiday cheer, while minimal designs can be suitable for everyday food storage — because cookies are always in season. For anyone who’s pried open a blue tin of Royal Dansk cookies just to be disappointed that it’s storing sewing supplies, this one’s for you.  

Photography by Danielle Sykes; Food Styling by Liz Neily

4) Cake pan and mixing bowls

Gifting gear with your baked good is an impressive and practical two-in-one gift. Make a beautiful Bundt cake in a decorative braided pan so your recipient can savor the cake now, then use the show-stopping pan for all future bakes. Plus, including a handy Bundt cleaning brush is an extra-thoughtful touch. Or, upgrade their prep setup with stylish mixing bowls filled to the brim with caramel corn or cheesy crackers and sealed with a reuseable wrap.

John Sherman

5) Bee’s Wrap  

These beeswax-based wraps are attractive and reusable, perfect for wrapping all of your baking gifts, from biscotti to mini scones. Best of all, they’re easy to wash by hand, and they’re an indispensable tool in the kitchen. If you prefer something with more structure, try these produce bags made of the same material.  

Photography by Danielle Sykes; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

6) Reusable gift bag 

As someone who prefers stuffing gifts into a bag instead of agonizing over wrapping paper, I find opting for a reusable bag is even better for a zero-waste approach. Choose a bag made with a sustainable fabric, such as jute, organic cotton, or recycled fabrics. 

Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

7) Parchment paper

Sometimes, the best gift you can give is convenience (and the aroma of freshly baked cookies). That's where a frozen cookie dough log comes in. Wrap your homemade log in an extra sheet of parchment and finish it off with a bow so your recipient has everything they need to bake cookies on their own schedule. Encourage your recipient to reuse parchment paper — you can bake with it more times than you’d think.    

Still searching for the perfect present? Check out these best baked goods for gifts.  

Cover photo (Maple Shortbread Sandwich Cookies) by John Sherman.