Editor’s Picks: The Best Gifts for 2025

These may be my favorite all-time treats (OK, more like second behind chocolate-covered peanut butter anything) and will recommend them as a gift for anyone, for any occasion, for anytime. This classic version is all you need, but if you prefer going fancy, these might be up your alley.

Is there anyone who doesn’t like ice cream? If you know such a person, just delete them from your phone. They don’t deserve pints of chocolate ice cream mixed with milk chocolate Moose Munch, chocolate chunks, and fudge swirls.

I have a little secret: I recently sat down at my farm table and devoured chunks of cheese and pieces of chocolate-covered everything at the same time, and the combination was glorious! And the cheese didn’t even win any awards. I can only imagine how my taste buds would react to eating five different cheeses each having been honored by both the American Cheese Society and the World Cheese Awards.

I’m not sure whose house these cookies are made in, but it doesn’t matter. There are 10 different cookies to choose from, which means there are, well, a lot of permutations, so you can’t go wrong with any combination. If you’re buying this for me, I’m OK with three dozen dark chocolate peppermint cookies. Just saying.

No, you can’t buy Tom Colicchio and ship him to someone's home. But what you can do is buy a gift created by the award-winning chef that allows the recipient to experience Italian food as if you were in Italy. Colicchio’s gourmet tomato sauces and pantry essentials, such as olive oil, are a must for home cooks who want to create authentic Italian dishes like mushroom risotto and Eggs in Purgatory.

“You don’t have to drink to have a good time” is a line my mother would say to me every time I went out with friends. It certainly stuck with me because nowadays I’m practically a teetotaller. (Based on this list, you can deduce I have a hankering more for the sweets.) If you have a friend who likes to socialize and host but doesn’t consume alcohol, the mocktail route is the way to go.

Did you know that bread pudding is synonymous with New Orleans? Seriously! It’s served during Mardi Gras, so if this dessert is good enough for the world’s biggest party, it’s good enough for any party you need to bring a gift to. Beads not included.

Bacon isn’t just for breakfast, folks. You can now enjoy it while watching your favorite movies at home. Heck, with the price of going to the movies these days, you’d be wise to sneak a bag of this popcorn into your local cineplex.

About an hour southwest of Philadelphia is Kennett Square, which, apparently, is the Mushroom Capital of the World. Who knew? And that’s where the mushrooms inside this jar come from. Give the gift of obscurity.

When in doubt, send wine — especially if it comes from the Pacific Northwest. And Harry & David, which has won over 100 awards since 2012, has made choosing a bottle (or a wine gift basket) so much easier with its new wine shop. It includes three new labels (Liv & Lil, WYNY Wine Co., Freehaven Cellars) that fit every type of wine consumer. Whether they like to swirl and sniff, are fanatics about pairing wine with their meal, or simply just want to lounge on the couch and enjoy a glass while binging their favorite show, there’s a wine for them.

If you’re going to send wine, you might as well send chocolate too, as the duo makes for a killer pairing. But on its own, Scharffen Berger truly is some of the best dark chocolate in all the land — and I’m not just saying that because I get paid to say so. I’ve tried all its products — even baked with it — and the quality is superior. I only tried a little bit of each because all my coworkers kept taking samples from my desk drawer. Guess they couldn’t get enough either.

Despite charcuterie originating in France, it’s taken on a whole new life here in the United States. States like California and its dairy farms produce award-winning cheeses, and the cured meat isn’t even meat these days. Whichever way that special someone in your life leans, there’s a charcuterie combo for them. 
Regardless of the type of meat or cheese they indulge in, they’ll need something to cut it with and a board for the presentation. This gift is that knife and board.