The holidays are full of good tidings and plenty of delicious bites. It’s an indulgent time of year during which Dallas’ culinary mavens show out with festive spreads and crowd-pleasing gift ideas.
Shop local and find white elephant gifts, stocking stuffers, and more for foodie family and friends. Fill stockings with natty wines, cookies that the sugar plum fairy would envy, and cookbooks that will turn your home kitchen into an epic destination. From boozy sips to coffee cups worthy of a museum shelf, these are Dallas’ best foodie gifts.
Chef’s Boozy Nog from Billy Can Can
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, made sweeter by Billy Can Can’s executive chef Matthew Ford. Each season, the Texas-driven saloon and steakhouse spreads cheer with the release of Chef’s Boozy Nog, a festive blend of egg, milk, cream, sugar, Maker’s Mark bourbon, scotch, rum, cognac, and spices. The hard-hitting nog is sold by the bottle and pairs well with a Billy Can Can hat or shirt for a crowd-pleasing, spirited gift. billycancan.com
Ceramics from Marcello Andres Ceramics
From the Texas Night Everyday cup to Feckled Olive bowls, Marcello Andres Ceramics has gifts for the hostess, coffee lover, agave appreciator, and fine dining aficionado. Chilean clay artist Marcello Andres crafts each piece with intention, creating functional sculptures that invite connection through food. For your Dallas dining connoisseur, choose a piece they’ll recognize favorite restaurant spots, such as the Casa Mug at Café Olivia. The beloved copita is the perfect small sipper that’s been seen at El Carlos Elegante. marcelloandres.com
Blue Corn Butterscotch Pancake Mix from Encina
Dallasites know that the place for pancakes is Bishop Arts’ Encina. Its blue corn butterscotch pancakes are a salty-sweet cult favorite served with salted butter, warm cajeta, and thick-cut bacon. The dish has such a following that Encina fanatics created the Table Pancake Society in its honor. This holiday, tuck a bag of Encina’s Blue Corn Butterscotch pancake mix beneath the tree for the pancake-obsessed foodie in your life. The mix is available at select H-E-B stores, or it can be purchased in person at Encina. encinadallas.com
Chef Nikky Thai Gift Set
Chef Nikky Phinyawatana, the Thai-Texan trailblazer behind Asian Mint, has curated a gift basket that’ll get everyone cooking. The Chef Nikky Thai gift set ships exclusively in Texas and includes a signed copy of Thai Food and Travel with Chef Nikky and an essential sauce collection. Inside are 12-ounce bottles of pad thai, black soy, stir fry, gluten-free stir fry, sweet and sour, and hot sauces. The set also comes with a custom chef Nikky wooden spatula, Thai and Thai basil crispy chilis, and a reusable custom bag. chefnikky.com
Jarred Goods from Fred’s Texas Cafe
A Fort Worth staple since 1978, Fred’s Texas Cafe has teamed up with Stone’s Throw Farm Co. to create a thoughtful, feel-good gift. The local farm provides job-readiness skills and hands-on training for teens and adults with special needs. Together, they have released a line of small-batch, locally-made jarred goods, available at both Fred’s locations. All proceeds from the line directly support Stone’s Throw Farm Co. Multiple locations, fredstexascafe.com
Cookbook from Hurtado BBQ Pitmaster Brandon Hurtado
Earlier this year, pitmaster Brandon Hurtado released his debut cookbook Barbacoa: The Heart of Tex-Mex Barbecue. Hurtado’s approach to Texas barbecue is shaped by his Mexican heritage, resulting in an acclaimed “Mexicue” style that has become the official barbeque of the Texas Rangers and earned praise as one of the top barbeque joints in the state by Texas Monthly and Southern Living. This season, give aspiring pitmasters the gift of smoke with Hurtado’s guide for culturally-rich backyard barbeque. https://www.amazon.com/Barbacoa-Tex-Mex-Barbecue-Brandon-Hurtado/dp/0760392730
CityTins
Fifteen years after its Milwaukee debut, City Tins has launched its Dallas edition. The inaugural $30 tin contains 27 coasters, each representing one of the city’s standout restaurants. The tin doubles as a discount of $10 off a $30-plus tab through 2026. It is an ideal gift for the foodie who loves to sample a little of everything. Featured restaurants include South African-inspired Green Point Seafood and Oyster bar, Tex-Mex favorite Escondido, Preston Hollow gem Claremont, and more. It’s a lineup that reads like the créme de la créme of Dallas dining. citytins.com
Spiked Sugar Skull Cocoa Bombas from Mexican Sugar
Mexican Sugar’s hand-painted spiked sugar skull cocoa bombas are the perfect stocking stuffer for the “naughty” or “nice” 21-and-up boys and girls on your holiday list. The flavor bombs blend Mexican coffee, Licor 43 Horchata, and toasted marshmallow to create an edible work of art. The cocoa bombas are $16 each and can be purchased in person at the restaurant. mexicansugarcocina.com
Chocolate from Dude, Sweet Chocolate
Dude, Sweet Chocolate chocolatier Katherine Clapner has crafted an indulgent pack of holiday treats. Goodies include The Magic Pill Perfect Chocolate Truffle, her first dark chocolate truffle; along with Egg Nog Pecans and Yule Log “Salami,” a holiday spin on Clapner’s chocolatey, date paste and fig salted logs. The Holiday 2025 gift box is packed with mini Mi So Happy Bark, truffles, Eight Maids a Milking fudge, pecans, the It’s Fra Gi Lay Bar, and a choice of a boozy Irish Coffee Chocolate Potion or salami. Truffle and chocolate bar boxes are also available. dudesweetchocolate.com
Cozy Essentials from Sixty Vines
Sixty Vines has launched a holiday collection featuring cozy essentials inspired by vineyard living. Among the offerings are a rosemary candle for $28, rosemary diffuser for $39, tote bag for $45, and sweatshirt for $55. Merch is available in person at all Sixty Vines locations, with candles available for purchase online. sixtyvines.com
Holiday Cookies from JD’s Chippery
JD’s Chippery has fueled holiday sugar rushes for more than four decades. Now with two locations now open, there’s even more holiday baking to enjoy. Santa and every sweet-toothed loved one will appreciate fresh-from-the-oven treats like the sugar crystal-dusted gingerbread cookie, a family recipe dating back to 1983 well worth the yearlong wait. Other holiday highlights include gingerbread muffins, gingerbread man and lady cookie cakes, and Christmas tree cookie cakes. jdschippery.com
Bourbon-Lovers Kit from Whiskey Cake
The Whiskey Cake Bourbon-Lovers kit offers a thoughtful touch to a boozy gift. Along with a 375 ml of bourbon, the kit includes a $50 gift card to Whiskey Cake and a signature candle. Purchases can be made in person at any Whiskey Cake location. whiskeycake.com
Lucky Draw Wine Club Subscription from Wayward Coffee Co
Give the gift that keeps on giving. Wayward Coffee Co., the Oak Cliff and Design District’s go-to caffeine hub, runs a quietly excellent wine club with major value. The Lucky Draw Wine Club offers a $25 one-bottle or $60 three-bottle monthly subscription featuring natural wines. It’s the ideal gift for wine enthusiasts who enjoy geeking out over biodynamic farming and small-batch producers. Wine newbies will appreciate the low-press, always-good selections. The $25 sign-up includes a branded canvas tote so your wine lover can carry home their monthly haul in style. waywardcoffee.co/wine-club
