It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
The weather is finally bearable, you get to break out all your cute sweaters and everything smells like pine trees or gingerbread.
As fun as the holiday season is, before you know it, it’ll be Dec. 24 and you’ll be scrambling to find the perfect gifts for your loved ones. Wouldn’t it be nice to actually enjoy the holidays and eat all the cookies you want without all the shopping stress?
Thankfully, this year I’m here to help! Since the city is full of delicious food and local bakers, give your loved ones a little taste of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ with these foodie-inspired gifts. I mean, who wouldn’t enjoy a tasty gift?!
Coffee and cocktails

Customers at Desert Dreams XO booth during the Summer Night Market at the MSA Annex, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Ariz., June 30, 2023.
Everyone loves a fun drink. As a coffee lover myself, I always love receiving cute mugs or tumblers — it makes my coffee taste better. For the coffee lover in your life, makes cute glass tumblers decorated with cacti, smiley faces and cheeky sayings. They also have drink sleeves and car coasters that would make perfect stocking stuffers.
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To go with the cute glasses, local coffee shop  sells their own coffee in all kinds of flavors, bringing their shop into the comfort of your home. For the tea drinker in your life, check out .
For those who need a gift for someone who enjoys inventive cocktails, has you covered. The shop has different sour mixes, such as prickly pear and spiced honey, that can be used to add a little kick to at-home margaritas. They even carry cactus-themed wine glasses and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥-themed shot glasses. (They also carry various food items like popcorn and spices, as well as cute kitchen décor.)
also has camp craft cocktails, which are mason jars filled with different ingredients, making unique cocktails a much simpler task. Peppermint bark martini, affogato and sangria are just a few flavors they offer.
Treats and food

Dirty T Tamarindo is known for its spicy versions of sweets like Gushers and gummy worms.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ has many special bakers and vendors who create all kinds of treats that even the pickiest of eaters enjoy.
For those who have a sweet tooth, sells homemade cookies in all kinds of yummy ube flavors. This month, they are offering take-and-bake cookie dough, so your friends can have all the fun of making Christmas cookies without having to deal with all the prepping and cleanup. Ube Bae also has Thai spice gingerbread cookies and pandan crinkles that would make the perfect sweet treats for loved ones.
also offers their mesquite chocolate chip cookie mix for the bakers in your life. Their popular cookie mix is made with mesquite flour, which has a slightly sweet and nutty flavor.
Give your friends a taste of Southern ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ with candy that has a spicy kick. and both make gummy candy covered in TajÃn and chamoy, giving people the best of both worlds: sweet and spicy. They both also offer the viral pickle kits and rim dip for those who want to make micheladas at home.
To gift a little taste of the desert, is home to jellies and candy all make with prickly pear.
You can never go wrong with chocolate! Â makes the prettiest chocolate you will ever see. With so many flavors and options to choose from, your loved ones will be in chocolate heaven. Holiday bon bons, peppermint bark and malt balls are just a few mouthwatering treats that Monsoon Chocolate offers.Â
Kitchen décor

will be at the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Together market with their handcrafted functional wood pieces for your home, including bench scrapers, vases and cheese boards.
Cute kitchen décor and utensils are the perfect gift for the Gordon Ramsay in your life. makes beautiful cutting boards, plus different handmade wooden utensils and charcuterie boards (plus some of their items are on sale right now!).
At , you can gift the cutest ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥-themed kitchen towels. These towels have every design you can think of: cacti, wildlife and Dirty T prints.Â
Give your friends a little taste of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ with a cookbook inspired by the city’s food scene. by Jackie Alpers includes all kinds of Sonoran-style recipes such as pozole, chicken mole and adobo pulled pork.
Quirky foodie gifts

A peek inside Hola Chingona, where you can find concha slippers, horchata lip balm and more.
Want to step outside of the box and gift your foodie friends something other than food? At , they have so many food-inspired items it’ll be hard to choose which one to get. Find concha purses and slippers, paleta soaps, M²¹³ú²¹±èá²Ô pillows and bolo ties that look like chicken nuggets.Â
Not only does make the cutest bento cakes, now she makes cake décor! Mini heart-shaped Hello Kitty jewelry boxes, heart-shaped Sanrio mirrors and cake cowgirl hats are now available at Chez Peachy’s holiday pop-ups. Each item actually looks like a cake that Chez Peachy would make! Plus you can pick up a bento cake for yourself while you holiday shop.
Dining experiences

Reilly Craft Pizza & Drink has recently opened a new rooftop bar.
As a City of Gastronomy, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ has some amazing restaurants with picturesque views.
Treat your loved ones with gift cards to their favorite place to eat (plus you can tag along, so it’s a win-win situation!). , , and are just a few places that have gift cards available.
Jamie Donnelly is the food writer for #ThisIsÃÛèÖÖ±²¥. Contact her via e-mail at jdonnelly@tucson.com