After Taste-Testing 50+ Gift Baskets, We Love These 22 (2024)

Our Current Favorite Gift Basket Brands

You can always count on Williams Sonoma when looking for a food gift basket with a luxury feel. During testing, we loved the high-end feel of the packaging. A twine string held the boxes of the Manhattan Fruitier Chocolate Confections Gift Tower together neatly in a stack, and a decorative gifting bow adorned the boxes, just as pictured.

We were especially impressed by this option's taste, which makes sense since it ships perishable foods directly from its vendors for freshness. If you're concerned about ingredients and allergens, those are clearly printed on the boxes, but the information is placed so as not to get in the way of the gift's presentation. Be aware that most gifts cost a minimum of $50, and the basket we selected had a $12 shipping fee—a significant markup.

Why We Love This Brand:

The store offers its exclusive collection every holiday season. It offers a variety of food items, including meat and cheeses to fruit, but it especially has a ton of chocolate treats and confections, perfect for the holidays. Our favorite options come in luxurious wooden crates, like the best-selling Tour de France Gift Crate stocked with smoked salmon, brie, and caviar. If that's a bit outside your price range, there are plenty of simpler options, including some just filled with cheese or fruit and nuts.

More Great Gift Options:

• Under $60: Caviar Essentials Gift Crate
  
• Under $100: Italian Pantry Gift Crate
• Splurge: Sheila Kearns Heart Shaped Chocuterie Board

Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit makes it easy to throw a perfect brunch with its biscuits and gift sets. Aptly named, the Share the Love Gift Basket comes with six buttermilk biscuits, six cinnamon biscuits, six cheese and chive biscuits, and pimento cheese. Everything arrives frozen, so there’s not much of a special occasion, but this ensures you can enjoy the biscuits whenever you want. Like other brands, you don’t feel pressured to enjoy the gift basket right away.

The biscuits took about 15 minutes to prepare, and we were blown away by their flakiness and delicious taste despite being frozen. The pimento cheese was flavorful as well. This basket arrived in less than a week, tasted delicious, and can feed a large group. The website says this basket is best for 4-8 people, and we think it can stretch even farther with 18 biscuits to share.

Why We Love This Brand:

On the site, you can navigate by the brand’s best-sellers or check out every flavor of biscuits they offer (there are 10). The brand has many bundles with add-ons like grits, coffee, and even a cookbook for gifting. To let your recipient choose their own biscuit adventure, you can also purchase a gift card for a quick virtual gift.

More Great Gift Options:

• Under $50: Hot Little Combo Pack
• Under $100: Snack Board Kit
• Splurge: The Big Biscuit Brunch

Known for its incredibly thick and moist cookies, Levain is a coveted brand in the cookie industry. For the longest time, Levain bakeries were only local to the residents of Manhattan and the Hamptons. Fast-forward nearly 30 years, and you can get its cookies delivered right to your door, which we think are perfect for an intimate date night at home.

We tested the brand's signature cookie assortment, which is available in a 4-, 6-, or 12-pack. No matter what size you get, the cookies are extremely large and great for sharing. We found that every cookie we ordered arrived fresh, decadent, and ready to be enjoyed immediately.

Why We Love This Brand:

You might think that having a smaller selection would be a bad thing, but in this case, we found that this made the ordering process clear and fast, given the website was easy to navigate and not overwhelming.

More Great Gift Options:

• Under $50: Chocolate Lovers 4-Pack
• Under $100: New Parents Bundle
• Splurge: Levain Cookie Club

There’s no wrong time to gift someone you love a gorgeous plate of chocolate-covered strawberries, and Shari’s Berries makes this process easy and delicious. A bit different than the brand’s signature basket, we tested the Distinctive Fruit Basket & Sweets Gift, which includes an impressive 39 different fruits and snacks, so an entire family or group of friends can share and sample everything.

In just six days, the basket arrived in perfect condition, wrapped in cellophane with a bow on top. Everything was packaged very securely, and not a single fruit was bruised. They all tasted extremely fresh, and the chocolatey candies were a welcome pairing to the tasty apples and pears.

This special occasion gift is suitable for an entire family or group and will impress any fruit lover. Just note that unboxing this basket may get messy because all of the fruit was wrapped individually and then in cellophane, and the basket was filled with paper shreds—but this is a small price to pay for fresh fruit.

Why We Love This Brand:

In addition to various flavors and designs of chocolate strawberries, the brand also sells fruit, cakes, flowers, and snack baskets, so there’s something for everyone. You can search by occasion and recipient or even filter by baskets that offer same-day delivery, which is vital for last-minute presents.

More Great Gift Options:

• Under $50: Half Dozen Caramel Sea Salt Artisan Belgian Chocolate Berries
• Under $100: Deliciously Decadent Radiant Sunshine and Berries
• Splurge: Two Dozen Rainbow Swirl Artisan Belgian Chocolate Strawberries

Harry and David is a well-known company known for its wide range of gourmet gift baskets. We recently tested the Favorite Royal Riviera Pears gift basket, which is a much simpler option and one of the most well-known baskets from the brand, the Harry's Gift Box.

For under $50, you get nine pears, which, although it took almost a month to arrive, were not quite ripe yet, so they lasted for a good amount of time.One thing to note: Upon delivery, we found that there weren't any labels on the box letting the recipient know there were perishable items inside.

Why We Love This Brand:

Though the site offers many options, we found it wasn't a headache to make a final selection, thanks to its ease of navigation and filtering. We also like that customers can choose smaller and larger versions of the same basket, depending on who they're shopping for and their budget.

More Great Gift Options:

• Under $50: Thank You Gift Basket
• Under $100: Classic Favorites Gift Basket
• Splurge: Summer Deluxe Hearthside Gift Basket

You don't have to live by Christina Tosi's Milk Bar to delight in one of her outrageous treats—you can just ship them across the country. We tested the brand's sample gift box, which came with truffles, cookies, and a slice of pie for a delicious and varied assortment perfect for sharing.

The basket even included instructions on best storing and preserving the treats once opened, in case they don't finish their delicious selections in one sitting. They taste just as delicious when stored correctly and enjoyed a few days or weeks later. We were particularly impressed by the company's commitment to freshness. The gift basket arrived packaged with cold packs and the tin basket was secured, so none of the treats were broken or damaged.

Why We Love This Brand:

Known for its "birthday cake" flavor and the insanely tasty Milk Bar Pie, these sweet treats and baking mixes are sure to brighten anyone's day. We love Milk Bar's wide selection; for example, you can browse among cookie-only packages or opt for a sampler of its popular desserts. All of the sweets arrive in a cute gift box, too.

More Great Gift Options:

• Under $50: The Cookie Faves Tin
  
• Under $100: The Birthday Classic
• Splurge: 10-Inch Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake

Wicked Good Cupcakes makes it easy to send a delicious treat and a bottle of wine as a sweet way to say "I love you" to someone special. You can choose up to six of the brand's almost 30 tasty cupcake flavors that arrive ready to eat in a jar, then add your recipient's favorite wine from Ilo for a great gift that has something for little ones and adults to enjoy.

We loved the moist cake that looked exactly like the pictures online upon arrival. The cupcakes are packaged in mason jars so they stay fresh and look adorable when opened. The clear jars also let you see the delicious icing and ganache before diving in. We also loved the proportions of the cupcakes with a favorable icing-to-cake ratio. However, we wished there were a few more flavor options.

Why We Love This Brand:

Wicked Good Cupcakes lets you send an e-gift so your recipient can choose their own flavors, including gluten-free options. If you're shopping for a non-drinker or a younger recipient, opt for a cupcake pack or brownie assortment without the wine.

More Great Gift Options::

• Under $50: Spring Cupcake 4-Pack
  
• Under $100: Blooms & Bites Wine Gift Box
• Splurge: Build Your 12-Pack

For the perfect breakfast in a box, we tested Stonewall Kitchen's Morning Favorites Gift Basket, which comes with jam, syrups, and three different pancake and waffle mixes. We gave the brand high scores for quality, and we loved that many of the items included were "treat-like"—meaning they weren't necessarily products people would buy for themselves, but they still made for fun pantry items that would last over the course of a few weeks or months.

Although food is the star of the show with Stonewall Kitchen, many gift options come with one or two non-food items that extend the life of the gift. This one came with a tea towel and was packaged in a gorgeous basket that can easily be repurposed. You’ll definitely impress your date with a delicious breakfast in bed with this box.

Why We Love This Brand:

This classic New England store makes some of the best pancake mixes, jams, and syrups out there—and prices start at just $10 and top off at $200. We liked that there was enough variation in basket options to make the gift feel personalized. Since many of the gifts include mixes or sauces, they're not ready to eat straight out of the packaging like some of the other picks we tested. We recommend this brand for friends and family who love to cook or bake.

More Great Gift Options:

• Under $50:Spaghetti Dinner Grab & Go
  
• Under $100:Family Brownie Night Gift
• Splurge:Brunch Gift Basket

Stan's Donuts Donuts & Coffee Lovers Gift Pack from Goldbelly is perfect for a coffee lover who needs a touch of sweetness in their life. This gift set comes with a bag of whole-bean coffee, six donuts, and a ceramic mug from the Chicago-based shop. We love that the coffee beans and mug can be enjoyed even after all the treats are eaten and act as a sweet reminder of the thoughtful gift.

As for the donuts, they were extremely fresh and tasted delicious for three days. The flavors were universally enjoyable and easy to share—even if you don’t like a certain ingredient. Just note that the box has a small tear to fit the mug inside, so the presentation isn’t the most gorgeous, but the contents inside are worth a few rips.

Why We Love This Brand:

Goldbelly can deliver local favorites across the country to satisfy any type of customer. Including the famous bagels from New York's Russ & Daughters and deep-dish pizza from Gino's East in Chicago, you can pretty much send it all.

More Great Gift Options:

• Under $50: We Take the Cake Key Lime Bundt Cake
• Under $100: The Elegant Farmer Apple Pie
• Splurge: The Clam Shack Maine Lobster Roll Kit

San Fransisco-based chocolate shop Recchiuti upgrades a simple gift of a box of chocolates, which you can’t go wrong gifting for any occasion. We were blown away by the beautifully decorated chocolates in sophisticated, minimalistic packaging that tasted even better than they looked.

Compared to other popular chocolate brands, Recchiuti rose above in terms of taste and quality. With a healthy mix of classic flavors and unique options for more adventure taste-testers, there’s something for everyone. After chowing down, there was nothing we could think to change.

Why We Love This Brand:

In addition to traditional chocolate, the brand also offers wine and whiskey pairings. The luxurious black boxes of assorted chocolate truffles are perfect for gifting. You'll also find caramels, seasonal collections, and small bites without frills. While the brand's online selection is small, there is truly something for every chocolate lover.

More Great Gift Options:

• Under $50: Red Wine Pairing Box
• Under $100: Black Box 32
• Splurge: Sharing Gift Box

For a more sophisticated ice cream gift box for friends or family, we love Salt & Straw. The high-quality taste of every flavor inside, even the vegan flavor, blew us away. With universally enjoyable flavors, the Best Sellers pack is great for gifting, but the brand also has more sophisticated flavors, like honey lavender, pear, and blue cheese.

As with all frozen treats, they don’t triumph in presentation. When the pints arrived, the box looked a bit wet, which was worrisome, but the pints were covered in ice and completely frozen. Unlike Jeni’s (also on our list!), which has a wide variety of dairy-free and gluten-free flavors, Salt & Straw only has four vegan options.

However, the small variety does not detract from the delicious taste of each one we tried.The only disappointment was vanilla, which was a bit plain and unexciting compared to other great flavors. Still, we found this option a welcome upgrade to a kid-friendly dessert gift.

Why We Love This Brand:

With fun seasonal flavors, classic favorites, and unique options, the brand lets you build your own pint bundle, so you’re guaranteed to receive flavors you love.

More Great Gift Options:

• Under $50: Gift Card
• Under $75: The Vegan Pack
• Splurge: The Cake

For any recipient who wants to try something new and international, we recommend the Universal Yums Care Package, which comes with 30 snacks—great to share with family and friends. Some smaller snacks come in duplicates to make sharing even easier.

Each snack is sealed individually, and nothing is perishable, so if it sits outside your doorstep for a few days, don’t worry. While the snacks may seem a bit common at first, we found they come in unique flavors not commonly seen in the United States. This basket acts as a fun activity for families or couples as they try everything and discover new snacks and flavors.

Why We Love This Brand:

Thanks to Universal Yums, Amazon Prime members can send a curated box of international snacks to a loved one (or themselves) in just two days. You can organize by country, opt for snacks or candy varieties, or buy a subscription to try everything.

The Universal Yums website has helpful information about how the subscription works and lets you gift a subscription to a friend, while the brand’s Amazon store is better for individual boxes, especially for last-minute gifting.

More Great Gift Options:

• Under $25: Midi International Snack Box
• Under $50: 35-Count International Snack Box
• Under $100: Subscription

One of the best perks of ordering from Goldbelly is the chance to experience cuisine from another city in the US that you can't find in your hometown. For someone who used to live in New York City or wants to experience the delights of an NYC Jewish deli, the Eli Zabar Deli Weekender Box is a no-brainer.

The box is filled to the brim with Jewish deli staples, including rye bread, babka, bagels, pastrami, cream cheese, lox, coffee, and more. It is the ultimate brunch spread with a few pantry staples to enjoy for days and weeks after you receive your box. The box arrived in just five days, and the site had an option to choose your delivery date to ensure you enjoyed all of its contents on time.

Everything tasted fresh for a few days after arrival, but as New Yorkers, we found the bagels to be a bit disappointing. The taste was closer to a pre-packaged grocery store bagel. Still, the overall selection and scope of the basket were impressive and a great treat for someone far away from New York.

More Great Gift Options:

• Under $50: Texas Trash Pie
  
• Under $100: Kermit's Key Lime Shop Key Lime Pie
• Splurge: New York Bagel Brunch for 6

This popular artisan ice cream brand delivers ice cream right to your recipient's door and has dozens of fun flavors to choose from, including Brambleberry Crisp and Goat Cheese with Red Cherries, plus a handful of dairy-free options. Perfect for a movie night at home, you and your family will love taste-testing the unique and classic flavors.

Testing proved that the quality of the ice cream was phenomenal. You can expect unique and delicious flavors that are packaged well and will arrive at your recipient's door within the expected time frame. The included dry ice kept the ice cream frozen and ready to eat.

The packaging is a bit simplistic compared to other options, but the high-quality ice cream makes up for it. We think it would make a great host gift after a visit. The minimum order is four pints at $12 each, or you can order a specific collection starting at $58 for five pints. Shipping cost depends on zip code; all orders will arrive one to two days after being shipped.

Why We Love This Brand:

You can send a few pints or gift a Pint Club 3-Month Subscription, which delivers four pints of delicious ice cream to their doorstep each month. The company also offers new flavors seasonally, so even if you've sent it as a gift before, chances are there's something new for your loved ones to try.

More Great Gift Options:

• Under $50: Gooey Butter Cake Pint
• Under $100: Party Host Collection
• Splurge: Pint Club

Cheese lovers will go nuts over this gift basket option from Jasper Hill Farm, which is owned and operated by farmers in Vermont. We loved testing The Vermonter basket, especially partly because the cheeses were delicious and not something you'd typically find at the grocery store. We loved that the basket felt very personal and special, and the included crackers and nuts gave us an instant charcuterie board.

Note that the baskets start at a pretty high price point, but many of the boxes ship free with codes found throughout the site, and the quality of the product is worth the splurge if your loved one is a cheese enthusiast.

Why We Love This Brand:

When shopping for a basket, you have the option to browse among its curated collections, create your own cheese gift basket from scratch from the brand's individual cheeses and pairings, or gift a Cheese Club membership so that your recipient can try limited-release cheeses or snag sneak peeks at upcoming products.

More Great Gift Options:

• Under $100: The Greatest Hits
• Splurge: The Entertainer
• Subscription: The Cheese Club
  

Gift Tree has been around for over two decades and has an impressive selection of gift baskets containing wine, cheese, chocolate, and more for every recipient on your list. We tested the luxurious Royal Treatment Wine Basket, which comes with a bottle of chardonnay and a bottle of Pinot Noir and tons of snacks that pair nicely with the wine.

Shipping is super quick—we received our basket within a week of ordering and by the predicted delivery date. Plus, the two-day shipping option is free! While the wine and snacks were enjoyable, we were disappointed by the lack of an online full ingredients list. This would've been helpful for those with certain food allergies or sensitivities.

Why We Love This Brand:

We weren't surprised the veteran brand had its customer service down pat. While the site has a generous range of gift basket selections, we gave the brand a perfect score for ordering since a gift expert helped us make our final selection via the 24/7 chatroom.

More Great Gift Options:

• Under $50: Farmer’s Market Garden Goddess Soap Trio
• Under $100: Metropolitan Gourmet Gift Basket
• Splurge: Manhattan Gourmet Gift Basket

For a unique gifting option, we love Mochidoki. The Japanese treat features a glutinous rice cake filled with delicious ice cream for the perfect bite-sized, hand-held dessert. Whether your friend or family member loves trying the latest flavors or has never tried mochi, Mochidoki makes it easy to try out popular flavors of the traditional treat.

The signature box set comes with 32 pieces and 8 popular flavors, so there are some doubles to share with friends. The flavor bundles come to about $3 per piece, while pricier options come with extras like tea towels and serving tongs.

We loved the combination of familiar and unique flavors that made the gift a full experience, with some trying to guess the flavor based on the color and then confirming with the helpful guide. Just be sure to put your mochi in the freezer immediately upon arrival to avoid melting.

Why We Love This Brand:

While expensive, the mochi comes packaged extremely nicely, comparable to a fancy box of chocolates. The variety and uniqueness make Mochidoki a great option, and we'd definitely send this instead of flowers next time we need a unique gift idea. You can choose from different collections from a Vegan collection to Asian-inspired flavors to those more commonly seen in America.

More Great Gift Options:

• Under $50: Black Sesame 4-Pack
  
• Under $100: Asian-Inspired Mochi Collection
• Splurge: Complete Mochi Collection

Cheese lovers, rejoice! We found the perfect gift for you in the form of a cheese subscription that delivers new artisan cheeses and food pairings to your door every month. Because you are gifting a subscription, you have to plan ahead with this box as it will arrive during the next month's scheduled window. Upon arrival, the box contained tons of information about the ingredients inside, which we love for a gift basket that includes a surprise.

While the items were not damaged inside, we wish they had included one more ice pack to keep the contents as cold as possible, especially during the summer. Still, everything tasted fresh and delicious. The cheeses were imported, so they felt more special than similar options you can find at your local grocer. At $75 a box, it's definitely a bit expensive, but for the high-quality curated selection, we find it reasonable for someone who loves discovering new cheesy faves.

Why We Love This Brand:

Curdbox only has one option: a cheese subscription. It can be a bit scary to gift a subscription without knowing the contents, but we found the box to include ample information about the contents upon arrival. One of the most fun aspects of this subscription is that each box comes with its own Spotify playlist to match the theme of the box.

For example, the theme of our box was "You're My Everything" and every song on the playlist included the word "everything" in the name. By scanning the QR code on the box, you can also find a monthly podcast where the Curdbox founder and CEO offers even more information about that month's box, so you're never in the dark.

Bonnie & Pop makes a perfect last-minute gift for a loved one who loves a gorgeous dried fruit spread. We loved the fresh-tasting dried fruit combined with the saltiness of nuts and the sweetness of chocolate, all at such a great value. Many gifts also come with a collapsible basket or tin that can be repurposed instead of wasteful plastic packaging.

There are plenty of limited edition gifts available that come in festive candy-striped tins or arrive in the shape of an apple for the fall time. The website also features a "gifting search tool" to easily find who sent you the delicious package. While Bonnie & Pop's selection may pale compared to other retailers, the speedy delivery, high-quality products, and exceptional value make it a contender.

Why We Love This Brand:

If you need a last-minute gift for a coworker, sibling, or other loved one, we love Bonnie & Pop. The mother-daughter-owned business sells a variety of chocolate, nuts, and candy-filled gift baskets, starting under $20. The brand is easily accessible through Amazon, and many gifts are eligible for two-day shipping with a Prime membership, so you won't have to worry about extended shipping times during the holiday season.

More Great Gift Options:

• Under $25: 4-Section Savory Snack Crate
• Under $50: Chocolate Gift Basket
• Under $100: Cheese & Snack Charcuterie Board

Bring a piece of England into your home with scone-centered gift baskets from Seven Sisters Scones. We sampled the mini scones in assorted flavors, which came with a jar of Georgia-made jam, clotted cream, and a tea bag of your choice to complete the experience. The individually wrapped scones arrived in just five days and felt incredibly soft and fresh upon opening. We love that you can store them in the freezer for up to six months.

The small size makes it easy to try every flavor for one to two people, but it's not the best for a large group. Because everything was individually wrapped and sealed, the presentation wasn't anything to write home about, but we valued the care the small business took into packaging the goods. The soft scones inevitably got a bit mishap in shipping, but this doesn’t dampen the taste.

Why We Love This Brand:

You can choose from mini scones, aka scones, or traditionally sized scones in a variety of fun flavors complete with jam, honey, and clotted cream. In addition to traditional scone flavors, we loveunique options like chocolate Kahlua and cotton candy.

More Great Gift Options:

• Under $50: Sconies & Jam Sampler
• Under $75: Scone Sampler- 12 Large Scones
• Under $100: 36 Sconies Sampler

Spending time with friends this summer? Opt for this smashable chocolate from Vosges. When you gift Vosges Chocolates to a friend, you’re not gifting an ordinary box of chocolates. We personally tested the Soirée Smash: Sourdough Pretzel & Toffee, which has a bit less impressive packaging than the traditional chocolate boxes, but it is meant to be smashed upon arrival, so we can’t complain. While this specific chocolate gift is currently out of stock, you can't go wrong with the brand's classic milk chocolate truffle collection for gifting.

The chocolate bar has different flavors throughout, which you break into pieces and share with friends and family. This doubles as an activity for your recipient. We found that it draws a large crowd, justifying the over $100 price tag for a single chocolate bar.

We recommend saving this for your next party or gathering, as the 2.2-pound bar we tested fed around 12 people with plenty left over. Shipping jumped this price to over $100, so we see this as a special occasion present for a large group.

Why We Love This Brand:

While it doesn’t have the largest selection on our list, the brand has seasonal selects and a Build-Your-Own Gift Option to customize the box and its contents for a special someone. To ensure the high quality of the chocolate, it arrives double-wrapped with ice packs for temperature control, but in places with very high temperatures, we recommend giving your recipient a heads-up to avoid melting.

More Great Gift Options:

• Under $50: Caramel Marshmallows
• Under $100: Comfort Food Tower
• Splurge: The Dream Gift Set

If you're looking to give a wine gift to a loved one, Gourmet Gift Baskets has a great variety of gift baskets to choose from, whether your recipient prefers Chardonnay, Rosé, or Pinot.

There are smaller and bigger baskets available, but all wine baskets also include snacks that pair nicely with the chosen beverage, including the Classic White Wine Gift Basket, which we tested. Sadly, this basket is currently sold out, but the red wine version is still available.

In terms of delivery, our basket arrived very quickly, and we found that all items were packed securely to ensure nothing shifted during the shipping process. The basket's other contents tasted fine, but some food items didn't live up to the same quality as others—the wine was clearly the main star of the gift.

Why We Love This Brand:

While the selection may seem overwhelming, we recommend shopping by occasion, which the website makes easy. For adults, opt for a wine and cheese pairing, while kids and teens might love a birthday box full of candy and cake-themed treats.

More Great Gift Options:

• Under $50: Gourmet Meat & Cheese Sampler
  
• Under $100: Farmers Market Gift Box
• Splurge: Snack & Chocolate Gift Basket