Turn around a bad day with a few tasty comfort foods carefully placed in an easy-to-carry gift basket. A great present for anyone who is feeling down, under the weather, missing home or needing something special to brighten their day.

From classics and hearty cold-weather favourites to snacks and treats, there is much to choose from in filling your basket. These snacks make excellent additions to gift baskets, which the recipients will appreciate.

Here are some comfort food gift basket ideas to consider and get started with.

Idea #1: Bread

A nice expensive bread with a little bit of butter is comfort food all on its own. You can try to make your own, but in many towns and cities, local bakeries are sure to have some amazing-smelling loaves ready to be pulled from the shelf.

Idea #2: Trail Mix

Although not a ‘sit and eat comfort food, trail mix is great to carry with one on a commute or when running errands. A high-quality mix of dried fruits, nuts, and chocolates is a sure way to feed the appetite when someone’s on the go.

Idea #3: Soup Or Stew

Soup or stew isn’t going to stay fresh for long unrefrigerated, but if you’re delivering your comfort food gift basket on the same day, a small sealed container of soup makes for a hearty and delicious dinner when heated.

Idea #4: Carrots And Dip

This is all about the dip. A tasty dip or spread with carrot sticks makes for a nice pre-meal snack. It gives energy and will likely be one of the healthier comfort foods you can toss into a gift basket.

Idea #5: Premium Popcorn

Several brands of premium popcorn have come to the forefront in the past decade. Some microwave popcorn is fine, but we’re talking bags of popped popcorn, pre-spiced and sometimes mixed with some bits of chocolate and sweets.

Idea #6: Fast Food Restaurant Gift Cards

A prepaid VISA or fast food gift card provides someone with a nice treat to look forward to. Lots of restaurants have gift cards. Whenever the gift recipient wants, they can cash in theirs and enjoy a warm, freshly prepared meal. If you don’t want to go the fast food route, your favourite local restaurant may also have a gift card. These are easy to fit inside any gift basket.

Idea #7: Dry Pasta Mac And Cheese

There is some high-quality dry pasta in the mac and cheese category. You don’t have to worry about them getting soggy or anything. They’re dry. All a person has to do is boil pasta and add the powder. It makes for a nice, warm meal.

Idea #8: Spice And Herb Mix

A nice spice and herb mix, homemade or bought from the store, can help make chicken, steak, turkey, tofu, or plant-based protein all the more interesting. Some luxurious spice combinations out there are sure to impress.

Idea #9: Premium Pasta Sauce

Another place to go with filling in your comfort food basket is to buy premium pasta sauce. Kept inside a can or glass jar, pasta sauce can be cracked open the next time they want a warm supper and poured over their favourite pasta pot.

Idea #10: Comfort Food Recipe Book

If you know who you’re giving the basket to is the type of person who enjoys cooking, you may also include a comfort food recipe book in your gift basket. You can even include a note promising you’ll make a certain recipe for them or help them make the recipes in the book. Especially for a family member or close friend, this can be a nice way to reconnect over food.

Idea #11: Fondue Set

A fondue set allows someone to prepare all sorts of decadent desserts. Fondue sets aren’t too expensive and can be used to make caramel, chocolate, tempura, meat, or cheese. You’ve got a healthy amount of comfort food options with a fondue set.

Idea #12: Silicone Pans

Lots of people love to bake but hate the cleanup afterward. If the person you’re buying for enjoys cookies and brownies but often has them sticking to the pan, silicone pans are an alternative. They’ll be able to cook their favourite baked goods and never have to worry about sticking. Everything pops off the pan very easily, and even better, food-grade silicone is dishwasher-safe, so there’s no real cleanup involved.

Idea #13: Homemade Pasta Roller Kit

Pasta is common comfort food for obvious reasons. If they’ve never tried making their own and are the type to enjoy DIY projects, a homemade pasta roller kit or a spiralizer can help them customize pasta in all shapes and sizes.

Idea #14: Dessert Sauces And Spreads

You also have dessert sauces, such as those used on ice cream, i.e. chocolate, strawberry, or butterscotch. Many sandwich spreads are dessert-based or tasty in their own right. Adding these to a slice of bread or some vanilla ice cream can create quite the comfort food.