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Oct 22, 2024

The Best Gift Baskets, According To Our Testing

We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. We tested 26 gift baskets, including cheese, chocolate, and fruit baskets. In This

We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.

We tested 26 gift baskets, including cheese, chocolate, and fruit baskets.

In This Article

Southern Living / Goutam Barigali

Gift baskets not only show how much you care, but can be customized to fit whatever snacks, treats, or foods that the recipient likes. Whether you’re shopping for a holiday, birthday, or special occasion, a gift basket is always a great gift.

According to Diane Gottsman, “A gift basket, filled with wonderful treats, favorite food, and an unexpected surprise, is always a welcome gift.” But with so many retailers and types of gift baskets, it can be difficult to decide the kind of gift basket to send to someone.

Diane Gottsman is an etiquette expert and the owner of The Protocol School of Texas.

To help you select the best gift basket, we put 26 popular options to the test. We paid attention to every part of the process, including ordering and delivery, and evaluated each basket on its variety, freshness, presentation, and size. Our top picks cover a whole range of categories, including fruits, chocolates, ice cream, and more.

Biscuits arrive frozen for later use

Enough to share

Includes pimento cheese

Not the best presentation

Aptly named the Share the Love Basket, this breakfast-focused option contains 18 biscuits and a container of pimento cheese. The variety includes six of Callie’s best-selling flavors: buttermilk, cinnamon, and cheese and chive.

This gift basket is perfect for families and other large groups and stands out since it’s a bit unusual compared to other gift baskets. It arrives in a large box with Callie's brand name on it. Since the biscuits arrive frozen, the recipient can make a few at a time to make the gift last longer.

We thought that all the biscuits tasted delicious, with a delightfully crumbly texture. They tasted like something you’d find at a Southern-style restaurant, and the pimento cheese tasted better than options you’d find at a typical grocery store. All in all, we highly recommend this gift basket if you want to share a taste of the South.

Nice presentation

Variety of fruits

Different sizes available

Includes a lot of decorative materials

If you’re looking for a classic fruit basket, you can’t beat this one from Shari’s Berries. Inside, there are oranges, apples, pears, and chocolate-covered cherries, as well as sweets like chocolate chip cookies and saltwater taffy.

We found that everything, including the candies, tasted fresh and delicious. We liked that it was visually appealing as well. We ordered the Grande size, which is the largest and most expensive, but it’s also available in standard and deluxe sizes.

Since there’s so much fruit in the basket, they will need to have enough space in the refrigerator to keep everything fresh. Just keep in mind that since it includes a lot of decorative materials, be prepared for cleanup to take a while.

Unique flavors

Beautiful decorations

Expensive

Chocolates can melt on the doorstep

Although not technically a gift basket, this box of chocolates is definitely a worthy gift. It includes 16 pieces of handmade chocolate (although you can also buy boxes of 32 or 88 if you want even more), so it’s perfect for one to two people.

After one bite, these chocolates quickly became our favorite. From the unique flavors to the eye-catching designs, this box of chocolates is clearly superior to store-bought ones.

Even those who aren’t very adventurous with their palate will enjoy this box, which includes flavors like hazelnut, sesame nougat, lavender vanilla, and peppermint. Even though the company ships the chocolate with an ice pack, the recipient will need to be at home to get the box, or the chocolates could melt on the doorstep.

Southern Living / Nicole Lund

Individually wrapped

Perfect for most occasions

Comes with other delicious add-ins

You don’t get to choose which flavor scones they’ll receive

Another fantastic breakfast basket, this scone-focused basket is great for all occasions and people, from your coworkers to your best friend. Each scone from the Johns Creek, Georgia, business has a different flavor and is individually wrapped, although you won’t know which flavors you’re getting.

The basket also comes with jam, cream, and tea to round it out. Compared to typical scones, these arrived fresher and softer. And since each scone is individually wrapped, the recipient can take them on the go instead of eating them all at once.

All charcuterie supplies included

Excellent presentation

Perfect for hosting

We wish it came with more cheese

While it’s fun to put together a charcuterie board with your friends, sometimes it’s easier to purchase one online. The Abbondanza Gift Box from Di Bruno Bros. contains everything they need for a wine and cheese night: aged cheddar, cheese spread, salami, jam, candied nuts, caramels, crostini crackers, and other delicious treats and snacks.

Since this gift basket has refrigerated items, the company includes ice packs to keep everything fresh. As soon as we opened the box, we saw that none of the products had been damaged or partially opened, and we appreciated the overall presentation.

Everything was high-quality and gourmet, and we think it’s a great option for a hostess. The only thing we would improve is adding another block of hard cheese or another type of cheese spread to complete the assortment.

Ice cream arrives frozen

Variety of flavors

Multiple subscriptions available

Lacks fruity flavors

One of the best ways to treat someone you love? Gift them five pints of Salt & Straw ice cream. This sweet gift set includes the brand’s classic best-sellers: sea salt and caramel, vanilla, mint chocolate chip, chocolate brownie, and cookie dough.

We discovered that these flavors complemented each other really well, although we would have liked to try a fruity-flavored one as well.In terms of delivery, we were impressed that the ice cream arrived totally frozen with zero melting, and we loved that it tasted like it was just made yesterday. Even the vegan flavor was delicious—in fact, it was our favorite of the five. You can also make it a subscription, with delivery every 30, 60, or 90 days.

Neatly packaged

Pears arrived not-yet ripe for longer enjoyment

Suitable for one to three people

Some arrived slightly bruised

Besides being a sweet snack, pears can be added to different desserts, salads, and drinks. This simple pear gift box includes nine gourmet Riviera pears that are all wrapped in tissue paper.

One thing to note, though: Even though the description says nine pears are included, we only received eight. Still, we appreciated that the pears weren’t quite ripe on arrival, which allowed us to enjoy them for longer and not worry about eating them all right away. This type of gift basket is best for one to three people, and is more unique than the standard fruit basket. You can also slice the pears up and serve them as appetizers at different gatherings.

Unique box of chocolates

Fruit preserves included

Beautiful presentation

Expensive

If you want to take a box of chocolates to the next level, give the Valerie Large Gift Set—in addition to chocolates, it includes two jars of fruit preserves. And it doesn’t just include one box of chocolates, but two (the Baby Grand and Caramel boxes), as well as two chocolate bars and a box of Almond Toffee Treats.

Although the price is high for this gift basket, we did feel that each piece of chocolate was high-quality, especially considering the variety. We also loved the presentation of this basket, and think it’s an elevated gift for the chocolate lover in your life.

Fresh, delicious doughnuts

Whole bag of bean of coffee included

No option for ground coffee

Expensive

All of the doughnuts in this gift basket are made from scratch and are ready to eat upon arrival. Not only does this basket include doughnuts, but it also comes with a whole bean bag of coffee to complete the presentation (just note that the recipient will need to own a coffee grinder to crush the beans).

The doughnuts arrived fresh, and even after letting them sit out on the counter for a while, they did not taste stale. Flavors include cinnamon sugar, vanilla sprinkles, lemon pistachio, coconut, glazed, and apple fritter—although for the price, we wish that more doughnuts were included. We think that this gift basket is a great gift to give to someone who likes doughnuts but is looking to try something new.

Variety of snacks

Quick delivery

Perfect for college students

Lacks bubble wrap or paper wrapping

If you know someone who likes to snack on churros, gummies, and marshmallows, then this snack gift basket is the perfect gift for them. Besides getting a large amount of snacks (30 in total), the recipient also gets the opportunity to try different flavors from different countries, like South Korea, Spain, Germany, Indonesia, and more.

We were very surprised by how quickly we received the basket, but we were disappointed that it didn’t come with any sort of bubble wrap or wrapping paper. This is a particularly great gift for college students, and the recipient can either eat the snacks solo or share them with friends.

Southern Living / Erin Mayer

Perfect as an appetizer

Variety of high-quality cheeses included

Offers different subscriptions

Includes a pairing info card with wine suggestions and a themed Spotify playlist

Only arrived with one ice pack

If one of your friends or family members is an avid cheese lover, gift them with this Curdbox Cheese box on a special occasion. Inside the box, there are soft and hard artisan cheeses and a bunch of delicious snacks.

We believe that this gift basket would work well as an appetizer at small gatherings. Even though the softer cheeses tasted more high-quality, both options were delicious. Specifically, the Mitica Wooly Wooly cheese tasted like a rich, buttery bagel. And the Fromager d'Affinois with Garlic and Herb was flavorful, rich, and decadent. Even better, the onion jam provided each cheese with a sweet and savory kick. Although the Tresors Gourmands Garlic & Herb Crackers were light and crispy, the Everything Matzo Crackers didn’t leave a lasting impression on us. Overall, we loved the contents of this gift basket. While the Everything Matzo Crackers and the Mitica Spanish cheese seemed like items that you could find at your local grocery store, all the other contents had an excellent taste.

There’s even a flavor profile that gives you more information about their origins. If we were to change anything about this gift basket, we would include more ice packs. The gift box only comes with one. By the time we opened the box (which was around 4 pm), some of the cheese was either warm or slightly cool. We advise those in warmer climates to quickly refrigerate the cheese upon arrival.

A gift basket is a fantastic gift for just about any occasion. After testing 26 gift baskets, there were a few that really stood out. If you’re looking for a unique Southern gift basket, we highly recommend the Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit Share the Love Gift Basket. If you’re looking for an elevated box of chocolates, we think the Recchiuti Black Box 16 can’t be beat, thanks to its unique flavors and designs. And if you want a crowd-pleasing fruit basket, the Shari's Berries Distinctive Fruit Basket & Sweets Gift left us speechless with its presentation and delicious flavors.

We tested 26 gift baskets and evaluated them on variety, size, delivery, freshness, quality, and overall value. After ordering each basket, we noted how long shipping took, and how well each basket was packaged.

We then tasted the items in each basket and shared them with family and friends, focusing on freshness, quality, and taste. We considered how good the variety was and whether we felt that anything was missing, and took note of the overall presentation. Lastly, we evaluated the overall value, considering the number of items, size, presentation, and quality of the products.

Southern Living / Erin Mayer

Gift baskets are typically straightforward and contain items that revolve around a theme, like chocolate, fruit, snacks, etc. If you’re not totally sure what the recipient likes, be sure to get a basket that’s full of different types of goodies, like a wide selection of chocolates or fruits. The same goes if you anticipate that the basket will be shared amongst a larger group of people, like a family or party.

Another thing that you should keep in mind is to double-check the contents before ordering. Since you’re not able to build the gift basket yourself, it’s important to make sure that you are aware of what’s included inside of it, especially if the recipient is allergic to a particular ingredient. Note that while companies will advertise certain items for the gift basket, they will have to make substitutions if necessary.

Most companies will provide you with an estimated date of delivery, and many will also provide cut-off dates during the holiday season so you can be sure your basket will arrive in time for a special occasion. Based on our testing, most gift baskets take a few days to arrive, but some can take a week or longer. Many companies ship gift baskets only on certain days at the beginning of the week, so that there’s less of a chance of a weekend delay.

Since there are different types of gift baskets, you’ll find baskets that cost anywhere from $19 to $700. As a general rule, the more expensive the basket, the more snacks, treats, and other items will be included.

As you’re shopping for gift baskets, keep in mind that the cost plays a huge factor in the variety of snacks, treats, and other items that are included in the basket. Also, don’t forget the shipping costs. All in all, buying a pre-made gift basket is much more expensive than making one yourself, but you’re paying for the convenience of the company packaging and delivering it for you.

A gift basket is always a wonderful gift for any occasion, whether your loved one is sick or you need a host gift for Easter brunch. While you could give someone a singular gift, a gift basket has its own personal touch and lets the recipient know how much they mean to you. Food gift baskets in particular are a good idea for someone who’s going through a tough time, as they allow the recipient to have one less thing to worry about.

Regardless of how much you spend on a gift basket, they are worth every penny. With gift baskets or boxes, you can send your loved one or friend a decorative basket full of snacks, desserts, fruits, and other items no matter how far they live away from you. Similar to handwritten notes, gift baskets are a nice way to show how much you care about someone.

Depending on the types of snacks inside the gift basket, most manufacturers will also include ice packs in the packaging to keep everything fresh. Hotter weather may affect this though, so keep that in mind if you’re sending gift baskets to warmer climates. In our testing, we found that all of our gift baskets arrived perfectly cold and fresh—even the Salt & Straw ice cream.

While gift baskets include wonderful items that will leave a lasting impression on the recipient, it’s also a good idea to go the extra mile and elevate the presentation. Gottsman says, “From a hand-painted monogram on the basket to a ribbon around the basket itself, and even an additional item included in the basket, you can’t go wrong by making it personal.”

Try tying a ribbon on top of the basket, adding different colored tissue paper at the bottom, or using bamboo skewers to make the items stand out.Regardless of how you decorate, keep in mind that elevating your gift basket lets the recipient know that you took extra time to prepare the gift. “I have a thermal cup that someone gave me with my business logo and my name. I know they had to spend extra time doing this because it was not in bulk. I appreciated the effort and when I drink from the cup, I think of the gift giver,” says Gottsman.

This gift guide was created by Moriah Mason, a commerce writer for Southern Living. We tested 26 different gift baskets for a variety of occasions, and evaluated each on variety, size, presentation, freshness, delivery, and overall quality. And for expert insight, we spoke to Diane Gottsman, an etiquette expert and the owner of The Protocol School of Texas.