11 Gifts for the Lazy Gourmand

The best gourmet gifts require little to no prep work to enjoy. Even if the foodie in your life is a skilled cook, they might be tempted to embrace their lazy side this holiday season. These gifts—which include high-end subscriptions, fancy condiments, and other ready-to-eat treats—allow them to do just that.

1. Kayla's Cake in a Jar Gift Basket; $34

No one needs to wait for a special occasion to eat cake, including the lazy gourmand in your life. The cakes in this gift basket come in single-serving glass jars, so they can be eaten anywhere and anytime. Chocolate, carrot, red velvet, and birthday cake are the flavors that come in this set of four.

Buy it: Amazon

2. Quarterly Hot Sauce Subscription; $120

If you know someone who goes through hot sauce quickly, replenish their stash with this quarterly subscription. The price includes four shipments staggered throughout the year, each one containing three 5-ounce bottles of a different small-batch hot sauce.

Buy it: Food52

3. Salami of the Month Club; $240

When shopping for pork lovers, it's hard to go wrong with regular shipments of salami. Sign the gourmand in your life up for the Olympia Provisions Salami of the Month Club to get a new log of cured meat delivered to their door each month. Each salami is made using old-world techniques and comes with detailed tasting notes.

Buy it: Food52

4. Farm-to-table Bloody Mary Mix; $22

These unique bloody mary mixes are practically ready to drink—all they need is alcohol. With ingredients like habaneros, beets, and peaches, they go beyond what the gourmand in your life may find at their local brunch spot. All the mixes come from a family-run farm in Alabama.

Buy it: Food52

5. Cheese of the World Sampler; $79

With this gift platter, you can take your loved one on a world tour without leaving home. The six cheeses in the sampler come from countries across the globe. Cheeses include French raclette, Pyrenees brebis, and Mitica drunken goat—adding up to 3 pounds of product total.

Buy it: Murray’s Cheese

6. Illy Home Coffee Break Bundle; $200

The gourmand in your life doesn’t need to head to their local café to enjoy fine coffee. This gift bundle from Illy has everything they need to have a luxurious coffee break at home. In addition to the espresso machine, they’ll get a sampler of four varieties of espresso pods.

Buy it: Illy Caffe

7. Taste of Peru Pantry Box; $75

This pantry box from Uncommon Goods is the lazy gourmand’s first step toward mastering Peruvian cuisine. They won’t need to shop for ingredients or make condiments from scratch. The box includes classic Peruvian staples like black mint paste and lemon drop pepper cooking sauce, plus written tips on how to use them.

Buy it: Uncommon Goods

8. Chocolate Fondue; $20

Chocolate fondue is no longer limited to classy parties. This pre-made fondue just needs to be microwaved in a stoneware container before it’s ready to eat. Your lazy gourmand is free to use it as a decadent dip or eat it with a spoon.

Buy it: Uncommon Goods

9. Popcorn Seasoning Set; $35

Home movie nights just got a lot fancier. The gourmet popcorn seasonings in this set go beyond butter and salt, with varieties like mojito lime and sweet BBQ.

Buy it: Uncommon Goods

10. Bourbon Pie Filling ; $34.95

There’s no shame in taking shortcuts while baking. This bourbon pecan pie filling is ready to be turned into pie: All it needs is eggs, butter, pie crust, and some time in the oven. There’s also no shame in eating it straight from the jar.

Buy it: Uncommon Goods

11. Truffle Oil Gift Set ; $34.95

Nothing screams “gourmet” like the distinct flavor (and scent) of truffles. The truffle oils in this set cost much less than a whole truffle would, but they still manage to make any dish feel fancier. Whether the gourmand in your life prefers black truffles, white truffles, or English truffles, they will find their choice of flavoring in this gift box.

Buy it: Amazon