The cutest homemade gift idea - how to make brownies, blondies and chocolate chip cookies in a jar to gift to the baker in your life! They are inexpensive, thoughtful and easy to make.
I was talking with some friends the other day about how crazy things get at Christmas time. There are so many things to do, so many people to see and so many presents to buy...it can get expensive!
So today I've got a fun homemade gift idea for you that is really inexpensive! I've taken 3 of my favourite recipes and put them in jars - my chewy chocolate chip cookies, fudgy brownies and raspberry and white chocolate blondies. Something for everyone! They look cute, are easy to make and more than anything else, they are a really thoughtful and fun gift!
Printable labels: download them here
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Making the jars is really simple. The dry ingredients all fit into a 750ml jar which are easy to find. I got these jars at Briscoes for $4 each when they were 50% off. My jars came with orange seals which would be totally fine, but I was a bit OCD and bought white seals to replace them - they were only $5 for a packet of 5 and they are handy to have anyway!
You can definitely just put all the ingredients in the jar in any order but I think layering them light/dark/light/dark looks really effective. You can just spoon the ingredients in, but I used a funnel to make them look neat and tidy. I also packed the brown sugar down with the back of a spoon to make more room in the jars and also so that the white sugar on top of it didn't fall through and ruin the look of the layers.
Printable labels: download them here
I've also included printable labels for you to download and tie onto the jars. I've put the contents of the jar on the label too, just in case anyone with allergies is likely to be eating them.
Once the jar is made the process is simple.
For the cookies and blondies add the wet ingredients to a large bowl - just melted butter, eggs and vanilla and then dump the contents of the jar into the bowl, add the raspberries for the blondie, mix together and bake.
The brownie is slightly different - the chocolate in the top of the jar needs to be melted with the butter before adding the other dry ingredients. You could just send the block of chocolate along with the jar but I think it looks nice in the jar so I thought long and hard about how to separate it and ended up using the top from a plastic case of cupcake liners! It was the perfect size to fit inside the jar and is sturdy enough to hold the chocolate. If you don't have one of these, place a circle of baking paper or even tinfoil on top of the last layer before adding the chopped chocolate. This way you can tip the chocolate out of the jar into the pot to melt with the butter, add the eggs and vanilla and then top the rest of the contents of the jar in.
The other great thing about this is that this can be the gift that keeps giving. Once the person has baked their goodies, they could always make up another jar and gift on to someone else!
Other great homemade gift ideas:
3 homemade sugar scrubs (coming next week)
Homemade Burrito Spice Mix
Homemade BBQ Spice Rub
Homemade Vanilla Extract
Gingerbread Granola
Made this? Tag me on Instagram @thekiwicountrygirl and hashtag it #thekiwicountrygirl.
Brownies, Blondies & Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Jar {3 homemade gift ideas)
Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Cookies (jar ingredients)
- 1 ½ cups (210g) plain flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (100g) brown sugar
- ½ cup (105g) white sugar
- ½ cup chocolate chips (plus more to fill up the jar if needed)
Raspberry and White Chocolate Blondies (jar ingredients)
- 1 ½ cups (210g) plain flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (150g) brown sugar
- ½ cup (105g) white sugar
- ½ cup dessicated coconut
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
Fudgy Brownies (jar ingredients)
- ⅔ cup (93g) plain flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (50g) brown sugar
- ¾ cup (157g) white sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (30g) cocoa powder (sifted)
- 150 grams dark chocolate pieces (I used Whittaker's 50% dark chocolate)
Instructions
To assemble the jars (all recipes)
- Add ingredients to a clean and dry 750ml jar in the order listed. After adding each ingredient, gently tap the jar on the bench so that the ingredients settle slightly. Use your hand or the back of a spoon to pack down the brown sugar so that the next ingredient doesn't fall through it. I like to use a funnel to ensure the layers are neat.For the brownie, after adding the cocoa powder, place something to separate the dark chocolate pieces so that they can be removed on their own without the other dry ingredients. I used the plastic top from a cupcake case container but a piece of baking paper or even a cupcake case will also work.
To bake the Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°FMelt 115 grams of butter in a pyrex jug or in a pot on the stove. Add 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and whisk together well. Pour in the contents of the jar and stir until well combined. Use a spoon or cookie scoop to drop rounded balls of dough (about 2 TBSP) onto a baking tray lined with baking paper or a silicone liner.Bake for 10-12 minutes for soft cookies or 12-14 minutes for crispier cookies.Makes 12 large cookies
To bake the Raspberry and White Chocolate Blondies
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°FMelt 150 grams of butter in a pyrex jug or in a pot on the stove. Add 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and whisk together well. Pour in the contents of the jar and stir until well combined. Fold through ½ cup of fresh or frozen raspberries.Pour batter into a 20cmx20cm brownie tin lined with baking paper.Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
To bake the Fudgy Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°FMelt 115 grams of butter and the dark chocolate from the jar together in a large pyrex jug in the microwave or in a pot on the stove. Add 3 eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and whisk together well. Pour in the contents of the jar and stir until well combined. Pour batter into a 20cmx20cm brownie tin lined with baking paper.Bake for 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out with just a few crumbs on it.
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If you tried and loved this recipe, please leave a comment and a rating below!
Margaret says
I wanted to make one jar of each - recipe for one jar of brownie says three eggs and full recipe says 3 eggs- so the reduction from 3 jar recipe to one jar recipe needs revising.
Laura says
Sorry Margaret, I'm not sure I understand your question. The brownie does require 3 eggs but not until the day of baking. What did you think needed to be revised?
Christine Canderle says
Such a simple but thoughtful gift that's very satisfying to make and give 😍
Julia says
These are so easy to make. I have tried the Choc Chip Cookies recipe and they are amazing. Have made several batches now.
Sydney says
Made these jars up (brownie and blondie) for Christmas 2022 and the family loved them! Such a great and fun idea! I've only tried the blondies so far and delicious!
Anna says
I've tried and tested all three recipes now and they have been a hit in this household, especially the Blondies.
A great gift for any Mum to be that still loves baking & sweet treats (I've made several for myself for the coming months too).
Only change I've made was adding 1/2tsp baking powder to the chocolate brownies. And with the Raspberry White Choc Blondies I use whatever fresh or frozen berries I have on hand. Fresh strawberries and/or blueberries worked great
Question, in the Berry Blondies could you swap the coconut for ground almonds? For a slightly different taste/texture or for people who don't like coconut.
Laura says
Hi Anna! Oh that's awesome, thank you for that lovely feedback! Yes you could absolutely sub the coconut for ground almonds! Sounds delicious!
Lynne Levinge says
Hi Laura, Are you able to share the labels please?
Amelia says
Hi.
Just wondering if the oven temps are standard bake or fan bake?
Thanks,
Laura says
Hi Amelia, they are standard bake
Maria says
Kia Ora! We’re making these for Christmas this year - such an awesome idea and really simple recipe!! Just wondering how long they would keep for in the jars do you think?!
Laura says
Hi Maria, they keep for months! Keep them as long as you would keep the individual ingredients in the pantry.
Heather says
I was given the White Chocolate & Raspberry Blondies in a jar. Made it up today to take to my grandsons' birthday party. Just as well I kept a couple of pieces at home. It all disappeared before I even got to the table! Delicious.