The Best Stocking Stuffers 2016
Save yourself a trip to the dollar store
All December long, we're bringing you the recipes, tips and tricks you need to Feast your way through the holidays, no matter how you celebrate the season.
Aluminum shrink-wrapped marshmallow Santas worked when you were 10, but you're an adult now. It's about time your stocking stuffers got an upgrade. Here are 12 items that prove it's the little things in life that matter, plus you probably can't fit anything bigger in there anyway.
① Burger and Fries Temporary Tattoos ($5)
This burger is an ambiguous brown protein, so tell vegetarians that it's a lentil patty. There are plenty of other options as well if your friend would rather wear coffee like it's a caffeine patch or show off a love for soft-serve.
② Jacobsen Salt Co. Sea Salt Slide Tins ($5 for two)
When your friend is stuck in an airport and has to make do, at least their food court meal will be professionally seasoned.
③ Tonewood Maple Flakes ($13)
Any ingredient that works just as well on pork roast as on a scoop of vanilla ice cream is one to buy. And there's nothing as Vermont as pure maple syrup in crystallized sugar form.
④ Farmhouse 85% Chocolate Bar with Toasted Almonds ($5)
Another Vermont export, this organic, fair trade bar beats out any similarly inexpensive chocolate you'll find in a retail store. This kind of high-quality chocolate with a low price tag is practically unheard of, so you might as well spring for a few bars.
⑤ Blue Table Chocolates ($9 for six)
If you'd rather gift chocolate in truffle form, these Buffalo-made confections are the move. Not only are they stunning, but the sesame crunch with black sesame powder and bits of ground caramel prove they have inner beauty as well.
⑥ Socksmith Donut Socks ($7.50)
The situation will get messy if you try to shove a real doughnut in a stocking, but socks work just fine—and it doesn't get more meta than putting socks in a stocking. You can even take the theme to a third dimension and buy stickers to match.
⑦ Sugarfina Champagne Bubbles ($7.50)
Good luck finding a quality bottle of bubbly that'll fit in a stocking. These Champagne-flavored gummies are coated with white nonpareil sprinkles that add one more layer of "pop."
⑧ Hot Sauce Ornament ($10)
Hot sauce in your bag is so early 2016: Putting it on your tree is the next frontier.
⑨ Bourbon Barrel Worcestershire Sauce ($7.50)
For sauce someone can actually use, go with this smoky-sweet all-natural mini bottle. Sorghum and apple cider vinegar make it a distinctly Southern version of the classic—plus, not only is it a queso-ready condiment, but it's also a tongue twister.
⑩ Bubby's Awake/Asleep Doodle Mug ($12)
These mugs are adorned with doodles hand-drawn by Ron Silver, owner of New York favorite Bubby's Pie Company. Choose the bright-eyed Awake option for an early bird and the Asleep counterpart for someone who is a monster without their morning coffee.
⑪ King Arthur Egg Cup ($13)
Who wouldn't want an egg in shining armor? Though no amount of headwear can protect a soft-boiled egg from its breakfast fate.
⑫ Le Creuset Heritage Petite Pie Dish ($15)
This Christmas, go with the appropriate light green, which is close to Pantone's color of the year; that way your giftee can jump on the latest trend and find a solution for those "I need my own pie" moments.