Create a gorgeous and delicious DIY holiday gift basket for foodies, filled with Wente wine, homemade slow cooker Spiced Apple Butter, and festive kitchen essentials!
The holidays are here! I know that tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I may be getting a little ahead of myself with this Christmas-themed basket. But Christmas is going to be here with a blink of an eye. I mean, I can’t believe Thanksgiving is here already! Time sure does fly after 30, doesn’t it?
One of my favorite things in this world is gourmet gift baskets. My family loves and has always loved giving people gift baskets.
My husband makes fun of my parents because every time we would go visit them in Hawaii, they’d have a basket for us. When we went to visit during Easter, we each got huge Easter baskets…which is normal. But then we went to visit the next year during the summer, and we also each got a huge, goodie-filled basket. Then we went to visit them when they moved last year and we got—you guessed it—a basket. And with my grandmother, cousin, or mom sending us gift baskets for special occasions, my husband came up with an educated conclusion. “Your family is like obsessed with giving people baskets, right?”
I’m obsessed, too. I love making baskets. When my best friend was pregnant, I gave her a big ole basket filled with ‘what to expect’ books, children books, lip gloss, lotions, chocolate, pregnancy teas, and bath goodies. When my sister and brother-in-law watched my loud-mouthed Corgi for us, I gave them a basket with their favorite wine, whiskey, snacks, and chocolates. There’s a basket for everything, guys!
And one of the best baskets is a holiday one. This DIY holiday gift basket for foodies is perfect for anyone who loves cooking, food, and hosting. I love to bring the host or hostess over a basket as a way to say thank you. The homemade touch is always really appreciated.
I make this Spiced Apple Butter for the basket. This apple butter is filled with warm spices, brown sugar, and vanilla bean. It just tastes and smells like the holidays. It’s perfect on waffles, toast, pancakes, crumpets, you name it.
It also gets made in the slow cooker which makes this super easy. I would make this recipe by the gallons at a hotel I worked at during the holidays. I certainly couldn’t use a slow cooker, even if I wanted to or there was one big enough to fit 50 pounds of apples, so I appreciate how ‘set it and forget it’ this version is.
How can you go wrong with gifting that to someone?!
I partnered with Wente wines again to bring you some holiday cheer. You may remember Wente from our Roasted Grape Crostini with Lemon Ricotta and Thyme (which is also incredible during the holidays).
Wente wines are the perfect hostess or holiday gift. They are award-winning, completely delicious, and fairly priced.
So, how do I create the perfect hostess gift?
DIY Holiday Gift Basket for Foodies Ideas:
Spiced Apple Butter recipe below
A bottle of 94-point Riva Ranch Chardonnay from Wente wines
Festive kitchen essentials sparkly napkins wrapped with ribbon and cinnamon sticks, holiday pot holders or oven mitts, festive spatulas or cookie cutters
Holiday goodies peppermint cookies, gourmet truffles, chocolate bark, and chocolate-dipped figs
Holiday mug filled with gourmet hot chocolate mix and marshmallows
Other ideas: jams or fruit preserves, holiday spices, vanilla extract, sugar cookie mix, pure maple syrup, caramels, pumpkin bread, coffee and tea, gourmet flavored salts, honey, pancake mix; themed baskets such as a ‘Breakfast Basket’ (with coffee, tea, pancake/waffle mix, syrup, jams) or a ‘Bakers Basket’ (with cookie cutters, sprinkles, cookie mix, spatulas, measuring spoons)
I hope you have happy holidays and get some great inspiration from this DIY holiday gift basket for foodies! Be sure to check out Wente wines for their Holiday Gift Guide.

Slow Cooker Spiced Apple Butter
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 7 hours
- Total Time: 7 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 5 cups 1x
- Category: fruit, spread
Description
This Apple Butter is scented with warm spices and sweet vanilla bean. Cooking it in the slow cooker is easy and time-saving.
Ingredients
- 5 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into small slices
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 vanilla bean
Instructions
- Peel, core, and chop the apples into thin, small slices. In a bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and salt. Combine all of the ingredients with the apples in the slow cooker and stir well. Slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and add the seeds along with the whole vanilla pod.
- Cook on high for 5 hours, stirring every hour or so.
- Take out the whole vanilla pod and puree the apples with an immersion blender until completely smooth. Cook another 2 hours, or until thickened to your liking.
- Pour the apple butter into mason jars and let cool before refrigerating. Enjoy!
This sounds delicious and I just happen to have all of the ingredients and so I will be making tomorrow! 😋
My question is.. I want to waterbath these for Christmas gift baskets this year for for a few lspecial family and friends (fabulous idea btw), how long do they need to be waterbathed for a longer shelf life and other also, another option besides just the fridge or freezer? I personally prefer to can than freeze. This recipe looks so tasty, I can’t wait to try it
Thank you & Happy Canning! 🍎
Do you think this recipe could start with unsweetened applesauce and if so how much?
Just made this – had a glut of apples from the garden and have made 15 large jars from it. It’s delicious, and worth the fact that my fingers are practically bleeding from all the cutting and peeling 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Thanks, Lizzie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe and sorry about your fingers! 😉
Hi Tiffany
This apple butter sounds so yummy. I want to make it for several Xmas food baskets that I will be making. Can you offer some suggestions( homemade or store bought) on what would go good with the apple butter together in a basket please ? Thanks !
Malicia
Hi Malicia! Here are some ideas:
Festive kitchen essentials like sparkly napkins wrapped with ribbon and cinnamon sticks, holiday pot holders or oven mitts, festive spatulas or cookie cutters.
Holiday goodies like peppermint cookies, gourmet truffles, chocolate bark, and chocolate-dipped figs.
Holiday mug filled with gourmet hot chocolate mix and marshmallows.
Other ideas: jams or fruit preserves, holiday spices, vanilla extract, sugar cookie mix, pure maple syrup, caramels, pumpkin bread, coffee and tea, gourmet flavored salts, honey, pancake mix; themed baskets such as a ‘Breakfast Basket’ (with coffee, tea, pancake/waffle mix, syrup, jams) or a ‘Bakers Basket’ (with cookie cutters, sprinkles, cookie mix, spatulas, measuring spoons).
What can I use if I don’t have an immersion blender. Would a regular blender work?
Hi Pam, it sure would!
Question about your apple butter. If I give it as a gift they would need to eat it within 2 weeks correct? Is that after it has been opened or after it has been jared? I don’t know how to can so I don’t have that option unfortunately.
★★★★★
Hi Rebecca, yes. If you can it, it will last much longer. It should be good up to a month in the fridge, but it will be best at the two weeks mark. I have definitely eaten it at 3 or 4 weeks and it was still delicious! They could also freeze it.
How long will this last in the fridge? Can you freeze it?
Yup! You can definitely freeze it. It should keep in the fridge for at least two weeks. You can also can it for longer shelf life.
Can you can it rather than putting it in the fridge.
Yes, you can! Let me know how it goes, Brandy!
Can you use regular vanilla instead of the vanilla bean? Or just omit all together?
Hi Tanya, yes you can use regular vanilla instead of the bean. You can use two teaspoons of extract.
Mmmmm I wish I could smell this cooking right now! So good!
xoxo,
Sandi
http://sandimoynihanmultimedia.blogspot.com
Thank you Sandi!
This is just what I needed today! Delicious, easy and a unique Christmas gift! Thanks for sharing!
You’re so welcome! Glad you enjoyed!
I love the idea of gourmet gift baskets. I would be over the moon if someone gave me one with your lovely apple butter in it!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Kate! 🙂
That recipe sounds delicious and I love your idea for the holiday gift basket!!
xo Anna Elizabeth
http://www.annaelizabethevents.com
★★★★★
Thank you, Anna! I hope your holidays are wonderful so far!! xo
Pinned and beautiful! I’ve always wanted to make apple butter!
★★★★★
Thank you, Rebecca! I hope you love it.
I have never had apple butter but this looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it!
★★★★★
Thank you, Sam! Hope you do try it!
That spiced apple butter looks amazing, and would make a lovely gift
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Bintu!
What a beautiful color your apple butter has! Sounds & looks superb! A must try.
★★★★★
Thank you! I love the deep color it gets too from all of those spices! 🙂
OMG! I looooove apple butter, so this is a must make for me. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe! Looks so delish.
xoxxox
–Elise
http://www.caturdaystyle.com
★★★★★
Thank you, Elise! Hope you love it!
Great gifting idea! Baskets for everyone!!
★★★★★