Give the Delicious Gift of Arizona this Holiday Season
Looking to surprise your foodie friends, family, and co-workers with unique gifts this holiday? Why not showcase the many amazing food entrepreneurs and food producers we have in the state by giving Arizona-themed gift baskets? Plus, supporting the local food system and environment is a gift in and of itself
From finding local artisan food for the chocolate or meat lover in your circle, to sourcing from farmers that raise food using environmentally-friendly practices or supporting the diverse Native growers we have in the state, you can cover creativity and sustainability with Arizona-made food gifts.
Below are some fun Arizona-themed gift baskets, what you could include in them, and where to find them:
Sonoran Desert-Adapted Foods
The Sonoran Desert is full of wild and delicious foods, with over 250 species of edible plants. Many Indigenous growers, food producers, and food businesses are highlighting local desert-adapted ingredients in exciting and delicious ways.
Put together a basket dedicated to the abundance of Sonoran Desert foods for your friends and family by choosing from these desert-based foods and products:
Tepary beans from Ramona Farms - an ancient superfood of the Sonoran Desert that have sustained O'odham people for centuries; the beans come in white, brown, and extra-special black varieties. Beautifully adapted to Arizona’s desert, they can grow with only one monsoon. Not only are they great for soups, salads and dips, but they are nourishing: low-glycemic index (GI), high-fiber and high-protein.
Tortillas from Benny Blanco Tortillas - featuring blue corn and traditional Sonora-style “O.G” tortillas using low-water and desert-adapted heritage varieties of wheat from Hayden Flour Mills and featuring special flavors using regenerative organic wheat from Oatman Farms.
Blue corn cookies, cupcake mix, and cornmeal products from Blue Naadą́ą́' Sweets - Blue corn isn’t special just because it’s beautiful - it’s rich in antioxidants, fiber, and has higher protein and lower GI than other corn. Native peoples of Arizona have prized it for centuries.
White Sonoran & Mesquite Pancake and Waffle Mix from Oatman Farms - made from regenerative organic White Sonoran wheat and Mesquite pods from trees that grow on the farm. Oatman Farms is working to lead the way in regenerative agriculture in Arizona.
Sonoran Tea from Ray Ray’s Sonoran Tea, a refreshing spiked tea drink featuring agave that was developed by Rachel D’Acquisto in Tucson.
Dried Cholla buds, White Sonoran Wheat, and Mesquite flour from San Xavier Cooperative Farm - These traditional desert foods are staples of the Tohono O’odham Nation and embody the taste of the desert.
White Sonora crackers from Hayden Flour Mills - White Sonora is the oldest variety of wheat in North America dating back to the 1600s, when it was introduced by Spanish missionaries. These crisp and naturally sweet crackers go well with cheese, dips, and jams found at your local Arizona farmers market.
Regenerative Desert Wheat beer and Great Bend of the Gila beer from AZ Wilderness Brewery featuring regenerative organic wheat from Oatman Farms; AZ Wilderness’s Cactus Juice sour beer features prickly pear juice from Cactus Ranch. You can order canned beers and growlers in advance to pick up at the Downtown Phoenix or Gilbert location.
Prickly Paloma from Parch in Tucson, a citrus and bittersweet non-alcoholic cocktail that showcases the lively combination of organic Blue Weber agave, prickly pear cactus fruit, grapefruit & orange bitters, lime juice, floral-tart hibiscus and desert botanicals.
Put all these ingredients together with the help of the new cookbook Chile, Clove, and Cardamom: A Gastronomic Journey Into the Fragrances and Flavors of Desert Cuisines by Beth Dooley and Gary Paul Nabhan.
Learn how to make the desert delicious with the cookbook Eat Mesquite and More by Desert Harvesters.
Desert Desserts
For the person in your life with a sweet tooth, below are some chocolates and treats that feature the best of Arizona ingredients, made by Arizona food businesses:
A variety of bon bons from Monsoon Chocolate, featuring desert ingredients like chiltepin, prickly pear, mezcal caramel, Sonoran sea salt, Mesquite white chocolate, and sweet orange margarita.
Mesquite and Blue Corn Atole white chocolate bars from Monsoon Chocolate.
Medjool dates, prickly pear gift boxes, Arizona honey sampler, Southwest Flavor gift tote, and other local sweet treats from Sphinx Date Company.
Yuma County-grown and Certified Organic Medjool Dates from Desert Fruit Farms.
Small-batch toffee from The Toffee Merchant with flavors like bourbon pecan, key lime, and Mexican Hot Chocolate. These award-wining toffees are a must-try.
Rich, artisan chocolate bars, bonbons, and truffles from Tifa Chocolate & Gelato.
Spicy chocolate bars from Carolina’s Chocolate with flavors like Spicy Sonoran, Holy Mole, and Jalisco Jalapeño.
Sun Tan Honey Farm whips up local honey in creative blends like hatch chili, lavender, cinnamon, chocolate, and elderberry.
Not enough sweets for you? Find an extensive list of other sweet treats crafted by Arizona businesses here.
Arizona Good Meat Lovers
Looking for quality, humanely raised meat gift ideas to satisfy the person in your life that digs the meat, or perhaps some tasty rubs for the next session on the grill? Below are gift ideas that support local ranchers and food businesses and will please any carnivore:
Grass-fed, grass-finished beef jerky varieties from Arizona Grass Raised Beef Co (and don’t forget Fido - here are some pasture pup treats).
Gift cards from local butcher shops, such Underbelly Meat Co, The Meat Market of Cave Creek, Arcadia Meat Market, Forbes Meat Company, The Meat Shop and Proper Meat + Provisions.
The Griller Gift Bundle from Timbo’s Spice is the ultimate seasoning collection for BBQ lovers and grilling enthusiasts, which includes Timbo’s best-selling Steak Rub, the bold B.M.F. Burger seasoning, the sweet and smoky Bourbon Brown Sugar rub and the classic Beer Can Chicken Rub.
Christopher Creek Spice Company sells all-natural rubs for pork, beef, fish and fowl, as well as Beeline Chili mixes named after other state landmarks. Look for blends like Fire Rock Red, Rio Verde Green and Superstition Gold.
While no meat is actually involved, the Bacon Olive Oil from Queen Creek Olive Mill will intrigue any meat (or non-meat) eater.
Looking for more? Find more places for good meat gift ideas here.
Coffee from Quetzal Co-op
Native Businesses & Growers
Arizona is the proud home of many Indigenous growers and Native food businesses. We’ve rounded up a few ways you can source foods from Indigenous Arizona below:
Hot sauce, fry bread mix, and BBQ sauce from Navajo Mike’s.
Honey wheat blue corn cookies and Juniper Ash from Blue Corn Custom Designs.
Blue corn cookies, cupcake mix, and cornmeal products from Blue Naadą́ą́' Sweets.
Heritage corn, ancient grain wheat, beans, pinole, and more from Ramona Farms.
Dried Cholla buds, wheat varieties, honey and Mesquite flour from San Xavier Cooperative.
Coffee from Quetzal Co-op and Native Ground Coffee.
Navajo Tea, Frybread Mix, Steam Corn, bags, and more from Val’s Frybread.
Cookbook The Modern Navajo Kitchen by Phoenix-based Alana Yazzie of The Fancy Navajo.
Cookbook The New Native Kitchen by Freddie Bitsoie. Bitsoie is Diné and attended culinary school in Scottsdale.
Visit a collection of Indigenous-owned and -operated businesses at the Native Art Market in Scottsdale.
Find more about Indigenous growers & businesses here.
Arizona Bar Cart
What is a holiday without some spirits? Make them local by sourcing from these Arizona businesses:
Arizona Gin from Suncliffe, made from juniper berries shaken from the twisted trees of Sedona and then sun-dried.
Complement with Tonic that is Certified USDA-Organic and sustainably sourced by Big Marble for a Grand Canyon State G&T.
Locally and sustainably-grown wine from Cactus Cru.
American Single Malt Whiskey from Whiskey del Bac in Tucson. It’s made special with smokiness of Mesquite, imparting a uniquely Sonoran taste.
Ray Ray’s Sonoran Spirit Tea, a quality, craft spiked tea drink featuring agave and brewed in Tucson.
Regenerative Desert Wheat beer and Great Bend of the Gila beer from AZ Wilderness Brewery featuring regenerative organic wheat from Oatman Farms; AZ Wilderness’s Cactus Juice sour beer features prickly pear juice from Cactus Ranch. You can order canned beers and growlers in advance to pick up at the Downtown Phoenix or Gilbert location.
Grab a natural wine from Savage Wine Bar & Shop
Desert Date Night
Looking to impress the special person in your life and show that you didn’t wait until the last minutes to find a gift this year? Below are some ideas for the perfect stay-in-and-cook date night:
Pizza date night: pick-up Hayden Flour Mills White Sonoran Wheat pizza flour, Chris Bianco’s organic line of DiNapoli variety of tomato products, have the people at Savage Wine Bar & Shop select a perfect wine pairing or order canned beers and growlers in advance to pick up at the Downtown Phoenix or Gilbert location, and find some local cheese from Shea Cheese or Stamper Cheese Company.
Remember to pick up fresh, local pizza toppings like basil, onion, and mushrooms from local Arizona farmers markets.
Taco date night: snag some blue corn or traditional Sonora-style “O.G.” taco size tortillas from Benny Blanco Tortillas, find local ground beef from Heartquist Hollow Farm, Moon River Beef, JH Grass Fed Beef, or AZ Grass Raised Beef Co, and flavor it with taco seasoning from The Hoppy Goat Farm, Timbo’s Spice, or Pack’D Smoke.
It wouldn’t be a date basket without including some Yuma County-grown and Certified Organic Medjool Dates from Desert Fruit Farms or the dates varieties offered at Sphinx Date Company and Summers Fruit Barn.
To Find More Arizona-Made Gifts:
Use Good Food Finder’s directory to find local businesses and gifts
Sign-up for Local First Arizona’s newsletters that highlight local food businesses and gift ideas