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15 Fabulous Food Gifts Under $25 for Valentine's Day

Jewels are nice and flowers are fine, but you can never go wrong giving your Valentine something delicious.

david-watsky-headshot
david-watsky-headshot
David Watsky Senior Editor / Home and Kitchen
David lives in Brooklyn where he's logged more than a decade writing about all things edible, including meal kits and meal delivery subscriptions, cooking, kitchen gear and commerce. Since earning a BA in English from Northeastern in Boston, he's toiled in nearly every aspect of the eats business from slicing and dicing as a sous-chef in Rhode Island to leading complex marketing campaigns for major food brands in Manhattan. These days, he's likely somewhere trying the latest this or tasting the latest that - and reporting back, of course. Anything with sesame is his all-time favorite food this week.
Expertise Kitchen tech, cookware, small appliances, food innovation, meal delivery and meal kits.
David Watsky
4 min read
$9 at Sugarfina
champs-bears
Champagne Gummy Bears
Made with Dom Pérignon, excuse me
See at La Maison Du Chocolat
screen-shot-2022-01-21-at-1-53-17-pm.png
La Maison Du Chocolat truffles
Truffles on another level
$21 at Oaktown Spice Shop
box of two spices
Oaktown taco spice duo
Tacos done better
$7 at Amazon
screen-shot-2022-01-21-at-4-17-57-pm.png
Risque Conversation Hearts
Wait, what does that one say?!
$11 at Amazon
tin of margarita salt next to cocktail and pepper
Jalapeño citrus salt
For the margarita lover you love
$17 at Wine
wine-rose
Cote des Roses rosé
Play hide the wine in a dozen roses
$15 at Amazon
bees-knees-salted-honey-amazon
Bushwick Kitchen Bee's Knees salted honey
Sticky and sweet, just like you
$14 at Etsy
small planter with plant
Indoor planter
A chic place to grow herbs
$20 at Lodge
A cast-iron pan with food in it
Lodge cast-iron skillet
A classic that every chef should have
$15 at Fly by Jing
jar of chili crisp with two bowls of dumplings
Chili crisp
Hi, I'm putting this on everything
$18 at Amazon
loose-tea-ceramic-single-serve-cup-chowhound
Tea Forté Kati single-cup loose tea brewing system
For a loose-leaf moment
$20 at CB2
screen-shot-2021-02-05-at-12-04-40-pm.png
Three-piece cheese knife set
Give them gold for V-Day
$20 at Uncommon Goods
blooming-lollipops-uncommon-goods
Blooming lollipops
Almost too pretty to eat
$15 at Amazon
pizza-socks-chowhound
Pepperoni pizza socks
Cozy foot gloves for a pizza freak
$12 at Wanna Date?
date-spread-uncommon-goods
Wanna Date? sweet date spread
Well, do ya?

Not all of us are lucky enough to be working with a Tiffany's budget for Valentine's Day. Even if you are, there's no need to drop all that cash just to make Feb. 14 more meaningful. As a bonafide lover of all things edible, I'm always happy to receive something I can nibble on, sip or cook with versus more junk that will just take up space (in case anyone I know is reading). 

If you're considering tasty food or drink gifts this Valentine's Day, you're on the right track, and you definitely don't need to spend a ton of money to do it right. There are mountains of delicious gifts that work with any budget, and we've assembled a few of our favorites. 


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From rose-shaped wine and sassy conversation candy to addictive condiments and truffles so good you might go faint, these are the best Valentine's Day food gifts under $25. 

champs-bears
Sugarfina

Sugarfina has the market nearly cornered when it comes to adorable sweets. As a bonus, they all taste great and the confectioner features some unusual flavors. For Valentine's Day, nab a box of these charming Champagne-flavored gummies. The price might seem steep for candy but that's because they're made with actual Dom Perignon Champagne, flavored with Brut and rosé.

If bears are too scary, there are also Sugarfina Lips, and Rosé Roses to consider.

screen-shot-2022-01-21-at-1-53-17-pm.png
La Maison Du Chocolat

Chocolate on Valentine's Day? Groundbreaking, I know. But if you're going to give it, give the good stuff. I'm partial to creamy truffles and La Maison Du Chocolat takes the craft very seriously. These handmade truffles aren't overly sweet, which I prefer but dense with rich chocolate flavor. A two-pack is $10 or you can spring for a 13-piece box for $45.

box of two spices
Oaktown Spice Shop

Ditch the packet of Ortega taco seasoning and use Oaktown's freakin' delicious Mexican-inspired spices instead. This two-pack includes a bottle of Chili Limón and Rojito Yucatán, which combines annatto seed, citrus, onion, garlic and clove.

screen-shot-2022-01-21-at-4-17-57-pm.png
Amazon

If normal convo hearts candy seems a little tame and a tad boring, try a box of the adult version to get some giggles -- and maybe more.

I'm far too dignified to list these saucy saying out loud, but that doesn't mean I didn't just order a few boxes. 

tin of margarita salt next to cocktail and pepper
Lava

This spicy, citrusy salt is excellent around the rim of a margarita but it'll liven up chicken and fish, too. Pair it with a special bottle of tequila and offer to mix your Valentine the classic cocktail. 

wine-rose
Cotes de Roses

Rosé is already an easy Valentine's Day win, but this Cote des Roses with a rose-shaped bottle bottom takes things a step further. The wine itself is from Languedoc in the South of France with "notes of raspberry and peony." Best of all, the bottle takes on the appearance of a rose. Sneak one upside down nestled into a dozen roses for a charming presentation.

rose-hidden

Can you spot the wine bottles in this bouquet?

Cotes de Roses
bees-knees-salted-honey-amazon
Amazon

This salty-sweet treat also happens to be a cheeky way to let them know you think they're the best. They can drizzle this honey on everything from fried chicken to cake, but if they're more of a spicy little number, there's also a Bees Knees hot honey with habanero peppers.

small planter with plant
Etsy

Smart gardens may get faster results, but in terms of style, they don't have anything on this small Japanese indoor planter. Grow fresh mint, basil or sage on the kitchen windowsill and never go without.

A cast-iron pan with food in it
Lodge

If your Valentine likes the occasional steak or burger but hasn't tapped into the wonder of cast iron yet, this is a perfect chance to alter the course of their cooking forever. Cast iron is the optimal indoor cooking material for most meats, as it gets screaming hot and holds heat for magazine-cover-worthy sear marks.

jar of chili crisp with two bowls of dumplings
Fly by Jing

This isn't the first time I've sung the praises of mighty chili crisp, and it shan't be the last. It is hard to keep this jar of slightly spicy, slightly sweet, slightly toasty condiment around for long so you might want to bag a few while you're at it.

loose-tea-ceramic-single-serve-cup-chowhound
Amazon

For the tea lover in your life who also appreciates minimalism, this ceramic cup comes with a lid and single-serving metal infuser insert, so they can brew in the same mug they drink from. It's available in several solid colors as well as patterns, to suit anybody's style. And the double-walled design keeps their tea hot and their hands comfortably warm (not scalded).

screen-shot-2021-02-05-at-12-04-40-pm.png
Amazon

For tastes that skew savory, a set of nice cheese knives is a winning gift, especially if you include a wedge or two of decent fromage and a bottle of wine (which you might just be able to manage at this price). These modern slicers and servers come in a fancy gold or matte black finish.

blooming-lollipops-uncommon-goods
Uncommon Goods

This set of boutique lollipops (flavors include lavender lemongrass, vanilla hibiscus, Champagne and roses and strawberry basil) is already sweet enough, but don't toss those sticks in the trash. Pot them in soil and they'll sprout into various plants, from herbs to baby blue eyes blooms. Does this count as buying flowers?

pizza-socks-chowhound
Amazon

Does it seem a little cheesy to give someone pizza socks for Valentine's Day? We think not, especially for someone with a healthy sense of humor -- and love of pepperoni, of course. (A whole pizza made of socks is even more incredible, but $1 over the $25 limit.) You can also get sushi socks, if that doesn't seem too... fishy.

date-spread-uncommon-goods
Uncommon Goods

This punny line of date-sweetened spreads is perfect for sweethearts with a healthy bent. Free of refined sugar and oils, these vegan dessert spreads are paleo-friendly, and perfect for slathering on toast or whatever else you like. They're sold separately in chocolate, vanilla, cookie, cinnamon and pumpkin spice flavors and are also available on Amazon.


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