Gifts You Can Get at the Grocery Store

Graza Sizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Spain is our pick for an everyday, supermarket olive oil. It’s fresh and bright, with notes of tomato plants and green apples. It’s rich but not fatty, and it has a nice astringency. The squeeze bottle allows your gift recipient to be more precise, so they can add a perfect squirt instead of a big glug. Graza also makes a Drizzle version, meant to be used cold as a finishing touch. If you’re shopping day-of, you can find this olive oil at select Target and Whole Foods stores.

Make it gifty: This emerald squeeze bottle with its lime green tip is pretty enough to skip wrapping; a red, gold, or silver bow around the collar would be particularly festive. Add some fresh bread from the bakery if you have time.

Most grocery stores, drugstores, and Targets carry cookie cutters over the holidays. We recommend the Ateco Plain Edge Snowflake Cutter Set for its sturdy construction. If you can’t find this set, opt for whichever metal cutters seem to be the least flexible. If you’re shopping for a kid, though, plastic cookie cutters can be safer and more fun; we suggest looking for Wilton plastic cutters, such as Wilton’s Plastic Christmas Cookie Cutter Set.

Make it gifty: For a more thematically complete gift, consider adding a handsome wooden or bamboo spoon (which you should be able to find in the same supermarket aisle as other baking supplies). Or, tie a ribbon around a tube of ready-to-bake sugar cookie dough, then loop the cutters through the bow.

Few people hate chocolate, which is why it makes a great gift. If you’re seeking something less formal than a box of chocolates, though, consider a grouping of gourmet bars. Tony’s Chocolonely has splashy, colorful wrappers and indulgent flavors such as Dark Milk Pretzel Toffee or Milk Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt. Even better, the company is B-Corp and Fair Trade certified and says it sources cocoa only from ethically managed farms. Tony’s is sold at several grocery stores, drugstores, and big-box chains; check its online store locator to find your closest retailer. If Tony’s Chocolonely isn’t available, the triangular-prism-shaped Tobelerone would be nice, or try a hunk of baking chocolate from the baking aisle. Widely available brands like Ghirardelli and Lindt are also elevated when presented en masse.

Make it gifty: A stack of chocolate bars secured together with a big bow is such a visually appealing present that no wrap is needed.

For anyone who could use a little wellness-oriented wind down before bed, Dr. Teal’s Balance & Calm Foaming Bath can be a godsend. In our guide to treating back pain at home, we recommend epsom salts for their muscle-relaxing properties; Dr. Teal’s contains epsom salts and a foaming agent, which is a lot of fun for grown-ups.

Make it gifty: Pair it with another goodie from the personal grooming aisle, like a loofa or a dry brush.

Instant noodles have come a long way from their humble beginnings as a tool to combat post-war food shortages in Japan, as well as from their stateside reputation as a dorm-food staple—making ramen packets a great gift for teenage and twenty-something gourmands, or any on-the-go person who’d appreciate a quick but satisfying meal. Don’t opt for just any ramen, though; our guide to the best instant noodles includes a half-dozen picks that boast rich, savory broths, delectably toothsome noodles, and robust, flavorful ingredients. NongShim makes three of our top picks: NongShim Shin Black Noodle Soup, NongShim Shin Light, and NonShim Chapagetti & Neoguri.

Make it gifty: The trick to turning a pantry item into a party is volume. Go for at least a dozen packets in a box.

Colorfully patterned adhesive bandages can make dressing a kid’s boo-boo as enjoyable as playing dress-up. You’d be hard pressed to find a gift strike as much joy as Welly Bravery Badges, which are available in a wide variety of themes and styles (ice cream, dinosaur, monster) and come in a tin. (That last part is especially thrilling to littles.) If Welly bandages aren’t available, any patterned bandages work, too.

Make it gifty: The Welly tin needs no extra presentation at all; boxes of bandages would be great alongside other practical kiddo scores like a combination padlock or some juicy sugar-free gum.

This article was edited by Hannah Morrill and Catherine Kast.