DIY Christmas: homemade chocolate gift ideas

Bring seasonal joy to loved ones this Christmas with delicious homemade chocolate gifts

One of the best parts of Christmas is giving gifts to family. It’s a chance to show them how much you care and to let them know that you’re thinking of them. Ready-made presents are excellent and always appreciated, of course, but homemade gifts have a special appeal. They bring a personal touch like no other and are an affordable way to add a bespoke element. And when it comes to Christmas, there’s nothing more delectable and thoughtful than homemade chocolate gifts.

If you’re looking for some delicious, elegant Christmas gifting ideas, take a look at our easy yet effective homemade chocolate gift ideas. 

What type of chocolate is best for homemade Christmas gifts?

The beauty of homemade chocolate gifts is that you can tailor both the flavours and design to your recipient. This gives you the freedom to explore white, dark, milk, and vegan chocolate options. 

However, it’s important to remember that your homemade chocolate presents will only taste as good as the ingredients you use. So, to get the best results, always start with high-quality chocolate. 

We recommend looking for chocolate with a high cacao content and as few artificial ingredients as possible. At Hotel Chocolat, we pride ourselves on using the best ethically sourced cacao for our chocolate. We also focus on more cocoa, less sugar to create rich, nuanced flavours that too much sugar can mask. A high level of cacao butter means we don’t need to add lower-quality vegetable oils, like many other chocolate makers. All this results in a more satisfying and flavoursome chocolate experience.

Our Cooking Chocolate Slabs and Batons are ideal for making homemade chocolate gifts. These solid pieces of chocolate melt beautifully and are perfect for adding to desserts, bakes, and savoury dishes, too. 

Homemade chocolate gift ideas for Christmas

From truffles and gingerbread to bombes and bark, here are some of our favourite recipes to try.

Classic chocolate truffles

Chocolate truffles are a surefire winner for any chocolate lover. Whether you put together mini gift sets for stockings or whip up a selection to share around the Christmas dinner table, truffles are quick, easy, and delicious.

To make this classic recipe, you’ll need:

• 200g chocolate (try our 65% Supermilk Chocolate Batons for a rich and satisfying flavour that’s not overly sweet).
• 200ml double cream
• 25g butter
• Cocoa powder

Chop your chocolate into small pieces and place them in a large bowl. Next, add your cream and butter to a saucepan on a gentle heat. Once you see steam coming off the cream and butter mixture, remove it from the heat — don’t let it boil.

Let the mixture cool for a few minutes, then pour it over your chocolate pieces. Stir until smooth and glossy.

Shape the truffle mixture into balls and place them on greaseproof paper. Roll each ball in cocoa powder until it has a thin coating, then let the truffles chill in the fridge.

You can store the truffles in the fridge for up to three days or freeze them for up to a month if you’re making your homemade chocolate gifts ahead of time.

Chocolate gingerbread characters

Is there anything more quintessentially festive than gingerbread men? Add a cacao twist with this chocolate gingerbread cookie recipe from Sweetest Menu. 

You could create Christmas tree decorations by cutting out star shapes, dipping in melted chocolate, and adding a ribbon. Alternatively, go for classic gingerbread characters and decorate using vibrant icing pens.

Festive hot chocolate bombes

Hot chocolate bombes make a fantastic gift. They’re fun, creative, and delicious. Our guide to making a hot chocolate bombe gift set has all the ingredients and steps you need, but here are some flavour and design ideas to add that seasonal twist.

• Refreshing mint. Fill a dark chocolate bombe with our irresistible Dark With Mint Hot Chocolate flakes. Present with a traditional candy cane – your recipient can use it to stir their drink for an extra dash of flavour!

• White chocolate ‘snowball’. As you might imagine, this one uses white chocolate for the shell and can be filled with our creamy Vanilla White Hot Chocolate flakes. Decorate with silver sparkles. You could even top the gift set with an adorable White Chocolate Penguin. 

• A merry tipple. Christmas is the season of celebration, so what better time to raise a toast with a little tipple? Add a grown-up festive element to a classic milk chocolate hot chocolate bombe (complete with Milky 50% Hot Chocolate flakes) by including a 50ml miniature of our beloved Velvetised Chocolate Cream. It’s sure to warm the cockles of your recipient’s heart as they add a glug to their celebratory drinking chocolate.

Homemade hot chocolate spoon

Another great DIY Christmas hot chocolate gift idea is to make hot chocolate spoons or stirrers. With melted chocolate, a lollipop stick and whatever toppings you fancy, you’ll have a homemade gift worthy of the finest stocking.

For full instructions on how to make this treat, take a look at our guide: how to make a hot chocolate spoon.

Candy cane chocolate bark

Homemade chocolate bark is another simple yet impressive gift, and adding some crumbled candy canes adds an instant festive twist. 

After melting 200g of chocolate, spread it across a parchment-lined baking tray. 70% dark chocolate pairs beautifully with the minty sweetness of the candy canes, but you could also try white chocolate for a snowy Christmas aesthetic. 

Scatter crushed or broken candy canes over the surface of the melted chocolate — you can decide how crunchy you want the toppings — then leave it to set in the fridge.

Once set, use a warmed sharp knife to cut neat triangles. If you make triangles, you can stack them at angles so they create a star shape, then wrap them in cellophane and tie with a red ribbon.

Chocolate-dipped candied orange

Ideal for topping Christmas cakes, these chocolate-dipped orange slices are also excellent standalone treats. Present them in a Christmas gift box for a fragrant and flavoursome nibble.

You’ll need:

• One large orange, cut into circular slices — you can choose how thick you want them.
• A pan filled with 250ml of water
• 200g sugar
• 100g dark chocolate (our 85% Dark Chocolate Batons contrast beautifully with the sweetness of the candied orange.)

Heat the pan of water and add the sugar, stirring until it dissolves. Add the orange slices to the pan and let them simmer on a low heat for 40 minutes. Once the 40 minutes is up, transfer the orange slices to a wire rack to cool completely.

Next, melt your chocolate and dip one-half of each orange slice into the liquid chocolate. Set the slices on a tray lined with baking parchment. You can also add a sprinkle of coarse sea salt for an extra element of flavour and crunch. Place the tray in the fridge, and once the chocolate has set, you can present your candied orange slices as you wish.

Chocolate fudge

With just three ingredients, this chocolate fudge recipe is quick, easy, and brimming with rich cacao flavour. It’s the perfect last-minute homemade chocolate gift!

You’ll need:

• One can of condensed milk (about 400g)
• 340g of dark chocolate — 70% cacao works best
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• A baking tray lined with parchment paper (you want this to be quite a deep pan, at least a couple of inches high.

To make it, start by breaking the chocolate into small pieces. Melt the chocolate and condensed milk together until smooth. Gently stir in the vanilla extract and transfer the mixture to your paper-lined tray.

Let the fudge chill in the fridge for at least two hours until set, then use a warmed knife to slice it into cubes. You can wrap a stack of fudge pieces in cellophane and tie with a ribbon or present them in a food-safe gift box.

Quick tips for getting the best out of your homemade chocolate gifts

• When melting chocolate, be sure to do so slowly and evenly. It’s best to use a bain-marie, but you can also use a microwave — see our full guide to melting chocolate for more advice.

• Chop your chocolate ahead of time before heating any ingredients. This will prevent any rushing or overheating.

• Keep your gifts fresh — if possible, present them to your loved ones soon after making. However, if you do need to keep them at home for a few days, make sure they’re stored in an airtight container and refrigerated if necessary.

• Think about your presentation – again, to keep your homemade chocolate gifts fresh, you want to store them properly. However, you can still make them look nice! Shimmery cellophane will keep them fresh and look festive, especially when topped with a ribbon. 

Alternatively, look for food-safe gift bags or boxes. There are plenty on the market, many of which are compostable for an eco-conscious Christmas. A handwritten tag will add the final, personal touch.

Ready-to-gift chocolate treats

Going the DIY route for your Christmas gifts can be incredibly rewarding. However, if you’re not feeling crafty or you’re in need of a last-minute present, we have irresisitible chocolate gifts for every recipient. Here are just a few of our favourites:

The Classic Christmas H-Box

Featuring 15 best-loved festive recipes, the Classic Christmas H-Box is the ideal Secret Santa gift or extra treat to go alongside your DIY goodies. From Treacle Tart and Caramel Cheesecake Macaron from our Patisserie collection to a Mulled Wine filled chocolate, this selection is brimming with joyous flavours.

Festive Just For You Collection

Take your Christmas gifting one step further with the Festive Just For You Collection. Alongside the Classic Christmas H-Box, this gift hamper includes some of our signature 40% Milk Chocolate Batons and an array of Penguin Selectors.

The Elf’s Christmas Stocking

A delight for children and adults alike, the Elf’s Christmas Stocking is packed with 12 solid chocolate shapes in white, milk, and caramel-milk chocolate varieties. The perfect stocking filler gift for all this festive season.

Quality cooking chocolate from Hotel Chocolat

Whether you’re making one homemade chocolate gift or whipping up a whole host of treats for all your friends and family, make sure you start with top-quality ingredients from Hotel Chocolat. 

And if you’re looking for ready-to-gift presents, we have plenty of those, too! So explore our full Christmas gift range and find something for everyone – from hot chocolate sachets to decadent hampers.