Every year when I give gifts, I typically give homemade gifts to my closest friends and family. It doesn’t have to be over the top, insanely crafty, Pinterest worthy gifts. I’ve given simple things like jams, sugar scrubs, caramel sauce.. Heck, even breads or cinnamon rolls are a GREAT gift!
This year I decided to make a few different spice mixes. It was SO simple. Just follow the recipes, mix up, and put into cute little mason jars! I ordered my spices from Penzeys as I was able to order bulk spices for a great price, but you can pick up your spices at Sam’s Club, Costco, or even your local grocery store too!
There are tons and tons of different great recipes for homemade spice mixes. Things like Chili Seasoning, Taco Seasoning, Dry Rubs, BBQ Rubs, Italian seasonings, Lemon Pepper seasonings, the possibilities are endless. I chose three different kinds: Southwestern Blend, Taco Seasoning, and BBQ Rub. You can use spice jars, but I used Ball Collection Elite Half Pint Jars. They are fancy, but feel free to use regular half pint jars!
PrintSouthwest Blend
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup chipotle powder
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cumin powder
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons oregano (I used Mexican)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons smoked paprika (I used Hungarian)
- 3 tablespoons black pepper
- 3 tablespoons ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Makes 4 half pint jars.
This spice has some kick thanks to the chipotle pepper base. It goes great on eggs with some salsa and cheese. It is great on chicken breasts to bbq or bake, a great alternative to spice up veggies, and even on beef meats like flank steak or skirt steak. Print
Taco Seasoning
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups chili powder
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes (you can cut back to lessen heat)
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1/4 cup paprika
- 1/2 cup ground cumin
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup black pepper
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in large bowl. Makes 4 half pint jars.
I discovered this homemade taco seasoning thanks to Crystal Cattle’s Baked Tacos (which are DELICIOUS by the way). Anyway, I rarely buy packaged taco seasoning anymore. It is just too easy to make this seasoning and keep on hand! Print
BBQ Rub
Ingredients
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons hot smoked Spanish paprika
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon ground white pepper
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup granulated garlic
- 1/4 cup onion powder
- 2 tablespoons celery salt
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Makes 5 half pint jars.
I love a good BBQ rub and of course brown sugar always has to be the base. This one is the perfect amount of sweet with some kick. This goes great on things like brisket or pulled pork.
I tied these adorable little printable gift tags to my jars from Mercy Ink and wrote some suggestions for use on the tags. I also made some easy scrapbook paper labels for on top using my circle punch. You could always write on the tops of the lids as well if you’ve got pretty handwriting.
There you have it. Simple, easy homemade gifts that everyone can use.
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