Share the love with friends, family, and neighbors near and far with a jar of muffin mix!
So even though I am a self-proclaimed Grinch around the holidays there is one undeniable thing about me that all my friends and family know. I love giving gifts. I used to love buying gifts but then my wallet didn’t love that so much so I started making gifts.
Generally, I knit something because 1) knitting is relaxing for me and 2) hand knitted gifts are awesome. But even when you can sit down and make a custom, one of a kind gift for someone you still have those people who leave you scratching your head.
My sister for instance. She is THE hardest person to shop for because she’s so picky! I’ve knitted her a few scarves in the past that go largely unworn 🙁 It’s always a little disappointing because I want to give gifts that are equal parts thoughtful, beautiful, and useful.
So those difficult people end up getting baked goodies!
Since I won’t actually get to see my sister for Christmas this year (which is SO WEIRD and makes me tear up each time I think about it) and mail can be slow around the holidays I decided the best way to gift her with a homemade treat was to add all the ingredients for my favorite chocolate chocolate chip muffins to a large quart sized mason jar and mail it.
I slipped in a little note that includes the list of wet ingredients to add to the muffin mix and the baking instructions. That way when she bakes and eats these muffins she’ll think of me <3. And also when I FaceTime her later while eating a muffin of my own.
You can layer pretty much any of your favorite recipes inside a jar as long as you include the directions for the wet ingredients and baking instructions. I know that cookies are a really popular jarred mix to gift.
If you are mailing this to far away friends and family I suggest investing in a plastic mason jar or two just to keep it safe from shattering. I’ve sent plenty of glass jars through the mail to soldiers serving overseas and never had an issue but it’s not a bad idea to be better safe than sorry.
Gifts like this are also a great way to share recipes. I LOVED the jar of brownie mix my step mom gave me a couple years ago. I even got permission from my brother to make his jar and add some different flavors. Cause that’s how I roll.
Like when I didn’t have regular chocolate chips in the house so I subbed a peanut butter chocolate chip combo for this muffin mix and they were soooooo good. To the person who invented the peanut butter/chocolate combo thing. You are a genius.
Do you prefer to give homemade or store bought gifts?
Muffin Mix in a Jar
Ingredients
For the Gift Tag
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
For the Jar
- 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 quart sized mason jar
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup chocolate chips, any flavor
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Add dry ingredients to a quart sized mason jar in the order listed, packing down well as needed to make sure all the ingredients fit inside the jar.
- Top jar with lid, rim, and a decorative fabric square if desired.
- Attach gift tag with ingredients and directions with a ribbon.
For the Gift Tag
- Mix together eggs, milk, vanilla, and oil until well blended.
- Add dry ingredients and stir until completely combined.
- Fill lined muffin tins 3/4 full and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 mins.
Mmmm I LOVE muffins!! And these look so good. Gifts in a jar are the best!!
They are! I’m planning on giving your peppermint brownies to a few friends this year!
~Meaghan
These turned out SO good! Feel free to make more any time you want, I love the look of them in the mason jar
These really are soooo good and one of my favorite muffins 🙂
~Meaghan
Mixes in jars make such wonderful gifts! Thanks for sharing.
I love giving gifts in jars whether it’s food or homemade beauty products 🙂
~Meaghan
LOVE this!! I have gotten gifts in a jar a few times, and for someone who struggles with baking/cooking they are such a wonderful thing!!
So true! I used to work with a woman who was a great cook but TERRIBLE baker! She loved getting gifts in a jar 😀
~Meaghan
These look beautiful! A friend was recently looking for a good teacher gift idea, I wish I had found this early enough to send to her.
There’s always next year! This makes a good teacher gift any time of year, though 🙂
~Meaghan
I’m so sorry that you’re not going to see your sister this year. And, I know how you feel – my sister is so hard to shop for as well! In terms of gifts, I’m a more of a giver – I never feel the need for someone to gift to me and I never get that feeling of “what am I going to get for Christmas or my birthday?” I love to give homemade gifts – I think people 30 and above appreciate it more, but when gift-giving to a younger crowd, I stick to mainstream gifts and gift cards.
With all that said, I’d love to receive a mason jar full of ingredients!
My sister is tricky when it comes to gift cards! Unless she asks for one specifically she prefers you to get her a gift. She’s a complicated soul but I love her 😉
~Meaghan
This is a really great idea! And those muffins look faaaaabulous!
They were so good! They disappeared in less than a day!
~Meaghan
I love making homemade gifts although got caught out on shipping on our first year in Hungary, we made hampers for each of our families and had no idea that they would cost the equivalent of $75 each to send home 😮 This is a wonderful idea and the muffins look wonderful!
Oh man! I just mailed gifts home to my family, luckily in the same country though, and they weren’t as expensive as I thought they would be. These make really great last minutes gifts for local friends, too 🙂
~Meaghan
I love giving gifts in a jar, and I’ve never even thought to gift muffin mix like this! These are beautiful!
Thank you! Gifts in a jar are my last minute go to and they never disappoint!
~Meaghan
If everyone gave me muffins for Christmas I would be a seriously happy camper tho…
Haha! I got so many socks for Christmas and I just thought….my friends know me so well. But muffins are good too 😉
~Meaghan
Hello, thanks for the delicious recipe. I am wondering though – no baking powder. I haven’t ever made muffins without baking powder.
No baking powder required for this one 🙂 The baking soda reacts with the brown sugar and the chocolate to made beautifully risen muffins every time!
~Meaghan