12 Days of Healthy Holiday Gifts: Homemade Spice Blend

By: Janel Ovrut Funk

We're serving up fresh healthy gift ideas every day from now until December 12. Catch up on the previous gifts here.

Big things can come in small packages, especially when it’s big flavor in a small container. Making your own spice blend is a great DIY holiday gift for foodies in your life who are looking to shake up their cuisine. With some baby food jars and festive ribbon, you can easily craft up homemade spice blend gifts for friends and family.

This cinnamon-chipotle blend is my favorite one to make in the winter. The fiery chipotle spice heats things up, while the cinnamon adds a sweet contrast to the smoky flavor. It reminds me of curling up by the fire with some Mexican Hot Chocolate!

Janel's Cinnamon-Chipotle Spice Blend

I’ve been sprinkling this spice blend on my mashed sweet potatoes and baked butternut squash for a hearty side dish that’s both sweet and spicy.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1.5 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 - 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder (depending on how hot you want it)

Directions:

Mix spices together and divide spice blend into small containers. This will fill three 4-ounce baby food or spice jars.  To decorate jar, wash and remove label and adhesive. Cover label area with a pretty 2-inch-wide ribbon.

Janel Ovrut, MS RD LDN, loves experimenting with vegetarian and vegan cooking. Read her food blog, Eat Well with Janel , and follow her on Twitter @DietitianJanel . Catch up on her previous posts here.

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