Holiday Baking Gifts: 15 Southern Bakes to Make Ahead, Inspired by Carla Hall

Holiday baking gifts say I love you better than anything from a store, and Southern chef Carla Hall would agree. The Top Chef fan favorite and former co-host of The Chew published Carla Bakes: Sweet, Savory, and from the Heart on September 8, 2026, a book of more than 80 recipes that her publisher calls a return to her first love in the kitchen: baking. Inspired by that spirit, here are Southern cakes, breads, cookies and candies you can make ahead, wrap up and hand over with a smile..

Holiday Baking Gifts From a Southern Kitchen

Carla Hall’s publisher says baking was her first love in the kitchen, and her new book proves it. These Southern bakes are made to be wrapped up, handed over and remembered. Start with the queen of Southern gifts: a buttery, golden pound cake that keeps for days and slices like a dream..

You will need: 1 cup butter (soft), 1/2 cup cream cheese (soft), 2 1/2 cups sugar, 6 eggs (room temperature), 3 cups cake flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 2 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp lemon zest.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 325 F and grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan or two 9×5 inch loaf pans. 2. Beat the butter, cream cheese and sugar for 5 minutes until very fluffy. 3. Beat in the eggs one at a time. 4. Add the flour, salt and soda in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk. 5. Stir in the vanilla and zest and bake 75 to 85 minutes (55 to 65 for loaves) until a skewer comes out clean. 6. Cool 15 minutes in the pan, then wrap in parchment once fully cool.

Holiday Baking Gifts: Spiced Sweet Potato Bread

Sweet potato bread is pure Southern comfort: moist, warmly spiced and the color of autumn. It is made like banana bread, with mashed sweet potato, brown sugar and a little nutmeg, and it gets better a day after baking. Bake it in small foil pans so each friend gets a whole loaf. It is one of the easiest holiday baking gifts to make in a big batch. Who is first on your gift list?

You will need: 2 cups mashed cooked sweet potato, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/2 cup chopped pecans.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350 F and grease one 9×5 inch pan or three mini loaf pans. 2. Whisk the sweet potato, butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. 3. Stir in the flour, soda, salt and spices until just combined. 4. Fold in the pecans. 5. Bake 55 to 60 minutes for a big loaf or 35 to 40 for minis. 6. Cool completely before wrapping.

Hummingbird Bread

Hummingbird cake is a Southern classic made with banana, pineapple and pecans, and it is just as good baked as a loaf for gifting. The fruit keeps it moist for days, and a drizzle of cream cheese glaze makes it look bakery-made. Wrap it in parchment and tie it with ribbon. It travels well to office parties and neighbors, like all good holiday baking gifts. Have you ever had hummingbird cake?

You will need: 2 ripe bananas (mashed), 1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple (with juice), 2 eggs, 1/2 cup oil, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt, 3/4 cup chopped pecans. Glaze: 2 oz cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 to 2 tbsp milk.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350 F and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan. 2. Mix the bananas, pineapple, eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla. 3. Stir in the flour, soda, cinnamon and salt, then the pecans. 4. Pour into the pan and bake 60 to 65 minutes. 5. Cool completely. 6. Beat the glaze until smooth and drizzle over the top.

Freezer Buttermilk Biscuits With a Jar of Jam

Carla Hall’s flaky buttermilk biscuits are one of her most watched recipes on Food Network, and biscuits make a surprisingly sweet gift. Cut them, freeze them unbaked, and pack a dozen in a bag with baking directions and a jar of jam. Your friends get fresh hot biscuits on Christmas morning with no work at all. It is one of the most thoughtful holiday baking gifts. Biscuits with jam or with gravy?

You will need: 3 cups flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp sugar, 3/4 cup very cold butter (cubed), 1 1/4 cups cold buttermilk, freezer bags, labels, jars of jam.

How to make it: 1. Whisk the dry ingredients and cut in the cold butter until pea-size. 2. Stir in the buttermilk until it just comes together. 3. Pat out 1 inch thick, fold in half twice and pat out again. 4. Cut 2 1/2 inch rounds and freeze on a tray until hard. 5. Pack in freezer bags with a label: bake from frozen at 425 F for 18 to 22 minutes. 6. Tie a jar of jam to each bag.

Holiday Baking Gifts: Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies

Molasses cookies are soft in the middle, crackly on top and full of ginger and cinnamon, the smell of a Southern kitchen in December. They stay chewy for a week in a tin, which makes them perfect for mailing. Stack them and tie with ribbon, or layer them in a cookie box. These are classic holiday baking gifts that every grandma knew. Soft and chewy or crisp?

You will need: 3/4 cup butter (soft), 1 cup brown sugar, 1 egg, 1/4 cup molasses, 2 1/4 cups flour, 2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 tsp ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cloves, 1/2 cup sugar for rolling.

How to make it: 1. Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then the egg and molasses. 2. Whisk the flour, soda, salt and spices and mix them in. 3. Chill the dough 30 minutes. 4. Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and roll in sugar. 5. Bake at 350 F for 9 to 10 minutes, until cracked but still soft. 6. Cool 5 minutes on the pan, then move to a rack.

Southern Pecan Pralines in a Jar

Pralines are the candy of New Orleans and the Deep South: brown sugar, butter, cream and pecans cooked together and spooned into creamy rounds. A jar of them tied with gingham ribbon is a gift people remember. Use a candy thermometer and work quickly once the mixture thickens. They are some of the richest holiday baking gifts on this list. Creamy or chewy pralines?

You will need: 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/4 cup milk, 6 tbsp butter, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt, 1 1/2 cups toasted pecan halves, parchment paper.

How to make it: 1. Line two baking sheets with parchment. 2. Combine the sugars, cream, milk and butter in a heavy saucepan. 3. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until it reaches 236 F on a candy thermometer. 4. Take off the heat, add the vanilla, salt and pecans. 5. Stir 2 to 3 minutes until it starts to thicken and turn creamy. 6. Quickly drop spoonfuls onto the parchment and let set 30 minutes.

Benne Wafers, a Lowcountry Classic

Benne is the old Lowcountry word for sesame, and these paper-thin wafers are a Charleston tradition. They are buttery, nutty and crisp, and a little tin of them feels like a gift from the South. Toast the sesame seeds first for the best flavor. They keep for two weeks in an airtight tin. Have you ever tried a benne wafer?

You will need: 1 cup sesame seeds, 1/2 cup butter (soft), 1 cup brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 3/4 cup flour, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt.

How to make it: 1. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes, and cool. 2. Beat the butter and brown sugar, then the egg and vanilla. 3. Stir in the flour, baking powder, salt and seeds. 4. Drop 1/2 teaspoons of dough 2 inches apart on parchment-lined pans. 5. Bake at 325 F for 8 to 10 minutes until golden. 6. Cool on the pan 2 minutes, then move to a rack to crisp.

Holiday Baking Gifts: Coconut Cake Squares

Coconut cake is the snowy white star of many Southern Christmas tables. For gifting, bake it as a sheet cake, frost it with cream cheese icing and cover it with coconut, then cut it into squares for little boxes. It is moist, tender and easy to share. These squares are holiday baking gifts that look like snow. Team coconut or no coconut?

You will need: Cake: 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 3/4 cup soft butter, 1 cup coconut milk, 4 egg whites, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp coconut extract. Frosting: 8 oz cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350 F and grease a 9×13 inch pan. 2. Mix the dry ingredients, then beat in the butter until crumbly. 3. Beat in the coconut milk, egg whites and extracts until fluffy. 4. Bake 28 to 32 minutes and cool completely. 5. Beat the frosting ingredients and spread over the cake. 6. Press the coconut on top and cut into squares.

Buttermilk Chess Bars

Chess pie is one of the oldest Southern desserts, made from butter, sugar, eggs and a little cornmeal. Baked as bars on a shortbread crust, it becomes an easy gift that slices neatly and travels well. The top bakes into a crackly golden layer. Dust with powdered sugar before packing them as holiday baking gifts. Have you ever heard of chess pie?

You will need: Crust: 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup soft butter, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, pinch of salt. Filling: 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup melted butter, 4 eggs, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 2 tbsp cornmeal, 1 tbsp flour, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp vanilla, powdered sugar.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350 F and line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment. 2. Press the crust mixture into the pan and bake 15 minutes. 3. Whisk all the filling ingredients until smooth. 4. Pour over the warm crust. 5. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until set and golden. 6. Cool, chill 2 hours, dust with powdered sugar and cut into bars.

Cornmeal Shortbread Cookies

A little cornmeal gives classic shortbread a gentle crunch and a Southern twist. These cookies have only a handful of ingredients and keep for weeks, which makes them ideal for cookie tins. Cut them into wedges or rounds and sprinkle with coarse sugar before baking. They are among the simplest holiday baking gifts you can make. Crunchy or melt-in-your-mouth cookies?

You will need: 1 cup butter (soft), 2/3 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 3/4 cups flour, 1/2 cup fine yellow cornmeal, 1 tsp lemon zest, coarse sugar for sprinkling.

How to make it: 1. Beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until creamy. 2. Mix in the flour, cornmeal and zest until a soft dough forms. 3. Press into a 9 inch round pan or roll out 1/3 inch thick and cut rounds. 4. Prick with a fork and sprinkle with coarse sugar. 5. Bake at 325 F for 25 to 30 minutes until pale golden. 6. Cut wedges while warm and cool completely.

Pecan Pie Bars

Pecan pie bars give you all the gooey, nutty flavor of pecan pie in a neat square that is easy to wrap. A buttery crust is topped with a brown sugar and pecan filling. Make a pan, cut it into 24 bars and you have gifts for the whole office. These bars are some of the best holiday baking gifts for a crowd. Pie or bars?

You will need: Crust: 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup cold butter, pinch of salt. Filling: 3 eggs, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup light corn syrup, 4 tbsp melted butter, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 cups chopped pecans.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350 F and line a 9×13 inch pan. 2. Pulse or rub the crust ingredients into crumbs and press into the pan. 3. Bake 18 to 20 minutes. 4. Whisk the eggs, sugar, syrup, butter, vanilla and salt, then stir in the pecans. 5. Pour over the hot crust and bake 25 minutes until set. 6. Cool completely and cut into bars.

Sweet Pepper Jelly

Pepper jelly is the Southern hostess gift. Its sweet-hot taste is amazing poured over cream cheese with crackers, and it pairs perfectly with a bag of your homemade biscuits. Use red bell peppers for a pretty color and a little jalapeno for warmth. Store it in the fridge and gift it within a few weeks. Would you try it on cream cheese?

You will need: 1 1/2 cups finely diced red bell pepper, 1/4 cup finely diced jalapeno (seeded), 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar, 5 cups sugar, 1 pouch (3 oz) liquid pectin, small clean jars with lids.

How to make it: 1. Put the peppers, vinegar and sugar in a large pot. 2. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring. 3. Boil 1 minute, then stir in the pectin. 4. Boil hard 1 more minute and take off the heat. 5. Skim any foam and ladle into clean jars. 6. Cool, cover and keep in the fridge up to 3 weeks.

Southern Cheese Straws

Not every gift has to be sweet. Cheese straws are a crisp, savory Southern party snack made with sharp cheddar, butter and a pinch of cayenne. They are great next to all the cookies and keep in a tin for a week. Pair them with a jar of pepper jelly for savory holiday baking gifts. For more party snack ideas, see our retro appetizers that deserve a comeback. Sweet gifts or savory gifts?

You will need: 8 oz extra-sharp cheddar (finely shredded, room temperature), 1/2 cup butter (soft), 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika.

How to make it: 1. Beat the cheese and butter until creamy. 2. Mix in the flour, salt, cayenne and paprika until a dough forms. 3. Pipe through a star tip into long strips, or roll 1/4 inch thick and cut thin sticks. 4. Lay on parchment-lined pans. 5. Bake at 350 F for 12 to 15 minutes until golden at the edges. 6. Cool completely and store in a tin.

Cranberry Orange Bread

Bright red cranberries and fresh orange zest make this quick bread look and taste like Christmas. It is tender, tangy and sweet, and a simple orange glaze adds shine. Bake it in mini pans and you can give away four loaves from one batch. It freezes well for up to three months, so you can bake your holiday baking gifts weeks ahead. Cranberry or blueberry?

You will need: 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, zest of 1 orange, 3/4 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup melted butter, 1 egg, 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (halved). Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tbsp orange juice.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350 F and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan or four mini pans. 2. Whisk the dry ingredients and zest. 3. Whisk the juice, butter and egg, and stir into the dry mix. 4. Fold in the cranberries. 5. Bake 55 to 60 minutes (35 for minis). 6. Cool and drizzle with the glaze.

Holiday Baking Gifts Finale: Sweet and Spicy Pecans

Carla Hall’s new book, Carla Bakes, is about baking as a love language, and nothing is easier to share than a jar of roasted spiced nuts. Pecans get a coat of egg white, brown sugar, cinnamon and a little cayenne, then bake until crunchy. Fill clear jars, add a ribbon and you are done. Read more about the book at the Carla Bakes cookbook celebration. What will you bake first this season?

You will need: 4 cups pecan halves (or mixed nuts), 1 egg white, 1 tbsp water, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp cayenne, clean jars and ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 300 F and line a baking sheet. 2. Whisk the egg white and water until foamy. 3. Toss the nuts in the egg white. 4. Mix the sugars, cinnamon, salt and cayenne and toss with the nuts. 5. Spread out and bake 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. 6. Cool completely, break apart and pack in jars.