These 31 Gifts Make Birthdays So Much Happier

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January 05, 2024

One of the things we love most about birthdays — apart from all the attention and pampering they bring along with them — is that they're a year-round thing. In fact, chances are that between your significant other, kids, friends, co-workers and other family members, you probably celebrate one or more birthdays every month. Though shopping for the perfect gift can be a really fun experience, with that many birthdays on your calendar, it can become difficult to find a personalized item for each and every person. Thankfully, food-related gifts are always a great idea and there's a plethora of goodie-filled baskets, boxes and buckets available for nationwide shipping online. Here are some of our favorite birthday finds.

$59.99

This festive babka, adorned with rainbow-colored sprinkles make this the ultimate birthday (or anytime) treat. In addition to this fun babka duo, you can opt to add a signed copy of Jake Cohen's 2021 NYT-bestselling cookbook, "Jew-ish," for $25. In it, you'll find a fun, modern spin on classic Jewish recipes, so you can enjoy babka — and many more delicous recipes — whenever you want.

$75.95 for 4 cups

Looking for a food-themed birthday present that's as unique as your best friend? These creamy, dreamy banana puddings from The Puddery should do the trick. The mouthwatering pack comes with 4 cups of the beloved dessert, and features pillowy pieces of crushed up Nilla wafers and rainbow sprinkles scattered throughout each one. To really play up the birthday vibes, stick a candle inside one of the containers and have your bestie make a quick wish before they dig in.

This whimsical offering from Cheryl's Cookies perfectly lives up to its adorable name and makes a great buy for virtual birthday parties. Under the festive lid, your birthday celebrant will find 29 individually-wrapped goodies, including Cheryl's signature buttercream-frosted cookies, pretzel clusters, foil-wrapped milk chocolate presents and snack-size chocolate chip cookies and brownies.

$74.95

When it comes to birthday gifts, it's okay to go a bit over-the-top. This whomping 2.5 pound cookie tray from Shortbread Society is a bold way to do just that! Covered with a luscious layer of mile-high, almond-flavored buttercream, the buttery shortbread cookie creation is equal parts delicious and festive, and features an ample serving of sprinkles scattered throughout the top and inside of it. For an additional $16, you can even get a box of candles and a handwritten birthday card added to your order.

Your brunch buddy will love receiving this deluxe gift basket from Wolferman's Bakery in the mail. It comes with nearly everything they need to enjoy a restaurant-quality brunch spread right at home, including ultra-thick English muffins, dark chocolate scones and Belgian waffles. It even comes with an iced birthday cake! All that's missing are the mimosas and iced lattes...

If your birthday boy or girl has a big sweet tooth, this goodie-filled crate from Candy Craves is sure to make their special day one for the memory books. Inside it, they'll find a fun mix of cheerful treats and candies, including salt-water taffy, butter caramel corn, caramels and more.

$44.95

If you're looking for a delicious gift your birthday recipient can dig into the very second they wake up in the morning, this legendary crumb cake from Nene's Treats will do. Not only does it pair perfectly with a piping hot cup of coffee or tea, the cake itself features naturally-flavored and colored sprinkles, so it’s a not-so-bad way for your special someone to eat cake for breakfast. Part of your purchase will also be donated to the Susan Felice Owens Program for Covid-19 vaccine research at Mount Sinai.

$89.95

Trust us, you donut want to miss out on seeing your bestie's reaction when this hilarious birthday gift arrives at their front door. The yummy offering from Angel Food Bakery takes all the wonder and joy of a handwritten birthday card and transforms it into a box of 13 letter-sized yeasted doughnuts. Best part of all — each assortment comes with an array of unique and delicious flavors like Fruity Pebbles, Orange Blossom and Raspberry Chocolate Chip. It's a tasty way to "spell out" exactly what your friend means to you.

$12 for 1 jar

What's better than having an entire cake all to yourself? Not much, especially on your birthday! These scrumptious dessert-filled jars from Andie’s Eats can help your pal make that thought a reality. Each one is packed full of funfetti flavored “cake scraps'' (aka deconstructed sponge cake) and features repeating layers of yummy vanilla buttercream and celebratory sprinkles. For an additional $5, you can also have a custom label added around your cake jar with whatever message you like.

Whether your bestie lives in NYC or just has hopes of visiting the Big Apple one day soon, they'll swoon for this delectable sampler pack from Magnolia Bakery. It comes equipped with everything needed to make their birthday as iconic as the bakery itself, including Magnolia's fan-favorite banana pudding and a tray of their pastel-colored cupcakes. You can even choose from three different serving sizes — small, family or party — in case you're looking to spoil your bestie's entourage too.

If baking cookies is something you do regularly with your special someone, bestie or favorite relative, this playful birthday box from Doughp makes the perfect present. It comes with two containers of the brand’s fan favorite Ride or Die chocolate chip cookie dough and their sprinkle-spackled Fairy Dust sugar cookie blend, plus a sheet of stickers, a popper full of rainbow-colored confetti and a handwritten birthday card. Best part of all — the cookie dough is totally safe to eat raw too!

Forget the basic paper birthday card; this ultra-sweet bento box from Sugarfina is the only thing your bestie will want to rip open on their b-day. It comes with three party-ready treats for them to snack on throughout the day, including creamy white chocolate-coated birthday cake caramels, fruity sour stars and moons and sugary-sweet ice cream cone gummies.

$49 for 8 cookies

Levain cookies are as iconic to New York City as the Rockettes are to Radio City Music Hall, and we have no doubt that giving them as a birthday gift will earn you your very own standing ovation. This newest gift set comes loaded with 8 of the bakery’s signature thick and doughy cookies in both classic chocolate chip and chocolate-chocolate varieties. An added plus? The cookies are already gift-wrapped, so all you need to do is add your bestie's address at checkout.

$59.99 $44.99

This a-maze-ing snack tin is sure to make your bestie's day. It's filled with a yummy variety of 3 unique and festive popcorn flavors, including classic butter, savory cheese and crunchy caramel corn.

$42.95 for 12

You can never go wrong with giving a box of chocolates as a gift, especially if those chocolates come from Flour Shop! Inside this colorful gift set, your birthday celebrant will find a yummy assortment of the bakery's beloved cake ball truffles, which are filled with a delicious mix of crumbled up cake and cream cheese frosting. With scrumptious flavors like Cookie Dough, Karot Cake, Peanut Butter, Dark Chocolate, Cookies n'Cream and Rainbow Vanilla, it'll be impossible not to order a box for yourself as well.

$64.95

Bell's Cookies are pretty extraordinary — in fact, the Seattle-based shop was just crowned as the home of the "best cookies in Washington State" by Yelp.com. With one-of-a-kind flavors like The Bells (which contains bits of toffee, potato chips and pecans scattered around a classic chocolate chip cookie base), The Pantry (which mixes white chocolate chunks with coffee and pretzel pieces) Confetti and Maple Snickerdoodle to name a few, we're equally confident they'll be dubbed "best birthday gift" by your special someone.

$182 $170

When it comes to birthday gifts that are all about the sweetness, Milk Bar is the ultimate destination. This supersized box comes with everything you need to give your nearest and dearest the birthday celebration of their dreams, including one of the bakery’s bestselling funfetti layer cakes and one of their golden and delicious Milk Bar pies. If all that wasn’t enough, the kit also comes with a tin full of the hotspot's crispy sprinkle cookies and a box of their melt-in-your mouth b-day truffles.

$44.99

We can't decide what we like more about this whimsical birthday offering from Mrs. Fields — the cupcake-shaped felt box or the yummy assortment of bite-sized chocolate chip and white chocolate chip cookies found inside it. Whoever you give it to is sure to be a fan of both parts — they can even use the box to store things long after their birthday ends!

Blake Lively, Oprah Winfrey and Jake Gyllenhaal are just some of the celebrities who count themselves as fans of Sprinkles' cupcakes. And for good reason too! The brand has gained a cult-like following thanks to their mouthwatering frosting-covered treats. Give the birthday person in your life the celebrity treatment by sending one of these Birthday Boxes to their door. Each one contains one-dozen of the bakery's signature flavors, including Vanilla, Dark Chocolate, Red Velvet, and of course, Sprinkles! It also comes with a pack of glittery candles, which can be inserted into each of the cupcakes for wish-making galore. For even more fun, add a box of Sprinkles' new chocolate bars to your order — something tells us they'll last a bit longer than the cupcakes do...

This celebratory bucket from Harry & David comes with all the fixings for your special someone's birthday dinner and dessert. It's loaded with some of the brand's beloved products like Moose Munch popcorn, plus other festive add-ins like confetti cookies, a frosted birthday cake, dry salami, an assortment of cheeses and crackers and a bottle of fine red wine. Now all you need to do is come up with the words for that special birthday toast.

If you have a person in your life who loves eating ice cream year-round (and if we're being honest, we all have at least one), this yummy birthday collection from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams is sure to put a big smile on their face. Each gift comes with five pints in the flavors of your choosing, plus a set of beeswax candles and two packs of vibrant sprinkles to help them create the sundae of their dreams. It's literally the "cherry-on-top" of birthday gifts.

Thought not as rock-solid as diamonds, these stunning candy crystals from Misaky are just as mesmerizing. Each one is made to look like real life gems and are made from a refreshing and flavorful combination of seaweed, fruits and flowers to give your bestie a memorable birthday treasure that just so happens to also be vegan and gluten-free!

$12.99 $9.98

These picturesque cinnamon-dusted madeleine cookies have a secret — they're made from buttery cornbread batter! Each box comes with 6 super soft cookies, so whoever receives them can enjoy them for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert on their b-day.

This elegant gift set from Hickory Farms comes with everything your birthday individual needs to make an Instagram-worthy charcuterie board, including hard turkey and beef sausages, wedges of Cheddar, Gouda and Swiss cheese, jars of hot- and honey-pineapple mustard and an assortment of nut mixes. Seriously, the only thing they'll need is the charcuterie board!

$72.95

This birthday gift box from Sift Dessert Bar is pretty legendary. Flip open the lid and you'll see exactly why. Nestled inside, your bestie will find a giant (yes, giant) slab of vanilla confetti cake that's made up of delicious layers of raspberry jam, vanilla mousse and vanilla buttercream frosting, plus an adorable glitter crown, party blower, candle and a mini rainbow-shaped pinata. It's so cute, we honestly won't judge if you ordered a second one as a "just because" gift for yourself.

It's a universally accepted rule that you should get the day off from cooking on your birthday — just ask anyone! This goodie-stuffed care package from Spoonful of Comfort makes that a reality for whoever receives it. Inside, they'll find a 64 oz. glass jar filled with soup, cookies, dinner rolls, a sparkly ladle and colorful confetti. Best part of all — the flavor choice of the soup and cookies is completely up to you, though classic Chicken Noodle and decadent Triple Chocolate Chunk get our vote.

New Yorkers know that there's nothing quite like a pastrami or corned beef sandwich from Katz's Deli. Thankfully, this one-of-a-kind Birthday Box comes with everything your special someone needs to make the eatery's two best-sellers, no matter where they live! Inside, they'll find a pound (!!!) of Katz's legendary pastrami, house-cured corned beef and Swiss cheese, plus a loaf of sliced rye bread, a jar each of crunchy full-sour and half-sour pickles, mustard, Russian dressing and sauerkraut. The box also contains a package of Katz's mini black and white cookies, because no birthday is complete without a little something sweet to finish it off.

This whimsical layer cake from Bake Me A Wish is literally sunshine in a box. Whoever you send it to will think so too — even if they're celebrating a winter birthday! It's made up of alternating layers of fruity-flavored sponge and white frosting to give you a unique take on the traditional confetti cake. For even more sweetness, add a box of assorted cookies, brownies or cheesecake slices to your order.

Champagne and Birthday Cake are a combo we can definitely get behind, and something tells us your birthday buddy will feel the same exact way. Luckily for them, those are the exact flavors they'll find in this mesmerizing Celebration Box from Dana's Bakery. The macarons can totally be eaten along with a glass of milk, though an actual glass of bubbly also sounds like a fantastic idea.

Though we're usually the first ones to advise against playing with your food, this treat-filled jumbo chocolate cupcake from Dylan's was made to be broken into — literally! All your bestie needs to do is use the included mallet and get smashing. It has all the charm of a classic pinata, but the treats inside are so. much. better!

Sprinkles are a necessary requirement of birthdays big and small, and this delicious cupcake bundle from Crumbs Bakeshop is stocked full of the rainbow-colored jimmies. The pack comes with six cupcakes total — two strawberry-frosted, two vanilla-frosted and two chocolate-frosted — so your birthday celebrant will have more than enough wishes to make. Just don't forget the candles! To really play up the sprinkle theme, be sure to add a canister of the brand’s equally colorful and yummy Sprinkle Sundae cookies to your order as well.

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