Best Holiday Gifts of 2023

Going into the holiday season I wanted to showcase our most popular maple gifts. Holiday shopping can be a stressful task. What do you get someone who has everything? The guy on your list? Your sister’s family? At Carman Brook Farm, we’ve made it easy to complete the shopping and spend your valuable time doing the stuff you really want to do. Once you find a consumable commodity like maple syrup, you can keep giving it year after year!

One thing you won't have to worry about when you shop at our farm is that what you bought this week will be discounted next week. A pet peeve I have about big retailers is only having 12 hours to make a buying decision on a product before it disappears, loses its free shipping, or the price goes up tomorrow. We're too busy getting the orders shipped and giving our customers the care needed to play the Black Friday/Cyber Monday games. It’s Maple Madness here daily.

1. Family Basket with Free Shipping

I want to start with the Family Basket. This basket is filled with maple goodies and food products that can be shared by the whole family. My husband and I raised 4 boys and I developed this basket because we received many food gifts over the years that fell short in the product department. Most had an excessive amount of packaging and little substance. Someone, please tell me what I’m supposed to do with a 5 oz. can of blueberries, when I’m baking 3 dozen muffins? Or the package of chocolate cream candies with only 3 candies? Any gift that causes sibling rivalry over the holiday is not a welcomed treat. Why does the gift basket industry put all of its efforts into the show?

Well, that won’t happen with any gift set you purchase from the Carman Brook Farm maple gifts collection. The Family Basket contains food items in a quantity that can be shared throughout the holiday festivities. A quart of maple syrup and a pound package of pancake mix are the star attractions. The half-pound box of maple candy has 22 pieces. The grownups can enjoy a pot of coffee and the kiddos have a full canister of the best cocoa from Lake Champlain Chocolates. The maple cream is made on the farm in small batches to insure perfection. Locally sourced honey and jam round out this basket in portions that will last longer than the holiday season. You have selection options on 3 items giving you more control over customization.

There are a variety of baskets and box sets available at different price points listed on our website, but the main attraction is that all of them have an abundant amount of product with minimal packaging and include free shipping.

2. Different bottles of maple syrup

Our glass bottle collection is filled with Amber Rich Taste maple syrup the most popular table grade for pancakes and waffles. There are a variety of bottles in the maple syrup collection but I want to focus on the maple leaves.  The maple leaf bottles are available in five sizes. The largest bottle is 25.9 ounces or 750 ml, a whopping amount for many breakfasts to come. The 16.9 and 8.45 ounce bottles are a generous helping for couples and grandparents.  An affordable, fun, and delicious gift for service providers like your hairdresser, mailman, or teacher is the 3.29 and 1.7 ounce bottles.

If you are looking for sturdier packaging then check out our line of plastic, recyclable jugs. There will be plenty of French toast breakfast with a half gallon or a quart. The pints, half pints, and 3.29 ounce samplers are great gifts for singles and people you want to thank.

The best deal is to order six or more in any combination of size or variety of full-priced maple syrup items in this category and get a 10% discount. No need to remember coupon codes, the discount is automatically calculated at checkout.

I've been told the smaller bottles make a cute little package topper instead of a bow. We’ve also heard from folks that they make a nice stocking stuffer or favor for your holiday gathering. They’ll decorate a table at your holiday party and make an appreciated door prize for some lucky guests.

3. Vegan Gift Baskets

We've added an entire line this year for vegan gifts. After searching locally for products from small producers we can now offer a nice selection of vegan products from Vermont that are ready to ship out as soon as they are ordered. Every item is delicious and whether you are vegan or not, treat yourself or anyone on your holiday gift list.

The vegan salad bowl has all the products you need to make my Maple Balsamic Salad Dressing on the included recipe card. Add your own locally sourced produce items coupled with this tried and true dressing to enjoy a healthy lunch or side to dinner.

By simply switching out the croutons this gift set is completely gluten-free. One thing we've made sure of is that everything is delicious.

4. Gluten-Free Maple Gift Baskets

Maple syrup, as well as maple cream, maple candy, and maple sugar, are naturally gluten-free and delicious. You don't have to sacrifice flavor and mouth appeal to eat gluten-free. These tasty items that anyone will enjoy can be found in our new Gluten Free Gifts collection.

We combed through some of the best products in Vermont and came up with some delicious pairings that don't lack flavor or mouth appeal.

One of the hardest things my friends who are on a gluten-free diet experience is snacking throughout the holidays and enjoying good food. We put together a snack box with crispy crackers, locally sourced cheese, and salumi with maple cream and syrup. Add a jar of Blake Hill's Apricot and Orange Chutney to top last through the holiday. We've tasted everything in this gift set and I'd purchase it for anybody on my list regardless of their personal eating preferences. The wooden box is a nice addition for serving on an appetizer table or to keep on a drawer, shelf or closet organized.

5. Maple Clubs

If you've ever been the recipient of a club that ships out over several months, then you know how much fun it is to receive this type of gift. The person on your gift list will think of you over the next four months as their box of maple goodness is delivered. We have six different maple clubs. There are three clubs each that are either gluten-free or vegan.

Each club includes one of the 4 grades of maple syrup in pints or quarts. The largest club includes a Carman Brook Farm t-shirt, other maple products from our sugarhouse kitchen, and a selection of Vermont specialty food products.

6. EGift Card

We’d like to round out the list with the gift of choice. Sometimes it’s easier to give a gift card and let your recipient choose for themselves. Our cards are all digital and even if they are lost, we have the ability to resend the voucher to the purchaser. Our gift cards have no additional processing fees on checkout, so you’re really getting what you’re paying for.

I hope this list provides an answer to any questions and provides assistance for your gift purchases this season. As always, a real person will answer your phone call. If you get the machine, leave a message and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. An email is also a great way to get an answer during the off hours, as we often answer quick questions throughout the evenings and the early mornings.