Foodie White Elephant Gift Exchange Ideas

What is White Elephant?

White Elephant is only the greatest gift exchanges out there to play with your family members, co-workers or friends. The idea behind this brilliant game is simple. You have this powerful ability to ‘steal’ gifts from others (if you’re lucky). Each person participating brings in a wrapped gift worth a certain value. The name of all the participants or numbers to match the number of participants are entered into a hat. These names or numbers are selected and the order is determined.
This is where versions vary. Normally, the first person picks a gift and opens it. The next person does the same and can either keep their gift or switch with the person before them. Then this process repeats and the last person can exchange gifts with anyone before them.
There are many ways to add your own twists to this game. For example, add a rule that a gift can only be stolen a maximum of two times or that a person who drew a specific number cannot have their gift stolen. Whatever rules you set, this game is a guaranteed blast!

Since we’re a foodie site and we love our food, we’ve come up with a list of fun food gift ideas to bring to your very own white elephant exchange. I’ve personally used many of these over the years.

1. Themed Gift Bags

This will be easier to understand once I explain this. I’ve been doing this for the last few years. I pick a theme of one the most well-known snacks out there and create a ‘themed’ gift bag full of items under that theme. This year I’m doing a Hershey theme and stuffing the bag with delicious Hershey products – Hershey Kisses, 1 lb. Hershey Bar, Hershey Cookies and Cream Mini Bars, Hershey’s Symphony Bar, Hershey Cookies and Cream Drops, Hershey Spread, a Hershey candle, Hershey Cocoa Powder, and Hershey Nuggets. It’s a lot of found and coincidentally shareable with the entire family. As alternatives, may want to consider doing an Oreo, Wonka, Nabisco, Peanut Butter, or Healthy snack theme.

2. Customized Cutting Board

A cutting board is something everyone will always be able to use and they’re relatively inexpensive. You can get one shaped into the state you are in for only 20 bucks on amazon. Maybe you want to take it a step further and personalize the board with your family or company name. It’s one of those gifts everyone will enjoy receiving.

3. Coffee Mugs

If your office environment is even a little bit like mine, almost everyone drinks coffee. And luckily for us, there are an enormous of fun mugs out there for very reasonable prices. You could bring in a work related mug with a comical message or something out of the ordinary like a Game of Thrones themed mug. There are just so many varieties that it’s almost impossible to go wrong.

4. Pizza Box Oven

Now let’s get real. Who does not love pizza? I have yet to meet anyone who explicitly told me pizza is gross and if I ever do, I would have a very difficult time trusting that person. So bringing in a fun, portable pizza oven is sure to be an item a lot of people will try to gun for during your next White Elephant.

5. Homemade Etsy Products

So you might not be a baker. But there are plenty of phenomenal bakers with amazing goodies that are just a few clicks away. Etsy has a wide arrange of delicious treats that cater to any occasion. Bring a box of delicious fudge or homemade cookies and I’m sure nobody would complain for the opportunity to enjoy some amazing baked goods.

6. Penis Egg Mold

I definitely don’t recommend bringing this to the office. But if you want to bring a good laugh to your family and friends, then this is the perfect gag gift to do just that. Sure, it will probably be the item that everyone is trying to get rid of, but it is guaranteed to lighten everyone’s mood with a heart-filled belly laugh.

7. Air Fryer

This one is entirely dependent on your White Elephant’s price point. But if you’re looking to fork over a little more cash, this little appliance is amazing. With the major shift of going healthy, this is a surefire product that will gain a lot of interest. It cooks your food to make it taste like it’s fried with only a fraction of the oil. What’s not to love about that?

8. Giant Candy

I’m sure we have all seen the giant influx of giant candy in the stores lately (yes I used giant twice). That’s because they are hilarious and totally delicious at the same time! Seeing a giant 1 lb. Reese Cup, box of Nerds, or 5 lb. Hershey Bar will bring smiles to everyone’s faces. But it may require a near visit to the dentist.

9. Food Subscriptions

There are now a plethora of food subscription boxes on the market and most of them offer a one, two or three month gift cards. So regardless of whether your family members are more health nuts, chocolaholics, beef jerkers, or foreign snack fans, there is something out there for them. The lucky winner of this gift will have Christmas on their doorstep every month. After all, what’s more fun than receiving new varieties of your favorite foods?

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