Christmas is just around the corner. How the hell did the year go by this fast? I feel like I just sunbathed on the beach in Greece yesterday and New Year's 2017 was the day before that... I've done most of my Christmas shopping already and just need to get a few more small things. This list of vegan-friendly Christmas gift ideas includes a lot of budget-friendly gift ideas as well as three DIY gifts that you can make the day before.
DIY Vanilla Coffee Scrub
This DIY vanilla coffee scrub smells soooo good! The strong coffee flavor and smell is perfectly balanced by a hint of vanilla. You only need three natural ingredients to make this scrub which means it is safe to eat. Although I'm not sure it tastes as good as it smells...
To make the vanilla coffee scrub, I melted 50 g of coconut oil and then added ~60 g of ground coffee. Of course you can also grind your own coffee beans for an even stronger coffee smell I then added a few drops of vanilla essence. Unlike in baking, don't worry if you use a little more. I found that the coffee neutralizes it to a certain extent. Basically, just add vanilla essence until you are satisfied with the scent. You can use any airtight container to store this vanilla coffee scrub. I went for a wide mouth mason jar.
DIY Lebkuchen Almond Butter
For me, Christmas would not be Christmas without some Lebkuchen/gingerbread action going on. Gingerbread pancakes, gingerbread cookies, gingerbread overnight oats - I just like to add Lebkuchen spice to everything and anything.
This lebkuchen almond butter is the perfect treat for anyone who loves nut butters. And who doesn't love nut butters?? If you have never made your own nut butter, check out my blog post How to Make Nut Butter.
For this version, I used 200 g peeled almonds. I added a lot of spices to imitate that Lebkuchen flavor: 2 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ground cloves, ½ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp ground coriander, ¼ tsp ground star aniseed, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp cocoa powder. Of course, feel free to use a Lebkuchen spice mix here. I also added two tsp of molasses.
DIY Vegan Christmas Cookies
I decided to bake some vegan Lebkuchen cookies. I found a super cute cookie stencil set with letters so of course I had to try it! Or you can use these Christmas cookie stamps that will make your cookies look super pretty.
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