The Sunday Morning Basket: A Brunch Hostess Gift With a Little Sparkle
Going to a friend's house for Sunday brunch? Bring a gift they'll enjoy long after the last cup of coffee. Our basket features wild Idaho huckleberry jam, award-winning Texas pecans, Ojai chocolate, alcohol-free bubbles, and a few surprises.
Your friends have invited you over for Sunday brunch. You could pick up flowers on the way, bring a bottle of wine, or stop at a bakery for pastries. All perfectly lovely gestures. But imagine arriving with a Sunday newspaper tucked into a basket filled with delicious discoveries from around the country, along with something sparkling to drink and a colorful accessory for the kitchen.
That's the idea behind our Sunday Morning Basket. We've brought together five carefully chosen products, including two specialty-food award winners, and made the newspaper part of the presentation. The contents are meant for your host to enjoy at home, whether that's later in the afternoon or on another Sunday when there's absolutely nowhere to be.
The basket also introduces friends to independent makers they might not otherwise discover. We've chosen products from Idaho, California, and Texas, along with a sparkling alcohol-free beverage and a charming, American-made tea towel.
Wild Huckleberry Jam From Idaho
Wild huckleberries are among the Northwest's most prized seasonal fruits. Gathering them in the mountains is a longstanding regional tradition, and their tart, concentrated flavor makes them particularly good for preserves.
Homemade by Dorothy's Huckleberry Jam is prepared with wild Idaho huckleberries. The company slow-cooks and hand-pours its preserves, using four ingredients: huckleberries, sugar, pectin, and citric acid.
We recommend the 5.5-ounce jar for this basket. The jam is delicious on toast, croissants, and scones, but it could also accompany cheese or be spooned over pancakes. It's a regional specialty worth introducing to anyone who enjoys discovering new flavors.
Where to buy: Homemade by Dorothy Huckleberry Jam | From $7.75.
Happy Valley Chocolate From Ojai, California
Our next discovery comes from Ojai, where Beato Chocolates draws inspiration from the life and artwork of Beatrice Wood.
Wood was an artist associated with the Dada movement who settled in Ojai and continued creating ceramics late into her extraordinary 105-year life. Beato Chocolates uses her original artwork on its packaging, giving each bar a distinctive identity.
For this basket, we've selected the Happy Valley Chocolate Bar, a 72% dark chocolate flavored with orange oil and finished with dried Ojai Pixie tangerine peel.
The citrus connects the chocolate to Ojai's celebrated Pixie tangerines, while the illustrated wrapper gives the gift an artistic touch. It's also a good conversation starter for friends who appreciate California art, travel, and regional food.
Where to buy: Beato Happy Valley Chocolate Bar | Approximately $13.
Award-Winning Texas Pecans in Two Brunch-Friendly Flavors
Evie's Snacks brings two delicious variations of Texas pecans to our Sunday Morning Basket.
The Banana Bread Pecans have notes of banana, molasses, and cinnamon, inspired by the familiar flavors of homemade banana bread. This particular variety won a 2026 sofi Gold Award in the Nuts, Seeds, Trail Mix & Dried Fruit category.
We've paired them with Evie's Sweet & Salty Pecans, which have a lightly sweet, toasted flavor with a hint of maple. The two make a good combination for weekend snacking, adding crunch to a breakfast bowl, or simply sharing over coffee. Both come in compact three-ounce pouches, and the contrasting packaging brings some color to the basket.
Where to buy: Evie's Banana Bread Pecans and Evie's Sweet & Salty Pecans | Approximately $15 per two-pack of each flavor.
4. Sparkling White Tea for a Zero-Proof Sunday Mimosa
A festive brunch drink doesn't have to contain alcohol, and TÖST offers an interesting alternative to Champagne. We've chosen two varieties: TÖST Original, made with white tea, white cranberry, ginger, and citrus, and TÖST Rosé, which combines white tea with elderberry and ginger. Both are sparkling, alcohol-free beverages with a relatively dry finish.
TÖST Original received a 2018 sofi New Product Award from the Specialty Food Association. The Rosé adds a second flavor to sample and a beautiful blush-colored bottle to the basket. Serve either chilled in Champagne flutes, or add a splash of fresh orange juice for a mimosa-inspired drink. The two 750 ml bottles make this a particularly nice gift for a couple or household.
Where to buy: TÖST Original and TÖST Rosé | Approximately $9 per bottle when purchased in three-packs.
5. A Breakfast Tea Towel Made in America
We've skipped the disposable cocktail napkins and chosen something your host can use long after brunch. The Breakfast Diner Tea Towel from Hazelmade features original hand-drawn illustrations of diner favorites, including pancakes, coffee, and eggs.
The 28-by-29-inch towel is made from cotton flour-sack fabric and screen-printed in the American Midwest using water-based inks. Its colorful breakfast illustrations suit the occasion without relying on a novelty slogan. It can be used in the kitchen, displayed over an oven handle, or repurposed as part of the basket's presentation.
Where to buy: Hazelmade Breakfast Diner Tea Towel | Approximately $24.
6. Pick Up a Sunday Newspaper on Your Way
The finishing touch is a real Sunday newspaper. Choose the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, or a favorite regional publication, and tuck it behind the other products with the masthead visible. The newspaper supplies the crossword, articles, features, and weekend reading. It also makes the basket immediately recognizable as a Sunday gift.
For someone who has moved away from their hometown, you could even choose a newspaper from the city where they grew up, provided you can find a current edition. Pick one up locally on the morning of your visit, preferably before you stop for brunch.
How to Assemble the Sunday Morning Basket
Choose a generously sized rectangular woven basket that can hold two bottles of TÖST, the packaged treats, and a Sunday newspaper. We like the Edith Rectangular Wicker Basket from At Home, approximately $22. Measuring 15 × 10 × 8 inches, it has a natural finish and can be reused for household storage.
Start by placing a piece of sturdy cardboard or foam board at the bottom to create a firm, level base. Add natural kraft crinkle-cut paper for cushioning.
To keep the bottles secure, position them upright toward the back of the basket. Wrap each bottle's lower half in protective honeycomb paper or bubble wrap, leaving the labels visible. Place a firm cardboard divider between the bottles so they cannot knock against each other, then pack crinkle paper tightly around their bases. For additional stability, secure each bottle individually to the basket's back wall using soft ribbon or reusable hook-and-loop straps threaded through the weave. Test the arrangement by gently lifting and tilting the basket before carrying it.
Place the folded Sunday edition of the Los Angeles Times behind the bottles, with the masthead visible. Arrange the huckleberry jam, Happy Valley chocolate, and both flavors of Evie's pecans in front, using small concealed supports to raise the packages above the filler. Drape the Hazelmade Breakfast Diner Tea Towel over the front edge so its cheerful illustrations are visible.
For the finishing touches, pick up a small bunch of chamomile flowers at Trader Joe's, if available, or choose similar white daisy-like flowers. Keep their stems in concealed water tubes, away from the food packaging. Add one or two fresh mandarins, preferably with a few leaves attached.
Finish with a black-and-cream striped cotton ribbon, approximately 1.5 inches wide, tied into a bow around one handle.
Make it your own: Readers working with a smaller budget can choose one TÖST bottle, one flavor of Evie's pecans, and a smaller basket. The newspaper, regional treats, and colorful tea towel will still make a thoughtful brunch hostess gift.
The Sunday Morning Basket works particularly well when you're visiting friends who enjoy entertaining, reading, trying new foods, or spending weekends at home. It's also adaptable for birthdays, housewarmings, and holiday visits. Our selection mixes independent regional producers with established specialty brands. The Idaho jam introduces a distinctive mountain fruit, the Ojai chocolate celebrates an artist and local citrus, and the Texas pecans bring an award-winning take on a familiar breakfast flavor. TÖST adds the bubbles, while Hazelmade's towel becomes a cheerful reminder of the occasion.
Bring the basket to brunch, thank your friends for having you, and leave them with a few discoveries to enjoy on their next Sunday morning.
