Eater Staff
Sweep her off her feet with pressed flower cookies, clever cake stands, and a MasterClass with Alice Waters
Mother’s Day gift shopping is, admittedly, a bit of a delusional grail quest. I will never find a scented candle that can equal the very cool gift of, well, life that my own mother gave me — but dammit if I won’t keep trying. (Gwyneth Paltrow is bound to make one at some point, right?) And I have yet to hear “no, honey, I really didn’t like it when you sent me an entire Slavic feast” from my mother when I blast a Veselka care package/feast to California every May.
If you’re late to gift shopping this Mother’s Day — it’s this Sunday, May 11 — you’re really not alone, and you need not fear. There are so many impressive gifts out there for food-loving moms and mother-esque figures in your life. As a general rule — albeit one that isn’t without exceptions — I try to give my mom gifts that make her life a little easier. What I will not be sending her: something that requires tons of set-up time; something pedestrian; or anything that will make her download an app. (Stop it! She just learned what Wikipedia is!) What I will be sending her? A selection of pressed flower cookies as a creative sub for the ‘ol floral bouquet; chocolate babka; and another piece of Le Creuset for her collection, and I shall be buying it on sale.
The following Mother’s Day gifts will arrive before Sunday — so if you’re still looking for a present that will make Mom or the mom-like person in your life put a shiny gold star on your forehead, look no further.
The best last-minute Mother’s Day food gifts
There’s a robust and flower motif-heavy Mother’s Day edit on Goldbelly that is worth a twice-over, but the following selection is my holy trinity of Mother’s Day food gifts: a not-too-sweet trio of chocolate babka, flower pressed shortbread cookies for her Hercule Poirot viewing marathons, and some comforting matzoh ball soup from Veselka. While shipping varies depending on which restaurant you order from, all of these picks will get to your mom before Mother’s Day (as of this writing).
Swap the drugstore chocolate for chocolate babka
In lieu of flowers, flower-pressed cookies
Make her soup for a change
The best last-minute Mother’s Day kitchen and home gifts
Again, keep your eyes out for gifts that feel like they make things run a little smoother in Mommie Dearest’s world. The behemoth of presents that can ship in two days with Prime from Papa Bezos is, of course, hard to match — but there are all kinds of unique, non-corny gifts that ship fast for Mother’s Day from sites such as Uncommon Goods and Urban Stems, both of which offer super-fast shipping options.
A chic lazy Susan cake stand
Support her with this heart-shaped spoon rest
This cottagecore bread warmer
Antoni Porowski just recommended this aesthetic kettle to Eater
A charming Polish lady to guard mother’s butter, lemons, and desserts
A bouquet with a vase that she’ll actually want to reuse
She’ll make her son-in-law set up this digital picture frame in her kitchen
The best same-day Mother’s Day gifts
If you have waited until Mother’s Day day to do your gift shopping, there are still many same-day gifts that will sweep Mom off her feet, and we’re not just talking about gift cards to the hallowed digital grounds of Williams Sonoma or Sur La Table. MasterClass has a special 50 percent off Mother’s Day deal right now on annual memberships, which means it has never been more possible for Mommy to spend some quality time with both Alice Waters and the two-Michelin-starred chef Niki Nakayama. If you want the best of both worlds (digital and tangible), Uncommon Goods has an Experiences section where you can give someone a virtual cooking, tasting, or craft cocktail class that also comes with an accompanying DIY kit that arrives in 24 hours.
Get me to God’s country (Williams Sonoma)
One-on-one time with Alice Waters
Give her a gift card from this eclectic, Black-owned marketplace
Sur La Table, surtout
A virtual pickling class (yes, it comes with an at-home pickling kit)
Japanese home cooking class with Niki Nakayama
Someone’s global-coffeehouse-aesthetic mom needs this spice tasting class
Because Nordstrom online has a robust kitchen section
Well done, favorite child. For more Mother’s Day gift ideas, check out our guide to shopping for a food-loving mom here.
