This all started about ten years ago when I learned about mishloach manot, the Jewish tradition of giving gifts of food around Purim. I went all-in on the idea, investing in 100 cookie boxes, which I loaded with hamantaschen and distributed giddily to friends and acquaintances. I kept the extra boxes in a corner of the pantry to assemble as needed whenever a friend stopped by for dinner and I wanted to send them home with a piece of cake or for when I needed a quick way to say thanks to a teacher at my kids’ school. Upgrading my food gift packaging from clear plastic deli containers (with which I’m actually loath to part) to something cute yet practical felt like a real personal upleveling.
The best treat containers are easy to assemble (we don’t need a heat gun where we’re going), sturdy, and, ideally, showcase some personality — maybe a trendy little iridescent box or a cool smiley face bag that says, “I’m giving you cookies, and I’m going to be cute about it.”
Here, I’ve rounded up an assortment of to-go treat packaging that marries the practical with the whimsical, for proffering all your homemade granola, spiced nuts, brownies, and banana bread.
The best food takeout boxes
These kraft cookie boxes with a sneak preview window
A solid option for all kinds of sweet and savory gifts, these kraft cookie boxes with clear windows are spacious enough to hold a nice amount of goodies. I’ve used them for everything from gifts of hamantaschen to packing up leftovers from a dinner party. The lid closes with a little tab and does a pretty decent job of staying in place, but if you’re worried they might open in transit (a valid concern!), add a sticker over the enclosure. I prefer the neutral kraft-paper look, but these are also available in nine other colors, including millennial pink and a sophisticated deep green.
These popsicle-shaped boxes are ideal for something small, like a few pieces of candy. They can be a little fiddly to assemble, especially at first (a real human angel posted a tutorial in the product reviews if you’re more of a visual learner), but once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty straightforward and the result is objectively charming.
