--- description: Because the way to a man's heart is through his stomach title: 6 Father’s Day Gifts You Can Make in Kitchen image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Living](/tag/time-section-living/) ## Living Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 6 Father’s Day Gifts You Can Make in Kitchen ## Video: The Best Father And Son Duos In Sports [Watch (HLS stream): The Best Father And Son Duos In Sports](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/naGvgJDz.m3u8) (2:39)  _Published 2015-06-12. We all want to follow in dad’s footsteps. But that becomes a bit more difficult when your dad is an NFL Pro Bowler or a World Series Champion._ by [Sarah Karnasiewicz / Real Simple](/author/real-simple/) ## Sarah Karnasiewicz / Real Simple Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 17, 2015 9:42 PM CUT by [Sarah Karnasiewicz / Real Simple](/author/real-simple/) ## Sarah Karnasiewicz / Real Simple Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 17, 2015 9:42 PM CUT He doesn’t need more novelty neckwear. Instead, surprise your Dad with a bottle of DIY bloody mary mix or a pile of salty-sweet espresso almonds—and congratulate yourself on cracking the Father’s Day code. ### 1\. Bacon Salt  Sarah Karnasiewicz Know a Dad who thinks everything is better with bacon? If so, this ingenious (and super simple!) spice blend is perfect. Try it as a garnish for bloody marys, sprinkled on eggs to spice up a ho-hum weekday breakfast, or as a dangerously addictive popcorn topping for movie night. [Get the recipe](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/bacon-salt "undefined"). ### 2\. Mini Guinness Cakes  Sarah Karnasiewicz What’s better than chocolate cake? Chocolate cake with beer in it. Adding a scoop of Greek yogurt to the batter for these mini cakes keeps them moist, while a cupful of dark stout accentuates the cocoa’s richness and lends an irresistible malty edge. [Get the recipe](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/mini-guinness-cakes "undefined"). ### 3\. Old Bay Bloody Mary Mix  Sarah Karnasiewicz Upgrade brunch with a bottle of homemade bloody mary mix—but be warned: once you realize how easy it is to make your own, you’ll never want to go back to the store-bought stuff. Here, the juicy sweetness of San Marzano tomatoes is perfectly balanced by the bite of horseradish, a tart hit of citrus juice, and classic Old Bay seasonings. [Get the recipe](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/old-bay-bloody-mary-mix "undefined"). ### 4\. Parmesan Ranch Popcorn  Sarah Karnasiewicz This savory popcorn is dressed with a heaping flurry of parmesan cheese, a surfeit of spices, and a generous bath of butter. Simply toss the kernels with the seasonings, spread them on baking sheets and pop them in a hot oven for 5 minutes—this sharpens and seals in the flavors. Note: this recipe is also easily doubled—which is handy, since you’ll want to eat it by the fistful. [Get the recipe](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/parmesan-ranch-popcorn "undefined"). ### 5\. Mint Syrup  Sarah Karnasiewicz Simple syrup is a bar staple, but adding fresh herbs can transform it into something truly special. For instance: Cheer the cocktail connoisseur in your life with a bottle of homemade mint syrup and—so long as there’s a bottle of bourbon and a cupful of crushed ice on hand—he’ll never be more than minutes away from a perfect mint julep. [Get the recipe](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/mint-syrup "undefined"). ### 6\. Dark Chocolate Espresso Almonds  Sarah Karnasiewicz A little bit salty and a little bit sweet, these delicious nuts get their kick from a bold blend of cocoa powder, brown sugar, and espresso powder. Agave syrup is a nice neutral sweetener that helps bind the mixture together, but any number of pantry staples—like honey, golden syrup, or brown rice syrup—could also work in its place. [Get the recipe](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/dark-chocolate-espresso-almonds "undefined"). _This_ [_article_](http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/gifts/for-him/homemade-fathers-day-gifts "undefined") _originally appeared on_ [_Real Simple_](http://www.realsimple.com/ "undefined")_._ _More from Real Simple:_ * [12 Father’s Day Cards That’ll Make Him Smile](http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/gifts/for-kids/fathers-day-cards?xid=time-rs "undefined") * [12 Father’s Day Books That Cover All of Dad’s Interests](http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/gifts/for-him/fathers-day-books?xid=time-rs "undefined") * [40 Cool Drinks for a Sizzling Summer Day](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/shopping-storing/beverages/cool-beverages-sultry-day?xid=time-rs "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3919342/homemade-fathers-day-gifts-kitchen/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3919342/homemade-fathers-day-gifts-kitchen/"},"headline":"6 Father’s Day Gifts You Can Make in Kitchen","datePublished":"2015-06-17T21:42:22.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:42:31.197Z","description":"Because the way to a man's heart is through his stomach","url":"https://time.com/3919342/homemade-fathers-day-gifts-kitchen/","keywords":["Living","Food & Drink","Cooking","kitchen","Father's Day","holiday gifts"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sarah Karnasiewicz / Real Simple"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-living/","name":"Living"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3919342/homemade-fathers-day-gifts-kitchen/","name":"6 Father’s Day Gifts You Can Make in Kitchen"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"The Best Father And Son Duos In Sports","description":"We all want to follow in dad’s footsteps. 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