Christmas Gifts for Our New Neighbors: Christmas Morning Pancake Mix with Gingerbread Syrup
Growing up, my mom always had us make homemade gifts for our neighbors at Christmas. In the cold Midwest winters of my childhood, I can still remember bundling up in my hat, coat, scarf, and gloves to deliver them door-to-door. My mom’s specialty was a sweet bread flavored with almond extract and topped with maraschino cherries—does anything else scream the 90s? Even now, I can almost taste it, and I treasure the memory of those deliveries as one of the ways our family showed love to those around us.
That tradition of giving homemade gifts has stuck with me, and it’s something our family looks forward to every year. Since this is our first Christmas season in our new neighborhood, we are especially excited to share gifts with the neighbors we’ve been getting to know over the past several months. I always like to do something a little different each year. At first I thought about a cookie-in-a-jar mix, but that felt a little overdone—so this year, I’m mixing things up (literally!) with a homemade pancake mix paired with spiced gingerbread syrup.
As Christians, we know that God’s command to love our neighbors stretches far beyond the boundaries of the streets we live on. It includes the poor, the marginalized, the hurting, and the forgotten. But it also includes the people who live right across the street, the family next door, and the elderly widow just a few doors down. Part of our call is to foster these relationships and steward them well. As Rosaria Butterfield has written, “God never gets the address wrong.” He places us exactly where He wants us, so that we might be a light and a blessing to those around us.
How to Make This Gift Set
I’m including instructions and links to make a set of six gifts. If you want to make more, simply double everything and you’ll have enough to bless twelve neighbors. Both recipes below will fill six pint jars with pancake mix and six small jars with syrup. I’m also including my printable set of instructions (with four different designs because I couldn’t choose which I liked best!). Download the gift tags here!
Christmas Morning Pancake Mix (fills 6 pint jars)
Ingredients:
- 9 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup sugar (12 tablespoons)
- 4 tablespoons baking powder (¼ cup)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon (optional, for holiday flavor)
Assembly:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk all ingredients together until fully combined.
- Scoop about 2 cups of mix per jar into 6 clean, dry pint-sized (16 oz) mason jars.
- Seal tightly with lids.
Gingerbread Syrup (fills 6 small jars, 4–6 oz each)
Ingredients:
- 3 cups maple syrup
- 3/4 cup molassas
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
- In a large saucepan (or microwave safe bowl if you’d prefer to use the microwave), combine all the ingredients. Bring to a simmer over medium heat while stirring; or, heat in the microwave for 2 minutes until heated through (watch closely — this much sugar can burn quickly).
- Remove from heat (or, if using the microwave, let it cool for a minute) and stir in vanilla.
- Cool completely, then divide evenly into 6 small jars (4–6 oz each). Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Tag Instructions (to tie on each syrup jar):
Combine: 1 Cup Mix, 1 Egg, 3/4 Cup Milk, 1 T. Melted Butter (don’t forget it’s included in the printable!)
Packaging the Gift
- The jars: Use a pint jar (16 oz) for the pancake mix and a small jar (4–6 oz) for the syrup.
- Bundle together: Stack the syrup jar on top of the pancake mix jar. Use festive ribbon or twine to tie them together.
- Add a tag: Tie on a tag with instructions (above). You could even slip in a holiday napkin or mini whisk for extra charm.
Why We Do This
It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of December and forget the small, ordinary ways we can reflect Christ’s love. Something as simple as a jar of pancake mix and syrup is a tangible reminder to our neighbors that they are seen, known, and cared for. And who knows? God may use this small gift to open the door for deeper conversations, ongoing friendships, and opportunities to share the hope of Christ.
