Gifts for Cheese Lovers: The Cheese Curd Fan's Holiday Guide
The best gifts for cheese lovers squeak. Every holiday list has a cheese lover on it, and we're the people who throw a national holiday for cheese curds every October 15, so we took this one personally.
These picks come from four Wisconsin creameries: Gardner's Wisconsin Cheese, Henning's, Widmer's and Cedar Grove. Find more makers in our cheesemakers directory.
We sorted them by budget and by type: fresh curds for the purist, presents under $50 for coworkers and stockings, big boxes for families that graze all week, funny stuff for the person who already owns every cheese knife, a monthly subscription, and a couple of saves for anyone shopping late. Every cheese on the list is made in Wisconsin, and every shop ships nationally.
Cheese lover gifts that squeak: fresh Wisconsin curds
A bag of curds is the most on-brand present we can recommend, and the one a cheese lover outside Wisconsin can rarely buy down the street. Fresh curds are mild, milky and springy, with a squeak against your teeth that fades after a few days. Gardner's makes its curds in the morning and ships them the same day, cold-packed. Send one plain bag and one flavored so the recipient gets the whole picture.
Cheese Curds
The squeaky white cheddar curd, made in the morning and shipped the same day.
Maple Bacon Curds
Sweet maple first, smoky bacon second, then the squeak. Brunch in a bag.
Garlic & Dill Curds
Bold garlic and fresh dill. The flavored bag we'd hand to a first-timer.
Hot Honey Curds
Sweet, savory and a little spicy. Made in small batches, so grab it while it's listed.
Curds ship cold and taste best soon after they arrive, so time the order for a week when someone is home to open the box. Most creameries ship early in the week so boxes don't sit in a warehouse over a weekend. Here's how shipped curds stay fresh. Want to compare other creameries' curds before you pick? Browse our Curd Gallery.
Cheese Christmas presents under $50
For coworkers, hosts, teachers and stockings. All six came in under $50 when we checked prices for this guide, and each one pairs well with a bag of curds. For the office, a sampler box covers the most ground: Gardner's packs cheese, curds and sausage, and Widmer's packs five of its own cheeses. Put the board and a block of cheddar together and you're halfway to a Christmas cheese board.
Wisconsin Cheese and Sausage Sampler
Buffalo Wing cheese, 8-year cheddar, curds, string-cheese whips and a garlic summer sausage. Wisconsin in one box.
Gift Box D
Five Widmer's cheeses in one box: Matterhorn cheddar, mild brick, colby, mild cheddar and brick spread.
17-Year-Old Super-Sharp Cheddar
Crumbly, rich and seriously sharp, with crunchy crystals. A showpiece for the cheese lover who has tried everything.
Black Garlic Peppercorn Cheddar
Black garlic and spicy peppercorns in a cheddar from a five-generation family creamery.
Chees-E-Que Grilling Cheese
A grilling cheese that browns in a hot pan instead of melting away. A fun one for the cook.
Cutting Board
A maple board about 7.5 by 6 inches. Wrap it up with any block on this page.
Each creamery ships from its own building on its own schedule, so read the shop's shipping notes before sending cheese somewhere warm.
Big boxes for the whole family
When the gift is for a whole household, or you're hosting from Christmas Eve to New Year's, go big. Two of these come from Gardner's, whose cheese gift baskets ship 2-day air in an insulated bag with ice packs, free over $69. Cedar Grove's box has shipping built into the price, and Henning's ships from Kiel by FedEx. Pick by appetite: the Ultimate Holiday Package for a host, Cedar Grove for a crowd that wants pounds of cheese, Henning's for flavored-cheddar fans, and Just About Everything for the family that wants to try it all.
Ultimate Holiday Package
Starts with a 20-year cheddar, ends with Hot Pepper Bacon Jam, and packs gouda, curds and smoked Swiss & cheddar in between.
Sweet & Savory Gift Box
A pound each of mild cheddar, farmers cheese, garlic-dill cheddar, marble colby and havarti, plus Wisconsin maple syrup or local candy and a Straka Meats summer sausage.
The Big Cheese
Six Henning's cheeses, from Chipotle Cheddar to Black Garlic Peppercorn, plus two summer sausages, two cheese spreads and pretzels.
Just About Everything Package
Close to the whole Gardner's lineup in one shipment. For the family that eats cheese all week.
Funny cheese gifts & cheesy gifts
A true cheese lover can laugh about it. Some funny cheese gifts are really just cheesy gifts, and that's the point. A real aged brick counts too: it's delicious, and it announces itself the second the box opens. Bring one to the office gift swap and watch it get stolen twice.
Feed Me Cheese Curds and Tell Me I'm Pretty T-Shirt
Says what every curd fan is thinking. Soft jersey cotton in sizes S to 3XL.
Aged Brick
For the friend who swears they love strong cheese. Wisconsin's own washed-rind brick, still pressed under the Widmer family's original bricks.
Cheesy Puns Ornament
For anyone who loves a dad joke as much as a plate of cheese. Hang it, or tie it to a bow.
For the cheese lover who wants more every month
The best cheese lover presents keep showing up after the tree comes down. Gardner's curated subscription box sends a different mix of cheese, artisan meat and pairings each month, along with a few tried-and-true favorites. It suits the cheese lover who has already tried the classics and would rather be surprised than shop. Once it's set up, the box does the rest.
Last-minute gifts for cheese lovers
Waited too long? Gardner's and Widmer's both sell gift cards that arrive by email, so they work even on Christmas Eve. For the unwrapping moment, print a few pages of our free celebration kit, like the commemorative poster or the cheese curd fact sheet, and tuck the code inside.
Gardner's Gift Card
Good on anything in Gardner's shop, in amounts from $50 to $300. Sent as a code by email, and it never expires.
Widmer's Online Gift Card
You set the amount and it goes out by email. Redeemable in Widmer's online store.
NCCD Celebration Kit
Printable signs, the cheese curd fact sheet and the commemorative poster. No email required.
Gardner's often ships all week from November through January, with holiday transit of 2 to 6 business days and the delivery window shown at checkout. Henning's, Widmer's and Cedar Grove set their own schedules, and Widmer's asks you to call ahead for date-specific or warm-weather deliveries. Order early in the week, and earlier in December than feels necessary.
Missed Christmas? National Cheese Lovers Day is January 20
If the box didn't make it in time, you get a second shot. National Cheese Lovers Day falls on January 20, about a month after the holidays, and a bag of curds lands just as well then. Call it a belated gift with its own holiday attached. It's also good timing for anyone who spent December on the road and came home to an empty fridge.
And then there's our day. National Cheese Curd Day is October 15, every year, and it's the reason this site exists. Read about the day, or join the newsletter and we'll tell you when the next one is close.
Frequently asked questions
What do you get someone who loves cheese?
Fresh Wisconsin curds are the safest bet, since good ones are hard to find outside Wisconsin. Under $50, a showpiece cheese like Gardner's 17-Year-Old Super-Sharp Cheddar or a block of Widmer's Aged Brick does the job. With a bigger budget, a creamery gift box or a monthly subscription keeps the gift going.
Can you ship cheese curds as a gift?
Yes. Most Wisconsin creameries ship curds cold-packed with ice packs so they arrive chilled. This shipping guide explains how shipped curds stay fresh in transit.
How long do shipped cheese curds last?
Go by the maker's window, since each creamery sets its own. Cold-packed curds are best within about a week of arrival, and the squeak is strongest in the first few days. For anything left over, here's how to store cheese curds.
When is National Cheese Lovers Day?
January 20. It's a good backup date for a gift that missed Christmas. National Cheese Curd Day, our holiday, is October 15.