If your holiday gift-giving list includes a friend or loved one with diabetes, you don't need to resort to an uninspired gift that might be exchanged the next day. Why not ditch the tie or Santa sweater in favor of a gift basket of delectable chocolates that are perfectly suitable for your recipient on a restricted diet? Here are 3 tips to help you get started and spark your imagination:

1. Mix It Up

When offering sugar-free holiday chocolates, try a mix and match assortment rather than one particular type. You might choose a ready-made gift basket or buy individual pieces to create your own gift package. Whether you include sugar-free confections, cookies and fudge, or a variety of milk, dark and white chocolate combined, it's a good idea to add a little something extra for flavor and texture. One way to do so is by choosing treats that incorporate chopped nuts, such as peanuts, cashews or almonds (assuming the recipient does not have an allergy to nuts).

2. Think Unique

If boxed chocolates or store-made sugar-free cookies seem uninspired, consider another way to incorporate chocolate into a gift. How about a gift tin of sugar-free chocolate-covered gourmet pretzels? It will offer the sweetness of chocolate, with a slightly salty taste and crispy texture.

Alternatively, you might consider a specialty sampler box of sugar-free hot cocoa mix. Find flavors like candy cane cocoa, apple cinnamon or spiced chocolate. Combine this with a customized Christmas mug and you've got a thoughtful gift for the holidays.

If you need more inspiration, let them eat cake. Why not offer a unique twist on holiday fruitcake? Chocolate fruitcake made sugar-free is a healthy way to say Merry Christmas, and you might find a specialty store that offers just that.

3. Consider a Homemade Chocolate Gift

Maybe you'd prefer to whip up your own homemade sugar-free chocolate treats. There are many recipes to be found in diabetic cookbooks. Creating your own homemade goodies offers more freedom and creativity than buying chocolates at a store.

Use a cookie cutter for creating sugar-free Christmas cookies in festive Christmas tree or wreath designs. Personalize a Christmas tin with the recipient's name and place the cookies inside. If you like to bake, whip up a batch of sugar-free brownies, chocolate fudge or a chocolate rum cake garnished with red and green sprinkles. For a diabetes-friendly sweetener, try using Stevia, a natural sweetener that is suitable for diabetics, or xylitol, another artificial sweetener.

The sky's the limit when creating chocolate gifts for a diabetic, so let your imagination fly like the reindeer. Visit a local chocolate factory, such as Mindy's Munchies LLC, for even more ideas!