Baking Christmas cookies is such a fun, festive activity to do during the holiday season! Whether you’re gearing up for a cookie exchange or plan to gift cookies to friends and family, this guide will help you plan and prepare for your Christmas cookie baking!
This guide is a little over-the-top for simply baking here and there this month. This is for making a day out of it and baking a bunch of treats! I’ll help you be prepared ahead of time, avoid chaos and extra trips to the store, and curate a beautiful plate of delicious cookies to share with loved ones.
Christmas Cookie Baking Guide
I’ve broken down this guide into three sections: choosing which recipes to bake, making it a party, and ways to stress less. Even if you’re baking a batch alone, I think there will take-aways and tips for you in every section. Let’s go!
TIPS FOR CHOOSING RECIPES
There are a million Christmas cookie recipes out there in the world. Let’s face it, any cookie can be a “Christmas cookie” if made around the holidays, right? But if you’re putting together a cookie spread, there are a couple things to keep in mind.
Mix new with traditional
Most people have specific type of cookie they make every year. This could be a secret family recipe or just a general type like snickerdoodles or buckeyes. Don’t be afraid to mix things up! Adding a couple new kinds and skipping the traditional ones that no one actually eats wastes less effort and energy. We made chocolate peppermint crinkle cookies this year that were new and delicious! Buckeyes and turtles were the traditional choices this year.
Think about how they will work together on a plate
Choosing a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes looks so much better than all chocolate or all 2 inch circles. We added these candy cane shortbread cookies that are covered in red, green, and white sprinkles a couple years ago and they add so much festivity! But they were similar to the peanut butter kiss cookies we used to make, so we skipped those to keep a variety.
Take into consideration dietary needs
You’re making these cookies for loved ones, right? So make sure they can eat your creations! If someone has a nut allergy, bake the cookies without nuts in them first before contaminating the kitchen. There are lots of gluten free 1-for-1 flours to easily make any recipe gluten free. My family made everything with gf flour this year to make everything simple!
MAKE IT A PARTY!
Baking Christmas cookies is way more fun with a group! My mom and grandma used to make a whole day of it and my sister and I would join in after school. Without overcrowding the kitchen and rest of your house, invite some friends or family over to bake together!
Divide up tasks
A lot more can get done (meaning more cookies!) if you split up tasks among the bakers. We even gave two-year-old Ella the task of unwrapping Hershey’s Kisses this year! Things like making all the doughs, coordinating the oven timing, and melting chocolate can be split up. You can also have everyone make full recipes, too.
Everyone brings containers
Make sure everyone brings their own containers to take the cookies home with them! We use tins in my family.
Make real food for lunch
While sampling the doughs, candies, and freshly baked cookies is one of the perks of baking, I suggest getting some real food in your bellies during the long days of baking. Keep it simple with a crock pot chili or leftovers to heat up.
STRESS LESS
If this sounds like a big hassle, it doesn’t have to be! I have some tips to make it less stressful.
Plan it out ahead of time
Think through how everything will go so you’re prepared. Where are people going to sit and stand? What will your bottlenecks be (what will you be waiting on) – the oven space? Number of cookie sheets? Cooling racks?
Overflowing onto the kitchen table (or card table) can help with small spaces. Choose some recipes that don’t require the oven like rice krispie treats. Calculate how much flour, sugar, butter, etc. Preparation is key!
Get the ingredients delivered
Tons of grocery stores have delivery services these days, which makes things much easier!
Have all the supplies accessible
Part of that think-things-through preparation involves the supplies you’ll need like trays, parchment paper, measuring cups, and cooling racks. Having the supplies accessible makes sharing a kitchen much less stressful for the host.
Don’t forget the Christmas music!
This baking endeavor is supposed to be merry and festive, so bust out the Christmas music! Throw together your own playlist or play one of the many options on Spotify.
What’s YOUR favorite Christmas cookie?
I think mine might be sugar cookies (which my family calls Animal Cookies) or anything chocolate mint! Good luck baking your Christmas cookies!
