Baked goods are always a great gift around the holidays, so I want to share with you how to make a thoughtful Christmas cookie box. For as long as I can remember my family has made cookie plates for friends and family around the holidays, now that I have my own children, it’s a nice tradition to keep on.
For our cookie tins, we pick one cookie per family member to help create our cookie plate which we give to friends and family. It makes the box feel that much more special (although any baked cookies as gifts are always special). We include a little card describing each of the cookie selections.
Last year our family Christmas cookie box was:
- For Nick, we made chocolate peanut butter pretzel bars because he always loves complicated desserts! Seriously, these were tasty, but super putzy to make.
- For me, I chose my toasted pecan snowball cookies because they are only 5 ingredients and I am all about easy 5-ingredient recipes!
- For Ben, we made this cookie (it’s for a smores chocolate chip cookie where the cookie dough is put on a graham cracker square.) He was (and still is) obsessed with graham crackers so this was an easy choice. He also loves this recipe for s’mores cookie cups.
- For Frankie, we baked pumpkin spice latte chocolate chip cookies because one of her first favorite food was sweet potatoes. She absolutely loved them. And, if you didn’t know, pumpkin and squash or sweet potato puree can be interchangeable. The canned pumpkin you get at a grocery store is actually butternut squash; pumpkin has too rough a texture lol. We made sweet potato puree and then used that in place of pumpkin puree in the recipe. Turned out great!
- And for Freddie, we made these ginger molasses cookies because he has ginger colored hair!
It’s so fun to pick the cookies – I cannot wait until the kids can each pick their own.
I already have our cookies picked out for this year and I’m so excited to make them. All three of the kids love to help in the kitchen; Ben more than Freddie and Frankie, but they are starting to show interest. This stool is key to making sure they feel part of the process.
Nick loves banana desserts, so this year, we’re making big batches of my bananas foster Chex mix.
And to keep things simple, I’m going with turtle Chex mix. It’s easy to make in bulk and the kids love it. And for me, seeing my kids happy is all I need! I may get ambitious and throw in some sea salt turtle cups or my caramel chocolate thumbprint cookies as well; turtle flavors are another thing the kids love
For Ben, we’re going to make a raspberry filled vanilla cookie called vanilice. These were his pick because he says he gets ‘two’ of everything. Since these are a sandwich cookie, he loves that this feels like he’s getting two cookies, instead of just one.
Frankie is our only girl and my little star, so we’re making cinnamon star cookies.
For Freddie, we’re making my recipe for chocolate chip oatmeal cookies because they have a surprise ingredient that’s red (hint: it’s cherries!) and he is still holding strong with a red tint to his hair.
The classic cookie standby is these sugar cut out cookies. And this recipe actually holds shape, so you can take all of those fun shapes and decorate them in any way that makes sense for your family. Plus, everyone loves chocolate chip cookies, so it can’t hurt to throw in a batch of these freezer chocolate chip cookies!
Do you have any special Christmas cookie traditions? I’d love to hear them, let me know in the comments below.
Ray Hren says
My favorite Christmas cookies are coconut macaroons. Can’t go wrong with sugar cookies either.
Sweetphi says
Oh yum, I totally forget about coconut macaroons, they’re delish!!
Emma says
My favorite is Gingerbread cookies. It’s a recipe from my Grandmother that has been passed down. My Mom taught me how to make them, and each year when we make them, as soon as they came out of oven we would put butter on them and eat one. So so good.
My Mom passed this year, so when I make these, I’ll be crying and thinking of all the good times we had making these.
Merry Christmas
Stephanie says
I would have to say my favorite is sugar cookies. I am planning on making some this weekend & then delivering them to others in a basket with frosting & sprinkles & all the awsome things to decorate them. I know it will be appreciated & a lot of fun to share. Besides what’s better than eating a cookie you got to decorate yourself? Merry Christmas!! Your family is so adorable!!
Mary W says
I love holiday cookies hand made by my baking friends. Asking to choose just one is like asking who is your favorite child! I love Mexican Wedding cookies, Gingersnap cookies and Ginger Molasses cookies.
Karen D says
I like butter spritz cookies
Erik says
Christmas kitchen sink cookies always call for me, and I’m not much of a sweet tooth. Holiday M&M’s, mini marshmallows, pretzels, nuts, holiday sprinkles… sweet-and-salty, chewy-and-gooey!
Kristy says
My grandmother always made pizzelles every December. I inherited her pizzelle iron, so I try to make them each year, too. I love the classic anise flavor, although it does make the house smell like licorice for awhile 🙂
Sweetphi says
Wow, that’s such a sweet memory, thank you for sharing that. I didn’t even know what a pizzelle was so I googled, and wow, that seems so neat!!!
Susan L Craig says
My daughter and I bake cutout sugar cookies every Christmas. It is the best part of the holiday.
Sweetphi says
Aw I love that!!
Amy Cooley says
I love making biscotti at the holidays. It’s a fun treat to share. I’ve been making a recipe I found years ago in a Cooking Light magazine. The flavor is White Chocolate Coffee Cashew. Yummy!
Sweetphi says
ooooh what a delicious sounding flavor combination, I’m going to have to look up that recipe!
Amy Cooley says
Here’s the recipe if you’re interested!
https://pin.it/7nJmxzc
Lisa Burkhart says
I have two favorites to make. Magic cookie bar. I made them with my mom every year, and even though it has been over thirty years since I lost her, I still feel her presence when I bake them. Also Peanut Blossoms, my brothers favorite, and even though I lost him seven years ago, I still bake them for his family.. Such good memories
Sweetphi says
Thank you for sharing that story about the magic cookie bars and the peanut blossoms, such a thoughtful gesture for baking them for his family, I bet they really appreciate it.
Jeffrey says
My favorite cookie no matter what time of year is the classic chocolate chip. I’m a dunker, so I prefer them to be a thick and chewy.
Sweetphi says
YUM! Yes, I too am a chocolate chip cookie enthusiast. Whatever the time of year or season, they’re just amazing!
Cheri says
We make 5 different Greek pastries and put them on plates to hand out to our friends. This carries on my husband’s family tradition. In addition I usually make 1 non Greek cookie “for fun”. After baking for several days, plating and wrapping so many pastries I love a cookie with coffee. Those finger cookies sound like they will do the trick this year.
Sweetphi says
Ooooooh what an absolutely lovely tradition of making the Greek pastries (I love that you add a “for fun” cookie too!). You’ll have to tell me sometime what all the different pastries are – I love different cultural recipes.
Linda says
I love decorated sugar cookies best.
Sweetphi says
So simple and delicious!