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.
A few years ago our family Christmas cookie box was:
- Nick: these toffee bars because toffee is a childhood favorite flavor of his.
- Phi: Sea salt turtle cups because they are oh-so-yummy and she a few years ago I did an amazing product collaboration with Fat Toad Farm caramel.
- Ben: thumbprint cookies, using his favorite blueberry and cherry jam (via this recipe)
- Freddie: Animal gingerbread cut out cookies because lions say “Roar” and the kids absolutely love to help make these.
- Frankie: Meringues because they are a delicate cookie just like our little princess (via this recipe)
And lastly, as a family, we shared a cookie called Lebkuchen, which is a German classic!
It’s so fun to pick the cookies – I cannot wait until the kids can each pick their own!
I already have great ideas picked out for this year and I’m so excited to make them and include a cookie for Sam! All of the kids love to help in the kitchen and this stool is key to making sure they feel part of the process.
For the above cookie box we made:
- Frosted nutmeg log Christmas cookies
- Salted caramel chocolate chip cookies -added some green and red M&Ms, and below made them small and added some sprinkles in. This recipe is a FAVE!
- Butterscotch cornflake clusters – super easy, only 2 ingredients!
- Vanilice – raspberry filled vanilla sandwich cookies
- Sugar cut out cookies
- Gingerbread cut out cookies
There have definitely been favorites over the years like the raspberry filled vanilla sandwich cookies, the salted caramel chocolate chip cookies, the butterscotch cornflake clusters and gingerbread cut out cookies!
Also a fun treat is making big batches of my bananas foster Chex mix or turtle Chex mix. It’s easy to make in bulk and then you can put it in small bags in your cookie tin. Whenever I have an extra moment I make sea salt turtle cups to throw in, and I’ve had my eye on my caramel chocolate thumbprint cookies; turtle flavors are such a win!
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!