39 Best Holiday Cookie Exchange Ideas (Cookie Swap Recipes)
Enjoy more than 39 yummy holiday cookie exchange ideas. Plus, hosting tips for the best cookie swap party!
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Can you believe it’s already time to start thinking about Grinch cake pops or gingerbread cookies? It really is that time of the year, and today, I wanted to share one of my favorite parts of the season!
The holiday season is the best time of year for gathering with friends, neighbors, and of course family, sharing delicious cookies, and making sweet memories.
One of my favorite traditions during the Christmas season is participating in a holiday cookie exchange. For years, my husband and I have baked and shared a mix of sugar cookies, cookie bars, and even festive peanut butter blossoms with our neighbors. We’d package them up in cheerful dessert boxes adorned with ribbons and tags, transforming our treats into thoughtful holiday gifts. It’s such a great way to spread joy and enjoy the best cookies of the season!
Whether you’re hosting a cookie swap party or attending one as a guest, having a variety of Christmas cookie exchange recipes at your fingertips can make this festive tradition so much fun. Think classic chocolate chip cookies, chewy Oreo bars, or decadent treats made with white chocolate chips and candy canes.
No matter which treat you choose, the holiday cookie exchange is a better way to try new recipes and connect with others.
How to Bring Home Your Holiday Cookies After a Cookie Swap
After the cookie swap party, you’ll want to keep your freshly baked cookies safe and delicious. Bringing an airtight container or a reusable holiday tin lined with parchment paper is always a good idea. Want to make it extra festive? Separate each variety with sheets of colorful paper and tie the container with a ribbon. A well-organized cookie tray is both practical and festive for showcasing your collection at home.
Tips for Hosting the Best Cookie Swap Party
- Plan Your Guest List: Aim for 8–10 participants to keep things manageable and ensure variety.
- Encourage Recipe Sharing: Request that each guest brings a recipe card to share their creations.
- Bake Cookies Ahead: Remind everyone to bake cookies at least a day in advance to avoid last-minute stress.
- Create a Cookie Tray Station: Provide packaging materials like boxes, parchment paper, and ribbon for guests to assemble their treats. You can find some paper treat boxes options at Target, Wal-Mart, or even Amazon.
- Mix Up the Flavors: Feature Christmas cookies like peanut butter blossoms, cream cheese-based cookies, and classic chocolate chip cookies for a festive spread.
Why This Tradition Is So Much Fun
A holiday cookie exchange is about more than just cookies—it’s a chance to connect with friends, try new recipes, and enjoy the spirit of the season with some of your favorite people. Last year, I discovered a Christmas cookie exchange recipe for peppermint truffles that became a family favorite. You might even discover your next go-to treat!
This holiday season, whether you’re shaping cookie dough into snowflakes, baking classic chocolate chip cookies, or sprinkling festive sugar onto soft sugar cookies, remember that sharing delicious cookies is one of the simplest ways to celebrate the joy of Christmas.
39 Easy Holiday Cookie Exchange Recipes and Ideas
Not only are these mini bundts easy to make, but they are show stoppers for an exchange party. Double the recipe so that everyone has at least two cakes to bring home!
Looking for a sweet and savory treat? Bring these rich peanut butter cookies to the party.
These cake pops are an absolute family favorite and perfect for cookie swaps!
Save time by using box mix brownies and make these cute Christmas "gifts"
If cakes are more your preference, this is the BEST sour cream cupcake recipe. Top with your favorite holiday colored frosting!
Easy peasy, virtually no work needed from you!
These bars pair well with the sugar cookies from the other swap families.
Swap out the gold sugar for red, green, or blue!
All the great taste of cake pops, but easier to make double batches for cookie swaps!
Pairs well in cookie swaps to complement more traditional options!
Perfect for kids and kids at heart!
Always including a classic!
Need a can't miss chocolate chip cookie option? These family favorite cowboy cookies will please everyone.
These mini brownies fill up the spaces in a cookie dessert box! Easy to make, keep them chilled until served.
Swap out the chocolate melts for Christmas colors to pop nicely along your cookies!
Homemade toffee like flavoring, these bark pieces look grat alongside your eggnog cookies in a dessert box!
A classic recipe for even those who claim "they couldn't possibly have more."
A holiday look with a classic eggnog taste.
Top with holiday Christmas tree sprinkles! Take to your Christmas swap pre-cut for easy swapping.
These thumbprint cookies are so festive and perfect for a cookie swap! The icing filling adds the best touch of sweetness!
Pistachio cherry cookies are deliciously festive addition to your holiday celebrations. They’re soft, chewy, and the perfect combination of nutty and sweet flavors.
These Candy Cane Cookies are soft buttery cookies that are filled with sweet peppermint flavor. They are fun, and festive, and will look great on your platters.
Bake up holiday cheer with this Cinnamon Christmas Cookie recipe, filling your kitchen with warm, cozy aromas and a perfect hint of spice. These soft, fragrant cookies are ideal for sharing with friends and family or setting out for Santa, dusted with powdered sugar for a festive touch that adds extra magic to your Christmas cookie lineup.
Add a little crunch to regular shortbread with this simple recipe! Peppermint Crunch Cookes are the perfect sweet treat for a holiday snack.
Whipped shortbread cookies are melt-in-your-mouth butter cookies that are topped with festive nonpareils. These easy Christmas cookies can be whipped up with 7 ingredients in just 30 minutes!
These danish butter cookies are the perfect edible gifts! Buttery and crumbly and so easy to make!
Make these easy Maple Pecan No Bake Cookies for a sweet treat with no oven needed! Perfect for any occasion, and the maple glaze makes them extra special.
These rich and chewy red velvet crinkle cookies are easy to whip up with a box of cake mix and 3 other ingredients!
Get into the holiday spirit with these Christmas snowflake cookies. Perfect for holiday cookie exchanges, homemade gifts or a fabulous festive dessert table.
Soft and chewy, just like a chocolate chip cookie should be–these Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies are your new favorite Christmas Cookie! Take these to the cookie exchange–or save them for yourself–loaded with candy canes and lots of chips, they will make Santa extra happy!
Christmas Cookie Bars are an easy and delicious dessert to make for this holiday season, dotted with festive M&M's and white chocolate chips.
Buttery shortbread cookies with tangy dried cranberries throughout. These are super easy to make with only 5 ingredients!
These delightful chocolate cake pops are a fun and easy treat, perfect for any occasion. Made with crumbled cake mixed with frosting, shaped into balls, and coated in rich chocolate, they’re decorated with colorful sprinkles for a playful touch. A guaranteed crowd-pleaser!
These Easy Toffee Cookies are a super easy, semi-homemade treat that mixes rich chocolate with buttery toffee for the perfect combo of chewy centers, crispy edges, and crunchy Heath bar bits.
These maple syrup chocolate chip cookies are soft, chewy and packed with maple and chocolate flavor. Made with real maple syrup, chocolate chips and sliced almonds. These cookies are way better than regular chocolate chip cookies.
Scrumptious Magic Cookie Bars, also known as Hello Dolly Bars and Seven Layer Bars, are layers of chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, coconut, and walnuts over a buttery graham cracker crust. These tasty treats can be prepped and ready to go into the oven in less than five minutes.
These classic iced oatmeal cookies are the best dessert! They are chewy, soft, and sweet. This easy cookie dough will become a go-to for holidays, birthdays, celebrations, and more. Only 20 minutes in total.
We turned buckeye balls into Buckeye Brownie Cookies. You can't go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter! They are always a hit at cookie parties.
German Christmas Cookies, also called Lebkuchen or German gingerbread cookies, are an authentic German cookie that is spicy, soft and incredibly flavorful. You can give them as gifts to your family and friends! Easy to make with aromatic lebkuchen spice mix.
Which ones are you including in your cookie swap this year? Tag me in your cookie party posts @ourhomemadeeasy. I can’t wait to see them!
Happy Baking!
