25 Best Christmas Cookie Exchange Recipes (2024)

If you’re looking for the25 Best Christmas Cookie Exchange Recipes, you’ve come to the right place!

Christmas is a time for family, friends, and delicious food! One of the most popular dishes during this festive season is cookies. But it can be difficult to find recipes that everyone enjoys.

That’s why we’ve created a list of the 25 best Christmas cookie exchange recipes to make your holiday even sweeter! Holiday baking is one of my favorite family traditions.

Everyone loves receiving an edible gift during the holidays. I know I do! How about this year, give the gift of cookies made with love!

Decorate your cookies with frosting and sprinkles and put them in a festive holiday tin for a sweet gift your friends, family, and co-workers will love!

What is a cookie exchange party?

It’s that time of year again! The holiday season is in full swing, and many people are preparing for their annual cookie exchange parties. But what is a cookie exchange party, you ask?

A cookie exchange party is a seasonal event where people bring 7 to 8 dozen of their favorite holiday cookies and then swap them with guests at the party.

Guests typically tell the party host which recipe they will bring to the event. Doing this ensures you have a good variety of cookies to exchange between guests.

By the end of the night, everyone will go home with a big box or platter of Christmas cookies to enjoy for the holiday.

This is a great idea because then you don’t have to bake various cookie recipes yourself. Plus, it’s a great time to gather with your best girlfriends, have a glass or two of wine, and celebrate the most wonderful time of year!

Your cookie swap can be a themed event, an ugly sweater party, or anything you want it to be! You set the ground rules, so make your event is as big or as small as you want. Add some festive holiday cocktails for the ultimate cookie exchange party!

What’s the most popular Christmas cookie?

Have you ever wondered what’s the most popular Christmas cookie? Well, if you didn’t know, now you can check out what the most popular Christmas cookies are in each state.

In my home state of Pennsylvania, peanut butter blossoms take the top spot. Based on data from General Mills, peanut butter blossoms are actually the most popular cookie in the U.S.!

Which state are you from, and what’s the most popular holiday cookie?

But according to YouGovAmerica, the most popular Christmas cookies in America are chocolate chip and sugar cookies. No surprise there!

So, there you have it! The top contenders for this holiday honor are peanut butter blossoms, chocolate chip, and sugar cookies!

Do you agree with this data? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Best Christmas Cookie Exchange Recipes

This list of the best Christmas cookies includes traditional favorites and some new twists on old classics, so you’ll be all set for some fun holiday baking!

These tasty treats include everything from sugar cookies to gingerbread men, so there’s something for everyone!

When it’s time for your cookie exchange this year, you’ll be ready to go with the 25 best Christmas cookie exchange recipes!

And if you’re looking for something a bit different than your traditional cookie, take a look at these fun Reindeer Bark and Ornament Rice Krispie Treats!

So grab a cup of eggnog, a festive ugly sweater, and feast your eyes on the 25 Best Christmas Cookie Exchange Recipes!

1. Thumbprint Snowman Cookies: Munchkin Munchies

Winter is here, which means it’s time for baking! These thumbprint snowman cookies are a great way to celebrate the season.

Children love them because they can decorate their own cookies and are super cute too! They’re also a nice addition to your holiday cookie spread.

Leave your best thumbprint and decorate with some royal icing for an adorable treat that will look festive on a cookie platter.

They’re so tasty that you’ll want to make these cookies year after year, especially if you entertain during the holidays. Your guests will love every last bite!

2. Chocolate Cherry Blossom Cookies: Baking Beauty

If you’re looking for some delicious Christmas cookie recipes, then look no further! This year, try making these chocolate cherry blossom cookies.

These cherry sugar cookies topped with a Hershey’s Kiss make the perfect holiday cookie. They are super easy to make and taste absolutely amazing.

When it comes time for the actual baking process, be sure not to overbake them or they won’t have that soft texture.

This dessert would also pair nicely with a cup of hot cocoa or peppermint tea when you’re ready to enjoy!

3. Chocolate Kiss Powder Puff Cookies: Averie Cooks

There are so many different Christmas cookie recipes you can try out for your holiday party.

If you have a large group attending the event, consider this irresistibly delicious recipe for powder puff chocolate kiss cookies!

For these quick and simple chocolate kiss cookies, you only need three ingredients!

They’re like Russian teacakes, but with a fun twist – a chocolate kiss! Whip up a batch of these for any cookie swap this holiday season!

4. Holiday Confetti Cake Batter Cookies: Sally’s Baking Addiction

These Christmas confetti cake batter cookies taste like they came straight from the bakery.

They are so incredibly soft and chewy, with a light buttery flavor that’s too good to pass up!

The combination of sprinkles in these festive treats makes them perfect for any holiday gathering.

The kids will love these simple, yet festive cookies.

5. Chocolate Crinkles: Simply Recipes

These popular chocolate crinkle cookies are loved by many and can certainly be seen on a tray or two at Christmas. Trust us, these chocolate crinkles are quick and easy to make and won’t last long on any cookie platter.

These homemade soft, devil’s food-like cakey Christmas cookies are made with cocoa powder and dusted in powdered sugar for the perfect sweet treat.

6. Melted Snowman Oreo Balls: The Girl That Ate Everything

These melted snowman Oreo balls are by far the cutest and most unique Christmas dessert ever!!!

They are a fun and creative Christmas treat that will be the first ones to go at any cookie swap! If you’re making these for your holiday event, don’t be afraid to add in some different flavors!

7. Grinch Cookies: In Katrina’s Kitchen

These cake mix Grinch-inspired cookies are so easy and festive they will be sure to put anyone in a festive holiday mood!

Make sure these Christmas cookies are on your cookie tray this holiday season. Everyone will love them, especially the kids!

8. Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups: The Gunny Sack

Did I forget to tell you the recipes just keep getting better and better?! Yes, they certainly do! These adorable hot chocolate cookie cups are so unique and creative.

They definitely deserve a top spot on the best Christmas cookie list! Walk into a cookie exchange party with these cookies and everyone will think you’re a master baker.

These hot chocolate cookie cups are made with sugar cookie dough, filled with hot chocolate ganache, have a pretzel handle and mini marshmallows on top.

The moment these cookies leave the oven, there will be some missing – promise!

9. Turtle Thumbprint Cookies: Tastes Better From Scratch

Filled with caramel and drizzled with melted chocolate, these mouth-watering turtle thumbprint cookies are to die for!

If you’re on the hunt for Christmas cookie ideas and love the combination of pecans, chocolate, and caramel, this recipe is your best bet.

10. Three-Ingredient Buttery Shortbread Cookies: Chew Out Loud

Who doesn’t love a good buttery shortbread cookie, right?! If you’re looking for a quick and easy Christmas cookie recipe, take a look at these yummy shortbread cookies.

Add some festive red and green sprinkles for Christmas and you’re ready to join your friends and family at the annual Christmas cookie swap.

11. German Chocolate Cake Cookies: The Gracious Wife

These delectable German chocolate cake cookies are a delicious combination of sweet and decadent chocolate cookies and gooey caramel coconut pecan frosting! YUM!

These chocolate cookies will definitely not disappoint! It’s like having a small German chocolate cake!

If you want to make the best Christmas cookie exchange recipe to impress your friends, put these on your must-bake cookie list!

12. Vanilla and Chocolate Pizzelles: Recipe Runner

In case you aren’t familiar with pizzelles, they’re a flat, round, Italian, waffle-type cookie.

They are light and delicious and make the perfect treat for a cookie exchange party. They’re easy to make and a unique Christmas cookie for those who aren’t Italian.

13. Melted Snowman Cookies: Home Is Where the Boat Is

Here’s another melted snowman cookie that is fun and easy to make for a cookie swap. These chocolate Christmas cookies are so delicious and will be a hit at any Christmas party.

They are easy enough that the kids can help you make them. They will have a blast making these Christmas cookies! Be sure to leave one or two for Santa as well!

14. Soft & Chewy Triple Chocolate Fudge Cookies: Roxana’s Home Baking

If you LOVE chocolate, these soft and chewy triple chocolate fudge cookies will certainly put you under their spell.

They are every chocolate lover’s dream and make the best option for chocolate lovers.

15. Christmas Cookies Recipe #15: Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies: Baker Girl

If you want to make the best Christmas cookies for an upcoming cookie exchange party, these adorable peanut butter reindeer cookies will have everyone talking.

They are so festive for Christmas and super delicious too. The kids will definitely love these seasonal cookies.

16. Brown Sugar Pecan Cookies: The Recipe Rebel

We’re not done with the best Christmas cookies just yet! These brown sugar pecan cookies will melt in your mouth.

Try your hand at these Christmas cookies for your upcoming cookie exchange parties. This cookie recipe will be a nice change from your typical Christmas cookies.

17. Russian Tea Cake Cookies: Crazy For Crust

These traditional Russian tea cake cookies are one of our favorite Christmas cookies to make every year.

Filled with pecans and rolled in powder sugar, these cookies will melt in your mouth. Your Christmas cookie platter will not be the same without these Russian tea cake cookies.

18. Salted Peanut Butter Blossoms: Your Homebased Mom

Do you LOVE peanut butter? If so, there’s nothing more delicious than these salted peanut butter blossoms.

Mix up your Christmas cookie recipes and add in some delicious peanut butter cookies with this Christmas cookie recipe everyone will love.

19. Best Gingerbread Cookies: Sally’s Baking Addiction

If you’re searching for the best, classic gingerbread cookie recipe, then look no further!

These delicious cookies are soft in the centers, crisp on the edges, perfectly spiced, molasses, and brown sugar-sweetened holiday goodness.

You can’t go wrong with classic gingerbread men cookies!

20.Candy Cane Sugar Cookies: Cookies & Cups

These candy cane sugar cookies are outrageously delicious!

This soft sugar cookie recipe is loaded with crushed candy canes and topped with creamy buttercream – making them a top contender for any holiday celebration!

21. Buckeye Brownie Cookies: Tastes of Lizzy T’s

These heavenly chocolate peanut butter cookies are a sweet combination of brownies and buckeyes. Who wouldn’t love these as Christmas cookies?!

These sweet cookies are definitely at the top of our best Christmas cookies list. Who can deny the combination of chocolate and peanut butter? It’s the best combination in the whole world.

22. Cinnamon Cream Cheese Cookies: This Silly Girl’s Kitchen

These delicious cinnamon cream cheese cookies are the ultimate cookie bursting with cinnamon sugar.

These cinnamon cream cheese cookies are a lot like snickerdoodles, but have the texture of meltaways. They’re absolutely the perfect combination for an irresistible treat everyone will enjoy!

Make this mouth-watering dessert recipe for any holiday cookie exchange or festive get-together!

23. Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies: Sally’s Baking Addiction

We know anything red velvet, especially for Christmas, will be a total hit. That’s why these red velvet chocolate chip cookies make the best recipe for a cookie exchange. They are easy and oh so delicious!

24. Kit Kat Cookies: Crazy For Crust

Are you a fan of Kit Kat candy? If so, these Kit Kat cookies will make your mouth water!

Chocolate chip cookies are always better with your favorite candy added in and we totally approve of these Kit Kat cookies for any holiday cookie exchange.

25. Italian Ricotta Cookies: Love Bakes Good Cakes

These soft and delicious Italian Ricotta cookies will become everyone’s favorite indulgence.

Topped with an almond glaze and some sprinkles, these are easy cookies you can whip up in no time for any seasonal event.

Make them more festive for Christmas by adding red and green sprinkles for the best holiday cookies.

Get baking with these essentials:

That’s our list of the 25 Best Christmas Cookie Exchange Recipes!

Which cookies on this list are your favorite and which ones will you bake this holiday? Have a recipe you don’t see on the list? Let us know in the comments below!

For more holiday party ideas, follow us on Instagram @prettymyparty and Pinterest and join us in our private Facebook group.

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25 Best Christmas Cookie Exchange Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How many cookies should you make for a cookie exchange? ›

A good rule to follow is for every guest to bake a half dozen cookies per each attendee. So, if 10 people attend, each guest would bring five dozen cookies to share. We've put together a chart to help you figure out just how many cookies to ask your guests to make.

What do you serve at a Christmas cookie exchange party? ›

Should you serve food at a Christmas cookie swap? You want guests to leave with their cookie loot—not just eat it all! —so it's a good idea to have some little noshes and bites. Put out some prep-ahead snacks like puppy chow, candied pecans, and Christmas chex mix.

How to do a proper cookie exchange? ›

The Etiquette Of The Cookie Swap
  1. Remember: It's not a competition. ...
  2. Coordinate ahead of time. ...
  3. Make enough for everyone. ...
  4. Bring something homemade. ...
  5. Yes, you should still bring a host gift. ...
  6. Label your cookies for allergens. ...
  7. Bring cookies and a story. ...
  8. Hold off on seconds.
Jan 5, 2022

What is the least popular Christmas cookie? ›

On the naughty list of cookies, Americans gave the lowest win records to anise cookies, which only won 29% of its matchups.

How to do a Christmas cookie exchange? ›

A cookie swap or cookie exchange is a festive party where guests exchange Christmas cookies. The idea is for everyone to bring a batch of homemade cookies and distribute approximately 6 to 12 cookies each to the guests in attendance.

Can you bring store bought cookies to a cookie exchange? ›

Anyone who is not a good baker might feel like they can't attend. If you're fine with store bought consider specifying that they need to be high quality cookies from a real bakery, not a grocery store bakery.

What is a popular Christmas cookie shape? ›

The cookies are often cut into the shape of candy canes, reindeer, holly leaves, Christmas trees, stars, or angels.

What is the cookie exchange tradition? ›

Cookie exchanges are a century-old tradition in which participants bake dozens of their favorite cookie, then take them to a party where guests trade their cache and wind up with a variety of cookies from everybody else.

What do you put on a cookie platter? ›

Always include the classics

According to Bakeable member Peggy Daczewitz-Hamlin, every cookie platter needs to include the holiday cookies that everyone is craving. For Peggy, someone who's been baking cookie platters for 40 years, that's sugar cookies, almond crescents and chocolate-dipped butter cookies.

How to do a cookie exchange with a large group? ›

Cookie Exchange Rules
  1. Homemade Cookies. ...
  2. Give an exact number of cookies that everyone needs to bring. ...
  3. A good rule of thumb is to ask everyone to bring a dozen cookies per guest invited. ...
  4. Have everyone bring a copy of their cookie recipe. ...
  5. It's helpful to label cookies with their name or flavor.
Dec 8, 2023

How many cookies to give as a gift? ›

Decide how many cookies or pieces of fudge will make up a gift. Four is a good number to start with for an individual. Many cookie recipes, including my Hershey Kiss Cookie recipe, make 48 cookies. That's 12 potential gifts right there!

Is it a cookie exchange or cookie swap? ›

A cookie exchange or cookie swap is a fun and sweet gathering where participants bring batches of their favorite cookies to share with others. During the exchange, each person swaps their cookies with others, allowing everyone to leave the event with an assortment of cookies.

What is America's favorite Christmas cookies? ›

Speaking of holiday baking, nearly half of the country has a favorite Christmas cookie. Among those who can make a single choice, frosted sugar cookies lead the list (32%), with gingerbread (12%) and chocolate chip (11%) rounding out the top three.

What is the #1 cookie in the United States? ›

The chocolate chip cookie is far and away America's favorite cookie This should come as no surprise to anyone who enjoys the tasty treat. More than 53% of American adults prefer the cookies over the next most popular kind, peanut butter.

What is the number one selling cookie? ›

Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co. But did you know Oreos are a copycat product?

How many cookies should I make per person? ›

Most recipes make somewhere from 24-48 cookies. But if you do the math on number of people and estimate 3-5 cookies per person, you'll be able to figure out if you need to double — or triple — your recipe.

How many cookies is an appropriate gift? ›

How many cookies should you gift?
Party sizeNumber of guestsNumber of cookies
Little party5 to 1015-30 cookies
Medium party10 to 1530 – 45
Big party20 – 5075 – 150

How many cookies do you need per person? ›

The general rule of thumb suggests calculating 2-3 cookies per person if other desserts are available. If cookies are the primary sweet treat, consider increasing the count to 4-6 per person.

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