50+ Best Christmas Cookie Exchange Recipes
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Looking for the best Christmas cookie exchange recipes? From timeless classics like sugar cookies and gingerbread men to fun new ideas, these holiday cookies are perfect for sharing and spreading holiday cheer.
Christmas cookie exchanges are one of my favorite ways to celebrate the season. They’re a festive tradition that brings family and friends together through the joy of holiday baking.
Tips for a Successful Cookie Exchange
Planning to join your first cookie exchange? These simple tips will help ensure your cookies are a hit and arrive in perfect condition for sharing!
- Test Your Recipe: Try the recipe ahead of time, especially if it’s new to you. This helps ensure your cookies turn out perfectly and taste just as good as they look!
- Bake in Batches: Plan to bake multiple batches to ensure plenty of cookies to share. The host will likely tell you how many cookies to bring.
- Package Strong Flavors Separately: Peppermint or other strong-flavored cookies should be packaged separately to prevent their flavor from transferring to other cookies.
- Package Thoughtfully: Use festive packaging like cellophane bags, tins, or boxes. Don’t forget to label your cookies with the name of the recipe and key ingredients—this is especially helpful for those with allergies.
- Layer with Care: Use parchment paper to separate layers of cookies in your containers. This prevents cookies from sticking together during transport.
- Choose Sturdy Cookies: For easy transport, make cookies that hold up well like chocolate chip cookies, gingerbread, or shortbread. Frosted or delicate cookies can be used but they will have to be packaged more carefully, choosing boxes over bags and avoiding stacking.
50+ Christmas Cookies for Your Cookie Exchange Party
The following Christmas cookie recipes are perfect for bringing to a cookie swap or sharing with family and friends. Whether you’re baking for a party or just spreading holiday cheer, this list of festive cookies has you covered!
Christmas Cookie Bars
Packed with red and green M&M's, chocolate chips, and festive sprinkles, these Christmas cookie bars are my favorite easy Christmas cookie recipe. The recipe comes together quickly and yields 2 dozen bars. You can easily slice them smaller for a larger batch as well.
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Gingerbread Men Cookies
These traditional gingerbread cookies are a must-have for any cookie swap. Not only are they fun to bake and decorate, but they’re also one of the most iconic Christmas cookies for your cookie exchange.
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Buttery Pecan Snowball Cookies
These buttery pecan snowball cookies, also known as Mexican wedding cookies or Russian tea cakes, practically melt in your mouth. They’re a classic choice for any Christmas cookie exchange and are quick to prepare with just a handful of simple ingredients. The recipe makes a large batch, perfect for sharing at a cookie swap or holiday gathering.
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Classic Sugar Cookies
Classic sugar cookies are always a hit at any Christmas cookie exchange party. These festive cookies are easy to customize with colorful icing and sprinkles, making them one of the best cookies for your cookie swap.
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Christmas Snowball Cookies
A fun holiday twist on classic snowball cookies. Unlike traditional snowballs, these Christmas cookies are made without nuts. Instead, they have a little surprise inside: red and green M&Ms!
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Soft Frosted Christmas Cookies
These soft frosted Christmas cookies are topped with a generous layer of frosting and loads of holiday sprinkles, making them perfect for Christmas parties and cookie exchanges.
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Soft Gingerbread Cookies
These soft gingerbread cookies are a must-have for any Christmas cookie exchange. Their warm spices and classic holiday flavor make them a crowd favorite, while the soft, chewy texture keeps everyone coming back for more. This recipe makes a generous batch of cookies, perfect for sharing at cookie swaps or holiday gatherings.
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Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies
These soft and chewy vanilla pudding cookies are packed with marshmallows, M&Ms, pretzels, and chunks of chocolate for the sweet-and-salty Christmas cookie. I hear that they are Santa’s favorite!
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Secret Kiss Pudding Cookies
Secret Kiss Cookies (aka Hidden Kiss Cookies) are soft and chewy pudding cookies with a sweet surprise hidden in the center– a chocolate kiss!
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Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
These soft and chewy sugar cookies with sprinkles are a festive and colorful option for your Christmas cookie exchange. Quick to make and perfect for large batches, they’re a fun and easy choice for sharing holiday cheer!
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7 Layer Bars
Packed with layers of chocolate chips, butterscotch, coconut, and nuts, these 7 layer bars are a rich and satisfying treat for your cookie swap. My mom has been making these incredible cookie bars every Christmas for as long as I can remember. It just wouldn't feel like Christmas without them!
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Jumbo Snickerdoodle Cookies
These jumbo soft snickerdoodles are a standout at any cookie exchange thanks to their oversized, cinnamon-sugar-coated goodness. The recipe makes a dozen generously-sized cookies, perfect for sharing something special with your holiday swap group. Or you can easily halve the size of each cookie to double the recipe.
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Grinch Cake Mix Cookies
Inspired by the classic holiday movie, these Grinch cookies are bright green with a red heart sprinkle, adding a fun and whimsical touch to your cookie swap. Quick and easy to prepare using cake mix, they're sure to put a smile on everyone's faces this year.
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Double Chocolate Snowball Cookies
Made with cocoa powder and mini chocolate chips, double chocolate snowball cookies are a rich chocolate twist on the classic Christmas cookies. With their small, bite-sized shape, they’re great for sharing and are always a hit!
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Ricotta Cookies
This old-fashioned Italian Ricotta Cookie recipe makes a large batch of 6 dozen cookies, making it a perfect cookie exchange recipe. This particular recipe is a family favorite and my mom has made them every holiday season for as long as I can remember.
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Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Peanut butter cup cookies take chewy, homemade peanut butter cookies and stuff them with a mini Reese's peanut butter cup. They are always a huge hit and one of my favorite cookies!
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Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies
These red velvet cake mix cookies are a quick and festive option for a cookie exchange. Made in 15 minutes with just 5 ingredients, they deliver soft, chocolatey goodness in every bite and are perfect for adding a pop of color to your cookie swap table!
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Thumbprint Jam Cookies
My thumbprint cookies recipe takes classic Christmas cookies up a notch with a secret ingredient in the cookie dough–vanilla pudding! The result is the most flavorful and soft thumbprint jam cookies ever. They literally melt in your mouth!
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Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies
Melt-in-your-mouth peppermint pinwheels are swirled red and white cookies that are loaded with sweet minty flavor. The eye catching treats are sure to go over well at your cookie swap.
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Hot Chocolate Cookies
These rich chocolatey cookies are topped with gooey marshmallows and chocolate frosting for all the taste of a cup of hot cocoa in one dleicious cookie. The cozy cookies are always a huge hit— perfect for Christmas cookie platters and cookie exchanges.
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Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
These candy cane kiss cookies combine a soft, peppermint-flavored cookie with a Hershey's Candy Cane Kiss on top, creating a festive and visually appealing treat. They're sure to be a hit at any holiday cookie exchange.
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Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies
These classic peanut butter cookies have a crispy, golden brown outside and a soft center, just like the ones that grandma used to make.
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Classic No Bake Cookies
These classic chocolate peanut butter no-bake cookies are soft, chewy, and filled with rich chocolate peanut butter flavor. The tried and true recipe is just like the one that grandma used to make. Perfect for when you need a quick addition to your cookie swap without turning on the oven!
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Christmas Shortbread Cookies
Buttery and tender, these Christmas shortbread cookies are cut into festive shapes and decorated with sprinkles, making them a timeless choice for cookie exchanges.
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White Chocolate Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
A tasty combination of chewy oats, tart cranberries, and sweet white chocolate chips, no one will ever guess that these oatmeal white chocolate cranberry cookies start with a packaged cookie mix! They are easily one of my favorite cookie recipes!
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Christmas Tree Meringues
Light and airy, these Christmas tree meringues are shaped like festive trees and decorated with sprinkles, adding a fun and festive touch to your cookie exchange. Their crisp texture and charming appearance make them a delightful treat.
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Peppermint Meltaways
True to their name, these peppermint meltaways dissolve in your mouth, leaving a refreshing minty flavor. Their delicate texture and festive taste make them a perfect choice for holiday cookie exchanges.
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Mint Brownie Cookies
Everyone will love you if you bring these rich and fudgy mint chocolate brownie cookies with white chocolate chips and Andes mints to your holiday swap. They are so decadent and delicious!
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Amaretti Cookies
These classic Italian cookies are melt in your mouth delicious. Nutty almond flour comes together with eggs, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract to produce a decadent sandy cookie full of flavor. Rolled in powder sugar and topped with sliced almonds, you can’t go wrong!
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Pudding Cookies with Sprinkles
Soft and chewy, these pudding cookies are enhanced with colorful sprinkles, adding a festive touch to your holiday cookie exchange. The addition of pudding mix keeps them moist and flavorful.
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Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars
These Snickerdoodle Bars are a soft, chewy twist on the classic cookie, featuring a cinnamon-sugar topping that makes each bite irresistible. With no need to roll individual cookies, this easy dessert bar recipe is perfect for making as a last minute treat for your holiday cookie exchange.
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Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies
Combining the flavors of rich chocolate and refreshing peppermint, these cookies are topped with pieces of peppermint bark, adding a festive crunch. Although they are delicate and will need to be boxed up carefully, they're a delightful treat for any holiday party or cookie exchange.
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Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Buttery, crumbly, and full of bright lemon flavor, these slice and bake lemon shortbread cookies are a must-bake for the holiday season. Their melt-in-your-mouth texture makes them perfect for Christmas cookie trays, homemade gifts, or just enjoying with a cup of tea. Save this easy recipe for a festive treat everyone will love!
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Chocolate Chip Cookies
Everyone loves a classic! These soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies are a must-have for any holiday baking list.
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Double Chocolate Pecan Cookies
Rich, fudgy, and loaded with crunchy pecans, these double chocolate pecan cookies are a decadent addition to your Christmas cookie exchange. The combination of double chocolate and toasted pecans is guaranteed to satisfy even the biggest chocolate lovers at your next cookie swap!
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Crockpot Avalanche Cookies
If no-bake cookies and rice krispie treats had a baby, it would be these rich and chewy crockpot avalanche cookies! Gooey marshmallows and crispy rice cereal are coated in luscious peanut butter and white chocolate to make these easy slow cooker cookies.
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Chocolate Cherry Thumbprint Cookies
Chocolate Cherry Thumbprint Cookies are a fun twist on classic thumbprints, pairing chocolate cookies with a rich chocolate ganache and a sweet maraschino cherry. The easy Christmas cookies will look great in your holiday cookie tin!
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Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies
These adorable cookies use pretzels for antlers and candies for the nose and eyes, making them as fun to decorate as they are to eat. A favorite with kids!
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Grasshopper Cookies Recipe
Who doesn’t love the combination of chocolate and mint?! Made with rich and refreshing Andes Mints, this grasshopper cookies recipe puts all other grasshopper cookies to shame! Plus, their green color makes them a perfect addition to your holiday cookie platter this year.
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Candy Cane Snowball Cookies
These peppermint snowballs are packed with crushed candy canes for a surprise pop of holiday flavor with each bite.
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Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Caramel chocolate chip cookie bars are a show-stopping treat for your next cookie exchange. These soft, chewy bars are layered with gooey caramel and melty chocolate chips, making them one of the best cookies for your cookie swap. Easy to bake and even easier to share, they’re sure to be a hit at any cookie exchange party!
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Rolo Stuffed Chocolate Cookies
Another cookie that is perfect for your Christmas cookie exchange are these delicious incredible Rolo stuffed cookies. These soft and chewy chocolate cookies have an irresistible ooey gooey Rolo center. Yum!
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Snickerdoodle Cake Mix Cookies
These delicious snickerdoodles are easy to make with a box of white cake mix and 6 other simple ingredients. The perfect shortcut for quick and easy holiday cookies.
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Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars
These thick, frosted sugar cookie bars are a quick and easy way to enjoy the classic taste of sugar cookies without the need for cutting or rolling dough.
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Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies
Sweet and crunchy peanut butter cornflake cookies are fun and easy to make with just 5 ingredients! No baking required!
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Christmas Pretzel Hugs
Although not technically a cookie, these salty-sweet treats are really perfect for Christmas celebrations and cookie exchanges. And you will love how quick and easy they are to make with just 3 ingredients!
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Cranberry Cookies
Soft and chewy with bursts of tart cranberry in every bite, these cookies are a festive choice for holiday baking.
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Ritz Cracker Thin Mints
If you are looking for a quick and easy Christmas cookie recipe, these tasty Ritz cracker thin mints for you. The no-bake mint chocolate treats couldn't be easier to make with just 2-ingredients.
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Italian Anise Cookies
No list of the best Christmas cookie recipes would be complete without a recipe for classic Italian Christmas Cookies! These Italian cookies are topped with a sweet 3-ingredient icing and rainbow or holiday sprinkles. Another great option is A Grande’s Life anise cookie recipe!
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Ranger Cookies
Whip up a batch of these hearty Ranger Cookies, filled with oats, crispy cereal, and coconut for the perfect texture! Great for cookie exchanges, this recipe makes a batch of 3 dozen cookies in under 30 minutes.
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Peppermint Patty Stuffed Cookies
These York peppermint patty cookies are soft, chewy, and full of delicious mint chocolate flavor. Plus, they are super easy to make with just 4 ingredients!
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Peanut Butter Blossoms
No holiday cookie exchange is complete without peanut butter kiss cookies! They are classic Christmas cookies that are full of delicious peanut butter flavor. You can use classic Hershey's chocolate kisses or the variety that we used here.
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Quaker Oatmeal Cookies
The perfectly crispy and amazing original oatmeal cookie recipe from the back of the Quaker oats container in the 1950s! They have changed their recipe since then but in my opinion this vintage recipe made the BEST oatmeal cookies ever!
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Cream Cheese Cookies
Soft and melt-in-your-mouth delicious, these cream cheese cookies are perfect for Christmas cookie swaps or any holiday gathering. Easy to make and irresistibly creamy, they’ll be a hit with everyone who tries them. Save this recipe for your holiday baking list!
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3-Ingredient Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies
These soft and chewy Funfetti cake mix cookies are easy to make using just 3 ingredients! You can add red and green sprinkles on top for more of a holiday look.
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Snow Capped Gingersnaps
Made with cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, these gingersnaps pack a whole lot of holiday flavor. To finish them off, the chewy gingerbread cookies are dipped in white chocolate and topped with crystallized ginger.
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3-Ingredient Buttery Shortbread Cookies
These melt in your mouth Christmas shortbread cookies are easy to make with only three ingredients!
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Christmas M&M Mini Cookies
These fun cookies are miniature in size and are filled richly with chocolate chips and M&M! They’re irresistible for everyone and they make great gifts!
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Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate chips meet Funfetti in these delicious cookies. These cookies are thick and have a cake batter as their base.
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Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Fresh cranberries give these chocolate chip oatmeal cookies a twist that makes them perfect for Christmas parties. This recipe is also vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free so it can be enjoyed by even those with special diets.
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Best Chocolate Cookie Bars
These Chocolate Cookie Bars are rich, chewy, and loaded with chocolate chips! Easy to make in a 9×13 baking pan, they are perfect for any occasion, best especially great for cookie exchanges. A delicious chocolate cookie recipe everyone will love!
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For even more cookie ideas, see all 90+ of my easy cookie recipes.
Enjoy & Happy Holiday Baking!
I love making Christmas cookies but we were out of town for the holidays and it never happened. I missed them though, so I am going to make these for Valentine’s Day. Think I will make tins for the neighbors. Yummmm
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There are true gums in this collection. I hope Christmas cookies make the to-do list this year! Last year was a bust because of my health. ♥️