Cookie Exchange for the Holidays

On December 4, 2023 by Allie Garcia

If you have always wanted to host a cookie exchange for the holidays, but you weren’t sure how to pull it off, let us teach you how to do it freezer cooking style!

If there is one strong holiday memory I carry from my childhood it is baking with my mom and sister. We would make enormous batches of my mom’s famous pumpkin bread and black bottom cupcakes (my grandmother’s recipe). We would bundle them up and hand them out to almost everyone we knew.

In the spirit of the massive batches of baked goods and to encourage you in your holiday baking endeavors, we thought it was time to update our post on how to host a holiday cookie exchange! Just in case you are unfamiliar – gather all of your friends for a party and have everyone bring enough of their favorite cookie (or holiday dessert) for everyone to take some home. You can make it as fancy or casual as you like. There are a few general guidelines to consider as you plan. But we will also give you some tips for hosting this party with a freezer cooking flair.

Who to Invite

Consider your “baker” friends. Those who aren’t as keen on baking may not be as interested. You want variety, but too many guests will get chaotic, so limit numbers to 8-12 participants for the best balance of fun and order. Decide if you are going to make this a family night or adults only. Maybe a girls’ night in! Are you going to keep it casual or get all gussied up?

Cookies: What Kind and How Much

Theme

Think back to who you decided to invite, and then decide what would be best for your group. For example do want to include things like holiday bark or fudge, or just cookies only? Should they be holiday-themed, family favorites, or anything tasty? Are you hoping to get some gourmet treats from your best baker friends, or would you be just as happy with decorated sugar cookies?

Amount

We recommend that each guest brings enough to give half a dozen (6) of their cookies to each of the other participants. So if you have 12 people attending (including yourself – you want some cookies too, right?), then each person should bring six dozen cookies. If you have less than 12 people attending, then adjust accordingly. If you want to be able to taste test, you can ask each guest to bring a few extra cookies and make up a tray for your snack table.

Containers

Last, it really helps if guests divide up their cookies and bring them in a bag or container. It doesn’t have to be fancy! (unless you want it to be- Check out our Amazon store for suggestions if you want to go this route!) But this way everyone can go down the line and grab a bag from each person.

Customize

Here is where we have some new and improved tools for you this year: with OAMM, you can create a custom cookie exchange meal plan using your Membership! You can have guests select recipes from our site (see our compiled list below), create a custom meal plan, adjust serving numbers as needed, and if you’re a paying member you can even download and print your resources*. (Keep in mind our system will double servings for this meal plan as it does for all of them.)

*There are limitations to free membership. Resources are only included with paid membership.

Plan the Party Around Holiday Schedules

The holiday season is busy, so be considerate and let your guests know well in advance what date you are planning for your party. You may even consider a weeknight as December weekends fill up fast.

Invitation Details

Create an invitation, leave ample time to RSVP, and choose a recipe. Include in your invitation (or in an accompanying note) detailed information on how and when to RSVP and any recipe guidelines. Recipe selection RSVP’s are crucial. This ensures there are no duplicate recipes – no one wants five dozen sugar cookies. If you have decided to create a custom meal plan in Menu Builder, make sure to include a link to this post, so that your guests can choose from the recipes below.

Followup

Once you have your final numbers, you will need to send each participant a follow-up email letting them know exactly how many cookies to bring. Again, we recommend half a dozen for each participant, plus extra for the snack table if desired. Also, include a reminder to bring lots of containers to take home all their goodies and enough copies of their recipe to share with everyone.

To reiterate, if you choose to go the OAMM route (a.k.a. the easy route), you will simply need to print or email each participant their recipe card and print copies for each guest to take home (or an email with recipe links so they can create their own custom meal plans!)

Cookie Exchange Resource List

Mini Meal Plans of Interest

You could opt to use the dessert mini as it is, or you could create a custom meal plan by choosing recipes from the other dessert minis or the individual recipes below, all of which can be found in Menu Builder. Simply type the recipe title in the search bar.

Dessert Freezer Recipes Vol. 2 (seven recipes included)
Paleo Dessert Freezer Recipes Vol. 1(also GFDF!)
Dessert Freezer Recipes Vol. 1 (no cookies, but there may be recipes of interest)
Appetizer Freezer Recipes Vol. 1 (savory snacks for the party!)

How to Host a Cookie Exchange