How to Plan a Stress-Free Christmas Cookie Exchange, Straight from a Pro

As a baker, I can’t imagine a more festive way to kick off December than with a Christmas cookie swap. These parties are a fantastic way to gather a variety of holiday cookies while only needing to bake a single cookie exchange recipe. Plus, they’re a wonderful excuse to spend time with family and friends. But if the added stress of party planning is holding you back from hosting your own, you’ve come to the right place.

I chatted with Kelsey Shepard, a cookie exchange expert, professional baker and owner of Kelsey Elizabeth Cakes, to get her top tips on hosting a successful Christmas cookie party. Kelsey has hosted cookie exchange parties since her high school days and has picked up tons of tips, tricks and ideas over the years. She’s now in her second year of hosting The Cookie Exchange, an event in Northern Ohio that brings together more than 200 bakers in a single evening. And this year, Taste of Home is a sponsor!

Below, you’ll find the blueprint for hosting a stress-free cookie exchange party. With proper planning and a detailed to-do list, you’ll be able to actually enjoy your party and maybe even have a festive Christmas cocktail or two.

How does a cookie exchange work?

KAYLA COLEMAN FOR TASTE OF HOME

A Christmas cookie exchange is exactly how it sounds: a festive event where guests bring a large batch of one type of homemade cookie to share, plus copies of the recipe. After the exchange, everyone goes home with an assortment of Christmas cookies.

When the guests arrive, Kelsey has everyone set up their cookies on a large buffet table. The first hour is for mingling, introducing people, taste-testing cookies and enjoying light bites and fizzy drinks. The second hour is for the main event: exchanging cookies! She encourages guests to go around the table with a container, grab the allotted cookie amount per person and pick up a recipe card copy.

Kelsey suggests adding to the fun with a superlative voting aspect. “Have guests vote and give awards for the favorite cookie,” like the most festive or most original. The prizes don’t have to be fancy; they could be anything from bragging rights to a cute spatula or ornament!

How to Plan a Stress-Free Cookie Exchange

The key to hosting a stress-free cookie exchange is slowly chipping away at a to-do list over time. Our timeline starts one month before the party, so there’s plenty of time to get everything done.

Keep in mind, you can plan any size event you like. It can be among just a few friends or a few hundred (like Kelsey’s). You can also decide to take on all of the hosting duties yourself or delegate specific tasks to other guests. For example, ask volunteers to bring drinks and light bites, or task a musically gifted friend to create the party’s playlist.

Christmas Cookie Exchange Timeline

1 Month Before the Cookie Party

• Prepare your guest list: Before you make a long list of friends, family, neighbors and co-workers, Kelsey advises you to consider your space. “I like to have the cookies all on one table for aesthetic reasons, so if your table seats six, I would make the guest list no bigger than that.” If you want to host more guests, set up a table nearby and make sure there is an organic flow for people to move around when it comes time to package up the cookies.
• Set a date: The holiday season can fill up quickly, so Kelsey suggests setting a date in early December before people’s calendars become too chaotic. Keep the party around two hours, three at most, and consider hosting on a weekday evening.
• Choose your rules: A must-have rule is how many cookies each guest should bring to the exchange. Other rules to consider are whether the cookies must be homemade and if it’s OK for guests to bring non-cookie items, like Christmas candies or chocolate bark.
• Create and deliver the invites: Turn to evites for ease, or get crafty and send handmade invitations via snail mail. Include the date, time and RSVP due date. Let the guests know about any rules, including the number of cookies each guest should bring. Provide a space for guests to list their cookie choice, too. Kelsey likes to “be cheeky” and says, “The first one to RSVP gets to make the cookie, and any later duplicates will be asked to change, so RSVP sooner rather than later!”

3 Weeks Before the Party

KAYLA COLEMAN FOR TASTE OF HOME

• Follow up on RSVPs: On the due date, sit down and review your guest list. Did everyone respond? Are there any cookie duplicates you overlooked? While this may seem menial, these small logistical tasks will ensure your party is a sweet success.
• Choose your own bake: If you’re unsure which cookie to make yourself, Kelsey suggests beautifully decorated sugar cookies to impress guests or a batch of peanut butter blossoms for an easier option.
• Shop for party supplies: Now is the time to shop for non-edible party supplies, like plates, napkins, cups, silverware, festive tablecloths and cookie trays. “Make sure to grab a pack of blank place cards for guests to write their cookie name on, or spread out butcher paper on the table and have guests write it right on the table,” advises Kelsey. “Either way, make sure everyone knows which cookies are which!”
• Buy or make gifts for any prize winners: If you plan to give awards, start thinking about prizes. This could be a baking spatula, apron, gift card, funny trophy or any practical gift for bakers.
• Acquire cookie boxes: This step is optional, as guests can bring their own containers. However, you can go the extra mile by providing festive Christmas cookie packaging. Kelsey likes to use brown craft boxes, writing each guest’s name on their box and adding a festive finish with red and white bakers’ twine.

2 Weeks Before the Party

• Create a menu: It’s always nice for guests to mingle and get to know one another over light bites and bubbly Christmas drinks. To keep it stress-free, stick to easy appetizers and no-cook dishes, like a Christmas tree charcuterie board. As far as drinks go, Kelsey suggests party punchbowl recipes. “I like to have a punch ready to go and chilled as well, so guests can serve themselves all night, and I’m not stuck making individual cocktails.”
• Make a shopping list: Now that your menu is set, write a grocery list. Tack it to your fridge so it’s easy to add items as you think of them. (Don’t forget to include your cookie’s ingredients!)
• Curate a playlist: Start thinking about the party’s mood and create a Christmas cookie exchange playlist. Not sure what to play? Christmas songs, of course! You can’t go wrong with classics like Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, either.

2 Days Before the Party

• Go grocery shopping: Now that you’re in the home stretch, it’s time to do The Big Shop. Grab your grocery list and head to the store.
• Set up tables and chairs: Your dining table is the perfect place to set up cookies for the exchange, but you may want to move the chairs away from the table to make room. You can set them up elsewhere for extra seating.
• Make your cookie dough: In culinary school, I learned how important it was to chill cookie dough. Letting it sit in the fridge for 24 hours gives the fats time to solidify and helps the ingredients meld together, creating cookies with the best flavor and texture.

1 Day Before the Party

• Set up decorations: It’s time to get festive! Set up your Christmas decorations and lay down the tablecloth. Arrange the cookie trays on the table so guests can lay out their cookies once they arrive. Feel free to set out plates, napkins, cups and silverware, too.
• Bake your cookies: I highly recommend baking your cookies the day before the party, especially if they need to be decorated. Most cookies will last for up to five days at room temperature. Store the cookies properly to keep them fresh for tomorrow.
• Make the drinks: If you’ve decided to do a large-batch pitcher or bowl of punch, mix up your drinks and let them chill in the fridge. If your drink has a fizzy component, wait to add the bubbles until right before the event.
• Prepare the food: Now is a good time to double-check that you have everything you need, as there’s still time for one final run to the store. You can also prepare any make-ahead items, like dips, skewered light bites or charcuterie boards. Tightly wrap any prepared items in storage wrap and store them in the fridge.
• Clean, clean, clean: Spruce up any areas of the house where guests will mingle. Our holiday cleaning checklist can help to manage this often-tedious task.

Party Day!

• Create the Christmas feeling: Light some candles, start a fire in the fireplace and turn on your Christmas cookie party playlist.
• Set up food and drinks: About 30 minutes before the party starts, set up the appetizers and drinks in their designated area. When your guests arrive, help them set up their cookie trays. If you asked guests to bake a few extra cookies for everyone to try at the exchange, cut them up and set them out in front of each tray.
• Mingle and graze: Introduce your guests to each other and encourage them to mingle as they enjoy the snacks. If you’re voting on cookie superlatives, make sure everyone tries the cookies and casts their vote.
• Exchange cookies: You’ve arrived at the main event! Inform everyone how many cookies they can take from each tray and give them time to build their cookie boxes.
• Announce the winners: If you have cookie exchange superlatives, tally up the votes. Once everyone’s boxes are packed, announce the winners and hand out awards, if any.

Christmas Cookie Party FAQ

How many cookies should you bring to a holiday cookie exchange?

KAYLA COLEMAN FOR TASTE OF HOME

Every cookie exchange is a little different, so the number of cookies to bring really depends on the number of guests. Kelsey recommends planning on 10 of each cookie per person for parties with four to six guests. So, for a party with five people, each guest would bake 50 cookies. If you’re hosting 7 to 10 people, you can reduce the number of cookies to five per person, so guests at a 10-person party would still only bake 50 cookies.

Remember that people will probably want to try everyone’s cookies, so encourage guests to bake a few extra so they can be cut up and sampled at the party.

What are the rules for a cookie exchange?

One of the most prominent rules for a cookie exchange is that the cookies must be homemade. Another common rule is that cookie choices must be unique. An assortment of special Christmas cookies is the secret to the best cookie platter!

Otherwise, the rules are at the discretion of the host. Sometimes, the host will specify that they only want to exchange cookies—no Christmas candy, chocolate bark or truffles. Another rule is to skip everyday cookies, like chocolate chip cookies. No matter what rules you choose, be sure that everyone brings the appropriate number of cookies so each guest goes home with an equal amount.

What is the most popular cookie at Christmas?

Some of the most popular Christmas cookie recipes are gingerbread men and decorated sugar cookies. Those can be a little time-consuming, so feel free to go with easy Christmas cookies for a stress-free holiday. If you’re keen on bringing a unique cookie, take a peek at some cookies from around the world. Alfajores or Jammy Dodgers, anyone?