These cookie recipes are perfect for a Christmas cookie exchange party. They’re easy to make and feature the flavors of the Fall and Winter months, so you’ll be able to find something here that you can bake and take to a holiday cookie swap.
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How to arrange a Christmas cookie exchange party.
For a full article about this, with suggestions on arranging the event and supplies that you’ll need, click here to read my article on my other website: Hosting a cookie exchange party.
Crispy ginger shortbread cookies.
These crispy ginger cookies are perfect for a Fall or Winter event, and they’d be great for a cookie exchange. You can find the recipe on this website here: Crispy Ginger Cookies.
Fig jam sandwich cookies.
These are delicious, and you can make them with any kind of fruit preserves. But be warned, they’re tricky to make, and when I made them I documented my mistakes so that you can avoid those mistakes yourself! Read the recipe and the tips here: Fig Jam Cookies
Classic oatmeal cookies.
These oatmeal cookies are a family favorite, and they’re a classic that you can take to a cookie party. You can also add any number of things to it, including chocolate chips, raisins, craisins, or nuts.
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Coconut macaroons.
Macaroons and macarons are NOT the came thing. I personally think that coconut macaroons are far superior in flavor, texture, and basic deliciousness. These coconut macaroons from Ann’s Entitled Life are chewy and delicious, and are perfect for a cookie exchange.
Click here for an article that has packaging options for holiday gifts that you baked yourself!
Vegan oatmeal cookies.
I came up with this recipe years ago, and it’s perfect for vegan baking, or if you’re just short on non-vegan ingredients!
Gluten-Free chocolate chip cookies.
If you want to take a gluten-free option to the cookie swap, these chocolate chip cookies from Strength and Sunshine would be perfect. They’re chewy and have no eggs, so they would be good for a variety of special-diet requirements.
Molasses crinkles.
These molasses crinkle cookies are a holiday classic, with the spicy flavors of Christmas taking the limelight. I could make these year-round (and I do) and there’s never any problem finding people to eat them.
Basic sugar cookies.
A basic sugar cookie is a classic that you can serve plain, sprinkle sugar on to bake with a little decoration, or decorate with royal icing. They take time to decorate, but if you do it using candy clay or wafer paper it will make the process faster.
Egg-Free peanut butter cookies.
These egg-free peanut butter cookies from The Buttery Fairytale are perfect for anyone who loves peanut butter. They only have three ingredients and no eggs, so they’re quick to make and they have a chewy texture that’s rich and delicious.
Salty-sweet chocolate cookies.
These salty sweet cookies are unusual and some people will avoid them, but they’re SO GOOD. You can also do this with broken pretzel pieces.
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Gingersnaps.
This is a ginger cookie recipe that I found in a cookbook from the 1800s, and it’s a pretty good, less-sweet cookie that you can stamp with designs.
Pumpkin pie cookies.
These pumpkin pie cookies from Tasty Cue have a chai spiced icing and are perfect for the Fall and Winter months. They’d be a great addition to a holiday cookie exchange since they feature the flavors of the season.
Classic chocolate chip cookies.
These chocolate chip cookies are super buttery, and that means that they spread A LOT. I tried them three times using different combinations of ingredients, and ended up with cookies that were buttery but didn’t spread as much as the original recipe.
Peanut butter reindeer cookies.
These peanut butter cookies with reindeer antlers are super cute, and would be a hit at any Christmas cookie swap party. You could probably make them with a different flavor of cookies if you wanted to avoid peanut butter, so check out the instructions on Learned From My Mom.
Oatmeal butterscotch cookies.
These oatmeal butterscotch cookies from Peanut Butter and Julie feature spiced oatmeal and butterscotch flavors, which are great for a holiday cookie exchange. She also has a good trick in this article for making your cookies round, so check it out.
Sourdough discard chocolate chip cookies.
These chewy chocolate chip cookies from Sourdough Brandon are made using sourdough discard to give them additional flavor. The chocolate is chopped-up chocolate chunks instead of chips, and that’s a good way to upgrade a basic cookie, if you ask me.
Crispy pecan wafer cookies.
These crispy pecan cookies are SO GOOD, and they bake up thin and crispy. They have a praline flavor with a cookie texture, and they’re worth trying because they’re so good.
Butter pecan cookie bites.
These little pecan cookie balls are like a shortbread, and have a buttery pecan flavor. You can do them with or without the confectioner’s sugar on the outside, and they’re rich and delicious.
Lemon poppyseed cookies.
These lemon poppyseed cookies from Good Grief Cook use lemon juice to give you a nice citrus flavor, and the icing drizzle and poppyseeds sprinkled on top make them look special. These would be fun for a holiday cookie exchange party, and would be a nice change from the usual fall flavors that you find this time of year.
Lemon blueberry cookies.
Sticking with the lemon theme, these lemon blueberry cookies from Pastry Wishes would be a delicious addition to a Christmas cookie party. They’re pretty, and lemon and blueberry are a classic combination that’s also delicious!
Almond Joy cookies.
These cookies from The Cookin’ Chicks are made with chocolate, almonds, and coconut. They don’t have flour in them, so they’re a real bite of pure flavor. Perfect for sharing at a Christmas cookie exchange.
Nut-free chocolate crinkle cookies.
These nut-free chocolate crinkle cookies are from The Nut Free Wok. They’re chewy and delicious, and they’re a good choice to take to a cookie exchange to make sure that your cookies won’t affect anyone’s nut allergies! Make sure to use tools that haven’t come in contact with nuts to avoid cross-contamination.
Cake mix eggnog cookies.
These cake mix-based eggnog cookies are from Semi-Homemade Kitchen, and are a holiday cookie that combine a bunch of Christmas flavors. They’re easy to make and you can do them with or without the icing.
Peanut butter fudge.
This easy peanut butter fudge from Next Level Baker only has a few ingredients and would be a nice choice for a cookie exchange to give people a little variety.
I hope that you found something on this list that will work for your Christmas exchange party…I’m going to be adding more later, so bookmark the page and check back!