Best Christmas Cookies in a Jar Gift For Friends & Family
Christmas Cookies in a Jar are the ultimate feel-good holiday gift. They’re homemade, delicious, and impossible not to smile at. With colorful layers of cookie ingredients stacked in a jar and a cute free tag, you’re giving someone a little bit of holiday magic they can bake whenever they need a boost.
It’s budget-friendly, easy to assemble, and the kind of gift people actually want. Ready to whip up something sweet, simple, and totally charming? Let’s make some Christmas cookie jars!
Don’t forget to keep one for yourself. My kids gobbled these up!
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What’s So Great About Cookies in a Jar?
The cookies are delicious: Who doesn’t love M&Ms and gooey chocolate chips in their cookies?
It’s easy to put together: It took me less than 5 minutes to pack this jar. This would be an excellent homemade food gift to make multiples of for friends and neighbors.
Unique and handmade: It’s more personal and higher quality than treats from the store. Plus, you can modify the ingredients if your recipient is gluten or dairy-free.
Budget-friendly: This gift can be made with ingredients you already have in your pantry and a fun bag of M&Ms.
Low-maintenance: You or your recipient can store the jar in the pantry until ready to use.
It’s useful: Need cookies for Santa? Whip up a batch of these and you’re ready to go!
This cookie mix makes awesome and affordable Christmas gifts, Valentine’s Day gifts, and thank you gifts. Just vary the colors of M&Ms you use for the holiday or occasion you want. (And use the non-Christmas tags)
Supplies You’ll Need
For the basic M&Ms cookie recipe, you’ll need:
- 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup M&Ms
- Large mason jar with lid (I prefer mide mouth)
When you or your gift recipient makes the cookies, you’ll need: 1 stick of softened (or melted and then cooled) unsalted butter, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Approximate Cost of Each Jar: $4-$5. If you buy ingredients in bulk or get jars on sale, you can get the cost under $4. You can also swap out the seasonal M&Ms for just chocolate chips too.
How to Make This Cookie Mix Gift in a Jar
Layer your ingredients in the jar. I started with the flour and ended with the chocolate chips. But you can really layer them any way that you want. (It all gets dumped into the bowl anyway!) That’s it! Seal tightly and store at room temperature.
How to Make This Cookie Mix Gift-Ready
Next, follow these steps for a gift your recipient will adore:
- Download and print the free printable tags below
- Cut out the tag(s) that fit the style of gift you want
- Punch a hole using a hole puncher at the top of each tag and attach the tags using ribbon or twine.
How to Make The Cookies
1. In a large bowl, whisk your stick of softened (or melted and cooled) unsalted butter, 1 large egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
2. Add the contents of the jar and gently stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined.
3. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Too crumbly? Stick it in the refrigerator for longer.
4. Scoop your dough into balls. (For this, I used a tablespoon I had and eventually just used my hands because it’s so fast.) Place the dough balls onto parchment-lined baking sheets.
5. Bake at 375°F for 7-11 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers of the cookies are slightly underdone. Cool completely.
Note: This jar made 27 cookies for me, but how many it makes for you will depend on the size of your cookies.
These cookies are so good I had to hide them from myself!
Related:
Free Printable Cookie Mix Gift Tags
Use the top free gift tags for birthdays or non-holiday related gifts. The other two rows make excellent Christmas cookie gifts!
Grab these below to put the finishing touches on your gift.
More Homemade Gifts You’ll Love
- Cute and Funny Grinch Pills
- Friendship Soup Mix in a Jar
- Christmas Snack Mix Gift (you can make in minutes)
- 30 Homemade Food Gifts You’ll Love
- Best DIY Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas
What’s Next?
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