Cookie Recipe Roundup and How to Host a Cookie Swap. A Christmas cookie exchange is a great way to spend time with loved ones during the holidays. But what about a good cookie recipe? I’ve got you covered with more than 55 fantastic cookie recipes below.

No Bake Toffee Oatmeal Cookies

I love how the chocolate and toffee combine for a rich, satisfying bite while the oats add just the right amount of chewiness.

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Butterfinger Chocolate Chip Cookies

Butterfinger chocolate chip cookies are an easy way to take classic chocolate chip cookies up a notch. The candy adds a crunchy, peanut-buttery twist that makes them a hit with both kids and adults.

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Lemon Cake Mix Crinkle Cookies

These cookies have a bright lemon flavor and start with a cake mix.

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Strawberry Lemon Cookies No Cake Mix

Strawberry Lemon Cookies No Cake Mix is a delicious, delectable treat that bursts with sweet and tart flavors. Imagine a cookie filled with fresh strawberries, zesty lemon, and sugar.

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Thick Chocolate Chip Snickers Cookies

Thick and perfectly crispy, chewy, crunchy, and chocolatey cookie recipe. This cookie will become your new favorite!

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BISCOFF OATMEAL TOFFEE CRUNCH COOKIES

These cookies have crisp edges and the best texture and chew from oats and toffee.

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SOFT BATCH CARAMEL CHIP CHOCOLATE FUDGE COOKIES

Soft, fudgy cookies are filled with caramel and more chocolate. Everyone loves these cookies that taste like a brownie!

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EASY PEPPERMINT WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE

These are a holiday nod on the classic chocolate chip cookie. They're a fun and tasty way to celebrate the season.

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FUDGE COOKIES WITH OREO FROSTING

Four ingredients and five minutes prep is all you need for these drool-worthy cookies!

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Almond Crunch Cookies

The most delicious Almond Crunch Cookies and they are so easy! This simple and easy, yet delicious little sweet treat recipe will make you smile every time you take a bite!

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Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Cookies

These no-bake cookies are sweet, chewy, crunchy, and easy-to-make!!

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Soft Snickerdoodle Cookies

This classic cookie is fun to make and fun to eat!

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Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies

Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies are bursting with rich, warm flavor from molasses, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon. The perfect cookie for the Holiday season! #cookie #recipe #molasses #oldfashioned #ginger #cinnamon #Christmas #christmascookies #cookietray #cookieexchange

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Frosted Red Velvet Cookie Tower

Red Velvet Cookie recipe and How to build a cookie tree. Cookies are stacked to resemble a tree then decorated with frosting & sprinkles.

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Healthy Breakfast Cookie Recipe

This recipe is a wholesome, hearty, easy recipe that's great for on-the-go mornings are afternoon pick-me-ups.

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Soft Amish Sugar Cookies

Soft Amish Sugar Cookies are wonderfully puffy, chewy, and melt in your mouth delicious, and best of all they are no roll! #cookies #sugarcookies #softsugarcookies #recipe #Christmas #Christmascookies #cookietray #cookieexchange #noroll

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Loaded Cupboard Cookies

These homemade cookies are loaded with all the partial bags of candy in your baking pantry. Chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, and M&Ms make these cookies spectacular!

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FROSTED AMISH CHERRY SUGAR COOKIES

Frosted Amish Cherry Sugar Cookies are crispy around the edges yet pillowy soft and chewy inside. They get their pink color, great flavor, and soft texture from maraschino cherries.

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Healthy No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are a healthier alternative to the classic no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies. They taste just as good and are just as easy to make.

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Chocolate Chunk Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

My Chocolate Chunk Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies has soft, chewy centers, crispy edges, and hearty texture from the oatmeal.

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Original Quaker Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe

Crispy edges, chewy centers, and raisins studded throughout, these cookies will be the star at your next holiday cookie tray. Read the post for the best tips for the perfect Oatmeal Raisin Cookie!

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Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Decadent and incredibly tasty, Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies are pillowy soft and thick.

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Dark Chocolate Brown Sugar Cookies

Dark Chocolate Brown Sugar Cookies have the perfect chewy texture on the inside with just a bit of crisp on the outside.

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Best Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

This is a basic cookie recipe with just a few simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. It contains no butter, no flour, no mixer and uses just one bowl for easy making.

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Browned Butter Brown Sugar Cookie Recipe

Not your ordinary sugar cookie, this recipe for Browned Butter Brown Sugar Cookies takes the simple cookie to new levels. Browned butter provides a richer, nutty flavor while brown sugar adds a caramel note. I used a large scoop to make them extra-large and uniform.

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Old Fashioned No Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Everyone will love these no-bake cookies. They're a sweet, chewy, and easy-to-make!!

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Hidden Rolo Snowball Cookies

Hidden Rolo Snowball Cookies, a hidden Rolo chocolate and caramel candy make this cookie a sweet surprise. This is a fun cookie recipe alternative.

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Texas Ranger Cookies with Cranberries

Traditional Ranger Cookies are studded with tart, chewy cranberries and white chocolate chips.

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Chocolate Pecan Sandies Secret Kiss Cookies

Chocolate Pecan Sandies Secret Kiss Cookies is a luscious cookie with a secret! It has a decadent chocolate kiss in the center.

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Secret Kiss Cookies recipe

Delightful cookies, this Secret Kiss Cookies recipe will melt in your mouth. They are light, buttery, easy to make, and have a surprise inside.

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Soft Batch Glazed Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies

Soft Batch Glazed Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies are pillowy soft, light, creamy, and sugary, This insanely good cookie is a must make.

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Ranger Cookies with Chex

Ranger Cookies with Chex has all the goodness of Chocolate Chip Cookies with more crunch and more flavor. These are big bakery-style cookies with crispy edges and chewy centers.

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Triple Chips Chocolate Chip Cookies

Triple Chips Chocolate Chip Cookies is one of my fave recipes for chocolate chip cookies. The secret lies in the method as much as the ingredients.

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Quarter Pound Chocolate Candy Bar Cookie Recipe

Quarter Pound Chocolate Candy Bar Cookie Recipe is irresistibly good. When you can’t decide between a cookie and a candy bar, combine the two for an extraordinary dessert!

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Caramel stuffed sugar cookies

Thick, buttery cookies stuffed with ooey, gooey caramel makes these cookies a delicious snack! These make a sturdy cookie that’s perfect for cookie swap parties and homemade gifts. 

Please read my tips for these cookies in the post. 

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Crave Tupelo Deluxe Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

Your answer to a cookie craving! Crave Tupelo Deluxe Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie has perfectly crispy edges with a gooey, chewy center.

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Peanut Butter M&M Snickers Cookies

Peanut Butter M&M Snickers Cookies are soft and chewy cookies that are filled with peanut butter M&M candies and chopped Snickers candy bars.

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Blue Ribbon Chewy Molasses Ginger Cookies

Perfectly flavored, Blue Ribbon Chewy Molasses Ginger Cookies have a snap from the sugar on the outside but are soft, luscious, and chewy on the inside.

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Mississippi Mud Cookies with Marshmallow Fluff and Chocolate Frosting

Mississippi Mud Cookies with Marshmallow Fluff and Chocolate Frosting is a delectable fudge cookie recipe topped with marshmallow fluff frosting, chocolate ganache, and pecans.

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Loaded Butterfinger Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies

Prep time does not include refrigeration time. Allow at least an hour for the cookies to chill in the refrigerator or freezer. Loaded Butterfinger Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies are full of chocolate mix-ins.

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Healthy Oatmeal Date Breakfast Cookies

Healthy Oatmeal Date Breakfast Cookies are moist and soft. They use simple ingredients that have tons of flavor. They also make great after school snacks.

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Soft Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

Soft Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Recipe is full of peanut butter, oats, M&Ms, and Reese’s peanut butter cups.

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Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

Easy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Recipe is perfectly soft and gooey in the center with crisp, chewy edges.

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Triple Layer Chocolate Cookies

Using a large scoop, I had 26 cookies. If you make them small (regular size), you’ll have about 4 dozen. Use 2 cookie sheets. Allow the cookie sheet to cool off before placing second batch of dough on them. Never place cookie dough on a hot sheet.

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Small Batch White Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Small batch, soft-baked, gooey and exploding with flavor, These cookies are the perfect sugar bomb to satisfy your sweet tooth. Allow 15 minutes of chill time and enjoy a very, very, very good fresh-baked batch of cookies!

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Double Chocolate Breyer’s Gelato Sandwich Cookies

Creamy gelato is sandwiched between 2 decadent chocolate cookies in this fun dessert.

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Orange Cookie Cups

Orange Cookie Cups are thick cookie cups. They’re crispy on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside. Stuffed these cookie cups with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting. They’re so irresistible, you can’t eat just one!!

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Chocolate Chip Potato Chip Cookies

Meet your new favorite cookie, Chocolate Chip Potato Chip Cookies!! This cookie is chewy and crispy. It’s salty and chocolaty. They are pretty much perfection!

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Small Batch Peanut Butter Cookies

Soft, thick pillows of peanut butter goodness these Small Batch Peanut Butter Cookies will become one of your snack-time favorites!

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Small Batch Soft Toffee Cookie Recipe

Luscious pillows of creamy dough studded with toffee chips make these small-batch cookies a keeper!

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Soft Batch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

This Soft Batch Cream Cheese Chocolate Cookie Recipe are thick, soft and moist. The cream cheese helps them stay moist and tender, but you can’t actually taste cream cheese in the cookie. They’re pillowy soft with chocolate in every bite! Allow time to chill dough when making these cookies.

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Pretzel M&M Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Pretzel Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe is the perfect crispy, chewy, crunchy, chocolatey, cookie recipe and your new favorite!

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Oatmeal Cherry White Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and full of cherries, nuts and oats, this cookie is a winner! It’s great for gifting, great for cookie exchange parties, and GREAT for eating!

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Blueberry Jam Cookie Cups

You can also use Sugar Cookie Mix or Slice and Bake Sugar Cookies for the crust if you prefer.

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Mint Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Using a large scoop, I had 26 cookies. If you make them small (regular size), you’ll have about 4 dozen. Use 2 cookie sheets. Allow the cookie sheet to cool off before placing second batch of dough on them. Never place cookie dough on a hot sheet.

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Chocolate Peppermint Chip Cookie Recipe

These deeply rich, chewy chocolate peppermint chip cookies are perfect for the holidays and Christmas cookie swaps!

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Scratch-made Easy Sugar Cookies

Do not refrigerate this dough before baking. This cookie is an excellent cookie to decorate.

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Guiltless Chocolate Chip Cookies

One taste and you'll never believe these Guiltless Chocolate Chip Cookies is healthy! The perfect guiltless treat.

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Chocolate Oatmeal Toffee Cookies

Two perfect, soft Chocolate Oatmeal Toffee Cookies sandwiched together with fluffy decorator frosting. 

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Pecan Sandies Recipe

This is a classic recipe that’s been a crowd favorite for decades. Try them a new way in my Pecan Sandies Banana Pudding.

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Holiday Cookie Swap Basics

A cookie swap is exactly what it sounds like—you trade batches of homemade cookies with others. In return, you go home with an assortment of treats you didn’t have to bake yourself.

Each guest bakes a large batch of one type of cookie at a cookie exchange. A typical guideline is to make about a dozen cookies per guest. For example, in a group of eight participants, you’d bake eight dozen or 96 cookies. Then, you leave with the same amount but in a mix of different varieties. The exact number of cookies depends on the size of the group you’re hosting.

This taste-testing approach ensures everyone goes home with cookies they’ll truly enjoy. Sampling each cookie during the swap helps participants decide their favorites and guarantees a diverse selection of treats.

Ensure Variety of Cookies

When planning your cookie swap, avoiding ending up with too many of the same kind of cookies is essential. To prevent this, ask your guests to document in advance what cookie they’ll bring on a shared spreadsheet. This way, everyone can see what others are making and adjust their choices accordingly.

Having a couple of chocolate chip cookie varieties is usually fine, but if several sugar cookies showed up, it would be boring. A spreadsheet helps minimize the chance of duplicate cookies and a more diverse assortment.

Discourage delicate treats that don’t travel well. Remember they need to hold up to two trips.

What about Dietary Restrictions?

Planning a food-focused event can sometimes be tricky when your guests have dietary restrictions. For example, some guests might have food allergies and need to avoid nuts or gluten. Others may follow specific religious dietary guidelines, like kosher or halal. Some follow a vegan diet and only enjoy treats made without any animal products.

Faced with these challenges, hosting an event that accommodates everyone might seem overwhelming. This is also when a shared document is handy so everyone can see what’s being brought. You can also list dietary restrictions and ‘rules’ on this document. Furthermore, if you’re able, consider making a small batch of cookies yourself or tweak the rules and include store-bought cookies designed for special diets to ensure everyone feels included.

Get organized

I’ve been to cookie exchanges where the bakers bring their cookies already counted out in tins, trays, or boxes. This makes it easy to grab each different variety. However, I’ve also been to cookie swaps where I needed containers to put the cookies I’m taking home in. It’s up to you how you want your party to go.

Personal tips:

1. I ask that everyone label their treats and include the recipe. People are going to ask for the recipes!
2. I always ask guests to bring an extra batch of cookies for us to taste. That makes it extra fun. I set up a coffee and hot chocolate bar. This makes a simple and easy party for the host. For the extra batches of cookies brought to taste, I set them up on a separate table than the cookies to be sorted and taken home (less confusion).

Final thoughts on cookie roundup and cookie swap

Plan your cookie exchange one to two weeks before Christmas. This timing allows participants to use the cookies for holiday gatherings or gift-giving. Of course, with an exchange earlier in December, people can freeze cookies and thaw them later in the month to serve them for the holiday celebrations or nibble on in the New Year. Either way, with these tips in mind, you should have a great time hosting or participating in your first cookie exchange.

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