Sweet Christmas Cookie Box Ideas

It’s the season for giving and the festive vibes are all around. You’re probably starting to think about what you’re going to gift this year - and we have the perfect idea.

If you’re looking for a low-cost yet impactful present idea, then you should look at putting together a Christmas cookie box.

A homemade gift gives that extra special feeling of love and attention. The recipient, whether it’s a friend or family member, will be sure to appreciate the time and effort you’re putting into making their homemade Christmas cookie box.

We’ve got some ideas on how you can put together your festive cookie box and what sort of cookies you could include to give your loved ones a gift to remember.

Read on to find our festive cookie favourites and everything you need to know about Christmas cookie boxes.

What is a Christmas cookie box?

A Christmas cookie box is a gift box or plate filled with decorative festive cookies, given out as gifts to relatives or friends. This American tradition has been spreading across the globe as a fun and cost-effective way to give gifts for Christmas.

You can include any kind of biscuits or cookies you like in the box. For those feeling extra generous these gifts are often accompanied with other baked goods like brownies or candies to go the extra mile.

What kind of cookies go in a Christmas box?

You can include any kind of cookie you like in your Christmas box - everyone has a favourite cookie recipe at home, plus you can look at the festive classics to add a Christmas feel to your boxes. The key here is variety, so set aside a few hours if you have plenty of boxes to make.

Sugar cookies

A total classic in the cookie world - and one everyone has a favourite recipe for already - is the sugar cookie. These firm biscuits don’t spread when baked in the oven, making them the perfect candidate for icing with fun, festive decorations.

The traditional recipe doesn’t involve any flavourings, but sugar cookies are good candidates for an extra kick like chopped crystallised ginger or orange zest if you want to go for all-out festive feels.

Biscotti

The Italians know how to do festive baked goods best, and biscotti is no exception. This double-baked biscuit is a brilliant addition to any Christmas cookie box as they travel well and last for up to a month in an airtight container.

Biscotti traditionally has almonds in to give the biscuit a nutty flavour, but Christmas versions of the recipe could include pairings like cranberry and pistachio or orange zest with chocolate chunks.

Orange and cranberry shortbread

Shortbread is a perfect wintry biscuit that goes nicely with a cup of tea or hot chocolate. It’s a blank canvas for lovely festive flavours like orange and cranberry to send to your giftees.

You can shape these rolled into a log and cut into traditional rounds or using some themed cutters for more interesting shapes.

Gingerbread

This delicately spiced biscuit is a mainstay of Christmas and no cookie box would be complete without it! Gingerbread people are easy to make and last for weeks after baking. Plus, these are great to decorate with the kids if you want to get them involved in the process.

Royal icing goes nicely with gingerbread people to make fun patterns, but you can take it a step further by adding in sweets for the faces and buttons. Take a look at our festive sweets range for some ideas.

Stained glass cookies

These cookies look fantastic and taste even better. A classic shortbread or sugar cookie mix is combined with a colourful centre to create a stained glass effect. These biscuits make great decorations and are great to bake with children.

The secret to making the ‘stained glass’ is simply adding sweets to the centre of each shortbread hole that melt down while baking. Our range of boiled sweets would be the perfect addition to this recipe.

Snowy crackle cookies

These easy and delicious cookies will look seriously impressive in any Christmas cookie box. The trick is to roll each biscuit mix in icing sugar before baking to give it that snow-like finish.

If you’re feeling adventurous you could spring for some extra flavourings in your snowy crackle cookies like chopped fruits and nuts.

Candy cane cookies

No cookie box list would be complete without something involving candy canes! These are fun and colourful biscuits which you can use a variety of different biscuit bases for - especially handy if you’re baking multiple batches of cookies.

A twist on a dipped chocolate biscuit, crush up candy canes and sprinkle on top while the chocolate is still setting to get the effect. Additional candy canes for the cookie boxes themselves are recommended!

How to make a Christmas cookie box

Now you’ve got your delicious Christmas cookies, you need to put together the boxes!

Putting together a Christmas cookie box is very simple. All you need are some festive-themed boxes, some ribbon and whatever decorations you’d like to give your gifts some extra sparkle.

Add some tissue paper to the bottom of your box, along with some dividers to separate out your different cookie types. Have some labels written out with the different cookie types on - it’s also worth putting on any allergy information.

We recommend grouping the cookies into similar categories, then tying them into a cellophane or just ribbons. This stops the cookies from moving about as much if you’re transporting them somewhere.

Add in some final flourishes, like candy canes and a handwritten note, and you’re good to go.

Final thoughts

Christmas cookie boxes are a great gift idea for your friends and family - and these cookie ideas would go down a treat for anyone receiving this heartfelt present.

If you’re looking for the perfect edible decorative pieces to finish off your festive cookies, take a look at our Christmas confectionery for our full range of sweets and chocolates.