Give the Best Christmas Cookie Gifts: A Guide 

Between cookie exchanges, the school or office holiday party, and gathering with friends and family, this season can be over-stimulating for our sweet tooth. Not to mention a lot of work and waste due to passing around single-use plastic bags.

Thankfully, you can make the season a little simpler — and waaay more sustainable — by gifting homemade Christmas cookies and holiday sweets in a Stasher bag or bowl. Just think: You introduce loved ones to the joy of reusables with a zero-waste gift box of goodies, and they can easily store cookies (or freeze ‘em for later) then have a gift that keeps on giving with endless uses.

Ready to create the best holiday cookie gifts? Try these tips and cookie recipes for your next holiday cookie exchange.

Freeze Christmas Cookie Dough

Making cookie batches and freezing them ahead of time is the perfect way to make your seasonal baking much easier and can be done directly in a Stasher bag or bowl. Depending on your needs, you may want a specific Stasher; use something bigger like our 8-Cup bowl or Stand-up Mega when freezing large batches, or  Quart and Half Gallon bags for easy freezer stacking. For tips on freezing cookie dough (including what cookie doughs are best for freezing), check out this article.

Did you know that you can also freeze baked cookies? Though less ideal than freezing dough, doing this is another option and may be good to include on your cards as a “hot tip” when gifting — recipients may want to freeze their treats for later.

If you plan to give cookie dough gifts, include a card with baking instructions or write them directly on the Stasher with a non-toxic chalk marker. Just be mindful of cookie dough sitting out for too long; dough should be stored in the fridge or freezer immediately after gifting. For when you are giving pre-baked cookies, you can use the card for freezing tips, date baked, etc. Here’s some recipes that we love that include fan-favorites like sugar cookies and more inventive ones like peppermint bark fudge cookies and peanut butter cup thumbprints.

Give Homemade Holiday Cookie Gifts Year-Round

You don’t have to stick to just typical Christmas cookies. From gingerbread cookies to chocolate chip cookies, these palm-sized and portable treats are perfect for gifting at any time of year. Additionally, who says that sustainable food gifts are just for Christmas? Other holidays celebrated during this season, like Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, can use Stasher reusables to pass homemade gelt or traditional desserts like sweet potato bars. Diwali is another holiday typically celebrated at this time of year where you can use a Stasher Sandwich bag to share desserts like kaju katli.

Thanksgiving Cookie Gifts

We’ll never pass up an opportunity to make something with pumpkin, okay? These delicious pumpkin snickerdoodles are sure to satisfy everyone at your family gathering this year and show them that cookies are not just a Christmas treat. Cookie gifts are also a way to include desserts for those in your family with dietary restrictions, like with these vegan pumpkin sugar cookies or gluten free/paleo pumpkin cookies with maple frosting.

Easter Cookie Gifts

Yep, cookies are spectacular gifts for springtime, too! What better way to welcome in the season than by giving your friends and family a Stasher bag filled with a seasonal treat like these zesty lemon cookies or a batch of Easter-themed sugar cookies.

Waste-Free Eco-Wrapping Tips

With reusables as beautiful and versatile as Stasher, you don’t really need extra wrapping to make your cookie gift basket pop. But in case you want to add extra oomph when spreading sweet treat cheer this season, try reusing what you already have (like bows and ribbons) to produce less waste.

Avoid wrapping paper and buying new packaging material as these glittery adornments usually can’t be composted or recycled. Instead, look to natural products like leaf cuts, flowers, rosemary sprigs, and citrus slices to spruce up your gifts. You can also find inspiration from the Japanese Furoshiki technique to wrap gifts using a beautiful scarf or handkerchief, creating an all-in-one gift for your loved ones.

For even more saving (of the planet and your wallet), buy Stasher bundles and split them up for multiple recipients. Here’s our gift guide for inspiration on where to start.