10 Adorable Christmas Cookies In A Jar Recipes For The Perfect Homemade Gift

10 Adorable Christmas Cookies in a Jar Recipes for the Perfect Homemade Gift: Sweet Holiday Treats to Spread Joy

I started building cookie jars for gifts a few years back, when my holiday list got long and my budget did not.

Each jar holds a pre measured dry mix that is ready to bake, so the person who receives it only needs butter, an egg, and a few minutes at the counter.

You can put together a whole tray of these in one afternoon, then finish each one with a ribbon and a card that spells out the baking directions.

It is the kind of gift that feels personal without costing much, and I have never had one come back unopened.

Always attach the baking card to the jar. Nobody wants to guess the oven temperature on Christmas morning.

A quart jar holds every mix below with room to spare, and a small zip bag tucked on top handles any ingredient that needs to stay separate.

1) Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies

Chocolate and mint is the flavor I reach for first in December, and this jar layers cocoa with crushed peppermint so the whole mix smells like a candy shop the moment the lid comes off.

• 1.5 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Layer the flour, cocoa, baking soda, sugars, peppermint candies, and chocolate chips in a quart jar, packing each layer down before adding the next. Seal the jar and attach a card with the baking directions.

To bake, empty the jar into a bowl and stir in 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until a dough forms. Scoop tablespoons onto a lined sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the pan a few minutes before moving the cookies to a rack.

Two things to watch here. Choose your cocoa with care, since Dutch processed cocoa is smoother and darker while natural cocoa is sharper and more acidic. And fold the crushed candy in at the end, because overmixing the peppermint pieces can dissolve them, and adding them too early can bleed a pink color into the dough.

2) Cranberry Pistachio Oatmeal Jars

This is the jar I hand out most often, because dried cranberries and chopped pistachios give you the red and green of the season without a single drop of food coloring. The oats keep the cookies chewy, the pistachios add healthy fats and a little protein, and the tart cranberries balance the sweetness of the brown sugar.

• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1.5 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped pistachios

Layer the flour mixed with baking soda first, then the oats, brown sugar, cranberries, and pistachios. Seal and tie on a card with the baking steps.

To bake, tip the mix into a bowl and stir in 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Roll into balls, place on a lined sheet, and bake at 350 degrees F for 11 to 13 minutes. Let them cool on the sheet before serving.

One caution before you shop. Sweetened dried cranberries will change how sweet the finished cookies taste, so if that is what you already have in the pantry, plan to cut back a little somewhere else.

Toasting the pistachios before they go in the jar deepens their flavor, and in my kitchen that extra step is always worth it. A jar also keeps the mix tidy and portioned, which matters when you are making eight of these at once.

3) Gingerbread Spice Cookie Mix

Gingerbread lives on ginger, cinnamon, and clove in my house, and I leave the nutmeg and allspice out on purpose so each spice can stand on its own. Ground ginger is milder and sweeter than fresh ginger, which is exactly what you want in a jar that may sit on a shelf for a week or two.

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 cup brown sugar

Whisk the flour, baking soda, and spices together, then layer the mixture over the brown sugar in a quart jar. Seal and attach a baking card.

To bake, combine the mix with 1/2 cup softened butter, 1/4 cup molasses, and 1 egg until a dough forms. Chill the dough for 30 minutes, then roll it into balls and bake at 350 degrees F for 9 to 11 minutes. Cool on the pan before moving the cookies to a rack.

Do not skip that chill, or the balls will spread into flat discs before they set. If you taste the spice blend on its own, it reads like pumpkin spice with a molasses note behind it, which is why brown sugar is my first choice and molasses is the deeper, darker option.

4) Snowball Cinnamon Sugar Cookies

These look like little snowballs on a cookie tray, and they start from the classic base of butter, powdered sugar, and ground nuts. Pecans are my favorite, though walnuts work just as well, and the finer you chop them the more tender the finished cookie feels.

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Layer the flour, powdered sugar, and pecans in a quart jar, then add the white sugar mixed with cinnamon in a small bag tucked on top. Seal and tie on a baking card.

To bake, mix the flour layers with 1 cup softened butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla into a dough. Roll into balls and bake at 350 degrees F for 12 to 14 minutes until set but still pale. Roll the warm cookies in the cinnamon sugar from the bag, then cool them and roll once more for a double coat.

Watch out for two things. Do not overmix and do not skip the chill, or the cookies spread instead of holding their round shape. Also use the cinnamon sugar sparingly, because too much of that spicier bite can overpower the buttery flavor underneath.

5) Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Delight Jars

Peanut butter and chocolate is the pairing my family asks for by name. The saltiness of the peanut butter balances the sweetness of the chocolate, and the baked cookies come out with crunchy edges and a soft center, close to the flavor of a peanut butter cup.

• 1.5 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Layer the flour mixed with baking soda, then the sugars and both kinds of chips in a quart jar. Seal and attach a baking card.

To bake, combine the mix with 1/2 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup peanut butter, and 1 egg into a dough. Scoop onto a lined sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the pan a few minutes before transferring to a rack.

My caution here is simple. Baking too long dries these cookies out, and that is a shame when the dough has this much peanut butter in it. Chips, chunks, or chips melted into the dough all change how gooey the middle turns out, so pick one and write it on the card.

6) Red Velvet Cookie Mix with White Chocolate Chips

Red velvet gets its character from mild cocoa and a touch of vinegar, which is what makes it softer and tangier than a standard chocolate cookie.

The red hue usually comes from cocoa reacting with acid, though plenty of mixes add red coloring for a brighter look, and I do the same here so the cookies actually read red on the plate.

• 1.5 cups flour
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon red sprinkles
• 1 tablespoon red food coloring, to add when baking

Layer the flour whisked with cocoa and baking soda, then the sugar, the white chocolate chips, and a sprinkle layer in a quart jar. Seal and add a baking card.

To bake, mix with 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon red food coloring, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Scoop onto a lined sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool before serving so they set up soft and tender.

The white chocolate chips complement the tangy cocoa without competing with it, and the marbled dough looks striking as it goes into the oven. Just remember that the food coloring is an add at baking time ingredient, so it belongs on the card, not in the jar.

7) Almond Biscotti Jar Recipe

Biscotti are the most giftable cookie on this list, because they are baked twice, which makes them sturdy enough to dunk in coffee without falling apart. Crunchy whole almonds run through every slice, and a jar of these keeps for weeks on the counter.

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup whole almonds
• 1 teaspoon anise seeds

Layer the flour whisked with baking powder, then the sugar, almonds, and anise seeds in a quart jar. Seal and tie on a baking card.

To bake, mix with 2 eggs, 1/4 cup melted butter, and 1 teaspoon almond extract into a stiff dough. Shape it into two logs on a lined sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Cool slightly, slice the logs on the diagonal, and bake the slices 10 more minutes until crisp. One jar makes about 20 cookies.

Do not slice the logs while they are still hot, or the slices crumble. Toasting the almonds first deepens their flavor. A shorter second bake gives you chewier biscotti and a longer one makes them crunchier, so choose based on who is receiving the jar.

8) Classic Sugar Cookie Gift Jars

Every holiday table needs a plain sugar cookie, and this jar is the one people reach for when they want to cut out shapes with the kids. Chilling the dough is what keeps the shapes clean, so plan for 30 to 60 minutes in the fridge before you roll.

• 2.5 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon colored sprinkles

Layer the flour whisked with baking powder and salt, then the sugar and a sprinkle layer in a quart jar. Seal and attach a baking card.

To bake, mix with 3/4 cup softened butter, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla into a dough. Chill the dough for 30 minutes, roll it to an even quarter inch thickness, cut into shapes, and bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely before decorating with icing.

The most common mistake I see is cutting warm dough, which gives you cookies with undefined shapes. Lightly flour the counter, but not too much, because extra flour makes the dough tough. When you deliver these, stack the cutouts between layers of parchment so they survive the trip.

9) Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix

Three kinds of chocolate go into this jar, and each one melts and browns a little differently, which is what makes the cookies taste more complex than a single chip version. Dark chocolate adds bitterness that balances the sweetness and creaminess of the white chocolate.

• 1.5 cups flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Layer the flour whisked with cocoa and baking soda, then the sugars and both chocolates in a quart jar. Seal and tie on a baking card.

To bake, mix with 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla into a dough. Scoop onto a lined sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the pan a few minutes so the chunks set before serving.

My tip is to pull these a couple of minutes early, because the gooey center is the whole point and they keep setting as they cool. Chunks and chips both work, but chunks are larger and more uniform, so they leave bigger pockets of melted chocolate in every bite.

10) Salted Caramel Brownie Cookies

These are fudgy and dense, closer to a brownie in cookie form, thanks to a higher fat to flour ratio. Melted butter keeps them from rising too much, which is exactly what you want when the texture should stay rich and chewy.

• 1.25 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup caramel baking bits
• 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Layer the flour whisked with cocoa and baking soda, then the brown sugar and caramel bits in a quart jar, with the salt in a small bag on top. Seal and attach a baking card.

To bake, mix the dry layers with 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla into a thick dough. Scoop onto a lined sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle with the flaky salt while the cookies are warm, then cool so the caramel sets.

Here is the warning I give every time. Do not use caramel sauce, because it burns in the oven. Use caramel bits or chopped soft caramels instead. Take the cookies out when they look slightly underdone with set edges, since they continue cooking on the hot pan. More caramel gives a gooier center, but it also makes clean slicing harder.