10 Adorable Christmas Cookies In A Jar Recipes For The Perfect Homemade Gift: Sweet Holiday Treats To Spread Joy

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

I love a homemade gift that looks like it came from a fancy shop but costs only a few dollars. Cookie in a jar gifts are exactly that. You layer dry ingredients in a quart jar, seal it, tie on a ribbon, and attach a card with the baking instructions. The whole project takes one afternoon.

Every recipe below is an affordable, useful present for neighbors, teachers, coworkers, and anyone who likes to bake. Line the jars up on the counter and fill them assembly line style. Grab a spool of ribbon and a pen for the baking cards, and you will be done before dinner.

1) Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies

I make this one first every December because the layers look like a candy cane in a glass jar. This mix makes about 24 cookies.

Dry layers:

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

Pack each layer down before you add the next one so the stripes stay sharp. 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 them to a rack.

Dutch processed cocoa is smoother and darker, while natural cocoa is sharper and more acidic, so pick the one you like best. Watch out for the peppermint, because overmixing can dissolve the pieces. Fold the crushed candy in at the end so it does not bleed pink into the dough.

2) Cranberry Pistachio Oatmeal Jars

These oatmeal jars are my favorite gift for anyone who says they are tired of chocolate. The red cranberries and green pistachios give you Christmas colors right in the jar, and this mix makes about 24 cookies.

Dry layers:

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

Whisk the flour and baking soda together first, then layer the oats, brown sugar, cranberries, and pistachios on top. Seal the jar 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 them on a lined sheet, and bake at 350 degrees F for 11 to 13 minutes. Let them cool on the sheet before serving.

Toast the pistachios before you add them and the flavor gets deeper. Be careful with sweetened dried cranberries, because they change the overall sweetness of the batch, so taste as you go and adjust if you like.

3) Gingerbread Spice Cookie Mix

Gingerbread is the smell of the season, and this jar delivers it without any fuss. This mix makes about 24 cookies. Prep takes about 15 minutes and the cookies bake in about 11 minutes.

Dry layers:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp 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 it 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 into balls and bake at 350 degrees F for 9 to 11 minutes. Cool on the pan before moving the cookies to a rack.

My spice blend here is ginger, cinnamon, and clove, not nutmeg or allspice. Ground ginger gives warmth and sweetness without the bite of fresh ginger, which is exactly what you want in a gift jar. Brown sugar and molasses both bring a deeper flavor to the finished cookie.

4) Snowball Cinnamon Sugar Cookies

Snowball cookies already look like fresh snow, and this jar version adds a cinnamon sugar coat that makes them look even more festive. This mix makes about 30 cookies, so it is a generous gift.

Dry layers:

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

Layer the flour, powdered sugar, and pecans in a quart jar. Mix the white sugar and cinnamon in a small bag and tuck it on top.

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.

Do not overmix the dough and do not skip chilling, or the cookies spread instead of staying round. Roll the warm cookies in the cinnamon sugar, let them cool, then roll them again for a double coat.

You can swap the pecans for walnuts if that is what you have on hand, just chop them finely so the cookie stays tender.

5) Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Delight Jars

Peanut butter and chocolate is the combination nobody turns down, and this jar is a safe bet for a crowd. This mix makes about 24 cookies.

Dry layers:

• 1.5 cups flour
• 1 tsp 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 first, then the sugars and both kinds of chips. Seal the jar 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.

The salt in the peanut butter balances the sweetness of the chocolate, so you get crunchy edges and a soft center. Be careful not to overbake, because peanut butter cookies dry out fast. Press a few extra chips on top before baking if you want that bakery look.

6) Red Velvet Cookie Mix with White Chocolate Chips

Red velvet in a jar is a showstopper, and the white chocolate chips make the layers pop. This mix makes about 24 cookies.

Dry layers:

• 1.5 cups flour
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 tsp red sprinkles

Whisk the flour, cocoa, and baking soda, then layer with the sugar, the white chocolate chips, and a sprinkle layer. Seal the jar 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.

These cookies are softer and tangier than a plain chocolate cookie, with a mild cocoa flavor. The white chocolate chips complement that tang instead of competing with it. Remember that the food coloring goes on the baking card, not into the jar.

7) Almond Biscotti Jar Recipe

Biscotti is my go to gift for coffee drinkers, because it is sturdy enough to dunk without falling apart. This jar makes about 20 cookies. Prep takes about 20 minutes and the total time is about 55 minutes.

Dry layers:

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup whole almonds
• 1 tsp 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 into two logs on a lined sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Cool slightly, slice into diagonals, and bake the slices 10 more minutes until crisp.

Biscotti means twice baked, and that second trip through the oven is what gives you the crunch. Do not cut the logs while they are still hot or they crumble. Toast the almonds first to deepen the flavor, and adjust the second bake, shorter for chewier, longer for crunchier. Stored in a jar, they keep for weeks.

8) Classic Sugar Cookie Gift Jars

Classic sugar cookies are the gift that lets the recipient play, since they can cut shapes and decorate however they like. This mix makes about 24 cookies. Prep is about 20 minutes and baking takes about 10 minutes.

Dry layers:

• 2.5 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp colored sprinkles

Whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt, then layer with the sugar and a sprinkle layer. Seal the jar 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, then roll, cut into shapes, and bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely before decorating with icing.

Chill the dough for 30 to 60 minutes before rolling so the cookies hold their shape instead of spreading. Roll to an even quarter inch thickness for even baking. Use a light dusting of flour, but not too much or the dough turns tough. Cutting warm dough is the most common mistake, and it gives you undefined shapes.

9) Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix

If you know someone who takes chocolate seriously, this is the jar for them. This mix makes about 24 cookies.

Dry layers:

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

Whisk the flour with the cocoa and baking soda, then layer with the sugars and both chocolates. 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.

Chunks are larger than chips, and they give you bigger pockets of melted chocolate. The dark chocolate adds a slight bitter note that balances the sweetness and creaminess of the white chocolate. Do not overbake, or you lose the gooey center. I always pull them out a couple of minutes early, because they keep cooking and setting as they cool.

10) Salted Caramel Brownie Cookies

Salted caramel brownie cookies are the richest jar on this list, and they always disappear first at a cookie swap. This mix makes about 24 cookies.

Dry layers:

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

Whisk the flour, cocoa, and baking soda, then layer with the brown sugar and caramel bits. Put the flaky salt in a small bag on top.

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 warm, then cool so the caramel sets.

The dense, fudgy texture comes from a higher fat to flour ratio and melted butter, which keeps them from rising too much. Be careful with caramel sauce, because a swirl of sauce can burn. Sprinkling flaky salt on top after baking balances the sweetness better than mixing salt into the dough.