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5 Tips To Host The Perfect Holiday Cookie Exchange

The annual cookie exchange party is a big deal around here — huge! We are talking dozens of cookies, a lot of laughter, a very serious gift exchange and weeks of planning. It’s a tradition, it’s a lot of fun and everyone looks forward to it every year.

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Wouldn’t you like to be the host of the party that is on everyone’s can’t-miss list?

Here are 5 tips for hosting the perfect holiday cookie exchange party.

Cookie Exchange Party Tips

Gather Ye Bakers – Just like Santa, you’ll want to make sure you check your list twice. You don’t want to miss any of the good little girls and boys, when it comes to cookies no one wants to be left out. And if the goal is to make it an annual tradition, then you want to make sure everyone is included so they want to come back for more.

Cookies For Everyone – While there should be cookies for everyone, even Betty Crocker herself would be worn out whipping up 30 dozen cookies! We tackle the more the merrier problem by limiting the cookies each guest brings to six dozen cookies. Then during the exchange, guests get 2 or 3 of each kind (depending on the number of attendees). Yes, six dozen seems like a lot, but you will be surprised how many recipes make two dozen or more without alterations.

Create A Cookbook – Since everyone only gets a taste of each cookie, gather recipes before the event to create a community cookbook. Print the recipes and bind in a simple pronged folder, and it becomes a fun take-home party gift for your guests. Plus no one has to worry about sharing the recipe of their awesome cookie everyone wants to make.

Give It A Cause – Even though the party is about the cookies, remembering the reason for the season and gathering everyone to support a cause is something guests will be happy to get behind. Ask guests to bring a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots. (More details about how to make this drive extra special below.)

Add A Little Friendly Competition – Invite an impartial judge to help you select the top cookie queens – best cookie, best presentation, even best attempt (I’ve won this one before). The first year guests will be pretty low key, but let a year or two pass and some people will get very serious about their baking skills.

Make It A Party – A little music, a lot of food and entertainment is the recipe for a successful party. For entertainment try an old-fashion gift exchange. We play ours with a steal. It’s funny to watch guests get feisty over a $10 gift – and they really do. It’s so simple, but it is bound to provide entertainment for all.

Toys for Tots Betty Crocker

Make a Merry Difference

This holiday season, Betty Crocker is challenging cookie exchange hosts to organize a Toys for Tots drive alongside their cookie parties. To help make their parties a success, the first 1,000 people to sign up to host a Toys for Tots/Cookie Exchange Party will receive a free cookie-making kit from Betty Crocker that includes:

  • “The Betty Crocker Big Book of Cookies” cookbook
  • Betty Crocker apron
  • Cookie mixes and frostings
  • Mixing spoon
  • Toys for Tots train cookie cutter
  • Party-hosting information/toy donation forms

Have a very merry cookie exchange!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. emily says

    Totally awesome tips– I’m going to my first exchange on Sunday. My favorite cookies are good old-fashioned sugar cookies with fancy royal icing. They’re a pain to make but always so, so pretty!

    Reply

  97. Kate Newton says

    I think I’ve got to go with sugar cookies because you can decorate them and have fun! Thanks for the opportunity to win!

    Reply

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