Want to serve several different Christmas Cookies this year? Baking Christmas cookies in bulk is the way! Whether you lean toward sugar cookies or gingerbread, these tips will help you prep bulk cookies to give as gifts during the holiday season.
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The tradition of giving Christmas Cookies is such a fun one — especially when you combine several different types of cookies in a platter or cookie tin to gift to friends and family.
Finding the time to bake a variety of different Christmas cookies can be a tricky feat during a busy season. But, I’m pleased to report that I’ve cracked the code to prepping many different kinds of Christmas cookies without losing your cool.
Hint: This is where your freezer and some savvy strategies come in handy to make things a little easier for you at the holidays! There are several techniques to bulk-batching cookies and freezing them so you can enjoy fresh baked cookies all season long.
How to Make Many Different Christmas Cookies Without Going Insane
Follow these steps and bulk baking strategies to make the most of your cookie baking experience this Christmas season:
Use a food processor or stand mixer.
By using a small kitchen appliance like a food processor or stand mixer, you can quickly prepare many batches of dough in quick succession.
In fact, start with the plainest cookie dough (like sugar cookie) and work your way up to the gingersnap, chocolate and then the peppermint Christmas cookies. Since most cookies start with butter, sugar, and flour, you don’t need to wash the bowl between each batch.
Yes, really. This is totally safe. Provided that you’re mixing things in a short amount of time, food safety is not be a problem. Food is good for two hours at room temperature, so plan to whip out all the dough within that time frame.
If you’d rather wash the bowl in between batches, feel free to do so. You’ll still save time by using a machine and by mixing many batches of dough in quick succession.
As each batch of dough is prepared, wrap it in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container and stash it in the refrigerator. By performing all your like tasks together (mixing, forming, and baking), you’ll save time and energy.
Make and freeze bulk Christmas cookie dough.
Once you have your doughs prepared, you can just freeze them “as is” until a day that you want freshly baked cookies. Just thaw the dough overnight and it should be ready to shape and bake the next day.
If you freeze cookie dough in round logs, you won’t have to wait more than an hour. You can have slice and bake cookies in a jiffy.
Make and freeze individual cookie dough balls.
Another option is to freeze the dough in “ready to bake” dough balls. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Arrange the dough balls on the lined tray and freeze them until firm.
Once the cookie balls are frozen, transfer them to a ziptop freezer bag and return them to the freezer. Now, you’ve got an extra step already taken care of. Just bake them off when you have time — or whenever you want the aroma of freshly baked cookies to spread throughout your house.
While this obviously works for “drop cookies”, you can use the same flash freezing method for cut out cookies as well. Just freeze the cutouts on a lined tray until firm and then transfer them to an airtight container, nested in parchment paper so gingerbread arms and legs don’t break off with any jostling.
Alternatively, you can use this tip from Smitten Kitchen to freeze boards of cookie dough to cut out later.
Bake and freeze the cookies.
This is probably the easiest — and my favorite — way to make many different Christmas Cookies at one time. Once you’ve prepared all the doughs and stashed them in the fridge, you can batch-shape and bake in quick succession.
Layer the baked and cooled cookies between layers of waxed or parchment paper in large, airtight containers. Baked cookies should be good in the freezer for at least a month if wrapped properly.
Be sure to store like with like: storing soft cookies with crunchy cookies will change their textures. Peppermint stored with anything else will overtake the other flavors.
Tackle your baking in stages.
Unless you have all day cleared for actual baking, you can divide your work into 3 or 4 cookie baking sessions. The cookie dough will stay good for several days in the fridge.
Some years, I just bake a batch of cookies every day. It doesn’t take more than an hour each day, and I build a sweet little stockpile in the freezer without much hassle.
To serve your baked cookies:
When you want to assemble different Christmas cookies on trays, pull your boxes out of the freezer and place a few cookies on each tray or cookie tin. They thaw in a matter of minutes, and you’ll have a great gift or dessert without a lot of last minute prep work.
This also gives you a breather and a chance to spend some time making your presentation a little prettier.
Easy Christmas Cookies to Bake in Bulk:
Wondering what’s going on our cookie platters this year? Here are some of our family’s favorites, listed in the order that you should prepare them so as to avoid washing the mixer:
If you’re looking to add a little different texture to your cookie plates this year, consider adding a few slices of Gingerbread Loaf Cake or some Christmas Tree Scones.
Just for kicks, here’s the old video I made of my cookie baking, circa 2010.
Tell us what you think!
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This post was originally published on December 1, 2010. It has been updated for content and clarity.
LuAnn Braley
Do you deliver? 😀
Jessica Fisher
Not this year. 😉
Janet
Cutout iced sugar cookies, snickerdoodles, peanut butter blossoms, ginger snaps, and chocolate chip cookies are our family favorites. We tend to make more candies at Christmas than cookies – fudge, peppermint bark, chocolate covered peanut clusters, puppy chow, and Bavarian mints.
Jessica Fisher
Sounds yummy!
Janet
As I get older I find the all day baking sessions are not much fun on my back and hips. Now I usually start about December 1 and make 1 or 2 things each day. For the most part, cookies and candies freeze very well. We also make a variety of breads for the holidays including double chocolate chip, banana, pumpkin spice and gingerbread. I find the older relatives especially enjoy the specialty breads. I often find them in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee and nibbling on a slice or two.
Jessica Fisher
Sounds like a brilliant strategy!
Marisa
I’m planning for Christmas and came across your blog. Oh man! I love all your ideas, especially this one. Several years ago I spent a day baking different kinds of cookies to give away. I’m not doing that again, not that it wasn’t fun I was just exhausted because I was working a lot of overtime. This is such a smart way to have a variety.
Jessica Fisher
Let me know how it works for you!
Cris
Love this idea! Giving it a try this season!!
Jessica Fisher
Let me know how it goes!