Creative cookie packaging turns your baked goods into the perfect gift! These easy ideas for wrapping cookies will showcase them beautifully.
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A bakery box might seem like an obvious choice to hold cookies, but the way it’s assembled can really make it stand out. Instead of jumbling cookies together, divide the box into sections with a different type of cookie in each area.
Start by lining a bakery box with a holiday napkin, folding it to fit. Then, add small cardboard containers and paper liners to hold the cookies. Add a bow to give it a festive finishing touch.
Pro tip: Stephanie Marchese, Taste of Home’s executive director of visual production, suggests adding a few wrapped candies to fill the spaces between the cookies.
Cookie recommendation: Peppermint pinwheel cookies, pizzicati, nutmeg log cookies, and cutout cookies like butterscotch gingerbread cookies
For an adorable yet easy way to wrap cookies, try folding a small piece of holiday-themed deli tissue or parchment paper into a pouch that holds a cookie. Using a sleeve protects iced or glazed cookies from getting squished or dinged. At a party, the sleeve makes it easy to pass them around and grab just one, but you can also wrap cookies and add them to the box or tin of your choice.
Start with a 6-inch square piece of deli paper. Rotate it into a diamond shape, and fold it in half to make a large triangle. Fold the top of the triangle down a few inches, crease it and unfold it. Then, fold each side of the triangle into the middle so it’s parallel to the crease. Refold the top triangle over the sides, and secure the front flap with tape.
Pro tip: Stephanie likes to use washi tape because of its decorative finish, but any tape will do. She also says to experiment with smaller or larger squares of paper to fit different cookies.
Cookie recommendation: Glazed maple shortbread cookies
Many bakeries and doughnut shops use tall cups to hold doughnut holes, so we borrowed that clever idea for gifting cookies. This method works best when you’re gifting a single type of cookie.
Fill a 16-ounce clear plastic cup with cookies and secure the lid. Have fun adding decorative touches, like labels and stickers that match the cookie’s colors or patterns. Since the cup is curved and more narrow at the bottom, make sure to position large labels so they wrap flat around the cup. Use a permanent marker to list the type of cookies inside, or just write a fun note.
Pro tip: Stephanie suggests using scrapbook stickers that already have a strong adhesive backing. If needed, you can apply a dab of strong glue, but avoid using hot glue that could melt the cup.
Cookie recommendation: Cherry bonbon cookies
It’s easy to turn affordable paper bags into a cookie packaging idea. The bag’s height and width can accommodate larger cookies or shapes that don’t easily fit in a rigid container.
Lay the empty bag flat before starting for easier handling. Use hot glue to affix decorations, like small sprigs of evergreens and red pom-poms to create a faux sprig of holly. If you want to add a message, pen it using a chalkboard paint marker. Once it’s dry, fill the bag with heavier cookies on the bottom and lighter ones on top. Fold the top of the bag, and seal it with the bag’s wire tabs or a holiday sticker. Or, punch two holes in the top and thread a ribbon through them to tie the bag closed.
Pro tip: Stephanie suggests using dark bags to prevent buttery cookies or icing from staining the paper. They’ll also allow the decorations to pop against the background. Bonus points if you use a bakery bag with a window on one side to show the contents!
Cookie recommendation: Cinnamon crinkle cookies
Using a muffin tin and filling each cup with cookies offers the recipient two gifts in one. Stephanie suggests using a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin so there is plenty of room for cookies of different sizes. You can use a regular muffin tin, or even a mini-muffin tin, just fill it with cookies that fit in the cups.
Line a few of the cups with colorful cupcake liners, and add your cookies. Finish it all off with a festive ribbon and a holiday gift tag.
Pro tip: To keep the cookies secure, wrap the tin with a large piece of cellophane, tying the ends together over the top like a fruit basket. Or, carefully slide it into a large gift bag.
Cookie recommendation: Fudge puddles, peppermint biscotti and Italian chocolate spice cookies
