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Home Recipes Course Desserts Cookies 31 Holiday Cookies for Your Cookie Exchange

31 Holiday Cookies for Your Cookie Exchange

Posted:12/2/22
Updated:12/2/22
collage of holiday cookie recipes, with "HEALTHIER HOLIDAY COOKIE RECIPES" in text box in middle of graphic
peanut butter buckeyes stacked on plates, with text under "Healthy Treats to Make for Your Cookie Exchange"

These holiday cookies are made a little lighter and with wholesome ingredients (but no one will know). You will pleasantly surprise your friends and family with these cookie recipes at your next cookie exchange! We’ve got recipes that are whole grain, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, and paleo friendly – there are healthier classic Christmas cookies for everyone!

Hosting a cookie exchange is a great way to get together with friends and loved ones for the holidays and share some of your favorite seasonal treats. We’ve got some tips to help make your cookie swap run smooth this year.

Hosting a Holiday Cookie Exchange

  • How Many Should You Make – This depends on how many people are coming. It’s important to set up a plan beforehand so everyone is on the same page. Your number will vary based on how many people you are inviting. It is easy for each person to pick 1-3 recipes to bringe. If there are fewer people a single batch of a few recipes will give everyone enough to have a few of each kind. If you’re hosting a larger group you might want to do multiple batches of one recipe so everyone can have some of each kind. Setting the number up based on your group size before will help everyone get to enjoy your holiday treats.
  • Packaging Cookies – People can bring holiday tins, stasher bags, bakery boxes, or even a baking pan to take home their treats, but it’s always good to have some extras on hand in case there are more treats than what can fit in the containers they brought. Sometimes it’s fun to have some ribbon and small embellishments, like fresh greenery, to tie on the boxes if people are packaging smaller containers to use as gifts. 
  • How to Share Recipes – Since everyone will be trying lots of new recipes, you are going to want to make sure there is an easy way to share all those delicious recipes. You could have everyone print their recipes beforehand to share or create a simple Google Doc for everyone to put their recipe or links to the recipe they used. It’s a win win because then you aren’t wasting paper by over printing and you can share the original recipes of a food blogger which helps us out when you visit our site.

There are lots of ways to make a cookie exchange a success this holiday season, but I think the most important things are to clearly communicate ahead of time so everyone can plan their baking accordingly and to have fun. No one wants to be stressed out baking!

Holiday Classics

Whole Grain Cut Out Sugar Cookies

THE classic holiday cookie recipe: CUT OUT SUGAR COOKIES. Made with whole grain flour and lightened up using less butter and sugar compared to the traditional recipe, but still just as delicious! Topped with a simple frosting that’s perfect for holidays! 

decorated christmas sugar cookies on wire rack

More Healthier Classic Holiday Cookies

  • Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
  • Gluten-Free Almond Flour Crescent Cookies – by Eating Bird Food
  • Healthy Buckeye Balls
  • White Chocolate Peppermint Bark – All the Healthy Things
  • Whole Wheat Snickerdoodles 
  • Whole Grain Eggnog Cookies
  • Almond Shortbread Cookies – by Feasting on Fruit
  • Cranberry Chai Spice Thumbprint Cookies – by The Almond Eater
  • Chai Spice Almond Snowball Cookies – by A Couple Cooks
  • Grain Free Molasses Cookie

Cookies to Make this Holiday

Healthier Cranberry Orange Cookies

Healthier Cranberry Orange Cookies made with whole grain flour, cashew butter, and dairy-free using Almond Breeze Vanilla Almondmilk. This easy Christmas recipe is super soft and perfect for holiday baking!

plate of cranberry orange cookies with icing

More Holiday Cookies

  • Whole Wheat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies – Orchids + Sweet Tea
  • Hot Cocoa Cookies – by Fit Foodie Finds
  • Healthier Oatmeal Raisin Cookies 
  • Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Whole Wheat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Pillow Soft Whole Wheat Gingerdoodles 
  • Vegan Double Chocolate Cookies
  • Cherry Oatmeal Cookies
  • Soft Baked Ginger Molasses Cookies – by The Toasted Pine Nut
  • Grain-Free No-Bake Cookies 
  • Grain-free Cranberry & White Chocolate Chunk Cookies – by Miss Allie’s Kitchen

Bars & Brownies

Santa Hat Brownies

Santa Hat Brownies are the cutest little holiday bites. The perfect dessert for the holidays and fun to make too! Vegan and gluten free friendly recipe.

strawberry santa hat brownies with red christmas towel

More Holiday Bar Recipes

  • Raspberry White Chocolate Blondies 
  • Healthier Special-K Bars
  • Healthy Chocolate “Caramel” Pretzel Bars

Other Holiday Treats

Healthy Vegan Chocolate Turtles

These paleo friendly and vegan chocolate turtles are such a fun and cute treat to make! They’re easy, no-bake and come with a date “caramel” center for the turtle bodies. My family loved these!

homemade chocolate turtles on white board

More Lightened Up Holiday Recipes

  • Vegan Paleo Gingerbread Truffles 
  • Cinnamon Maple Pecans – Marisa Moore
  • Vegan Caramel Popcorn – Jessica in the Kitchen

About Ashley

"Ashley Walterhouse is the founder of Fit Mitten Kitchen, based in the Greater Lansing Area of Michigan, AKA “the Mitten.” Ashley grew up as a picky eater but later discovered that eating healthy was actually easy and fun. She started FMK in 2015 as a way to share her newfound love of developing healthier recipes for all to enjoy."

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Reader Interactions

Rate this Recipe Cancel reply

  1. Constance says

    1/3/2019 at 7:49 pm

    Hi, First of all congratulacions and thank you for sharing all your knolwedge.. you are great!!! Excuse my english … I hardly speak english but I want to ask you a question.
    Althought I eat very healthy every day… I would like to cut down some calories for my weekly days ..and I need your recomendation on which recipe to choose If I want a low calorie cookie ( if your are trying to loose weight.
    I kinesiología that all your receptora are excelente but perhaps you can recomend some more specific.
    Sorry to boder you you!!!
    And aguan…. I híper you understand my question.
    Regards.
    Constance

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      1/28/2019 at 6:10 pm

      Hi there Constance, because I am not a registered dietitian or certified nutritionist, I can’t legally give you advice regarding the matter. I’d recommend reaching out to a professional for this.

      Reply

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