40+ Cookie Exchange Recipes and Christmas Thumbprint Cookies

I love Christmas Cookies and Cookie Exchanges around the holidays are one of my very favorite Christmas traditions. Here are loads and loads of awesome Cookie Exchange Recipes!

I love cookies year around but I love how much baking goes on this time of year so I’m so excited to join up with a bunch of other bloggers for an awesome virtual Great Cookie Exchange.

What is a Cookie Exchange?

I hadn’t gone to a cookie exchange until a couple of years ago and I think they are just brilliant. If you’ve never been to one its a super fun way to get a variety of cookies without having to whip up batches and batches of cookies. How it works is the host invites a bunch of friends. Each attendee brings a few dozen cookies, sometimes the printed out recipe and then a box to bring your cookies home in.

The exchange which can be a quick and dirty gathering, or a more drawn out party with your favorite party foods or even a tasty soup and fresh bread diner. When guests arrive everyone sets their cookies out. But these aren’t for eating at the party.

When directed by the host everyone goes around and adds a few of each cookies to their take home container. This allowed everyone to go home from the cookie exchange party with a box full of different sorts of cookies. It is a blast!

Tons of Cookie Exchange Recipes

Even if you won’t be attending or hosting a cookie exchange this year hear are loads of delicious cookie recipes that you can make. My favorite tip for when you want a variety of holiday cookies without all the work is to save dough throughout the year.

For example, I love to make Halloween cookie gingerbread skeleton. But I don’t really need dozens of gingerbread cookies at Halloween so I’ll save some of the dough in the freezer and use it for Christmas gingerbreads when it’s time.

Most cookie dough can be frozen and used like this!

It is so fun to find new recipes and trade and swap a few batches of one kind for a great assortment of different delicacies!

Here are 40+ delicious cookie exchange recipes so you can find the perfect cookie to take to the party this holiday season! Scroll down to get links to each of the recipes!

Christmas Thumbprint Cookie Recipe

Before I get to all the recipes here is my cookie contribution to the virtual cookie exchange. These easy Christmas Thumbprint Cookies are so festive and are a great make ahead option.

I just love the sprinkle detail on the side. They are fun and festive and perfect for making with the little ones!

Ingredients for Thumbprint Cookies

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
Christmas non-perils

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup

How to Make Thumbprint Cookies

There’s some refrigeration time for these beauties so make sure to plan ahead. You could even do some them spread over a few days. Just make sure to allow some time for the dough to soften a bit if you do.

Mix flour, baking soda and cream of tartar in a small mixing bow.
Cream sugar, butter, egg, vanilla, almond extract together.
Add dry ingredients and mix well.
Divide dough into two logs between wax paper; refrigerate at least 1-2 hours. Slice dough into disks roll in Christmas sprinkles. Press your thumb to form an indention in the middle of each.
Bake at 375 F for 7-8 minutes. Allow to cool.
Microwave the chocolate and corn syrup for 30 seconds and stir. Zap for an additional 10 seconds and stir. Repeat until the chocolate is 80% melted and finish by stirring to melt completely.
Spoon a generous amount of chocolate mixture in and allow to cool and set.

Don’t forget about all the other awesome cookies and be sure to follow along on the Cookie Exchange Pinterest board for year round cookie recipe inspirations! Follow Reasons To Skip The Housework’s board The Cookie Exchange on Pinterest.

Andes Mint Cookies Double Chocolate Mint MnM Cookies Hot Cocoa Cookies Peanut Butter Cake Box Cookie Raspberry Almond Meltaways Olaf Nutter Butter Cookies Snowflake Meltaway Cookies Chocolate Turtle Cookie Candy Cane Brownie Blossoms Peanut Butter Chip Cookies Cranberry Almond Shortbread Bites No Bake Eggnog Cookies Double Chocolate Rum Balls Magic Cookie Bars Christmas Molasses Ginger Cookies

So many creative recipes right!? I’m a sucker for cookies year around. In fact they are one of my treats of choice!

Rosettes Mint Chocolate Truffle Cookie cups Cornflake Christmas Wreath Cookies Christmas M&M Cookies Peppermint Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies Easy Sugar Cookie Jelly “Popper” Cookies Key Lime Pie Bars Gingersnaps with Dark Chocolate Chips Maple Bacon Snickerdoodles Peppermint Shortbread Cookies Christmas Chocolate Thumbprints Cookies Christmas Tree Brownie Pops My Favorite Things Cookies Old-Fashioned Gingersnap Cookies Peanut Butter Cup Cookies Holiday Confetti Sandwich Cookies Lemon Oatmeal Lacies Christmas Cookie Snowball Cookies Healthy Biscochos (Vegan, Raw, & Grain-Free) Almond and Milk Chocolate Ganache Thumbprint Cookies Porcelain Sugar Cookies OREO Dipped Christmas Cookies Rolo Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies {Gluten Free} Chocolate Mint Cream Cheese Cake Mix Cookies Giant Monster Cookies Crispy Coconut Pecan Butter Cookies

Candy Cane Sugar Blossoms Candy Cane Frosted Sugar Cookies

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