Buzz
I have a borderline obsession with holiday baking. (‘Borderline’ like how the kids would say it, because all my baked goods are absolutely fire.) December is when I kick off my baking marathon for friends’ parties, my own Christmas get-togethers, and for mailing to friends far and wide. Sending a box packed with homemade treats should spark joy in those you care about. To ensure they arrive safely—without a single cookie crumbling or creating holiday havoc—here are my tried-and-true tips for successfully mailing holiday cookies.
1. Pick the perfect cookies for shipping
Certain cookies and bars are better suited for shipping than others. Keep in mind that the box will be tossed around and jostled as it makes its way to the recipient.
Do send. The best cookies for mailing are durable options like drop cookies, brownies, bars, thick cookie-cutter shapes, and fudge.
Don't send. Avoid fragile treats like tuiles, almond macarons, or cookies with runny jam or gooey frosting.
Items that are slab-shaped, such as brownies, bars, or fudge, can be shipped uncut. Send them as a single block to ensure they stay intact, and the recipient can slice them once they arrive.
2. Allow your cookies to cool thoroughly
It’s a busy time, but don’t rush to box up your homemade cookies just yet. Let them cool completely on a wire rack before placing them in the box. If you're in a hurry, you can briefly chill them in the fridge to speed up the process.
Freshly baked cookies are still soft—the fats and sugars haven’t fully set—and any melted chocolate will still be runny. If you stack them in a box while they’re still warm, they could bend, squish, or even break. Moreover, tightly sealing the cookie tin can cause humidity to accumulate inside, which may promote the growth of bacteria or mold during shipping.
3. Pack cookies properly for shipping
It’s tough to resist variety, but while you don't have to limit the types of cookies you bake, you should think carefully about how to pack them. I prefer the concept of 'like with like,' which simply means grouping similar cookies together. Focus on matching flavors, aromas, and textures to avoid cross-contamination. This will help ensure that each treat stays true to its intended form without being altered by incompatible neighbors nearby.
A poor choice would be to pack soft fig cookies with crisp peppermint shortbread. The moisture from the fig cookies will soften the shortbread, altering its texture and making it prone to breaking. Plus, the peppermint scent might seep into the fig cookies, changing their flavor profile—definitely not the effect the creator envisioned. While chocolate’s aroma typically doesn’t affect other cookies, spicy and peppermint cookies can really influence one another.
To avoid this issue, pack the cookies separately in different tins or boxes, or tightly wrap them in plastic wrap or zip-top bags to keep them distinct. Make sure to store soft cookies and bars in airtight containers to maintain their moisture.
4. Consider a different type of cookie container
Metal cookie tins are pretty much air-tight, and they're undeniably charming with their adorable patterns, but my friends have shared that they still have their tins from last year. These tend to either become strange storage or end up as trash once the cookies are gone. If you're shipping cookies annually, this can turn into quite a collection.
If you often see the people you gift cookies to, ask them to return the tins for the next year. Otherwise, try using bakery boxes for treats that don’t require a tight seal, or repurpose other containers. Paper dessert boxes are often lighter than cookie tins, which can save you a bit on shipping. Pringles cans or coffee cans also make great cookie containers. While they may lack the seasonal charm of polar bears or Santa in plaid, they’re just the right shape for the job.
5. Safely pack holiday cookies using alternative packing materials
Packing your cookies securely is the final step in ensuring they reach their destination intact. You might assume that filling the gap between the cookie tin and the box is enough, but that’s not the case. The space inside the tin must be packed properly too.
The secret is to pack the cookies snugly both inside and outside. Naturally, the goal is to fit as many cookies as possible into the container because who doesn’t love extra cookies? Make sure to fill any empty spaces between and on top of the cookies. The packing material will keep everything in place, no matter how much the box gets tossed around during shipping.
I like to place my cookies in cupcake liners inside the tin. The edges of the liners fan out, filling the gaps and keeping the cookies from shifting. To fill the space on top, I crumple up a piece of parchment paper and place it inside. Flat parchment doesn’t do much, but the crumpling creates a three-dimensional cushion that prevents the cookies from bouncing around. Plus, it’s flexible, so the lid can still be easily secured.
Sure, you could buy bubble wrap or packing paper, but I personally feel guilty using brand-new materials that will just be thrown away. If you receive boxes leading up to when you ship your cookies, save the packing materials from those boxes to reuse.
You can also pack your box with things that can be repurposed or aren’t as wasteful. Consider using alternative packing materials such as all those totes you’ve accumulated over time, folded second-hand cardboard, crumpled paper that’s headed for the trash (like old newspapers or pages from unsolicited catalogs), or even plain popcorn. While it’s technically food waste, it’s inexpensive, not especially nutritious, and yields 7-10 cups of popcorn from just four tablespoons of kernels.
Send your cookies earlier than you might think.
You still have some time, but don’t wait too long to ship your holiday cookies. The U.S. Postal Service is likely overwhelmed at this time, so it’s best not to risk a delay. Their website provides a handy chart of shipping deadlines based on the service you choose. Faster shipping costs more and gives you just a little more time. To ensure your cookies arrive by the 25th, aim to ship them by Dec. 18 (for the contiguous 48 states). This way, you’ll be confident your friends and family will get their treats with plenty of time to enjoy before Santa takes his cut.
