Easy-to-make and sweet to give, these cookie mix jars are perfect last-minute DIY gifts for any cookie lover on your gift list. They make cookie-baking almost as easy as opening a package of refrigerated dough, but far more delicious and personal!
There’s classic Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal Raisin Spice mixes for the safe-bet types. Then there’s Cranberry Ginger White Chocolate for the slightly more adventurous sweet tooth, and a double chocolate Hot Cocoa for your favorite chocolate lover, complete with marshmallows on top. Follow these simple tips for assembling gift-worthy cookie jars with minimal fuss.
Jar-Gifting 101:
- Use 1-quart wide-mouth mason jars. Size matters!
- Weigh or measure your ingredients into a bowl, then use a piece of parchment paper as a funnel to transfer into the jar.
- Press the air out of each layer of ingredients so that everything will fit with the least amount of air at the top. The flour mixture is always the first thing to go into the jar, and for good reason. You need to pound the bottom of the jar several times on a soft surface (dish towel folded on the counter works well) to settle the mixture and release as much air as possible. Then press the flour down firmly and evenly with the backs of your fingers (this is where the wide-mouth jar is important) before laying in your next ingredient. Do this with every subsequent layer so you have enough room to fit all ingredients into the jar.
- If making multiple jars, an assembly line is a great idea. Line up your clean jars and lids and tackle one ingredient at a time, but mix each batch of flour individually to avoid any scaling and dividing errors.
- Be sure your jars are sealed tight, especially if the recipe contains brown sugar. You don’t want any air getting in and drying out the sugar. If using jars with clamp-on lids, such as Weck jars, be sure to use the rubber ring to make it air-tight, or use them only for recipes without brown sugar.
- Make sure to include the directions! Write them on a recipe card or give them a festive digital design and print on card stock. Either way, make sure you attach the recipe to the jar so it doesn’t get lost before the recipient has a chance to bake the cookies.
- A simple ribbon dresses up these jars for holiday gift-giving. Go the extra mile and cut circles of decorative paper (this can be wrapping paper!) to fit in the top of the lid for a more festive look. If you’re into the kitsch, you can cut circles out of fabric and secure them under the lid rings for that cutesy, old-fashioned look.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup (7 ounces) packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips (chip sizes vary so add up to 1 1/2 cups, or until you run out of room)
Directions:
- Whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda.
- Begin with the flour mixture and layer the ingredients into a wide-mouth mason jar in the order listed, pressing hard on each layer before adding the next.
Gift with these instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with racks in upper- and lower-middle positions. In a large bowl, beat 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) softened butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 1 egg at room temperature, then 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and beat until smooth. Add all contents of the jar to the bowl and beat just until dough comes together. Scoop 2 generous tablespoons of dough per cookie and place about 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined (or greased) baking sheet. Bake up to two sheets at a time until edges are just browned, about 10 - 12 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through baking. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookie Mix
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup raisins or mixed dried fruit (such as Trader Joe’s golden berry blend)
- 3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
Directions:
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- Begin with the flour mixture and layer the ingredients into a wide-mouth mason jar in the order listed, pressing hard on each layer before adding the next. It’s a tight fit so press hard and don’t worry – it all fits!
Gift with these instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees with racks in upper- and lower-middle positions. In a large bowl, beat 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) softened butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 2 eggs at room temperature, one at a time, then 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and beat until smooth. Add all contents of the jar to the bowl and beat just until dough comes together. Scoop 2 generous tablespoons of dough per cookie and place about 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined (or greased) baking sheet. Bake up to two sheets at a time until edges are just browned, about 10 - 12 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through baking. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
Cranberry Ginger White Chocolate Cookie Mix
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup finely chopped crystalized ginger
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (5 1/4 ounces) packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
Directions:
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger and salt. Also combine the dried cranberries and crystalized ginger.
- Begin with the flour mixture and layer the ingredients into a wide-mouth mason jar in the order listed, pressing hard on each layer before adding the next. It’s a tight fit so press hard and don’t worry – it all fits!
Gift with these instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees with racks in upper- and lower-middle positions. In a large bowl, beat 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) softened butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 1 egg at room temperature, then 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and beat until smooth. Add all contents of the jar to a bowl and beat just until dough comes together. Scoop 2 generous tablespoons of dough per cookie and place about 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined (or greased) baking sheet. Bake up to two sheets at a time until edges are just browned, about 10 - 12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
Hot Cocoa Cookie Mix
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chopped chocolate
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
Directions:
- Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Begin with the flour mixture and layer the ingredients into a wide-mouth mason jar in the order listed, except marshmallows, pressing hard on each layer before adding the next.
- Place marshmallows in separate air-tight bag and attach to the jar.
Gift with these instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees with racks in upper- and lower-middle positions. In a large bowl, beat 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) softened butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 1 egg at room temperature, then 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and beat until smooth. Add all contents of the jar to a bowl and beat just until the dough comes together. Scoop 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie and place about 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined (or greased) baking sheet. Bake up to two sheets at a time for 10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through, then briefly remove the sheets from oven to add 3 marshmallows to the top of each cookie. Continue baking until marshmallows are puffed, about 4 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
Note: For an extra-special kick, add a 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon to the flour mixture to make Spiced Hot Chocolate Cookies.
