How To Host An Around The World Cookie Swap Party

Bring together friends and fun, international cookie recipes this Holiday season with our 10 easy steps to host an around-the-world-themed cookie swap party!

An Around The World Cookie Swap Party

Cookie swap parties are a great way to bring friends and family together during the Holiday season and take a load off of some of your Holiday baking.

The idea is that each guest brings enough of their cookies that everyone can bring some home. You bake once, and after the swap, you come home with a tray full of assorted cookies that are great for gifting or supplying your own Holiday parties.

Any cookie swap party is fun, but, of course, we like to add an international twist to ours!

There are so many traditional Christmas cookies from different cultures, an around-the-world cookie swap party is a great way to get in touch with your heritage and learn about how other cultures celebrate Christmas!

How To Host An Around The World Cookie Swap Party

We like to keep things easy and simple during the busy Holiday season, so our guidelines below are designed to keep the focus on the cookies and the friendship, rather than the hustle and bustle of putting on a party.

So, here are our simple steps to putting on a unique cookie swap party, and taking your guests on a cookie tour around the world!

1. Pick a date

You'll want to have your cookie swap party close enough to Christmas festivities that the cookies will last, but not so close that you're just adding another thing to the list of Holiday craziness.

Most cookies will stay fresh for a week to 10 days, so that's the perfect window before Christmas for your swap party.

2. Invite your guests

Invite 6-8 people. We find that cookie swap parties are best kept small, that way the baking and swapping are more manageable.

Be sure to invite your guests at least a couple of weeks in advance. Baking one type of cookie is less work than baking 6 types, but they'll be baking bigger batches to have enough cookies for everyone, so they will need to plan ahead.

3. Choose the cookies

Have each guest pick a country or region to bake cookies from.

Instruct each guest that they should bring 6 dozen cookies and copies of their recipe to share with the other guests at the party.

Check out our collection of cookies from around the world for your inspiration!

4. Make a cookie menu

Ask your guests to provide you with the name of the cookie, a short description, and the country of origin prior to the party.

Then, you can make and print a "cookie menu" for each of your guests to take home.

5. Prepare some international appetizers

Sure, there will be a sampling of cookies, but it's nice to have some savory nibbles as well. Here are some international finger food ideas for your party:

• Caprese salad skewers
• Guacamole and salsa with chips
• Greek cheese pastries
• Bruschetta
• French cheese puffs
• Savory German bacon cookies
• Basque-style tapas skewers

6. Mix up some cultural beverages

Don't forget the drinks! Hot coffee, creamy chai tea, and, of course, milk are natural choices to pair with your cookies.

If you're feeling particularly festive, why not serve up some German gluhwein or Puerto Rican eggnog to get people in the spirit.

7. Label your cookie spread

Have a large table ready to hold all of the cookies.

As guests arrive, have them fill out a folded place card to put in front of their tray with the name of the cookie and the country or region it is from. (If you're playing the game below, don't put the country on the cookie's label card.)

8. Make it a game

Provide your guests with a list of just the cookie names. Let your guests sample the cookies and guess what region they come from.

Have a culturally inspired prize for the person who gets the most right. (Some of these cultural foodie gifts would make great prizes!)

Feel free to add other categories to the voting like "best cookie," "prettiest cookie," etc.

9. Have fun swapping cookies from around the world!

Provide paper plates and large Ziploc bags (or cardboard bakery boxes) for guests to fill with their cookie picks. (Remember, each guest should be taking home around 5-6 dozen cookies.)

Provide sticky labels for your guests to write the name and country of the cookies on their takeaway bags if they desire.

10. Don't forget the recipes!

Place all the recipes that your guests brought to distribute in a central place and be sure each guest picks up copies of each recipe before they head home.

There are sure to be new favorites that they'll want to make again.

Make Your Around The World Cookie Swap Party Your Own!

Don't be afraid to give your cookie swap party festive flairs that fit your style. You can get as detailed as you like with fun decor, festive plates and serving dishes, and pretty take-home boxes.

Use your imagination and have some fun!