Whether you are going to a Christmas party, giving out a plate of goodies for neighbors, or getting a plate worthy of presenting to the big guy from the North Pole, there are plenty of good reasons to know how to put together a beautiful Christmas cookie plate. 


{I’m actually going to stop myself right there because I will admit that with a family with young children and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, this momma gets burned out by the time Christmas Eve arrives and we are getting a plate ready for Santa. I have been known to make Christmas cookies for parties or neighbors, but at our house, Santa gets “milk’s favorite cookie”--you know, Oreos! He seems to gobble them up just fine! Santa knows in my heart I love him and appreciate what he does for my kiddos, but I have never baked cookies for Santa :/ Yikes. I guess I didn’t get the memo that most people do. Does your family (or did they when your kiddos were young) bake cookies for Santa? Do you find Oreos a preposterous gift to offer him for his generosity??} 

I got some tips from The Pioneer Woman, who LOVES baking Christmas cookies and makes gorgeous ones, as you can imagine. The woman knows a thing or two about picture-worthy presentations, that’s for sure. She’s also got some good tips with shortcuts about adding store bought items to your plate so you don’t have to spend any extra time baking in the kitchen this holiday season than you want to!

{By the way--eeeeeek! I’m just sitting on this surprise and I can’t hold it in anymore! I cannot WAIT to open this on Christmas morning. Baking is going to get a whole lot more exciting around here because after almost 14 years of marriage, this momma is finally getting a Kitchenaid from Santa! Not just any Kitchenaid, but we know it’s all about the colors with these things so I am beyond excited about my soon-to-be (cross my fingers!) beautiful aqua colored Kitchenaid mixer! Santa got wind that Target was having a huge Black Friday sale on these so that should be part of our world soon!}

Now, let’s get back to those cookie plates! Here are a few great tips for beautiful cookie plates:


1. Make sure to do 3-4 cookies per kind. Don’t just do 1 or 2 of the same cookie on your cookie plate--you want to make sure people can go back and have 1 or 2 more of their favorite cookie. It also looks better for presentation when there are more in a group like this.


2. To keep it looking very clean and neat, keep in groups of 4 or 5 cookies and place them in their sections around the plate. It looks a bit more messy and less professional if you make a plate of random cookies with them all mixed around. Keep them in their little groups, working your way around the plate, leaving your favorite, most beautiful cookies in the center.

3. Fill in the gaps with other, non-cookie items. You can use items such as candied pecans, chocolate truffles, dried fruits and nuts, and even candy canes to fill in the gaps on the plate, which looks beautiful and gives them more yummy treats to enjoy.

4. Don’t be afraid to use store-bought items. No one says every item has to be homemade! There are plenty of beautiful cookies and other items you can find in the store such as biscotti, Pirouette cookies, or peppermint bark. 

Do you have any other tips you would add to make a beautiful holiday cookie plate? What are some of your favorite holiday cookies to bake? My favorites are gingerbread cookies, frosted sugar cookies with Christmas cutout shapes, peanut butter blossoms and stained glass Christmas cookies. Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

    Mary Richardson
    Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2014
    Email the author! mary@dvo.com