You're literally never too old to enjoy a good ol’ Christmas cookie decorating party. Whether you're gathering with a few friends or decorating with the kiddos, it's the perfect way to come together and ring in the holiday season. Here are some of our favorite ideas for hosting a cookie decorating party that are sure to bring out the holiday joy.
SET THE STAGE
Turning your home into a winter wonderland will get everyone in the holiday spirit. Whip up some yummy holiday dessert recipes, like a Gingerbread Latte to sip on while you deck the halls. Turn on some twinkling Christmas lights, hang homemade paper snowflakes, and place some glittering tinsel around your kitchen. Get a fire crackling in the fireplace and light some seasonal candles. A holiday playlist is a must, whether you go for the classics, or you take on a jazzy twist. (Maybe your cookie crew will even be inspired to sing along while you decorate!)
Santa always enjoys his cookies with milk, but there are so many other delicious (and boozy!) drinks to go along with your cookies. Delight your guests with Tipsy Caramel Gingerbread Milkshakes, brew up a batch of Peppermint Mochas, or serve some classic Espresso Martinis. Of course, you'll want to have plenty of Swiss Miss® Classics on hand—who doesn't love cookies and hot cocoa? Add a whoosh of Reddi-wip® Barista Series on top to make any drink even more special.
You'll want to be as prepared as possible before your guests arrive. After all, you don't want to be running around looking for ingredients while you're trying to host. When you shop, be sure to grab a few extras of the staples, from Duncan Hines® Frosting to Duncan Hines Classic White Cake Mix, so that you never have to be worried about running out. You could also pick up some cute holiday baggies or boxes so that guests can easily take their treats home.
Pull out all the supplies you'll need ahead of time. Try using extra baking sheets to keep all your ingredients organized by recipe, so that when the time comes, all you have to do is pull out the corresponding tray and you'll have everything ready to go.
BAKE (AND DECORATE!) TO YOUR HEART’S CONTENT
Should you bake during your cookie decorating party, or make the cookies ahead of time? There are benefits to either approach, so it's completely up to you. Depending on the ages of your guests, they might enjoy getting in on the baking fun. Cookie recipes like our Holiday Sugar Cookies are great to do with kids, because they'll love getting to use cookie cutters to make shapes. (For a younger group, you can prepare the sugar cookie dough ahead of time and let them simply cut the cookies out.)
For other types of cookies, it might be best to prepare the base of the cookie and let your guests focus on the decorations. For instance, with cookie recipes like our Santa Sugar Cookies, you can have the sugar cookie base ready to go so that folks can jump right in. With just a little Reddi-wip Original and other tasty decorations, your cookie crew will be cranking out Santas in no time.
You'll also want to have a few holiday munchies out to enjoy from the beginning; try some of our holiday dessert recipes, like scrumptious Hot Cocoa Puppy Chow or our Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Popcorn Christmas Bark, which has variations for kiddos or adults. These are perfect to grab with one hand while you decorate with the other. (But don't be surprised when people are sampling the cookies, too. That's half the fun!)
CHRISTMAS COOKIE DECORATING IDEAS
Sugar cookies are an obvious go-to for decorating, but you and your guests can make other things, too! There’s always classic cookie recipes, like our Chocolate Chip Cookies or Cinnamon Bun Cookies (think: snickerdoodles), that will have everyone savoring every last bite.
But you could also bust out the rolling pin and get a little creative. Choose a few holiday dessert recipes that have a lot of character, like our twisty Candy Cane Cookies. You can even make a gigantic holiday version of our Birthday Cookie Cake, with Christmas red and green or Hanukkah blue and yellow sprinkles. Or, take it to the next level with Easy Brownies and Cream Sandwich Cookies. The cookie decoration ideas are endless, and it can be so much fun to try something new!
With sugar, sprinkles, and smiles all around, your Christmas cookie decorating party is sure to be the highlight of the holiday season. The memories you make will be even sweeter than the treats you create.
