This Cookie Mix in a Jar is the perfect way to give someone a shortcut to homemade cookies. A delicious and festive gift!
Simply fill a jar with pre-measured dry ingredients and give the jar as a gift along with instructions for baking. Choose from M&M cookies or chocolate chip cookies.
Jump to:
Why make cookie mix in a jar
This is a thoughtful and affordable gift that is perfect any time of year. Who doesn’t love freshly baked cookies? These jars are made with pantry staples, making them cost a fraction of what you’d pay for store bought cookie jars.
I especially love this gift for kids! Kids can assemble them and give them as gifts, or you can gift them to kids and they can make homemade cookies with minimal effort.
Ingredients needed
- Flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- M&M’s and/or chocolate chips
How to Make Cookies in a Jar
To assemble the jars, all you do is measure the dry ingredients and layer them in a jar. It couldn’t be simpler!
You can layer them in any order you choose. I like the flour, leavening, and salt on the bottom. I put some chocolate chips/M&M’s in the middle and some on top.
Assembly tips
- It is important that your ingredients are layered into the jars carefully so that the layers don’t mix too much; this makes for a prettier presentation.
- Roll up a paper plate to use as a funnel to cleanly add the bottom layer into the jar.
- Use a spoon to carefully add the M&M’s and chocolate chips. Don’t dump them in too quickly or they’ll sink.
- Use fresh ingredients to ensure the best quality cookies.
- Attach the printable recipe card with the jar for easy baking.
- Decorate the jar with fabric and/or ribbon. I use a 6.5 inch circle of fabric.
Prefer to bake cookies?
Skip the jars and make our M&M Cookies or Chocolate Chip Cookies.
More holiday treats
SUBSCRIBE to our free NEWSLETTER – Follow on INSTAGRAM
Recipe
Cookie Mix In A Jar
Ingredients
- 1⅔ cups all purpose flour, spooned into the measuring cup and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1⅓ cups M&M's and/or chocolate chips, see note
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1-quart Mason jar
Instructions
Assembling jars:
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Pour into the bottom of a 1-quart mason jar (I roll up a paper plate to use as a funnel). After this you can layer the remaining ingredients however you'd like. I usually top the flour mixture with granulated sugar, followed by 1 cup of M&M's/chocolate chips, brown sugar, and remaining ⅓ cup M&M's/chocolate chips. Be sure to spoon the ingredients in gently so they stay layered. Seal with the lid and decorate with ribbon and/or fabric (see note).
Recipe to include with the jar (printable version in notes):
- In a large bowl, whisk ½ cup of melted and cooled unsalted butter, 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Add the contents of the jar and gently stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Scoop 2-tablespoon portions of dough. Place the dough balls onto parchment lined baking sheets and bake at 350°F for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers of the cookies are slightly underdone. Place baking sheets on racks and cool completely. Tip: For prettier cookies, use the back of a spoon to shape the edges of the cookies when they come out of the oven.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Christina
I’m currently making these and the dough is very dry and crummy, and will not come together- not dough like at all. I know I measured the ingredients accurately, so i’m not sure what to do here.
Celebrating Sweets
You added 1/2 cup melted butter and 1 egg and vanilla? If so, it should come together. If you squish the dough with your hands it should absolutely hold its shape. Use your hands to mix the dough if you’re having trouble. I have made this recipe several times, as recent as this week, so I’m sure that the ingredients listed are correct. Best of luck!
Christina
Immediately after my comment, I realized I melted a half a cup of butter, and never measured again once it was melted to be sure it was the same amount. Slowly added melted butter and it came together! Thanks!
caitlim
hi what size mason jar do you use i got one and it was to big went to a smaller one and it to small.
Celebrating Sweets
I use a 1-quart mason jar. It’s in step 1 of the assembly instructions. Thanks for stopping by!
Tammy
I used the 1 quart mason jar and it is too big it is probably about a and inch and half from the top. Fabric may cover it but the ingredients in the jar has lots of move to room should they fall over or something. Am I doing something wrong???
Celebrating Sweets
The ingredients won’t reach all the way to the top, they’ll be just shy. I find that this quantity of ingredients makes the best cookies. Do not add more flour or sugar as that will affect the texture of the baked cookies. You can add some extra M&M’s or chocolate chips to the very top if you’re worried about the ingredients moving around. When I’ve made these as gifts I take care when transporting the jars and I’ve never had the ingredients get mixed up. Thanks for stopping by.
Sarah Howells
how many cookies does this make? I want to include this on the instructions. I changed the m&ms to the top of the jar to stop the sugar mixing and put tissue paper in the top of the jar to hold the ingredients firm, I used red tissue paper and it looks lovely!
Celebrating Sweets
I love the idea of adding tissue paper, brilliant! It makes 15-20 cookies (depending on the size). Thanks for stopping by. Happy holidays!
KY
Did you use some sort of template to print your instructions on? I’m looking to include a cute tag to print out along with the jars.
Celebrating Sweets
I did not. I just hand wrote it on a blank card and attached it with Christmas ribbon.
Lydia johann
I made them, and I had made a recipe card and then downloaded a cute Santa.
I gave the jar to my Granddaughter so she could make these for Santa.
So It read:
Cookies for Santa
She is only 4 but was so excited that she could make these just for Santa
Celebrating Sweets
What a great idea! Thank you for sharing.
K
Can I use 100s and 1000s instead of M&M?
Kat
I’m sort of confused what you mean by “barely melted butter”? Does it need to be liquefied or is a softened room temperature stick what you mean? Sorry, just want the cookies to come out ok!
Celebrating Sweets
It should be almost all the way melted. If it’s completely melted (and hot) there is a risk of cooking the egg as soon as it’s mixed in. If you melt the butter until it’s completely liquefied, just cool it slightly before mixing up the cookies.
Cathy
Hi- could you use any kind of candy in place of mm’s
Celebrating Sweets
Any chocolate candy or chocolate chip (butterscotch chip, peanut butter chip, etc) can be used. Enjoy!
Nicole
What is the serving size and how many servings?
Celebrating Sweets
The mix makes approximately 20 cookies, one serving would be one cookie. The nutrition facts are for the dry ingredients only.
Diane Calfee
Any idea what it costs to make about 20 of these including the jars?
Celebrating Sweets
I’m not sure. The jars and M&M’s will probably be the most costly part, so I’d start there. Enjoy!
Lydia
I already had the jars, but I would agree, the jars and the M&M’s, I may suggest to buy the ones for baking, I bought regular ones, and they didn’t look to pretty, I think the baking ones would work bc they are made for baking. LOL