How to ship cookies without breaking

Now that you’ve done the baking, it’s time to send those homemade cookies to friends and family. I’m going to show you how to ship cookies so they don’t break apart in the mail and how to pack them so they stay fresh for the lucky recipient. From choosing the best cookies to ship, to the best way to ship cookies, I have tons of tips to help your treats arrive intact.

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Best cookies to send in the mail

First, we need to choose the best cookies for shipping. Those would be sturdy cookies, like a chocolate chip or oatmeal. Bar cookies, brownies and blondies are also great options.

As you are baking, or choosing what to bake, select the sturdier cookies for mailing to friends and family. This is your best chance to make sure the cookies arrive intact. Treats like biscotti are perfect homemade treats to send in the mail, because they hold up really well.

At the bottom of the post, I’ll give you a long list of our favorite cookies to send in the mail. This includes cookies I’ve actually mailed to my family as a test to make sure they would arrive in one piece, and not in crumbles.

Sending delicate cookies like pizzelles can be very difficult, but we’ll discuss that below.

How to ship cookies without breaking

There are a few tips and tricks to sending cookies in the mail. From guarding against breakage to avoiding stale cookies, we’re going to cover exactly how to ship cookies in the mail and keep them fresh.

To mail cookies, you’ll need the following:

• Sturdy boxes to ship cookies – These are perfectly sized bakery boxes to ship cookies. They are 12 x 12 x 6, which gives you enough room for packing material to secure your baked goods.
• Metal cookie tins – Cute metal tins with see through lids. I like these because they come in a 3 pack and they will fit perfectly inside the shipping boxes. These are great cookie tins for shipping.
• Brown bakery boxes – I have these exact boxes. They are quick to assemble and work well for cookies, brownies or Christmas candy.
• Packing material, like honeycomb packing paper, peanuts, or bubble wrap – I use both.
• Parchment paper – This is the parchment paper I use every single day in my kitchen.

I’m the queen of reusing boxes. I have a collection of them, but when I’m sending cookies, something delicate or perishable, I make sure that I use either a new box, or one that is like new. The last thing you want is to pack your cookies in a flimsy box.

How to pack a cookie tin

A metal cookie tin will protect your baked goods during transit. Choose one that is appropriately sized so the treats don’t jostle around. Use small pieces of parchment or packing paper to fill in the gaps and to cushion your baked goods.

Too much space is a bad thing in this case. The best way to ship cookies is to pack them snugly in the smallest container that comfortably holds them. The less they move, the lower the chance for breakage.

How to pack cookies for mailing

1. Cool your cookies completely, before packing. Warm cookies will release steam as they are cooling and will turn your freshly baked goods into a soggy situation. You may want to consider freezing some of your homemade treats to send. Mini loaves of pound cake, or thick and chewy cookies are great options for this.
2. Make sure the packaging is food safe. Colored tissue paper is lovely, but it contains dye. Avoid anything that isn’t food safe for packing your homemade cookies.
3. Pack cookies in small bundles or pairs. Combine like flavors together, keep strong flavored items (like peppermint or gingerbread) away from items with subtler flavors.
4. Wrap cookies in plastic wrap, parchment paper, or stack them in cellophane bags. Treats like biscotti, or crunchy treats are best in parchment.
5. Place heavier cookies on the bottom of the tin. This may seem like common sense, but when you are in a packing frenzy, it’s easy to forget. Ask me how I know.
6. Fill shipping box with packing material like bubble wrap or crumpled paper to cushion cookie tin.

How to keep cookies fresh

The best way to ensure that your cookies don’t arrive stale is to bake them as close to mailing as possible and to wrap them tightly. It’s a lot of work to bake dozens of Christmas cookies, as is taking the time to wrap them and ship them off to loved ones.

As cookies have cooled completely, begin stacking and wrapping your bundles. Then pack them into their cookie tins and boxes with any packing material you need. Plan to send them off as soon as possible.

Remember that UPS and USPS will get busier as the holidays approach, so plan to ship sooner rather than later to ensure that your cookies arrive fresh and looking beautiful.

How to wrap cookies individually

I prefer to wrap them in plastic wrap or in parchment paper, in pairs. Put the bottoms of the cookies together and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.

To wrap cookies tightly in plastic – place paired up cookies in the center of a square of plastic wrap. Lift the bottom piece up to cover the cookies, then fold the top piece down. Tuck the sides underneath to secure it.

You want the plastic wrap to be fairly tight, to keep the air out. This will also help to keep the moisture in, so your cookies don’t dry out during transit.

It is imperative that cookies are completely cooled before packing. Factor in cooling time as well before packing up your treats for the mail.

If you prefer not to use plastic wrap, you could use parchment paper, however, the cookies will eventually dry out. Parchment will help protect your baked goods, but it will not keep them as fresh.

How to ship cookies in the mail Q&A

The BEST cookies for mailing

Now that you know to ship homemade cookies, here is a list of the best cookies to ship. As you are packing your cookies, consider labeling them for your recipient. This helps them know what kind of cookies you sent, but also avoids anyone with allergies or sensitivities eating something they should avoid.

Thick and chewy cookies

• Chocolate crinkles – A Christmas cookie staple. Make sure you pack them in something that will contain the powdered sugar, so it doesn’t get on your other cookies.
• Drop style Christmas sugar cookies – The sugar cookies from your childhood. They hold up like a champ in the mail.
• Christmas funfetti cookies – Festive green and red sprinkles in the cookie dough.
• Ginger molasses cookies – Soft, chewy, and so good.
• Classic sugar cookies – Send with minimal decorations, or plain (with decorations included) for best results.
• Homemade dog treats – Is there a pup in the house? A few homemade treats for the dogs are always a nice surprise.

Crunchy cookies

• Butter pecan biscotti – Think butter pecan ice cream in cookie form. If you are sending to a warm climate, I would omit the chocolate drizzle.
• Gingerbread biscotti – The perfect recipe for sending in the mail. It is sturdy and no decorations to worry about.
• Lemon thyme shortbread – Buttery, delicious shortbread is hard to beat.
• Cranberry pistachio biscotti – Studded with tart cranberries and pistachios for holiday colors.

No bake treats

• Rum balls – Also, the perfect treat for sending in the mail, but only for grown ups. Zero worry of them not arriving in perfect condition, they actually get BETTER after a couple of days.
• Chocolate bark – only if there is no threat of melting. Not a good option for warmer climates.
• White chocolate peppermint Christmas brownies
• Christmas Rice Krispie treats
• Maple bacon popcorn treats

Sandwich cookies

• Maple cream sandwich cookies – Maple sugar cookies sandwiched with a light and fluffy maple buttercream.
• Red velvet sandwich cookies – Sparkly red cookies filled with peppermint buttercream.
• Peanut butter sandwich cookies – Sandwiched with a dark chocolate buttercream.

Quick tips and tricks for shipping baked goods

• Choose sturdy cookies. Avoid delicate cookies that break easily.
• Bake cookies as close to sending as possible – this also helps ensure freshness.
• Wrap them in plastic wrap or in small plastic gift bags – this helps to keep them fresh and also to contain any sprinkles, sanding sugar, etc.
• Use parchment paper to line your cookie tin if not wrapping cookies individually, use small pieces of parchment to pack in the gaps.
• Fill shipping box with crumpled newspaper or packing peanuts to cushion cookie tin.

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