A homemade gift doesn’t need to eat up your whole weekend. These Christmas cookies in a jar start with boxed cake mix, so you can layer one in about five minutes and a whole batch in an afternoon. Add a ribbon and the free printable tag, and you’ve got a frugal, cheerful gift for teachers, neighbors, coaches, and party hosts.

Why Cake Mix Cookies in a Jar Make the Easiest Christmas Gift

Most cookie-in-a-jar recipes have you measure flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt into every jar. This version skips all that by using boxed cake mix for the dry base. It’s the same idea behind my consumable Christmas gifts: something people use up instead of something they have to find a shelf for.

• Fast: about 5 minutes per jar
• Budget-friendly: a few dollars per jar (even less with ALDI’s Baker’s Corner mixes), a big help if you’re saving money for Christmas
• Flexible: gluten-free and organic cake mixes work too
• Shelf-stable: no refrigeration needed

What You Need for Mason Jar Cookie Mix

For the Jar

• Boxed cake mix (2 boxes fill 3 jars). ALDI’s Baker’s Corner and liveGfree mixes are budget-friendly options.
• 1 3/4 to 2 cups mix-ins per jar
• 32 oz wide mouth mason jars
• A wide mouth canning funnel to keep the layers clean
• Kraft gift tags with string, or ribbon, raffia, or sisal rope

If you can, you probably already have the jars and funnel. My canning basics guide covers the gear.

For the Recipient to Add

• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup oil

How to Layer Cookie Mix in a Mason Jar

1. Use a funnel to pour about 2 cups of cake mix into the bottom of a quart jar. Tap it on the counter to settle.
2. Add 3 or 4 mix-ins, about 1/2 cup each, in separate layers.
3. Fill to the top so nothing shifts around. Mine took about 2 cups of mix-ins total.
4. Screw the lid on tight, tie on a ribbon, and attach the tag.

My favorite combo is chocolate chips, pecans, chopped sea salt caramels, and dried cranberries. The last time I made a big batch, we set out a whole table of mix-ins and let everyone build their own. If your kids like this kind of project, they’ll also enjoy making homemade Easy Bake Oven mixes.

Best Mix-Ins for Christmas Cookies in a Jar

• Chocolate: semisweet chips, white chocolate chips, M&Ms
• Nuts: pecans, walnuts, almonds
• Fruit: dried cranberries, freeze-dried strawberries, coconut
• Candy: crushed candy canes, caramel bits, mini marshmallows
• Texture: oats, crushed cookies

How to Set Up a Mason Jar Cookie Station

Hosting a cookie exchange or holiday party? Turn this into a make-and-take station.

• Set out a few flavors of cake mix in labeled jars
• Line up 8 to 10 mix-ins in bowls with scoops
• Add ribbon, raffia, twine, and a stack of printed tags
• Post a simple sign: pick a flavor, add 1 to 4 layers of mix-ins, tie on a tag

Free Printable Gift Tags for Cookie Jars

I made printable gift tags with the baking instructions already on them, six to a page on white cardstock. They’re free in my subscriber library. Subscribe to my newsletter and you’ll get the library password, plus new recipes and printables in your inbox. Already a subscriber? The password is at the bottom of every email.

Prefer to write your own tags? Here’s what to put on them: Preheat oven to 375°F. Stir the jar contents with 2 eggs and 1/3 cup oil. Scoop 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoon balls onto a baking sheet and bake 8 to 10 minutes, until golden. Makes about 12 to 15 cookies. I also like adding a “Made by” and “Enjoy by” line.

Flavor Variations and Substitutions

• Lemon cake mix + freeze-dried strawberries (my favorite, and good year-round)
• Red velvet + white chocolate chips
• Chocolate or devil’s food cake mix + crushed candy canes or mini marshmallows
• Strawberry cake mix + white chips and coconut
• Gluten-free: use a gluten-free cake mix and check that every mix-in is gluten-free
• Half batch: use a 16 oz pint jar with 1 cup cake mix, 1 cup mix-ins, 1 egg, and about 2 1/2 tablespoons oil

Want a cookie you bake yourself? Try my refined sugar free Christmas cookies.

How to Store Cookie Mix Jars

• Store sealed jars in a cool, dry pantry.
• Give them within 2 to 3 months for the best flavor. Nuts and chocolate are usually the first things to go stale.
• Write an “enjoy by” date on the tag that matches the cake mix box.
• Baked cookies keep 4 to 5 days in an airtight container.

What to Pair With a Cookie Jar Gift

• A cookie scoop or wooden spoon tied to the jar
• A jar of homemade hot cocoa mix
• A loaf of pomegranate orange bread
• A DIY photo gift for grandparents

Christmas Cookies in a Jar FAQ

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More Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas

• Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas for the Whole Family
• Homemade Easy Bake Oven Mixes
• Pomegranate Orange Mini Loaves to Gift
• Frugal, Edible Stocking Stuffers
• 31 Easy DIY Photo Gifts
• Chocolate Mint Cookies
• Copycat Crumbl Snickerdoodles
• Quick and Easy Fruitcake Cookies
• Eco-Friendly Gifts for Him