14 Recipes To Make For A Holiday Treat Exchange

It's that time of year for holiday dessert exchanges, and you might feel an invisible pressure to bring the best item possible. Whether your event is strictly for swapping cookies or it gives you room to bring other types of sweets, it can be hard to determine which food to make. Should you stick with a timeless sweet treat that everybody is familiar with, thus increasing the chances that they will enjoy it? Or should you go the experimental route and bring something more unique, making the dessert more memorable?

Then, of course, depending on how well you know your recipients, you might consider bringing a confection that is gluten-free or suitable for other special diets. Whichever way you go about it, something on this list will delight your recipients. From chewy brownies and fluffy cookies to holiday fudge, this list has you covered with ideas that are fitting for the occasion and incredibly fun to make.

Fudge is a top-tier option for gift-giving due to its delightful taste and chewy texture. This recipe is easy to make since it only requires four ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen. With a sweetened condensed milk base, unsalted butter, whole milk, and brown sugar, you can create this scrumptious dessert in no time.

It only requires some stovetop cooking, followed by mixing it in a stand mixer. After that, all you need to do is spread it in a pan, refrigerate it, and allow time for it to become the perfect consistency.

Recipe: 4-Ingredient Fudge

While snickerdoodles are delicious year-round, you can't go wrong when you give them to friends and loved ones around the holidays. The cinnamon sugar mixture that you coat them in creates a warm, comforting flavor that is terrific for enjoying with a cup of hot chocolate.

Moreover, you don't need to be a professional baker to make these chewy snickerdoodles successfully. This recipe has easy-to-follow instructions and makes two dozen servings, so there is plenty to go around.

Recipe: Soft And Chewy Snickerdoodles

Stand out at your holiday treat exchange when you bring everyone homemade fig jam with incredible hints of fresh lemon. This recipe can last up to three months in the refrigerator, so it is the gift that keeps giving, something your recipients will surely appreciate.

With this recipe, you only need four simple ingredients and about 25 minutes of your time. It makes an impressive 30 servings, and you can fill small jars and decorate them with holiday ribbons to make them more festive. Don't forget to save yourself a jar, too.

Recipe: Homemade Fig Jam

If you want a decadent option for your goody bags but don't necessarily have much time, this recipe can save the day. Although rainbow sprinkles are used in this recipe, you can get creative by including holiday-themed sprinkles instead.

Either use red and green sprinkles or find fancier options like snowflake shapes and edible pearls. To make these classic sweet treats, you only need crisp rice cereal, sprinkles, unsalted butter, and mini marshmallows. You'll end up with 12 perfect squares, but lucky for you, this recipe is easily adjustable if you need to make more.

Recipe: Rice Krispies Treats

Here's another marvelous fudge recipe for you to try out. This nutty dessert comprises unsalted butter, sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, and whole milk. It also has a dash of vanilla extract, which complements the peanut butter.

This fudge turns out extremely creamy and sweet with the perfect fudgy consistency. To try it out, mix the ingredients over medium heat until smooth, then spread the mixture into a pan. Elevate its presentation by sprinkling on crushed Reese's peanut butter cups before you transfer it to the refrigerator to set. 

Recipe: Classic Peanut Butter Fudge

Ladyfingers are such a classic cookie; although they are typically used in other desserts, you can eat them as-is, too. They remain fresh for up to seven days, so if you make them the day of the gathering, recipients have ample time to enjoy them.

Make the batter with stiff peaks from egg whites and sugar, then fold in yolks and flour. Use a piping bag to create the perfect ladyfinger shape. For best results, dust them with powdered sugar and place them in a gift box rather than a bag since they are delicate.

Recipe: Classic Ladyfingers

This snacky treat is suitable for gift-giving since it is naturally vegan and gluten-free, making it more inclusive for those with special diets. Not to mention, you might not realize how easy it is to make kettle corn at home.

The only things needed are a large pan, a lid, and a few ingredients: Coconut oil, popcorn kernels, salt, and sugar. You can make it more sophisticated and holiday-themed with icing or melted chocolate. Drizzle lines on the kettle corn, and then throw some red and green sprinkles on.

Recipe: Foolproof Kettle Corn

You'll become everyone's favorite person when you bring this sweet to a holiday event. These incredibly divine brownies contain three types of chocolate: Cocoa powder, bittersweet chocolate, and dark chocolate chunks — talk about satisfying a sweet tooth. They also have bourbon and chopped pecans, giving them a complex flavor.

It's a simple process to make them. First, you must melt the chocolate, butter, and cocoa powder before tempering the mixture with the remaining ingredients. Naturally, you'll introduce the mix-ins last. This recipe only takes 35 minutes from start to finish.

Recipe: Bourbon Pecan Brownies

These yummy cookies feature chocolate chunks and Maldon Sea salt, filling you with nostalgia and impressing your palate simultaneously. Although these types of cookies are simple, they are just so appealing and timeless.

However, if you want to experiment and make them more fitting for this time of year, include some holiday-colored candies in the cookies, such as Christmas M&M's. The process for this recipe is quite basic. Make the dough with an electric mixer, use a scoop to form dough balls, and bake the cookies for roughly 18 minutes.

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies have a simple vanilla base. What makes them unique is the cream cheese frosting with the perfect level of sweetness and tanginess. They offer an adaptable, blank canvas that you can alter to fit different seasons and occasions.

For instance,  you can also use cookie cutters to make holiday shapes with the dough, such as making them look like a snowman, Santa hat, or snowflake. Alternatively, change the frosting color or use festive garnishes. Just make sure to apply sprinkles or other toppings before the icing hardens. Otherwise, they won't stick.

Recipe: Frosted Sugar Cookies

You're not alone if the holidays are a hectic time for you. Instead of scrambling to make something complex, follow this simple 20-minute recipe, which is always a crowd favorite. These pillowy cookies display the iconic crisscross trademark of a traditional peanut butter cookie.

As far as ingredients go, they contain creamy peanut butter, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. No flour is needed, meaning these cookies can be gluten-free, assuming that the peanut butter you use is as well. Stack these cookies into a cellophane bag and tie it for a lovely presentation.

Recipe: 20-Minute Peanut Butter Cookies

These adorable truffles are perfect for trading with friends or serving on platters. They have an intricate flavor profile with hints of mascarpone cheese, fresh orange zest, espresso, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. You will also need some ladyfingers, sugar, and sea salt to make them.

Luckily, with the help of a food processor, making them is a breeze. Although these dessert bites look striking, you can take it further by sprinkling edible glitter on the crushed ladyfingers. Another option is to coat them with white chocolate instead of semi-sweet.

Recipe: Bite-Sized Tiramisu Truffles

When selecting a recipe to share with loved ones, a bundt cake might not be the first food to come to mind. Yet, it's a clever move because you can slice it into 16 wedges that easily fit into small gift boxes. Moreover, the color of this red velvet cake screams Christmas time.

This recipe is unique because it isn't chockful of food dye — beets impart it with a natural red hue. Not to mention, it tastes dreamy with a subtle chocolate taste and rich cream cheese icing.

Recipe: Naturally Red Velvet Bundt Cake

Use this recipe as the foundation for a Chex mix inspired by the season. This basic formula of assorted Chex cereal, Kix cereal, pretzels, nuts, and butter is extremely tasty. You can easily make it sweet by omitting the savory Worcestershire sauce and seasonings.

Include components such as chocolate-covered pretzels, yogurt-covered raisins, mini marshmallows, or gum drops. Since the butter helps seasonings to stick, you can add baking spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg to complement the nuts and cereal. Load the Chex mix into party favor bags, and you're good to go.

Recipe: At-Home Chex Mix