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How to Mail Cookies with Minimal Damage

Want to mail cookies as gifts this year? These packing tips will ensure their safe arrival.

To test the best way to mail holiday cookies, we made batches of our New Mexico Biscochitos, Turtle Bars, and Chocolate Brownie Cookies and experimented with different methods of packing and mailing to send them off to lucky friends around the country. The recipients then reported back on how the cookies held up through transit.

Our hefty Turtle Bars held up the best, followed by the biscochitos. While the Chocolate Brownie Cookies were the most prone to breaking, almost any cookies can be successfully mailed with some care.

For delicate cookies and hefty, sticky bar cookies, we recommend making stacks of three or four with small pieces of parchment paper between the cookies and then wrapping the stacks in a tight double layer of plastic wrap. For sturdy cookies, simply seal them in a zipper-lock bag. You can mail different cookies in the same box, but don't wrap different cookies together, since their flavors can transfer. Pad the box generously with at least 3 inches of bubble wrap, recycled packing peanuts, crumpled newspaper, or air-popped popcorn. And finally, spend the extra money to mail them faster so the cookies arrive fresher; USPS two-day Priority Mail is a good choice.

The bottom line: Thoughtful wrapping (zipper-lock bags or plastic wrap) and a good amount of padding (popcorn, packing peanuts, or crumpled newspaper) ensure successful cookie shipping.

You can see our packing process in action in our Kitchen Smarts YouTube series!

  • Use Plenty of Padding
  • Stack for Fewer Broken Cookies

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