Christmas Treat Plates: Easy and Delicious Friend/Neighbor Gift

Every year at Christmas time, we make treat plates for our friends and neighbors. Some years we go all out and buy the fancy tins or window treat boxes to deliver them in. Some years we deliver them on whatever paper plates we have at home. But either way, it is delicious and a fun family activity for us to prepare and deliver. We ask our kids if they have any friends they want to give a treat plate to, and we also put church friends, neighbors, and family members on the list. It is usually best to do this early on in the Christmas season as we have found that the closer to Christmas you get, the more likely it is that everyone is already filled up to the brim with sweets. It is also wise to try to space the baking out across a few days so you don’t get overwhelmed. Unless your family loves the full day baking marathons! Here are some of our favorite recipes to include on our treat plates at Christmastime. We don’t do all of them every year, but we generally do pick 5-6 to include. And we always keep a little plate for ourselves as well!

Scotcheroos- I have noticed a pattern with our Christmas treats. Most of them involve peanut butter. These are my husband’s favorite dessert. We don’t make them too often, and Christmas is a perfect excuse to have them in the house!

Puppy Chow– Also called Muddy Buddies, but I grew up in the midwest and it is puppy chow here. There are so many different versions of this. We tend to make the classic version, but one year we made this delicious white chocolate Oreo version that was delicious. My family also makes a savory trail mix that is great. I never put salty on my treat plates, but it is just a good recipe to have during the holidays as a finger food at parties.

Oreo Balls– These were my favorite on the treat plate this year. If you don’t have a food processor or a blender that can really crush the Oreos well, I would skip this one. But if you do have one, this is a must make. The feedback I received on the plates confirmed that this was everyone’s favorite.

Chocolate dipped pretzels- We wing this every time, so you’re welcome to google your own recipe. We buy the pretzel rods and melt chocolate almond bark and white almond bark in separate mason jars and dip the pretzels in. Let them drip a bit and then lay them on wax paper. If you don’t lay it on wax paper, it will probably break when you try to lift it off the tray and it is stuck to it. As I mentioned that we put peanut butter in everything, it is super yummy to mix the white almond bark with a big spoonful of peanut butter. Mix it until its melted and blended and dip in that as well.

Sugar Cookies– Sugar Spun Run has my favorite recipe for sugar cookies. This is a multi day event for my kids and I. We will make the dough in the morning, throw it in the fridge for at least an hour. Then we pull it out about 30 minutes before we want to cut out the shapes. After it has softened we will cut out the cookies and bake them. Then on a different day, we make the Sugar Spun Run frosting and decorate!

If all of that sounds like a lot of work and like you will lose your mind doing the long process with your kids (not speaking from experience) then you should try these Christmas tree cookie bars. No cutting out, yummy sugar cookie recipe, and easy decorating.

Andes mint cookies– These cookies are fantastic anytime of year. They are easy to make, they look fancy, and they taste good! Almost like a thin mint, but on a more brownie-like cookie instead of a thin wafer.

Peppermint bark– I don’t know why this can’t be a year round treat. I find myself craving peppermint bark throughout the year. I think this year, when Christmas is over, I will be stocking up on candy canes so I can make this when the craving hits in June.

Tiger Butter– Peanut butter again! My husband’s family always made fudge when he was growing up. We do make it occasionally, but I am not as big of a fan of the texture of fudge so this is what I prefer. It is a smooth peanut butter chocolate. It is not fluffy or grainy like fudge can be.

Buckeyes– Peanut butter AGAIN! This was what my family did when I was young. Like I said, I prefer the Tiger butter, but if you want your kids to be more involved in making it, this is a great one for them to help with as they can roll the peanut butter balls and dip them in the chocolate.

White Chocolate Ginger Snaps- I would like to preface this with the fact that I don’t like gingerbread very much. But HOLY COW, these cookies are good. Baking with Blondie nailed it. And these always look so cute on the plate.

Just a reminder that I said these were all going on treat plates to give away! Don’t blame me if you end up eating them all at your house before you get the chance! I didn’t advise that! …But I also don’t discourage it 😉