Easy & Sweet Homemade Hostess Gifts + the Best Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Wedding Wednesday, once again! Can you believe we only have one more before the big day?! Don’t worry if you’re not interested in anything Wedding today. I wanted to share a homemade gift that saved me this past year. These homemade mini chocolate chip cookie jars are delicious, cheap and personalized.  Since we’re only a few weeks from kicking off the holiday season, this is a good recipe to keep handy in case you are in search of a last minute gift! 

I have a few friends who don’t like chocolate (they’re insane I know!) but every single one texted me the next day and said they already ate all their cookies! I have two all time favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes and this is one of them. Beware, it’s SO easy to pop a couple in your mouth while making these and before you know it you’ve eaten a dozen mini cookies yourself. 

To keep up with more holiday ideas and recipes, make sure to follow along on Instagram (@YesPleaseDaily)! 

These cookies are so adorable, I knew they would turn out mini but I didn’t realize how mini! They take a while to make because you have to roll so many out, so I grabbed a stool and watched Netflix in the kitchen, ha! They make 12 dozen which sounds like a lot, but depending on how many you’re gifting you may want to double or triple your recipe. I made 8 mason jars and 2 batches of this recipe was still not enough. Since I was short on time, I filled the bottom of the mason jars with trail mix and then some Hershey bars I had in our S’mores stash, then the cookies on top. 

If you’re making these as a Christmas gift, the jars would be adorable with all cookies & a holiday colored ribbon! You could even nix the chocolate chips and substitute white chocolate and holiday colored sprinkles. 

To assemble the mason jars: 

— Pop the circle part of the lid out, spray with chalk spray paint and let dry.

–While the lids are drying, grab a name tag, ribbons, or whatever decoration you want. I did cardboard gift tags & wrote ‘I’m so lucky to have a sweet friend like you’ in White Paint Marker. 

–Once the lids are dry, write their names or a holiday message in the chalk. You can use a Paint Marker for a permanent message or chalk so they can erase + reuse. 

–Fill the mason jars with cookies or treats of your choice. 

–Seal & Deliver! 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 6 minutes

Yield: About 12 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

  Coupons 

• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 + 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus more for topping if desired

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt for 20 seconds, set aside.
• Place butter in a microwave safe bowl, heat in microwave on HIGH power until butter has melted halfway. Remove and whisk until fully melted. Pour butter into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar, fit mixer with paddle attachment and blend mixture on medium speed until well combined. Mix in egg and vanilla extract. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
• Scoop dough out a slightly heaping 1/2 tsp at a time and drop onto plates (wax paper, whatever). Shape each into a ball, then if desired press 3 – 4 more chocolate chips into top (totally optional, mostly for looks…and more chocolate). Align on two Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheets, spacing 1-inch apart. Bake in preheated oven about 5 – 6 minutes (they should still fill soft and slightly under-baked, they will continue to cook slightly once removed from oven so carefully not to over-bake). Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

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You could spend a lazy Saturday baking these cookies and filling mason jars, so you have gifts on hand when you start to get busier towards Christmas! I had almost all the ingredients for these cookies in my cabinet, so all I had to buy was mini chocolate chips & mason jars making this an under $10 gift for 8 people! Baking cookies at the holidays always reminds me of my Mama and makes me so happy, if one of my recipes became part of your holiday tradition it would be the best Christmas present ever.

xo.

| Kitchen Aid Mixer | ‘Cravings’ Cookbook by Chrissy Teigen | Oatmeal Cookie Candle | Kate Spade Polka Dot Tea Kettle |