5th Annual Kids Christmas Cookie Bake Off 2025
- Jessica Hamby
- Nov 2
- 3 min read
It's that time of year! Get the scoop on the cookie bake off here!
Date: Saturday, December 6, 2025
Time: 1pm-3pm
Participant Ages:
Category 1 - 7-10
Category 2 - 11-14
Fee to enter: None
Judges: TBD
Event Day Arrival:
On the day of the event, contestants can arrive anytime between the hours of 1PM-3PM. There are no set time slots. Contestants will be greeted at the door by one of our staff members and have their picture taken with their cookies. If you do not wish to have your child's picture taken, please let us know.
Event Day Presentation:
Contestants will come before the panel of judges to present their cookies by stating their name and the name of the cookie they made. For instance, they could say, "Hi, I'm Molly, and I baked Chocolate Reindeer Cookies." We realize that not everyone may be comfortable speaking to the judges. If that's the case, a parent or sibling is welcome to speak on behalf of the contestant. There's no need to feel stressed or pressured! The judges will then say, "Thanks! We are excited to taste them!" Following this, contestants will leave the room. The official taste-testing and judging session will begin at 3PM, after all contestants have completed presenting their cookies. Winners will be announced via email that evening, along with judges' feedback for each contestant's cookies.
Winners and Prizes:
The judges will evaluate the cookies and judge them based on 3 categories. Each category will have one winner.
The categories are -
BEST TASTING COOKIE: This is the cookie that the judges thought tasted the best, regardless of appearance.
MOST FESTIVE COOKIE: This is the cookie that the judges thought had the most Christmas spirit or most Christmas-y design, regardless of taste.
BEST ALL-AROUND COOKIE: This is the cookie that the judges thought encompassed both of the other categories; it tasted good and was festive.
Each category winner will receive a Wooden Spoon Trophy. It will either be mailed or delivered to the winner's home in the weeks following the event.
Event Rules:
Participants must be between the ages of 7-10 for category 1 and 10-14 for category 2 .
Cookies must be presented on a disposable plate, platter, or box labeled with the child’s name and name of the cookie.
Judging is based on cookies alone, not oral presentation to judges.
Participants must have at least four cookies to sample.
All cookies must be baked (ie - have a step that includes the oven).
Cookies must be made with minimal help from adults (including cookie selection process, grocery shopping, and kitchen cleanup!).
Types of cookies allowed: sugar cookies, shortbread cookies, cookie cups, cut-out cookies, bar cookies, sandwich cookies, crinkle cookies, spritz cookies, pfeffernüsse cookies, biscotti, wafer cookies, meltaways, alfajores, fortune cookies, animal crackers, dipped cookies, and stuffed cookies.
Types of cookies not allowed: french macarons, coconut macaroons, meringues, scones, crepes, pizelles, brownies, blondies, haystacks, stroopwafel, waffle cookies, truffles, churros, rugelach, cannoli, cookie dough, whoopie pies, eclairs, lady-fingers, no-bake cookies, pie dough cookies, palmiers, pop-tarts, and decorated store-bought cookies.
Registration is required because we need to know who will be competing so that we can have that information available for the judges for their note-taking sheets.
Please pre-register here.
We wish everyone good luck! Here's a fun video to watch!
To read recaps and see cookies from 2020-2024, click here.
How did the Kids Christmas Cookie Bake Off get started?
In 2020, due to the pandemic, many kids found themselves stuck at home, looking for creative ways to pass the time. Many chose to head to the kitchen and improve their baking skills.
That inspired Jessica Hamby, the founder of Itty Bitty Bakers, to hold a Christmas Cookie Bake Off contest where kids would bake cookies at home and then present their cookies to a panel of judges. The inaugural bake off took place outdoors, in her front yard in Birmingham, AL and the kids loved it! The bake off has continued every year since!
To read a recap on each year's bake off, click here, but here's a quick list of past Best All-Around winners:
2020: Claire Conrad for her Double Hot Chocolate Peppermint Cookies.
2021: Emma Cooley for her Snickerdoodle Gingerbread House Cookies.
2022: (age group 5-9) Neely Pinson for her Christmas Toaster Strudel Cookies; (age group 10-14) Nora Childress for her Festive Fox Cookies
2023: (Anniversary Cupcake Bake off) Emma Romano for her Starbucks Run Cupcake.
Who will win this year? We can't wait to find out!
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