- Send items that will travel well – oatmeal, sugar or peanut butter cookies, brownies, molasses bars, biscotti, shortbread, pound cakes, and hard candy are all good shipping candidates. Avoid items that can’t withstand heat or other extreme temperatures, such as barks, fudge or foods that require refrigeration.
- Freeze your treats before you pack them, they will be sturdier in transit and will be thawed by the time they get there.
- If at all possible do not cut cakes before you ship them so that they stay moist. If there is a glaze for the cake put it in a Ziploc bag and the recipient can cut off the corner and put it on after it arrives.
- If shipping layer bars or candy wrap each piece in wax paper to prevent sticking
- Wrap each cookie, or a pair of them touching bottom-to-bottom, in plastic wrap, place them in your container and stuff tissue into any air pockets to prevent breakage.
- Use a small coffee can or a potato chip canister as a cookie cutter and then use the same container to ship the cookies; they will stack perfectly and won’t crumble.
- If sending packages overseas to our troops, you will want to allow for longer shipping times. Use a vacuum sealer to take all the air out around the treats. Bake cakes in Mason Jars to keep them fresh then seal them.
- Put whatever you package your treats in, into another container for shipping. It provides a second layer of defense. Fill the air gaps with squares of bubble cushioning or packing peanuts to soften the vibration and prevent cookies or brownies from breaking.
- Be sure to package your items in food safe containers, If you are not sure then seal them in an airtight plastic bag first. You can use baking pans, mailing tubes, gift boxes or cookie tins to hold treats.
- If you are using Bubble wrap, the bubbles go towards the outside and the flat part against the container your treats are in.
- Make sure your gift recipients will be in town to receive their tasty treats. If no one is there to accept delivery of the package, it could sit on a porch or in a warehouse over the holidays which means yucky treats instead of yummy treats!
- Use overnight shipping or USPS Priority Mail which will get it there in 2-3 days
- If you think it will take longer to get your items there, put a piece or 2 of bread to suck up any moister in the outer box and include a note to throw it away.
- If you are using an old box please make sure to cross out any old shipping information so your shipper does not get confused!
- Seal every seam of the outer box with Packaging Tape to keep out any moisture or air.
I chose to ship my cookies via USPS and got a box from the post office. I got this great Christmas designed packing tape for the outside of the box so when someone get’s it they know it’s something fun for Christmas inside.
First put your cookies in a decorative box or container. Put a layer of bunched tissue paper in the bottom of the shipping box and put your cookies on top.
If there is room between your container and the side of the shipping box stuff more tissue paper into the side till it’s tight to prevent shifting during shipping.
Pile more wadded tissue on top. You want to overstuff it so that you will almost have a hard time closing it. This will insure your cookies don’t shift during transport.
Then close your box and use packing tape to seal all the seams top and sides both. This will keep air out.
Now I’ve shared with you 15 tips to ship your holiday treats safely, but if you have a good one please leave me a comment, I’d love to hear it!
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