Custom Cookie Boxes

How cookie boxes are put together

Cookie boxes come in several builds, chosen by whether the cookies are stacked, stood on edge or laid out to show.

A stack of round cookies fits a narrow tuck-end carton, opened from one end. Gift assortments are more often a tray with a lift-off lid, or a tray that slides into a printed sleeve, so the whole top lifts away to show the layout.

Rows of cookies stood on edge are held by a slotted insert, which packs more into a small footprint and stops them leaning. Single large cookies are usually laid flat in a shallow tray.

• Stack: narrow tuck-end carton
• Assortment: tray with lid or sleeve
• On edge: slotted insert

Board, liners and freshness

Paperboard does not keep air out, so freshness depends on what sits inside the box.

SBS or kraft board gives the box its shape and print surface. Shortbread and other butter-rich bakes leave marks on bare board, so a greaseproof or glassine liner between the cookies and the box is worth asking for.

For a shelf life of more than a few days, cookies are usually sealed in a bag or wrap first, with the box acting as the outer pack. A box alone suits cookies sold and eaten fresh.

Sizing so nothing rattles

A cookie box should be snug, because loose cookies chip and break against each other.

Measure the diameter and thickness of the cookie, then work out the stack height or the row length from the count. Leave only a small allowance, enough to pack without forcing.

Hand-made cookies vary in size from batch to batch, so size from the largest of a few cookies from different batches rather than the recipe target. Send us your largest cookie's size and we build the layout around it. If the gap is still large, a liner or a slim insert can take up the slack.

Cookie box or bakery box?

A bakery box is a general carrier. A cookie box is built around one product and one layout.

A plain bakery box with a window takes any mix of bakes, which suits a counter that sells a little of everything. Cookies move around inside it, and the edges suffer.

A cookie box is sized for a set count and arrangement, so it travels better and looks more finished as a gift. The trade-off is that one size only suits one product.

Print, sleeves and seasons

Cookie boxes are often bought as gifts, so a sleeve that changes with the season is a common trick.

A plain or lightly printed tray can be reused all year, with a sleeve or band carrying the seasonal artwork. Only the sleeve changes, which keeps short seasonal runs simpler.

A window shows the cookies but lets in light, and an open cut-out lets in air as well. Where the cookies are wrapped inside, a window still sells the look without affecting freshness.

• Plain tray, seasonal sleeve
• Only the sleeve changes each season
• Windows suit wrapped contents best

Plain cookie box or one with an insert?

A plain cookie box is the right pick for sturdy bakes sold and eaten fresh. A box with an insert is the right pick for thin, iced or very fragile cookies.

Lace biscuits, thin wafers and royal-iced designs crack with very little movement. A box with a fitted insert keeps each one in its own space, and we cut the insert around the shapes you bake. In the post, the box also needs an outer shipper.

Retail shelves with long sell-by dates call for a sealed barrier pack, with the printed box as the outer layer. A box on its own is right for fresh bakes, not long storage.