Christmas Cookies
Where to watch
Via 
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The premise
A corporate agent is sent to a small town to buy a cookie company and shut down its factory. When she starts falling in love with the factory's owner, the town's Christmas spirit over takes her.
How unusual is it?
More than most. Mistaken identity, an actual miracle and an enemies-to-lovers arc push it well past the usual Hallmark template — the strangest 18% of everything we've logged.
Who’s in it
Alongside them
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Behind the camera
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Directed by
Written by
Wait, what?
The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.
- The town is literally named 'Cookie Jar'.
- The 'mulling period' for a corporate contract is strictly defined as 72 hours.
- The corporate strategy to save the company relies on the fact that the recipe is stored in the 'minds' of the townspeople like a human hard drive.
- A high-stakes corporate merger is decided based on a CEO tasting a single cookie in a dance hall.
Every trope, all in one place
Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 38 to find more movies that do the same thing.
Setting2
Time & season3
Characters6
Conflict6
Romance6
Tone & quirks7
Why we’d put this one on
Jill Wagner is the corporate fixer sent to buy out a beloved cookie company and ship the factory off to Buffalo, and Wes Brown is the new owner who refuses to let the town lose it. You know this dance. What makes this one fun is the setting: the town is literally named Cookie Jar, the contract has a strictly enforced 72-hour mulling period, and a multi-million-dollar merger basically rides on a CEO tasting one cookie in a dance hall. It is enemies-to-lovers comfort food at a 6.4, warm and silly in the best holiday way. Bring a plate of cookies and settle in.
How it all plays out
Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.
Full story (spoilers)
Hannah Harper is a high-powered executive at National Foods in New York City, dating the equally corporate and 'stuffy' Gavin. Her boss, Mr. Thurber, tasks her with a 'make or break' deal: acquire Aunt Sally’s Christmas Cookie Company in the town of Cookie Jar and relocate the factory to Buffalo to increase profit margins. Hannah, who claims to dislike Christmas, arrives in the hyper-festive town and is immediately pranked by Jake Carter, the company's interim CEO and nephew of the late Aunt Sally, who pretends to be a local taxi driver named Ed. When the truth is revealed, Hannah presents a lucrative buyout offer, but Jake is hesitant because the deal requires closing the local factory, which is the lifeblood of the community. As Hannah waits out Jake's '72-hour mulling period,' she is forced to participate in town traditions like tree decorating, sled racing, and gingerbread house judging. She stays at the Gingerbread Inn, run by Betty, a former factory employee who hints that the secret to the cookies isn't just a recipe. Hannah and Jake grow close, bonding over shared losses and the pressure of legacy. The conflict peaks when Hannah’s boyfriend Gavin arrives unexpectedly and proposes to her in front of the entire town; Hannah doesn't say yes, but the spectacle hurts Jake. Facing bankruptcy, Jake eventually signs the deal but stipulates that all proceeds go to the employees, leaving himself nothing. On the train back to New York, Hannah realizes she has changed and cannot marry Gavin or destroy the town. She returns to Cookie Jar during the Christmas Eve dance and interrupts the announcement of the sale. She proves to Mr. Thurber that the 'secret recipe' isn't written down anywhere; rather, it is distributed among the townspeople—one knows the icing, one the shortbread, one the fudge. She convinces Thurber that the cookies cannot be manufactured in Buffalo without the 'spark' of the local people. Thurber agrees to keep the factory in Cookie Jar, Hannah and Jake confess their feelings, and they celebrate the town's survival with a kiss.
Beat by beat
Opening
Hannah is assigned to acquire Aunt Sally's Christmas Cookie Company and move it to Buffalo, despite the town's reliance on the factory.
Inciting Incident
Hannah arrives in Cookie Jar and is picked up by Jake, who pretends to be a taxi driver before revealing he is the CEO she is negotiating with.
Midpoint
Hannah begins to soften toward the town's traditions, participating in a sled race with Jake and his sister's family, resulting in a tie for first place.
Complication
Hannah's boyfriend Gavin arrives and proposes publicly, creating a misunderstanding with Jake and pressuring Hannah to return to her old life.
Climax
Hannah realizes the 'secret recipe' is actually the collective knowledge of the townspeople and uses this leverage to convince her boss to keep the factory local.
Resolution
The deal is revised to keep the factory in Cookie Jar, Hannah breaks up with Gavin, and she and Jake decide to start a future together.
38 tropes in one movie
We counted 38 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.
How it stacks up
Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.
Higher-rated than 46% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.
Where this one fits
The corners of the catalog Christmas Cookies belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.
Lines worth quoting
The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.
“Christmas is what you make it... or bake it.”
— Betty / HannahA recurring town motto about the importance of the cookie tradition. “I'm going to tell you something nobody ever told me. You need to have passion. That's the secret. Passion.”
— Mr. ThurberHannah's boss giving her advice before she leaves for Cookie Jar. “You can go to Buffalo, you hire somebody to push a button on some machine, okay, but it's not gonna taste like that.”
— Hannah HarperHannah explaining to her boss why the factory must stay in Cookie Jar.
Meet the characters
Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.
Hannah Harper
LeadCorporate Executive at National Foods
AmbitiousInitially cynicalEfficientSecretly sentimentalJake Carter
Love interestCorporate Lawyer and CEO of Aunt Sally's
Business rival and romantic interest
ProtectiveCharmingCommunity-orientedPlayfulGavin
AntagonistCorporate Professional
Boyfriend (later ex-boyfriend)
StuffySelf-centeredStatus-consciousBetty
SupportingInnkeeper at the Gingerbread Inn
Host and mentor figure
WarmWiseObservantMr. Thurber
SupportingCEO of National Foods
Boss
DemandingProfit-drivenSecretly appreciates passion
Questions people ask about Christmas Cookies
Where can I watch Christmas Cookies?
Christmas Cookies is available via fuboTV, YouTube TV, and Philo. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.
How long is Christmas Cookies?
Christmas Cookies runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2016.
Is Christmas Cookies a Christmas movie?
Yes. Christmas Cookies is a Hallmark Christmas movie, set during the holiday season.
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Curated by the Talking Hallmark team.Last updated .