Have you ever thought about starting a home-based cookie business?
Today more than ever, figuring out how to make money in your own business is appealing to people who want to set their own hours, find their own clients, and control how much or how little they work.
One of the most overlooked ways of making money from your own business has to do with what you can produce in the kitchen rather than on a computer: cookies!
And not just any cookies – cookies decorated with a special kind of icing, royal icing, that dries hard and makes it easy to theme the cookie to fit whatever event or occasion you or your customers would like.
Many people think that learning how to make these kinds of cookies would be too complicated for them, which is why there is such a demand for custom decorated cookies, but you can absolutely learn how to do it and make good money doing so!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure for more information.
MORE FUN WORK AT HOME IDEAS
Start A Soap Making Business From Home
How To Start An Etsy Store Successfully
How To Start A Cookie Business From Home
Here’s a Step-by-Step on the process of setting up a cookie selling business.
Learn How to Use Royal Icing
Obviously you first need to make sure you are good enough at decorating cookies to sell them, but don’t worry if you’re not a pro right away.
It’s one of the most delicious things you can even learn online and then turn around and make a profit from.
You’ll want to find a go-to cookie recipe that creates “cut out” cookies, meaning they don’t spread when you cut them with cookie cutters, and then you’ll want to practice the art of using royal icing to decorate them.
Royal icing can be made with fresh egg whites, or, for a more cost effective option, dry meringue powder that can be sold in bulk.
Practice the royal icing techniques on lots of cookies, and soon you’ll get the hang of it and be able to create any design you want.
How To Sell Cookies Online
Selling cookies online is the best way to really grow your brand and boost sales quickly.
You might think that selling your cookies at fairs and markets is the best way when you are starting out but don’t forget about selling on social media and your own website.
Here’s how to get started with selling your cookies online:
Create a Web Presence and Register Your Business
You’re not just going to be standing outside your house with a sign to advertise your business.
Cookie businesses run online now, and many people running them have both a dedicated webpage as well as a Facebook or Instagram presence.
Here’s a step by step guide to starting a website for your small business.
You’ll want to establish a basic presence on these sites and start interacting with people in your local area so they can start to keep your name in mind when they’re looking for delicious creations.
You’ll also want to check the rules to make sure you correctly register with any health authorities in your area since you’ll technically be selling food from your home.
Get On Social Media
Make sure to create social profiles on all the major platforms such as Instagram and Facebook and to promote your cookie business that way.
One thing I have found that works really well is to join local Facebook groups for moms who might be looking for cookies for birthday parties and other events.
Tips For Growing Your Home-Based Cookie Business
Get Your Initial Customers on Board
To get initial customers, it’s always fun to either do a giveaway or to give people free cookies in exchange for them leaving you a review on Google or Facebook.
Because the cookies are so beautiful and intricate, you don’t need to give them a whole batch, just one or two will allow them to taste and sample and make an opinion about whether other people should buy.
Book and Fill Custom Orders
The main way that many cookie sellers (or cookiers as they are also called) make money is with custom orders.
So let’s say a client has a birthday party with 20 people and wants 20 flamingos to fit the theme – they would put this order through you, and you would quote based on the number of cookies and how intricate the designs are.
The same could be said for someone ordering for a retirement party, a Christmas party, a wedding anniversary, and so much more.
It doesn’t have to be a big event, either. Get your name out there enough and make people see how easy it is to order from you, and you’ll have people who just want to get them as a gift to show someone they care any day of the year.
Do Holiday Flash Sales
Another way to make money with a cookie business is to plan around the holidays.
Many cookie sellers will make “sets” for holidays like Fourth of July, Halloween, or Christmas, so they will produce dozens or hundreds of these cookie sets, all looking the same, and then sell them to clients.
This can be faster because you aren’t customizing the cookies, but rather creating the same design over and over.
Is Making Money with a Cookie Business Right for You?
Decorating and selling cookies is great for creative people.
People who have an interest in baking, people who prefer to make money in a tangible way rather than entirely online, and people who already have a large network of friends and family who can quickly get the word out about your cookie offerings.
If you love baking and making things, consider these other home-based business ideas too:
How To Start A Dog Treat Business {in 6 Easy Steps)
21 Most Profitable Resin Crafts To Sell
11 Most Profitable Cricut Business Ideas
More Resources for your home-based cookie business
Homemade for Sale: How to Set Up and Market a Food Business from Your Home Kitchen
About the author
Kalyn Franke writes about making money from side hustles and living your dreams at Goodbye, Self Help.
She also runs a cookie selling business on the side called Into the Cookie Jar, where she sells cookies to clients in her local area and shares cookie recipes online.
More Side Hustle Ideas
27 Ways For Stay At Home Moms To Make Money
FREE Ebook – Make Money With A Hobby
How To Make $1500 A Month From Home
