National Cookie Day 2024: Freebies at Subway, Insomnia Cookies and more

For some of us, any day is a good day for a cookie. You have an excuse on Wednesday because it is National Cookie Day.

Each year, National Cookie Day is celebrated on Dec. 4, however the National Day Calendar website doesn't give that date any historic significance in the annals of cookiedom. The site does note the word "cookie" is derived from the Dutch word "koekie," meaning "little cake."

But what cookie to choose on this special day? When it comes to making holiday cookies, frosted sugar cookies came out as the top choice (32%) in a December 2023 poll of 803 adults in the U.S. conducted by Monmouth University, with gingerbread (12%) and chocolate chip (11%) cookies rounding out the top three.

Whatever your favorite cookie, you can opt to make your own or take advantage of specials and deals as part of National Cookie Day. Here's a batch of them – and don't forget to check the social media accounts of your local bakeries and sweet shops for additional deals.

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Subway: National Cookie Day giveaways

For National Cookie Day, the sandwich chain is giving 10,000 customers a chance to win one free cookie every day through the end of the year. Members of the Subway MVP Rewards loyalty program can go to SubwayCookieClub.com through Wednesday to join the Subway Cookie Club (you can sign up for rewards at the same time). Winning members will get a free cookie coupon dropped in their rewards account daily Dec. 9-31.

You can also get a free Footlong Cookie on National Cookie Day and beyond by ordering from popular delivery services:

• DoorDash: Get a free Footlong Cookie with your $20 Subway order on Wednesday, as well as Friday-Sunday, Dec. 6-8. Also, subscribers to the delivery service's DashPass plan (starts at $9.99 monthly or $96 annually; you get unlimited $0 delivery fees and lower service fees on eligible orders) can get a free Footlong Cookie Wednesday and Thursday, too, with every $15 order.

• GrubHub: GrubHub users can get a free Footlong Cookie with every $20 Subway order Wednesday to Tuesday, Dec. 10. Members of the delivery service's GrubHub+ ($9.99 monthly; you get $0 delivery fees, lower service fees and other offers) get a free Footlong Cookie from Dec. 4-10 with every $15 order.

• Uber Eats: With your Subway order of $20 or more, get a free Double Chocolate Peppermint Footlong Cookie through Sunday, Dec. 8. Subscribers to the delivery service's Uber One plan ($9.99 monthly or $96 annually; gets you $0 delivery fees and 10% off orders at certain restaurants and non-grocery stores) can get a free Double Chocolate Peppermint Footlong Cookie with every $15 order during the same period.

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Milk Bar and McCormick National Cookie Day baking contest

Pastry chef Christina Tosi and her Milk Bar bakery – you might remember their cake for Taylor Swift's birthday went viral last December – is teaming with McCormick spices on a special Candy Cane Pretzel Bark Cookie. The first 100 customers at the bakery locations in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. will get a free one as part of a giveaway starting at 10 a.m. After that, the cookies will be on sale for $3.25 through Dec. 31.

Beyond that, you can participate in a virtual holiday cookie recipe exchange with a chance to win $10,000 and the title of best holiday cookie recipe. Just upload a video of your recipe on Instagram (you tag @mccormickspice; for the rest of the rules, click here). Entries must be in by Sunday, Dec. 8.

National Cookie Day deals and specials

• Chip City Cookies: Anyone who has the growing cookie chain's app will get an offer for a free cookie in-store at its 45 stores across the U.S. Not one near you? You can order via Goldbelly.

• Circle K: For National Cookie Day, Circle K customers can get a free freshly baked cookie with an offer through the Circle K Circle app at participating convenience stores. (Offer good while supplies last.)

• Crumbl: The cookie chain has teamed with Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon by NBC for a limited-time treat, Jimmy Fallon’s Holiday Seasoning Candy Cane Brownie, available through Saturday, Dec. 7. It's timed to the release of inspired by Fallon’s new Holiday Seasoning album, which has a deluxe version out on Friday. Register to win a signed copy of the album and a $100 Crumbl Gift Card on Instagram (@Crumbl).

• Dunkin’: The donut chain is debuting its first-ever holiday sugar cookie, the Decorated Shortbread Cookie, on Wednesday. The donut-shaped cookies – topped with pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles – resemble Dunkin’s Strawberry Frosted Sprinkles donut. You can pair one with a $3 medium hot or iced Signature Latte through Dec. 9.

• Great American Cookies: On Wednesday, when you buy one Cookie Cake slice, get one free.

• Happy Joe's Pizza: Have a pizza – a cookie pizza – for National Cookie Day. Happy Joe’s Big Cookie Pizza ($10.99) is available at participating locations.

• Insomnia Cookies: Members of the Insomnia Rewards loyalty program on Wednesday can get one Classic cookie free and a Deluxe cookie for $1 in stores (no additional purchase required) and online with any in-app pick-up or delivery order (delivery minimum purchase required).

• Jimmy John’s: When you buy a limited-edition Chocolate Peppermint Cookie made with Oreo cookies pieces on National Cookie Day through Dec. 8, 50 cents will go to the Jimmy John’s Foundation, which partners with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (donation up to $150,000).

• Keebler: For National Cookie Day, you can win a variety pack of Keebler’s iconic cookies including Sandies, Fudge Stripes, E.L. Fudge, and more. Just go to head to the Keebler Instagram page (@keebler) and like one of the giveaway posts and tag a friend for a chance to win by Dec. 6.

• Kum & Go: Members of the K&G’s &Rewards loyalty program get 50% off fresh-baked cookies on Wednesday (limit one per transaction).

• Maverik – Adventure’s First Stop: Members of the Maverik’s Adventure Club loyalty program get 50% off fresh-baked cookies on Wednesday (limit one per transaction). Upgraded Nitro cardholders get a free cookie at Maverik locations.

• Nestlé Toll House: Here's a new one: Cookie Nachos, with "nacho" chips made of chocolate chip cookie dough with Semi-Sweet, Premier White and Butterscotch morsels. You can enter to win a Cookie Nacho baking kit with “chip-shaped” cookie cutters, a recipe card, and a $25 gift card to purchase nacho-inspired toppings of choice. Enter on the Toll House site by end of the day Thursday.

• Quiznos: Get a free cookie with any $5 purchase on Wednesday.

• Tim Hortons: On National Cookie Day, get a limited-time menu item Holiday Sugar Dream Cookie, a white chocolate chip sugar cookie made with red and green sprinkles, vanilla icing, peppermint bark crumbles and topped with a mini gingerbread man cookie.

Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: National Cookie Day 2024: Free deals and special cookies on Wednesday