COLUMBUS
COOKIE CLASSIC
COMPETITION
COMMUNITY
CHARITY
& above all, COOKIES
The Columbus Cookie Classic is an annual amateur baking competition celebrating Columbus’s most passionate cookie makers. Created by two ribbon-winning bakers, it’s designed as a fun, creative, and engaging alternative to traditional fair contests—complete with ribbons, cash prizes, bragging rights, and plenty of community spirit. More than just a competition, it’s a way to bring the local home baking community together over a shared love of cookies, specifically for this first event, Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Proceeds from the event will support a local nonprofit!
Join us Sunday, November 2, 2025 at Antiques on High!
Baker Registrations are SOLD OUT!
Cookies
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Cookies •
You need to live in the Columbus Metro Area! This is a local competition.
This is for amateur bakers only. If you’re a pro, sell your treats, or have formal culinary training, come join us as a taster instead!
The entry fee is $20 and is non-refundable. This fee includes a tasting ticket so that you can taste all the entries and help select a “Peoples’ Choice” winner!
One entry per person. You must make the cookies yourself and the recipe should be uniquely yours.
Contestants must be 18 and older.
You’ll need to bring 18 cookies in an airtight container with your name on it. You can select your top 4 cookies for display and judging.
You’ll need to share a full ingredients list.
By entering, you agree that photos and video from the event may be used to celebrate our contestants and promote future events. Fame is fleeting, but cookie pics are forever.
Plan to hang out until winners are announced. We’re excited for you to meet your competitors and try their cookies, and we want to hear from our “star baker” once the winner is announced!
The Rubric:
Every baker deserves to know how their cookies stacked up! Our judges will use the rubric below to score each entry. You’ll receive your scores and you’ll also get a small amount of personalized feedback. Our goal is to make the competition transparent and to give you helpful insight into your bake.
30%: Appearance
Even shape and size
Attractive color
Chocolate chips are visible and evenly distributed
35%: Texture
Not overly dry, tough, or greasy
Pleasant mouthfeel
35%: Flavor
Balanced sweetness and chocolate flavor
No overpowering flavors (salt, bitterness, artificial taste, etc)
Pleasant aftertaste
In the event of a tied score, the judging panel will determine the winner.
THE RULES
Bake
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Bake ·
FAQ
If we didn’t answer your question, email us!
Bakers FAQ
What is the deadline to enter?
The deadline is October 3rd or once we hit our cap of 20 contestants, whichever comes first. BAKER REGISTRATION IS CURRENTLY SOLD OUT. EMAIL US TO GET ON THE WAITLIST.
What are the prizes?
Our winners will all receive ribbons. Additionally, they’ll walk away with the following cash prizes as well as prizes from our Venue Partner Antiques on High/Seventh Son Brewing:
1st place: $50 + $25 Seventh Son Brewing/AOH/Getaway Gift Card
2nd place: $30 + $15 Seventh Son Brewing/AOH/Getaway Gift Card
3rd place: $15 + $10 Seventh Son Brewing/AOH/Getaway Gift Card
People’s Choice: $50 + $25 Seventh Son Brewing/AOH/Getaway Gift Card
Can I sample the other contestants’ cookies?
Yes! Your entry fee includes a tasting ticket, which means you’ll get to try all the other entries. One reason we started this contest is to build cookie camaraderie. We hope bakers will meet, swap baking tips, and celebrate each other’s creations.
Will I display my own cookies at the contest?
Nope! We’ll take care of that for you. We recommend bringing your cookies in an airtight container. Once you arrive, you’ll show us which four cookies are for the judges and display, and we’ll cut up and serve the remaining cookies on standard platters.
Can I vote for my own cookies for the People’s Choice award?
No one will know, but we’d really prefer that you throw in a vote for someone else! Think of this vote as, “If my own cookies weren’t in the mix, whose do I think should win?”
What will you do with the information and photos I share in the registration?
While we’re excited about the contest, we’re even more excited to start building a baking community in Columbus. To help our audience get to know our bakers, we’ll highlight a few fun details or photos from your application on Instagram and Facebook before the event. We promise to keep your last name, email, and phone number private.
Who will judge the event?
Our expert judges for this event will be Aaron Clouse, Faith Durand, and Lara Yazvac Pipia. Stay tuned for a judges bio page coming soon!
What is the event schedule?
12:30-1:30pm: Drop off cookies (after drop-off, feel free to grab a drink at the bar downstairs or leave and return at 2pm for the formal event!)
2:00pm: Event starts and judging begins
3:30pm: Winners are announced
4:00pm: Event ends
Why only Chocolate Chip Cookies?
We care about the experience of this event for the bakers, judges, and the tasters, so we are starting small, with the most entered item in fair baking competitions and a quintessential cookie we all know and love, Chocolate Chip. We plan to expand to more categories as we work to create a great Columbus Cookie Classic with all of you.
Let's Bake
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Let's Bake ·
MEET THE
TEAM
Hi! We’re Liz and Tania, long-time Columbus residents, friends, and enthusiastic bakers. Over the years, we’ve entered the Ohio State Fair and other baking contests, collecting more than a dozen ribbons between us. Our proudest moments include two “Best in Show” wins at the Ohio State Fair and - most relevant for the Columbus Cookie Classic - four ribbons for chocolate chip cookies.
As much as we love the thrill of competition, there are a few things we’ve always wished baking contests offered more of: helpful feedback from judges, real community with fellow bakers, and the chance to taste one another’s creations. We’re launching the Columbus Cookie Classic to build the kind of event we always wanted to attend!
Liz is our community relations and social media lead. She brings a wealth of event-planning experience from her time as executive director of Columbus SOUP and through her service on the boards of 934 Gallery, the Avalon Theatre, Main Street Marysville, and Wild Goose Creative, executing events ranging from community dinners, car shows, galas, egg hunts, 5k races, festivals, cooking demos, and beyond.
Tania handles logistics and behind-the-scenes coordination. Her past experience includes co-hosting some awesome local events like the Columbus Science Pub, Too Many Cooks, and the Pizza Grand Prix. Today she’s a volunteer project lead for US Digital Response and, locally, serves with At Home by High and the Columbus Foundation Green Fund.
Together, we’re combining our ribbons, our organizing chops, and our love of cookies to launch the Columbus Cookie Classic. We’d be so excited for you to join us as a baker or taster at our inaugural event!
