Full disclosure: I’m not a huge sports fan, but I absolutely adore March Madness. Not because I’m an expert on basketball, but because I love filling out the bracket. I’m actually pretty good at guessing the outcomes, but when I host a March Madness party I like to stack the odds in my favor. This year, that means turning the bracket into a food competition—specifically a Chocolate Chip Cookie March Madness taste-off. We sourced cookies from around Los Angeles, but you can invite guests to bake their own or pick another favorite food—pizza, dip, or donuts would work just as well.
Save a few whole cookies for the actual bracket competition and arrange the rest on a dessert bar so guests can enjoy their favorites throughout the event. We used an assortment of cake plates and trays to display the cookies and disposable plates for easy cleanup. Don’t forget jars of milk for dunking and striped napkins and straws to nod to the referees—because a little theme detail goes a long way. The “Holy Chip” sign is an easy DIY made from poster letters.
Here’s how to set up your own March Madness taste-off:
- Pick the competition food. For us it was chocolate chip cookies.
- Invite guests to bring or bake their favorite version. If guests buy cookies, ask them to choose different bakeries or recipes so there are no duplicates.
- Start with a bracket of 16 or 8 entries, depending on how many people participate.
- Print a bracket or create a life-size version on the floor using washi tape and label each spot with the baker or bakery name.
- Cut the reserved cookies into quarters so everyone can sample each entry without wasting full cookies.
- Have guests taste each sample and vote for their favorites. Tally the votes and advance winners through the bracket until a champion is crowned.
Photos by Jeff Mindell. Concept development and styling by Beautilitarian with creative direction by Studio DIY.
Large Wood Cake Plate + Dome / Small Wood Serving Plate + Dome / Ceramic Cake Plate
Scalloped Cake Plate / Pink Scalloped Tray / Pink Glasses / Placemats
Glass Carafes / Striped Napkins / Disposable Plates
Want to customize your event? Try theme-inspired servingware, label cards for each cookie, and small scorecards for guests to mark their votes. If you prefer a savory bracket, swap cookies for sliders, tacos, or wings and follow the same elimination format.
What would your March Madness taste-off feature?
We’ll be sharing results from our Los Angeles cookie taste-off soon for anyone local—stay tuned!
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