Description
These M&M Christmas Cookies are soft, chewy, and bursting with festive colors, perfect for holiday celebrations. Loaded with M&M’s and holiday sprinkles, these delightful cookies offer a sweet and colorful treat that’s easy to make and sure to become a seasonal favorite.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1½ cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened but still cool)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar (lightly packed, fresh and soft)
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Add-ins
- 1½ cups M&M’s or a mixture of M&M’s and chocolate chips (divided)
- ¼ cup holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare baking sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set this mixture aside.
- Cream butter and sugars: In a separate large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment to beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together for 1 to 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add egg and vanilla: Beat in the large egg and pure vanilla extract until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Combine flour mixture: On low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Incorporate M&M’s and chips: Gently fold in about 1 generous cup of M&M’s and chocolate chips into the batter, reserving the rest to press on top of the cookies before baking.
- Prepare sprinkles and dough balls: Pour holiday sprinkles into a shallow bowl. Scoop cookie dough into balls between 1½ and 2½ tablespoons each. Press a few M&M’s on top of each dough ball, then gently press the top of each ball into the sprinkles to coat.
- Optional chilling: You can bake the cookies immediately for thinner cookies or chill the dough balls in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to help them bake up thicker.
- Arrange on baking sheets: Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them an inch or two apart to allow for spreading. Mound the dough balls higher rather than wider to prevent overly thin cookies.
- Bake the cookies: Bake for 8 to 11 minutes until the edges are set but the centers remain slightly underdone for a soft texture.
- Cool and firm up: Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and allow the cookies to cool completely. They will firm up as they cool, resulting in soft and chewy cookies.
Notes
- This recipe is a favorite for Christmas with soft, chewy textures loaded with colorful M&M’s and festive sprinkles.
- Chilling the dough balls for 15 minutes before baking helps the cookies maintain thickness and prevents spreading too thin.
- For softer cookies, bake until edges are set but centers look slightly underdone.
- Make sure brown sugar is fresh and soft for optimal cookie texture.
- Pressing M&M’s on top before baking enhances the festive look of the cookies.
- You can double the recipe to make a larger batch for holiday gatherings.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 200 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 73 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 24 mg
