Description
These M&M Christmas Cookies are soft, chewy, and delightfully festive with colorful M&M’s and holiday sprinkles. Perfect for holiday gatherings, they balance sweetness with a tender texture and vibrant decoration.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1½ cups plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour (see note)
- 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, make sure it’s 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 Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt thoroughly. Set this mixture aside for later.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened but cool unsalted butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy, which helps create a tender cookie texture.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Incorporate the large egg and pure vanilla extract into the butter and sugar mixture, mixing until just combined. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined to avoid overworking the dough and making the cookies tough.
- Stir in M&M’s and Chocolate Chips: Gently fold in about one generous cup of M&M’s and/or chocolate chips into the cookie dough, reserving the rest for topping.
- Prepare Sprinkles: Pour the holiday sprinkles into a shallow bowl, ready for decorating the cookie dough balls.
- Form and Decorate Cookies: Scoop cookie dough in portions between 1½ and 2½ tablespoons each. Gently press a few M&M’s onto the top of each dough ball, then press the top of each ball into the bowl of sprinkles to coat.
- Optional Chilling: You can bake the cookies immediately for a thinner cookie, or chill the dough balls in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to achieve a thicker cookie with a nice height.
- Arrange and Bake: Place the dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them an inch or two apart to allow spreading. Aim to mound the dough balls higher rather than wider to prevent thin cookies. Bake for 8-11 minutes until the edges are set but the centers remain slightly underdone for softness.
- Cool Cookies: Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let the cookies cool completely. They will firm up as they cool while remaining soft and chewy inside.
Notes
- These cookies are our go-to Christmas treat — soft, chewy, and packed with festive M&M’s and sprinkles.
- For thicker cookies, chill dough balls before baking; for thinner cookies, bake right away.
- Watch baking time closely to ensure centers stay soft while edges set.
- You can customize by mixing M&M’s with chocolate chips for variety.
- Pressing sprinkles on top adds a festive, colorful finish.
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
