Description
These festive M&M Christmas Cookies are soft, chewy, and bursting with colorful candy-coated chocolate pieces. Perfect for holiday celebrations, they’re easy to make with simple ingredients, featuring a buttery dough mixed with classic M&M’s and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Enjoy a delightful treat that’s both fun to bake and delicious to share.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup M&M’s
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Additional M&M’s for topping
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking and allow easy cleanup.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir these dry ingredients together until evenly mixed and set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Using a hand or stand mixer, beat the softened butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 2 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. This step ensures a tender cookie texture.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated, creating a smooth and creamy batter.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Fold in Candies: Gently fold in 1 cup of M&M’s and the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Be careful not to break the candies to maintain their texture and appearance.
- Form Cookies: Using a medium cookie scoop or measuring 2 tablespoons, scoop dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet. Space them about 2-3 inches apart to allow for spreading. For smoother edges, roll the dough balls gently with your hands. Press a few extra M&M’s onto the tops for a festive look.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown slightly but the centers still appear soft. Avoid overbaking to keep the cookies chewy.
- Cool: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely, allowing the cookies to firm up as they cool.
Notes
- Do not overbake; cookies will look slightly underdone in the center but will firm as they cool.
- For softer cookies, slightly underbake and for crisper cookies, bake closer to 10 minutes.
- Room temperature butter is essential for proper creaming and texture.
- You can substitute M&M’s with any candy-coated chocolates for variety.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
