M&M Christmas Cookies
M&M Christmas Cookies are an easy and fun way to celebrate the holidays. This simple recipe bakes the best batch of thick, soft, and chewy cookies bursting with chocolate chips and colorful, crunchy candy.
Servings: 15 extra large cookies (3 tablespoon cookie scoop)
Calories: 397kcal
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup salted sweet cream butter softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup red and green m&m’s + additional for tops of cookies
Instructions
- Using a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and baking soda. Set it aside.
- Using a stand mixer, or a medium size mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat the softened butter for 1 minute.
- Add the brown sugar and the granulated sugar, continue mixing for 1 - 1 ½ minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract and egg. Continue mixing until completely combined.
- Add the flour mixture and mix just until combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and m&m’s.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out the cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheet leaving just minimal space between the balls of cookie dough, just so they aren’t touching.
- Place your sheet of cookie dough balls into the freezer so that it is flat with nothing on top that will flatten your cookie dough balls. Freeze your cookie dough balls for at least 30 minutes but can freeze up to overnight.
- Preheat your oven to 350*F. While your oven is preheating , remove the sheet of frozen cookie dough balls. Prepare two other cookie sheets with parchment paper. Separate the frozen cookie dough balls onto the prepared cookie sheet (you can use the frozen sheet too!). Place the cookie dough balls 2 inches apart.
- Bake the frozen cookie dough balls for 16-18 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the center of the cookie is just set.
- When cookies are done, remove from the oven and being careful of the hot pan, place 6-8 extra M&Ms on top of each warm cookie gently pressing into the baked cookie.
- Allow the cookies to rest on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Video
Notes
Storage:
- To Store: Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months. Once your dough balls have frozen you will just transfer them to a freezer zip top bag. You can bake them, from frozen, any time you wish to have a fresh, hot cookie.
- Don't over-bake your cookies. Remove from the oven when the edges are lightly golden and the center of the cookie is just set. They may look a little underdone, but they’ll continue to set as they cool. This will give them the perfect soft and delicious centers.
- Because the M&Ms may bleed and crack in the oven, I like to just press 6-8 extra into the tops of the cookies when they come out of the oven.
- I like to use a cookie scoop to form my dough balls. This helps the cookies bake evenly and look uniform.
- Don’t skimp on the freezer time. It is important to freeze the cookies long enough for the butter to reharden in the cookie dough and prevent them from spreading too quickly.
Nutrition
Calories: 397kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 199mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 431IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg