Description
These festive M&M Christmas Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with colorful red and green M&Ms along with semi-sweet chocolate chips. Perfect for holiday celebrations, these cookies feature a buttery vanilla-scented dough that freezes before baking to ensure perfect shape and texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
Wet Ingredients
- 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)
Add-ins
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup red and green M&M’s (plus additional for topping)
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour and baking soda until evenly combined. Set this bowl aside for later use.
- Cream Butter: Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat the softened butter for about 1 minute until smooth and creamy.
- Add Sugars: Add the light brown sugar and granulated sugar to the creamed butter, continuing to mix for 1 to 1½ minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Incorporate Vanilla and Egg: Pour in the vanilla extract and add the egg, mixing until the ingredients are fully combined and the batter is smooth.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix just until the flour is incorporated, being careful not to overmix the dough.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips and M&Ms: Gently fold the semi-sweet chocolate chips and red and green M&Ms into the dough ensuring an even distribution.
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Scoop Dough: Using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion out the dough onto the prepared sheet. Place the dough balls close together but not touching, keeping minimal space between them.
- Freeze Dough Balls: Place the cookie dough balls in the freezer on a flat surface, uncovered, and freeze for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight. This step helps maintain cookie shape during baking.
- Preheat Oven and Arrange Dough: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove the frozen dough balls and transfer them onto two other parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the frozen cookie dough balls for 16-18 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are just set.
- Add Extra M&Ms: Right after baking, carefully press 6-8 additional M&Ms onto the top of each warm cookie to enhance their festive look.
- Cool: Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Freezing the cookie dough balls before baking helps them hold their shape and prevents spreading too much.
- Using room temperature egg ensures better mixing and a tender texture.
- You can substitute red and green M&Ms with any holiday-themed candy colors to customize the cookies.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- For a richer flavor, you can use browned butter instead of regular softened butter.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: M&M Christmas Cookies, holiday cookies, festive cookies, chocolate chip cookies, holiday baking, Christmas treats
