Christmas M&M Cookies
I always feel like the holidays don’t really start until there’s a tray of Christmas M&M cookies on the counter.
These cookies just scream “festive,” with pops of red and green that look like a string of lights right in your kitchen.
People can’t help but grab a handful at every party. They’re soft in the center, a little crispy at the edges, and loaded with melty chocolate chips mixed with those sweet, crunchy M&Ms.
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I love packaging them up for neighbors or adding them to cookie exchanges—the bright colors do all the work, and everyone thinks you went all out.
If you want holiday cookies that are easy, delicious, and impossible to ignore, you’re in the right spot.
Ingredients
Before you roll up your sleeves (or grab your favorite holiday apron), here’s exactly what goes into these cookies and why each piece matters. Little swaps here or there can shift the vibe, but this base recipe stays winning. Let’s peek into the mixing bowl.
Here’s what you’ll want to have ready:
- All-purpose flour (2 1/4 cups): This is the backbone, giving your cookies structure. No need to sift but do grab something fresh, not the half-open bag from last Easter—old flour just tastes tired.
- Baking soda (1 tsp): Gives the cookies a lift so they don’t turn out like sad little hockey pucks. Fresh baking soda keeps things fluffy.
- Salt (1/2 tsp): Just enough to balance the sweetness, while secretly making the chocolate pop. Don’t skip it!
- Unsalted butter, room temperature (1 cup): The magic ingredient for soft, rich cookies with buttery edges. Let it sit on the counter so it beats up nice and smooth (straight from the fridge = chunky dough).
- Granulated sugar (3/4 cup): Helps cookies spread and brings that classic sweetness we crave. Trust me, the balance of white and brown sugar keeps things just right.
- Brown sugar, packed (3/4 cup): This one brings softness and that cozy, rich flavor. I love light brown here, but dark brown totally works for even more caramel notes.
- Vanilla extract (1 tsp): It’s the little touch that ties all the flavors together. Don’t bother with the imitation stuff if you can help it—real vanilla makes a cookie taste like, well, a cookie.
- Large eggs (2): These guys act like the glue, holding everything together. Room temp eggs work even better, so the dough mixes evenly (and you avoid weird clumps).
- Christmas M&M’s (1 1/2 cups, the red and green kind): The star of the whole show. Grab the festive bag with holiday colors—no shame in sneaking a few while you bake.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 cup): These give pockets of gooey chocolate in every bite. You could swap for milk chocolate or even white chocolate if that’s your thing, but semi-sweet gives the perfect contrast.
How to Make Christmas M&M Cookies
Let’s break the process down so you can pull it off without a sweat, and maybe even enjoy the ride.
Preheat Your Oven and Prep the Pans
First things first—get that oven going. Preheat to 350°F (175°C). Parchment paper is your best friend here, saving both time and sanity when it comes to stuck cookies and pan scrubbing.
If you don’t have parchment, a silicone baking mat does the trick. Even a light touch of nonstick spray works in a pinch, but the other two make for the cleanest cookies.
Mix the Dry Ingredients
Grab a medium mixing bowl and whisk together your flour, baking soda, and salt. Don’t skip the whisking!
This step spreads out the baking soda and salt so every bite bakes up just right. No one wants a pocket of salty flour or a cookie that didn’t rise.
Cream the Butter and Sugars
In a large bowl, beat your softened butter with both sugars.
An electric mixer works fastest, but strong arms and a wooden spoon will do fine with a little extra effort (think of it as holiday cardio).
You want the mix light, fluffy, and pale—almost like frosting. This part is the secret to those soft, bakery-style middles.
Add the Vanilla and Eggs
Once your butter mixture looks dreamy, mix in the vanilla and eggs. Do them one at a time so everything stays smooth.
The dough will get a little glossy—that’s how you know you’re on track. Room-temperature eggs blend better, but don’t stress if yours are straight from the fridge.
Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
Slow and steady wins the race here. Add your flour mix in a few batches, gently mixing just until there are no big flour streaks left.
Over-mixing at this stage is how cookies get tough, and that’s not the holiday memory we want.
Fold in the M&M’s and Chocolate Chips
Here’s where the holiday spirit happens. Switch to a spatula and gently fold in the Christmas M&M’s and those chocolate chips.
Go easy—you want an even spread, not rainbow streaks. Pro tip: Save a handful of M&M’s for the tops of the cookies. There’s something about seeing extra color that makes them look like you bought them at a fancy bakery.
Scoop and Bake
Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto your prepped baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. If the dough’s a little sticky, dip your spoon or hands in water.
Slide the pan into your preheated oven and let them bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
You’re looking for golden edges and just-set centers. They’ll look a bit soft in the middle—perfect!
The recipe usually makes around 24-36 cookies, so you may have to bake in batches.
Cool and Enjoy
Patience pays off here. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. (I know, the wait is tough.) Then move them to a wire rack so they don’t get soggy bottoms.
This short cool-down is when the chocolate settles and those crisp edges form.
Once cool enough to grab, pour yourself a glass of milk—or something with a little more holiday spirit—and dive in.
Christmas M&M Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups Christmas M&M’s red and green
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Gently fold in the Christmas M&M’s and semi-sweet chocolate chips, if using.
- Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes per batch, or until the edges are lightly golden but the centers are still soft.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve and enjoy!
