These M&M Christmas Cookies are soft, chewy, and filled with festive colors and chocolate chips, then topped with red and green Christmas sprinkles. They’re a must-have for holiday celebrations or gifting!
Ingredients
- 227 g (2 sticks / 1 cup) salted butter (will reduce to about 189 g after browning)
- 135 g (⅔ cup) granulated sugar
- 100 g (½ cup) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 248 g (2 cups + 1 Tbsp) all-purpose flour (+ 15-30 g (1-2 Tbsp) more if needed)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 90 g (½ cup) semisweet chocolate chips
- 45 g (¼ cup) white chocolate chips
-
175 g (about 1 cup) holiday blend M&Ms
- 24 g (2 Tbsp) semisweet chocolate chips
- 24 g (2 Tbsp) white chocolate chips
- 45 g (⅛ cup) holiday blend M&Ms
-
24 g (2 Tbsp) Christmas sprinkles (jimmies, nonpareils, trees, etc.)
Cookies
Topping
Instructions
Brown Butter
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until it foams, then turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 6-9 minutes. Brown milk solids will form at the bottom of the pan.
- Immediately pour the browned butter into a heat-proof measuring glass. You should have about 180-190 g (just above the ¾ cup line).
Let the butter cool to room temperature (around 74-78°F) before using, about 40-45 minutes on the counter or 20-25 minutes in the fridge. (It should be thick but pourable.)
Cookies
In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cooled browned butter until smooth and combined on medium speed, about 1 minute.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until pale and creamy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low or folding with a spatula until just combined. If the dough is too wet, add flour 1 Tbsp at a time until it’s easier to handle (though we rarely need the extra four!).
- Fold in the semisweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and M&Ms using a spatula, ensuring an even distribution.
- Use a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop (about 70 g each) to portion cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Flatten the tops slightly, then top with additional white chips, semisweet chips, and M&Ms, if desired, and Christmas sprinkles.
- Chill the scooped dough balls in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
Bake
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 1-2 additional baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the chilled dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart, about 6-8 per sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the centers have risen but are still slightly gooey.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Servings: Makes about 14-15 large (3-Tbsp) cookies, or 20-22 regular (2-Tbsp) cookies (just reduce baking time to 6-8 minutes for smaller cookies).
- Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, up to a week in the fridge, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Whisk: You can use a whisk in place of a mixer.
- Larger Cookie: For a slightly flatter, larger cookie, flatten the dough ball tops a little extra before topping and chilling (they're still moist & chewy this way!).
- Browned Butter: Ensure the browned butter is fully cooled to avoid flat cookies and melting the M&Ms, creating streaks in the dough. It should be thick, but pourable. If your cookies are going too flat in the oven, the butter was likely still too warm when added to the sugar. Chill the remaining dough balls a little longer.
- Chocolate: Use any mix of bittersweet, semisweet, or dark chocolate.
- Chilling: Chilling the dough ensures a chewy texture and even spreading.
- Perfect Circle Shape: Use a circle cookie cutter slightly bigger than the baked cookies to gently rotate around each cookie while they're still hot to shape them into perfect circles.
- Test Cookie: Bake one cookie first to check oven temp and dough consistency before baking the full batch. If your cookie spreads, it's likely they either need more chilling, or your oven temperature is too hot/cold (check with an oven thermometer).
- Make-Ahead: Prepare the dough balls and freeze them in a zip-top bag for later use.
Happy baking! ❤️
Emma & Eric
@birchberryco M&M Christmas Cookies 🍪☃️🎄✨ Find this recipe on our site birchberryco.com (link in bio)! Click the Recipes link at the top then "M&M Christmas Cookies" 🤍 #christmascookies #christmasbaking #chocolatechipcookies #cookies #bakingrecipe #bakingtherapy #baketok ♬ Originalton - Christmas 2024🎄🎅🏻❄️☃️
