Festive M and M Cookie Delights

Welcome to the enchanting world of holiday baking, where tradition meets irresistible flavor! These delightful Christmas M&M Cookies are more than just a sweet treat; they’re a sprinkle of festive cheer, perfect for brightening any holiday gathering. Loaded with vibrant red, green, and white candies, these super soft and delightfully chewy cookies are destined to become a beloved staple in your annual holiday baking repertoire. Prepare to bake a batch of pure joy that will captivate hearts and palates alike.

Imagine the smiles on faces young and old as they discover these cheerfully speckled cookies! Each bite offers a blissful blend of soft, vanilla-infused dough complemented by the satisfying slight crunch of festive M&Ms. This recipe is designed for ease and enjoyment, ensuring that even novice bakers can achieve bakery-worthy results. From preparing them with excited little helpers to sharing them with loved ones or leaving a plate out for Santa, these cookies embody the true spirit of the season. Let’s dive into why these festive M&M cookies are an absolute must-bake this Christmas!

Gather Your Ingredients: What You’ll Need

Crafting these delicious Christmas M&M cookies requires a few fundamental baking ingredients, all easily found in your pantry or local grocery store. The magic truly happens with the vibrant addition of colorful M&M candies, transforming a simple vanilla cookie into a show-stopping holiday delight. For the precise quantities of each ingredient and a comprehensive list of directions, please refer to the complete recipe card provided below.

• Unsalted Butter: The foundation of rich, tender cookies. It’s crucial to set your butter out at least 30 minutes to an hour before you plan to start baking, allowing it to soften properly to room temperature. This ensures it creams beautifully with the sugars, creating a light and airy dough. For more insights into achieving perfectly softened butter, explore our guide on how to soften butter.
• Brown Sugar (Light): This is your secret weapon for incredible softness and a hint of caramel-like flavor. We recommend using light brown sugar, as its milder molasses notes won’t overpower the delicate vanilla and chocolate flavors. Dark brown sugar, while delicious, might lend a too-intense flavor for these specific cookies. If your brown sugar has unfortunately hardened, don’t fret! Check out our simple tips on how to soften brown sugar quickly.
• Granulated Sugar: Working in harmony with the brown sugar, granulated sugar contributes to the cookies’ overall sweetness and helps create those slightly crispy edges while maintaining a soft interior.
• Baking Soda: Our leavening agent, ensuring your cookies rise beautifully and achieve that signature soft, slightly puffy texture without spreading too much.
• Salt: A pinch of salt is vital. It balances the sweetness of the sugars and M&Ms, enhancing all the other flavors in the cookie dough.
• Large Eggs: Like the butter, eggs should be at room temperature. This allows them to emulsify more effectively with the butter and sugar, resulting in a smoother, more cohesive dough. Remember to set them out alongside your butter!
• Vanilla Extract (Pure): Beyond the M&Ms, vanilla is the star flavor. Don’t skimp on quality here; a good pure vanilla extract will infuse your cookies with a warm, comforting aroma and taste that elevates the entire experience.
• All-Purpose Flour: The structural backbone of our cookies. For the most consistently perfect results, we always advocate for measuring your flour by weight using a kitchen scale. If a scale isn’t available, the classic spoon and sweep method is the next best thing to avoid a dense, dry cookie from over-measurement.
• M&Ms (Red, Green, and White): The festive crowning glory! We use the classic red, green, and white M&Ms specifically for their iconic Christmas aesthetic. However, feel free to unleash your creativity! You can easily swap out the colors to match any holiday or occasion—think pastels for Easter, orange and black for Halloween, or even your favorite team colors for game day.

Baking Magic: How to Make Christmas M&M Cookies

Prepare to be amazed by how quickly and easily these incredible Christmas M&M cookies come together! This recipe is truly a lifesaver during the bustling holiday season, allowing you to whip up a batch of delicious, festive cookies in surprisingly short order. Follow these simple steps for a seamless baking experience.

• Prepare Your Baking Environment: Begin by preheating your oven to a precise 375°F (190°C). This ensures your oven is at the optimal temperature when your dough is ready to bake, preventing uneven cooking. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. This crucial step prevents sticking, promotes even browning, and makes cleanup a breeze.
• Combine the Dry Ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together your all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisking ensures that the leavening agent and salt are evenly distributed throughout the flour, which is key for consistent cookie texture and rise. Set this mixture aside.
• Cream the Wet Ingredients: In a larger mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer (or stand mixer), beat the softened unsalted butter until it’s wonderfully smooth and creamy. This initial step incorporates air into the butter, contributing to the cookies’ light texture. Next, add both the light brown sugar and granulated sugar. Continue beating them together on medium speed until the mixture becomes visibly lightened in color and delightfully fluffy. This creaming process is essential for creating tender cookies. Now, incorporate the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully combined. Finally, pour in the pure vanilla extract and mix until just incorporated, filling your kitchen with a delightful aroma.

• Incorporate the Dry into the Wet: Reduce your mixer speed to low. Gradually add the whisked flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing only until just combined. It’s crucial not to overmix at this stage; overmixing develops gluten, which can lead to tough cookies. A few streaks of flour are perfectly fine and will disappear with the next step.
• Fold in the M&Ms: With the mixer off, gently fold in the red, green, and white M&Ms using a spatula or spoon until they are evenly distributed throughout the cookie dough. This ensures every cookie is packed with colorful, chocolatey goodness.

• Portion the Cookie Dough: Using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop or two spoons, drop rounded portions of dough onto your prepared baking sheets. Make sure to leave ample space, about 3 inches, between each cookie. This allows them to spread without merging into one giant cookie. Uniform portions are key for even baking!
• Bake to Golden Perfection: Place one baking sheet at a time into your preheated oven. Bake for approximately 10 to 12 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when the edges are set and lightly golden brown, and the centers still look slightly soft. Remember, cookies continue to bake slightly on the hot pan after being removed from the oven.
• Cool and Enjoy: Once baked, remove the pans from the oven and immediately place them on wire racks. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes. This brief cooling period helps them firm up, making them easier to transfer without breaking. After 5 minutes, carefully transfer the cookies from the pan directly to the wire rack to cool completely. Cooling completely ensures the M&Ms set and the texture is perfect.

Keeping Your Cookies Fresh: Proper Storage Methods

Once you’ve baked a batch of these delightful Christmas M&M cookies, you’ll want to ensure they stay fresh and delicious for as long as possible. Proper storage is key, whether you plan to enjoy them immediately, over a few days, or save them for a later date.

• Room Temperature Storage (Baked Cookies): For immediate enjoyment or short-term storage, allow your cookies to cool completely on a wire rack first. Placing warm cookies in an airtight container can create condensation, leading to soggy cookies. Once fully cooled, arrange them in an airtight container. To prevent them from sticking together and to maintain their pristine appearance, layer them between sheets of waxed paper or parchment paper. Stored this way, they will retain their wonderful softness and flavor for up to 3 days on your countertop.
• Freezing Baked Cookies: These cookies freeze beautifully, making them perfect for make-ahead baking during the busy holiday season. Once the cookies are completely cool, place them in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Again, layering them with waxed paper or parchment paper helps protect their texture and prevents them from sticking. They can be stored in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, simply thaw them overnight in the refrigerator or for about an hour at room temperature for a quick treat.
• Freezing Unbaked Cookie Dough: For ultimate convenience, you can freeze portions of the raw cookie dough! Scoop the dough into 3-tablespoon portions, just as you would for baking. Place these dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until they are solid (this usually takes 1-2 hours). Once frozen solid, transfer the dough balls to an airtight, freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. Label with the date. When the craving strikes, simply place the frozen dough balls on a prepared baking sheet and bake as directed, adding an extra 1-2 minutes to the baking time, or until the edges are golden brown. This is a fantastic way to always have freshly baked cookies on demand!

Explore More M&M Cookie Delights

Can’t get enough of M&M cookies? We totally understand! If you love the versatility and fun that M&Ms bring to baking, be sure to check out some of our other fantastic recipes featuring these colorful chocolate candies:

• Decadent Chocolate M&M Cookies
• Sweet Strawberry M&M Cookies
• Easy M&M Sugar Cookie Bars

Get the Recipe:

Merry & Bright Christmas M&M Cookies

Yield
24

Prep Time
15 minutes

Cook Time
12 minutes

Total Time
27 minutes

These easy Christmas cookies, baked with festive red, green, and white chocolate candies, are perfectly delightful for the holidays and a wonderful addition to your Christmas dessert platter!

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 & 1/2 cups (420g) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup (150g) firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 & 1/2 to 2 cups M&Ms in festive red, green, and white

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners for easy cleanup and even baking.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set this dry mixture aside.
3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the softened unsalted butter in a large bowl until it’s smooth and creamy (about 1 minute). Add the light brown sugar and granulated sugar, beating until the mixture is lightened in color and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. Pour in the pure vanilla extract and mix until just combined.
5. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually add the reserved flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing just until combined. Be careful not to overmix the dough.
6. Gently stir in the M&Ms until they are evenly distributed throughout the cookie dough.
7. Drop the dough by 3-tablespoon portions onto the prepared pans, ensuring approximately 3 inches of space between each cookie to allow for spreading.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned and the centers appear set and golden.
9. Once baked, remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to the wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

• Recipe adapted from Better Homes & Gardens.
• To store baked cookies at room temperature: After they have cooled completely, place them in an airtight container, layered between sheets of waxed paper or parchment paper to prevent sticking. They will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
• Freezing baked cookies: Arrange cooled cookies between layers of waxed paper in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Store for 2-3 months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator or for about an hour at room temperature.
• Freezing unbaked cookie dough: Scoop the dough into portions and freeze on a baking sheet until solid (1-2 hours). Transfer the frozen dough balls to an airtight, freezer-safe container or bag. When ready to bake, place frozen dough on a prepared baking sheet and add an extra minute or two to the baking time.

Recommended Products for Baking Success

Bake or Break is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. These are products we personally use and recommend!

• OXO Half Sheet Pan 13 x 18 Inch
• 3 Tablespoon Stainless Steel Scoop
• Half Sheet Nonstick Cooling Rack

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