Tessa's Recipe Rundown
Taste: The perfect sugar cookie flavors with a hint of butterscotch, with bursts of chocolate throughout.
Texture: Ultra soft in the center and chewy throughout with studs of slightly crunchy M&Ms and gooey chocolate chips.
Ease: Super duper easy – if you ever struggle with cookie baking, I’ve got tons of tips below.
Pros: Fun, festive, and tasty recipe you’ll want to make year round.
Cons: None… except these cookies really are best when you have enough patience to chill the dough for at least 24 hours.
I make this again? Every Christmas!
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M&M Christmas Cookies are the perfect easy last-minute cookie for any holiday party!
These cookies are the perfect Christmas cookie. A crave-worthy soft sugar cookie base that’s wonderfully chewy, packed with tons of chocolate chips and Christmas M&Ms. Who could possibly resist?
Is there anything better than Christmas cookie season? My ideal December night involves baking cookies while blasting Christmas music and enjoying a few cookies warm and fresh from the oven with a cold glass of milk.
There’s truly nothing better! Except maybe going to or hosting a cookie party where you get to sample tons of different cookies. Oh, how I adore this time of year!
Reader Love
This is the third M&M cookie’s recipe that I’ve tried and while they are all good. Tess’s is the best. I let the dough rest overtime before baking. The cookies were thicker than the other recipes. Definitely a keeper.
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These cookies look so pretty on a Christmas cookie platter, along with some classic Snickerdoodles, my fun S’mores Cookies, and spiced Crispy Gingersnaps … plus some adorable Christmas Brownies for good measure!
If you want more Christmas cookie inspiration, check out my 200+ page cookbook on cookie baking. There’s a whole chapter dedicated to the simple science of cookies, along with tons of delicious recipes – perfect to kick off your holiday baking!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Easy M&M Christmas Cookies
Tips for Soft, Chewy Cookies
- Measure your flour correctly by weighing it with a digital scale. If you don’t have one, use the spoon and level method to avoid creating cakey, dense, or tough M&M Christmas Cookies that don’t spread.
- Don’t skip the cornstarch! Cornstarch is a tenderizing ingredient that helps create an ultra-soft, chewy cookie.
- Don’t skip the extra egg yolk. This adds moisture and richness for a soft and chewy texture.
- Don’t overbake. I prefer to take them out of the oven just before they look done while the top center still looks a bit ‘wet.’ The residual heat of the oven and pan will continue to cook the cookies to soft and slightly gooey-in-the-middle perfection.
Butter Temperature is Key to Thick, Chewy Cookies
The temperature of the butter is key here. Start with butter at a cool room temperature, about 67°F, and keep the dough cool until it hits the oven, to prevent sad, flat cookie puddles. Learn why butter temperature is important in baking cookies here.
In the image below, both cookies came from the same batch of dough, baked (separately) in the same oven at the same temperature for the same amount of time. The only difference? The cookie on the right came from the last bit of dough that sat on the counter for half an hour before baking. In that time, the dough warmed up considerably and the resulting cookies looked melted and flat. So, if you’re baking multiple batches of cookies, pop the remaining dough in the fridge while they wait to enter the oven.
Recommended: Chill Your Cookie Dough!
I know, nobody wants to wait to enjoy a cookie! Chilling this dough for a minimum of 24 hours makes a big difference. Both the taste and texture improve during this time. Think of it as a marinating time where everything just gets better! If you don’t want to wait, bake off a few cookies to satisfy your craving now, then save the rest for baking 24-72 hours later. I promise, the difference is worth the wait!
Check out my full article explaining the magic of chilling your cookie dough here.
Tip for Picture Perfect Cookies
- Dotting each Christmas Cookie dough ball with more chocolate chips and/or M&Ms on top prior to baking makes more beautiful and perfect-looking cookies.
- Press the chocolate chips and/or M&Ms closer together than you think to the top of the ball of dough, as they’ll spread apart as the cookie bakes and spreads.
- If chilling or freezing your dough: Wait to dot each ball until right before baking, as the M&M colors may bleed into your cookie.
- Get more tips in my How to Bake Picture Perfect Cookies article.
What Type of M&Ms for M&M Christmas Cookies?
I used regular-size red and green Christmas M&Ms for this recipe, but feel free to use mini, peanut butter, or peanut M&Ms if you prefer! Just note that these will change the texture slightly.
How to Prevent M&Ms From Cracking During Baking
- Some bakers report that mini M&Ms are less likely to crack. Others claim that freezing your M&Ms before baking prevents cracking. I haven’t tested either theory, so I can’t say for sure if either works here.
- Instead, if the cracking bothers you, add the additional M&Ms to the tops of each baked cookie right after pulling from the oven, before they have fully set.
- Be sure to thoroughly press the M&Ms into each cookie to ensure they adhere properly.
Can I Double This Recipe?
Sure! Simply double all ingredients and follow the directions to yield about 54 large cookies. No other modifications needed.
How to Store M&M Christmas Cookies
M&M Christmas Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature and will stay soft for up to 3 days. If you need to store these cookies longer, see the freezing instructions just below.
How to Freeze M&M Christmas Cookies
- Make the cookie dough as the recipe directs. Portion out the balls of dough and place on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.
- Cover the tray well with plastic wrap to prevent the dough balls from drying out in the fridge, and chill for 24-72 hours.
- After ‘marinating,’ place the tray of cookie dough balls in the freezer. Freeze until firm and solid. This prevents the cookie dough balls from sticking together!
- Transfer the balls of cookie dough to a labeled and dated airtight container and store for up to 6 weeks.
- To bake, thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as directed below.
- To bake directly from frozen, bake at 325°F, adding a minute or two to the bake time.
- Learn more about How to Freeze Cookie Dough (& Bake From Frozen) article here.
More Christmas Recipes You’ll Love:
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Ingredients
- 3 cups (380 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 2 sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature*
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups (247 grams) lightly packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 (12 oz or 340 gram) bag Christmas M&M® candies
- 1/2 cup (85 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- If baking the cookie dough immediately, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl before adding in the vanilla, eggs, and egg yolk, beating well after each addition, and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Slowly beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the M&M candies and chocolate chips with a rubber spatula, reserving about 1/4 cup M&Ms to garnish each cookie dough ball.
- For best results, if time permits, wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours but no more than 72 hours. This will improve both the flavor and texture of the cookies. Let dough sit at room temperature just until it is soft enough to scoop.**
- Using a large spring-loaded scoop, divide the dough into 3-tablespoon sized balls and drop onto prepared baking sheets. Press a few extra M&M candies into the top of each ball of dough.
- Bake at 350°F for about 11 to 13 minutes, or until golden brown but still ever so slightly wet looking on top. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Make the cookie dough as the recipe directs, portion out the dough balls, and place on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.
- Cover the tray well with plastic wrap, to prevent the dough balls from drying out in the fridge, and chill for 24-72 hours.
- Place the tray of cookie dough balls in the freezer. Freeze until firm and solid.
- Remove the balls of cookie dough to a labeled and dated airtight container.
- Cookie dough can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.
This post was published in 2021 and has been updated with additional recipe tips. Photos by Joanie Simon | The Bite Shot.
Amazing recipe. They turned out beautiful and perfect. I ground up some mint holiday MnMs into dust (bc they are so big) and mixed into batter for hint of mint flavor + regular holiday MnMs. I made 2 oz dough balls. Made 23 cookies.
These turned out great, followed the recipe!
the cookies tasted magnificent maybe one day I could learn a few things from the chef
Hi there, I have a question for you regarding flour. A lot of cookie recipes usually call for 2 cups or 2 1/4 cups of flour. I also see some recipes that call for 3 cups of flour. By adding that much flour, doesn’t it make the cookies taste more drier and not as soft? When you look at the rest of the ingredients like sugar , eggs, baking soda, or baking powder it is all the same in a lot of recipes, but the flour is either more or less. I would think with adding more flour, they are more heavier. Sometimes I come across a recipe and it sounds so good and when I see that it calls for 3 cups of flour, I don’t bother to try the recipe. It is a shame because I’m probably missing out on a lot of delicious cookies. Can’t wait to hear from you.
Hi Chris! Theoretically, if cookie recipes contain too much flour, yes, they will be harder and drier. It depends on the recipe, though. The recipe might yield more cookies, and/or contain more butter/sugar/leavener etc – so you definitely can’t base the texture of the baked cookie solely on the flour content. It’s also super important to not add too much flour. Learn how to measure flour properly here! I hope you give these cookies a try! They’re soft and chewy and not at all dry or cakey. Let us know how it goes 🙂
Could I add any seasonal spices to this to make them more festive? Thanks.
Hi Lauren! We haven’t tried that, but I don’t see why not! Let us know how they turn out 🙂
I’ve made the cookie dough this evening and added some cinnamon, so will update you once I’ve made the cookies tomorrow 🙂
hmm burnt bottoms and very puffed cookies. i prefer a flat chewy cookie… i used parchment paper and USA pans. every other cookie i have made does not look as these…. i think i’ll try Gaby’s next.
Hi Eliz! Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that! It definitely sounds like something went wrong in the process there, as these cookies should be as you see in the pictures – not too thick, not too thin, with a normal spread so they’re not puffy – and definitely not burnt on the bottom! Was an ingredient possibly missed or measured incorrectly by accident? How do you measure your ingredients? By volume (using cups), or by weight (using a digital kitchen scale)? When measuring by volume, it’s so easy to mis-measure flour/sugar/etc and throw off the entire chemistry of a recipe. Tessa talks about how to best measure ingredients to ensure accuracy every time, in this article here! Also, your oven might be running a little hot. Do you have an oven thermometer to check that? Check out Tessa’s article here about ovens, full of tips!! If you don’t have an oven thermometer to ensure your oven is at the temperature it says it is, invest in one now! They are inexpensive and really help your baking so much! This oven thermometer is one of Tessa’s favorites. Another thing could be how long you creamed your butter and sugars together for, and how warm your butter was at this time. Both have a huge impact on a cookie’s outcome. Have a look at this article, where Tessa discusses both and the repercussions on the resulting baked goods! Last but not least, I just want to mention that it’s always recommended to bake on the middle rack, so your cookies aren’t too close to the heat source, where they can get scorched and burn on the bottom before the cookies have had a chance to spread nicely and bake evenly. I hope something here helped, Eliz! Feel free to reach back out to us if you’d like to troubleshoot further – we’re always happy to help 🙂
Can the recipe be doubled?
Hi Cheryl! You can definitely double this recipe – but any time you make a double batch, you run the risk of accidentally missing doubling an ingredient (eg adding 1 teaspoon of baking powder instead of 2 teaspoons, for example). Also, some mixing bowls won’t hold such a big batch of dough. So, we typically recommend simply making the single batch of dough twice, rather than doubling the dough in one batch. That being said, if you want to proceed and are confident you’ll add the correct quantities of each ingredient, and that your mixing bowl is large enough, go for it – just be careful to mix everything thoroughly and scrape the bowl down extra, to account for the large dough batch. I hope that helps! Let us know what you think of these cookies once you’ve given them a try! 🙂
Whenever I make this type of cookie the color coating on the m&m’s melts and I get an inferior result. Has this happened to others. I’m normally pretty good in the kitchen, so this flumoxes & frustrates me. Any insights?
Hi Chuck! We have only experienced the M&Ms bleeding into the dough with the few M&Ms dotting the top of the dough, if placed in the fridge overnight. We therefore recommend to dot the tops of the dough with M&Ms right before baking, and not before. I hope this helps! 🙂
Can you roll this into a log and slice instead of scooping the dough??
We haven’t tried that!
Soooooo good! Made this recipe for Christmas and it was a crowd pleaser to everyone
Made these for Christmas. They turned out perfect!! So delicious! I made some with the large scoop as directed and then made some with a medium scoop.
I made these cookies gluten free and they came out great. I substituted the flour with Cup4Cup. I found Cup4Cup in my local supermarket, but it is also on Amazon and other etailers if you can’t find it locally. It was a measure for measure switch. I also checked to make sure the corn starch was 100% pure. I used Argo brand. I measured out my dough into 1.8 oz balls, and cooked them for 11-12 minutes. My gluten intolerant friend loved them!
That’s great! So happy this recipe turned out perfectly, thanks so much for sharing your substitutions!
Absolutely amazing recipe! These are to out of the out! She really did a fantastic job on these cookies, they ate everything you want in a sugar cookie with festive chocolate in it. Easy to make and now my favorite cookie ever! Her Balery style was my #1 but now is my #2. Thanks to these cookies right here!