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.
Tessa – I want to make this for New Years Day as a very unconventional birthday cake, served with ice cream, what could be better! Do you think 1/2 recipe would work in an 8×8 pan as bars, instead of cookies? I’m also looking at your Thick and Cakey Chocolate Chip Cookies in your Cookie Handbook, but I don’t keep honey, and I don’t want to buy honey for 1 tablespoon. Do you think I could substitute light corn syrup for the honey? Thanks!
Hi Janet! We haven’t tried this recipe as a cookie cake (or as bars in an 8×8-inch pan), but you’re welcome to experiment! Let us know how it goes if you give it a try. Or, if it’s easier, we do have a Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake recipe that you could easily substitute M&Ms for the chocolate chips instead 🙂 We haven’t tried using corn syrup in place of honey for the cookies from our cookbook, but feel free to give it a try and see how they turn out!
Thank you! I will experiment.
If I want to make smaller cookies to put in a jar as a gift, how can I adapt the recipe? Should I cook the cookies less? Will it change their texture a lot? I wanted to do this with these cookies and some chocolate chips (which I already made but in the large size)
Hi Luciana! Smaller cookies tend to be a bit less chewy than larger cookies, but they should still taste great! Shave a few minutes off the bake time to account for the smaller cookies. I recommend baking off just one cookie to start with, so you can perfect the timing before baking off the whole batch. I hope that helps! Happy baking!
they look so delicius
Do these freeze well after baking?
We haven’t tried that, but it may affect the texture slightly. Just be sure to let them sit at room temp until thawed so the M&Ms aren’t too crunchy! 🙂 We personally love freezing the dough balls to bake fresh when needed for the best texture and taste! And who doesn’t love a warm cookie straight from the oven? 😉
hii,, do you have to use cornstarch? X
We recommend cornstarch in this recipe as it helps create an ultra-soft, chewy cookie. Feel free to omit if needed, but the cookies won’t be quite as soft and chewy.
I tried the frozen m&m hack, just to see, and it did work to avoid cracking! These turned out amazing!
An obvious switch, but this recipe works great for all holidays! This batch had Cupids blend m&m’s for Valentine’s Day and they are absolutely adorable. Everyone always loves these cookies!
So pretty! They look delicious, Kate!
Hi! I made the dough and it came out super wet and not particularly doughy. I followed the measurements exactly but substituted margarine for the butter. Could this be the culprit? The dough is in the fridge now. Will update after baking.
Hi Carly! We haven’t tested these cookies with margarine, and I do suspect that was the culprit. I hope you will give these cookies another try using butter sometime – they really are delicious 🙂
Hello, I am going to make this recipe and freeze an additional batch. How long do you recommend thawing the dough before you put it in the oven?
Hi Steph! You can let the dough defrost for a couple of hours at room temp (or overnight in the fridge), or you can bake directly from frozen! Check out more details here. Enjoy your cookies!
LOVE these cookies. I always make a double batch so I can have some in the freezer and bust them out with the craving strikes!
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.
I made this recipe this evening and included some cinnamon for that extra festive feel and they turned out great 🙂