These Christmas M&M cookies are everything you love about chocolate chip cookies with the colorful addition of red and green holiday candy! The soft and chewy cookies are absolutely delightful with festive candy-coated chocolates we all know and love! They are perfect for any holiday activities or gift baskets!
Christmas M&M Cookies Recipe
The classic chocolate chip cookie is just so much more fun with bright red and green holiday M&Ms® candies! They're a perfect and easy Christmas cookie to make whether you're entertaining or sharing cookie baskets!
Now the question is, do you like your cookies soft and chewy or golden and crispy? That's the raging debate in my household! I vote for soft, my husband votes for crispy, and our daughter is happy with either!
Jump to:
🥘 Christmas M&M Cookie Ingredients
M&M's actually offers a variety of holiday colors and flavors. I'm opting for simple red and green M&Ms, although I prefer the minis used here.
- Butter - 1 cup of butter that has been softened at room temperature.
- Sugar - ¾ cup of white granulated sugar.
- Brown Sugar - ¾ cup of light brown sugar that has been packed.
- Vanilla - 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Try to use pure vanilla for the best flavor!
- Baking Soda - 1 teaspoon of baking soda to help your cookies rise.
- Salt - 1 teaspoon of salt to add balance.
- Eggs - 2 large eggs that are at room temperature.
- Flour - 2½ cups of all-purpose flour to act as the base for our cookies!
- M&Ms - 10 ounces of red and green Christmas M&M candies.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Christmas M&M Cookies
These cookies are just as easy to make as any other chocolate chip recipe! All you are going to need is a baking sheet, mixing bowl, and silicone spatula!
This recipe will yield a whopping 60 cookies, depending on how big you make your cookies.
- Preheat. Start out by preheating your oven to 375ºF (190ºC) and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat mats.
- Combine ingredients. In a large bowl, cream together the 1 cup of softened butter, ¾ cup of sugar, ¾ cup of light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of salt until creamy.
- Make the dough. Add the 2 large eggs one at a time, and mix until the butter mixture is creamy again. Add the 2½ cups of all-purpose flour gradually, mixing the dough until all of the flour has been incorporated. Fold in your 10 ounces of holiday M&Ms until they are evenly distributed throughout the cookie dough.
- Chill. Chill the dough for 30 minutes, if there's time. Otherwise, portion the dough out in rounded tablespoon amounts and place on your baking sheets with 2 inches of spacing.
- Bake. Bake in the middle rack of your oven for 9-10 minutes, or until lightly golden on the cookie edges. *I like mine extra soft and a bit under-cooked. I check my cookies at 7 minutes. For my husband's crispy cookies, I'll bake them for closer to 11 - 12 minutes.
- Cool. Allow the cookies to cool for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
These cookies are a fun and festive treat! Enjoy them with a large glass of milk or eggnog! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- One cup of butter is equivalent to 2 sticks. Make sure to set them out ahead of time so they can come to room temperature!
- For an extra pop of color, reserve a handful of M&Ms and gently press them into the tops of the cookies before baking.
- If you want to be extra festive, mix in some red and green sprinkles to go with the M&Ms!
🥡 Storing
Store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. When stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, the cookies will last up to one week. To keep your cookies as fresh as possible, you can place a piece of bread in the storage container with your cookies.
To freeze baked cookies, it is best to freeze them in an individual layers first. Place cookies on a baking sheet and freeze them, then transfer the frozen cookies into an airtight container or freezer storage bag.
With either storage method, I suggest a sheet of parchment paper between the cookie layers in your containers.
❓ FAQ
Make sure to gently fold your M&Ms into the cookie dough and not overmix. If you are too rough and continue to mix the dough after it has been fully combined, you could cause the colors to run.
If your cookies are coming out flat, your oven might be too hot or your butter could be too soft. Basically, the butter is melting too quickly in the oven before the other ingredients have time to set up. Make sure your oven is at the proper temperature (you may need a thermometer), and ensure that your butter is room temperature but not warm.
I love using mini M&Ms, but you can really use whatever kind you like! You could use regular M&Ms, peanut M&Ms, peanut butter, or any other variety you like!
🎄 Easy Christmas Cookies
- Sprinkle Crinkle Cookies - These beautiful red and green cookies are tender and sweet!
- Christmas Gumdrop Cookies - For another festive cookie option, these cookies are packed with red and green gumdrops!
- Christmas Cookies - These cookies have vanilla icing and fun holiday sprinkles!
- Chocolate Peppermint No Bake Cookies - If you love the combination of chocolate and peppermint, these easy cookies are for you!
- Classic Sugar Cookies - These cookies are perfect for decorating with the kids!
- Eggnog Sugar Cookies - These delicious cookies have eggnog in the dough and are topped with a nutmeg frosting!
📋 Recipe
Christmas M&M Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks unsalted butter - softened, at room temperature)
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 10 oz Christmas M&M candies
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the softened butter, sugar, light brown sugar, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt.1 cup butter, ¾ cup sugar, ¾ cup light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and combine until the mixture is smooth again. Add the all-purpose flour gradually, mixing until all of the flour has been incorporated into the dough. Gently fold in the Christmas M&M candies until the candy is distributed evenly in the cookie dough.2 large eggs, 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 10 oz Christmas M&M candies
- Portion out your Christmas M&M cookie dough using a rounded tablespoon amount, or a cookie scooper. Place each portioned dough ball onto the prepared baking sheets. Leave about 2 inch spacing between each cookie for spreading.
- Bake on the middle oven rack at 375°F (190°C) for 9-10 minutes, or until lightly golden on the cookie edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Equipment You May Need
Notes
- One cup of butter is equivalent to 2 sticks. Make sure to set them out ahead of time so they can come to room temperature!
- For an extra pop of color, reserve a handful of M&Ms and gently press them into the tops of the cookies before baking.
- If you want to be extra festive, mix in some red and green sprinkles to go with the M&Ms!
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
Thanks for coming! Let me know what you think: