The Ultimate Christmas M&M Cookies: Santa’s Favorite No-Chill Recipe – Elevate your holiday baking with our phenomenal chocolate chip cookie recipe, dressed up for the festive season! The vibrant addition of bright red and green M&M’s transforms these into a truly magical treat that Santa himself can’t resist. Best of all, no chilling is required, making them an ideal and stress-free baking project, especially when you have eager little helpers in the kitchen!
These delightful cookies are an absolute must-have for your holiday dessert platter. While you’re at it, don’t forget to include other festive favorites like Rocky Road Fudge and classic Gingerbread Bars to complete your festive spread!
The Magic of Christmas M&M Cookies: A Holiday Tradition
As December rolls around, a crucial decision looms in many households: what special treats will greet Santa Claus on Christmas Eve? For families with children, this isn’t just any decision; it’s a momentous occasion. While the reindeer are easily pleased with carrots and oats, Santa needs something truly extraordinary to fuel his long night of global present delivery. That’s precisely where these spectacular Christmas M&M Cookies come into play. We all cherish the timeless appeal of a classic chocolate chip cookie – its soft, chewy texture and pockets of gooey, melted chocolate are universally loved. But imagine enhancing that perfection with a burst of festive color and an extra layer of candy-coated chocolatey goodness! The vibrant red and green M&M’s elevate these cookies from simply delicious to undeniably magical, creating a surprise Santa certainly won’t be expecting.
This recipe isn’t just about baking cookies; it’s about crafting memories. The act of mixing, scooping, and decorating these festive treats becomes a treasured part of the holiday experience, especially when shared with loved ones. The simplicity of this no-chill dough means you can go from craving to biting into warm, fresh-baked cookies in record time, making it perfect for spontaneous holiday baking sessions or last-minute gift preparations. Get ready to fill your home with the irresistible aroma of vanilla, butter, and chocolate, signaling that the most wonderful time of the year has truly arrived.
Why These Christmas M&M Cookies Are a Holiday Must-Have
What makes a Christmas cookie truly stand out? For us, it’s a combination of irresistible flavor, perfect texture, and undeniable festive charm. Our Christmas M&M Cookies check all these boxes and more. Starting with a tried-and-true base, these cookies achieve that coveted soft and chewy interior with slightly crisp edges that everyone adores. The secret lies in a carefully balanced ratio of ingredients, ensuring each bite delivers a delightful melt-in-your-mouth experience.
The star of the show, beyond the classic chocolate chip, is undoubtedly the cheerful mix of red and green M&M’s. These colorful candies don’t just add a festive visual appeal; they introduce a satisfying slight crunch and an extra layer of smooth, milk chocolate flavor. When baked, some M&M’s retain their vibrant shell, while others beautifully meld into the cookie dough, creating a dynamic texture and a feast for the eyes. This thoughtful combination ensures that these aren’t just any M&M cookies; they are specifically designed to evoke the joy and wonder of the Christmas season, making them an instant holiday classic for your family and friends.
Ingredients for Your Festive M&M Cookies
Crafting these delectable Christmas M&M Cookies requires a selection of common pantry staples, with a couple of key additions that elevate their flavor and texture. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need and why each ingredient plays a vital role in achieving cookie perfection:
- All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of our cookies, providing structure. Measure it correctly (spoon and level) to avoid dense or dry cookies.
- Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix: This is our secret weapon! A packet of instant vanilla pudding mix is crucial for achieving an incredibly soft and chewy texture. It adds moisture and enhances the vanilla flavor, making the cookies stay fresh longer without becoming cakey.
- Baking Soda: A leavening agent that helps the cookies spread and become tender.
- Salt: Essential for balancing the sweetness and enhancing all the other flavors. Don’t skip it!
- Unsalted Butter: Ensure your butter is softened to room temperature. This allows it to cream properly with the sugars, creating a light, airy base for the dough.
- Granulated Sugar: Contributes to the cookies’ crisp edges and overall sweetness.
- Brown Sugar: Packed light brown sugar adds moisture and chewiness, giving the cookies that desirable soft center. The molasses in brown sugar also adds a lovely depth of flavor.
- Large Egg: Binds the ingredients together, adding richness and moisture. Make sure it’s at room temperature for better incorporation.
- Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract is key for a warm, inviting flavor. Don’t skimp on quality here!
- Almond Extract (Optional but Recommended): Just a touch of almond extract can add a subtle, sophisticated depth that complements the vanilla beautifully, making these cookies truly exceptional.
- Red and Green M&M Candy: The festive stars of the show! Use classic milk chocolate M&M’s for their vibrant colors and delightful crunch.
- Chocolate Chips (Any Kind): Semi-sweet chocolate chips are a classic choice, but feel free to experiment with milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or even white chocolate chips for a different flavor profile.
No Chilling Required: Your Holiday Baking Just Got Easier!
One of the greatest joys of holiday baking, especially for families, is the immediate gratification of enjoying warm, freshly baked cookies. This is precisely why our Christmas M&M Cookie recipe is designed to be a “no-chill” marvel. If you’ve ever baked with children, you know their patience for dough chilling is virtually nonexistent. They want to see the magic happen and taste the results as soon as possible! And let’s be honest, who doesn’t appreciate a shortcut to deliciousness, especially during the bustling holiday season?
Traditional cookie recipes often call for chilling the dough to prevent spreading and achieve a thicker, chewier cookie. However, with the right balance of ingredients, including our secret weapon, instant vanilla pudding mix, these cookies manage to hold their shape beautifully and bake up perfectly soft and chewy without a moment in the fridge. This means less waiting and more festive fun, allowing you to enjoy more precious time with your family or simply indulge your cookie cravings on the spot. It’s a game-changer for busy bakers and eager eaters alike!
Can You Freeze Christmas M&M Cookie Dough? Absolutely!
The holidays are often a whirlwind of activities, and having make-ahead options can be a true lifesaver. Our Christmas M&M Cookie dough is incredibly freezer-friendly, allowing you to prepare it in advance and bake fresh cookies whenever the craving strikes! Here’s how you can easily freeze the dough:
First, prepare the cookie dough according to the recipe instructions. Once the dough is ready, scoop it into individual cookie balls, just as you would for baking. Place these dough balls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, ensuring they are not touching. Flash freeze them for about 1-2 hours, or until they are firm. Once solid, transfer the frozen cookie dough balls into a freezer-safe ziploc bag or an airtight container. Label the bag with the date and baking instructions, then store it in your freezer for up to 4 months.
When you’re ready to bake, simply remove as many frozen dough balls as you need, place them on a prepared baking sheet, and bake them directly from frozen. You may need to add an extra minute or two to the baking time, but no thawing is necessary! This method is perfect for having warm, homemade cookies on demand throughout the holiday season, for unexpected guests, or simply to treat yourself.
Expert Tips for Baking Your Best Christmas M&M Cookies
Achieving bakery-quality cookies at home is easier than you think with a few simple tricks. Here are some expert tips to ensure your Christmas M&M Cookies turn out perfectly every time:
- Butter Quality and Temperature: The foundation of any great cookie is good butter. Always use unsalted butter to control the salt content. More importantly, ensure your butter is genuinely soft to room temperature. It should be pliable enough that you can easily make an indent with your finger, almost to the point where you could scrape it off the wrapper with a butter knife. This temperature allows it to cream effectively with the sugars, creating a light and airy base for your dough, which is crucial for soft cookies.
- The “Pretty Face” Candy Trick: For visually stunning cookies, don’t mix all your M&M’s and chocolate chips into the dough at once. Reserve about a quarter to a third of them. After you’ve scooped and rolled your cookie dough into balls and placed them on the baking sheet, gently press these reserved M&M’s and chocolate chips onto the top and sides of each cookie ball. This ensures those vibrant colors and melty chocolate bits are visible on the surface, giving your cookies that irresistible “bakery-style” appearance.
- The Magic of Pudding Mix: The inclusion of instant vanilla pudding mix is truly a game-changer in this recipe. It’s the secret behind the incredibly soft, chewy texture that doesn’t turn cakey. The pudding mix adds moisture and acts as a tenderizer, preventing the cookies from drying out too quickly. Additionally, it significantly boosts the vanilla flavor, especially when paired with a high-quality pure vanilla extract, resulting in a rich, comforting taste.
- Don’t Overmix Dry Ingredients: Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet, mix only until just combined. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, leading to tougher, less tender cookies. A few streaks of flour are perfectly fine; the remaining mixing will happen when you fold in the chocolate chips and M&M’s.
- Precision Baking Time: Keep a close eye on your oven and baking time. Ovens can vary, so the suggested 9-11 minutes is a guideline. Look for cookies that have set edges and are lightly golden, but still appear slightly soft in the center. They will continue to cook slightly on the hot baking sheet after removal. For me, 10 minutes was often the sweet spot.
- Cooling Process: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. This brief cooling period helps them set up and prevents them from breaking when moved, ensuring they maintain their perfect shape.
Festive Variations and Creative Customizations
While these Christmas M&M Cookies are perfect as is, they also serve as a fantastic canvas for your own creative touches! Feel free to experiment with these fun variations to suit your taste or occasion:
- Seasonal Colors: While red and green are perfect for Christmas, swap them out for other M&M colors for different holidays! Think pastel M&M’s for Easter, orange and black for Halloween, or red, white, and blue for patriotic celebrations.
- Add Sprinkles: For an extra dash of festivity, fold in some holiday-themed sprinkles with your M&M’s and chocolate chips. Nonpareils or jimmies in red, green, and white would be absolutely charming.
- Nutty Additions: If you love a little crunch, finely chopped pecans or walnuts can be a wonderful addition. Fold them in along with the candies and chocolate chips.
- Different Chocolates: Instead of semi-sweet, try milk chocolate chips for a sweeter cookie, or dark chocolate chips for a richer, more intense flavor. White chocolate chips would also provide a lovely contrast and creamy sweetness.
- Minty Twist: For a refreshing holiday flavor, add a teaspoon of mint extract along with the vanilla, and consider using mint chocolate chips or crushed candy canes instead of some of the M&M’s.
Serving and Storing Your Delicious M&M Cookies
These Christmas M&M Cookies are best enjoyed fresh, warm from the oven, perhaps with a cold glass of milk or a mug of hot cocoa. They make excellent gifts for neighbors, teachers, and friends, and are always a hit at holiday parties.
To store leftover baked cookies, place them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, you can freeze baked cookies by placing them in a single layer on a baking sheet to flash freeze, then transferring them to a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in the microwave for that fresh-baked feel.
Frequently Asked Questions About Christmas M&M Cookies
- Can I use a different type of pudding mix?
- Yes, while vanilla is classic, you could experiment with white chocolate pudding mix for a richer flavor, or even a cheesecake pudding mix for a tangy twist. Just be aware that different flavors will alter the overall taste of the cookie.
- What if I don’t have instant pudding mix?
- The instant pudding mix is key to the unique soft and chewy texture of these cookies. If you omit it, the cookies will still be delicious chocolate chip cookies, but they might be slightly less soft and could spread a bit more. There isn’t a direct substitute that provides the exact same effect.
- My cookie dough is too crumbly. What should I do?
- The dough for these cookies can sometimes appear crumbly, especially if your flour was packed or your butter wasn’t quite soft enough. Don’t worry! It should come together easily when you roll it into balls with your hands. If it’s excessively crumbly, you might try adding an extra teaspoon of softened butter or a tiny bit of milk (half a teaspoon at a time) until it’s workable, but avoid adding too much liquid to prevent cakey cookies. Make sure you use 1 ¾ cups of flour, as suggested in the detailed recipe, which helps with less crumbly dough.
- How can I prevent my cookies from spreading too much?
- Ensure your butter is at room temperature but not melted. Chilling the dough briefly (15-20 minutes) can also help if you find your dough is spreading excessively, though it’s not strictly necessary for this recipe. Also, make sure your oven temperature is accurate; an oven that’s too cool can cause cookies to spread.
More Christmas Cookies and Candies to Sweeten Your Holidays:
- Irresistible Rolo Pretzel Bites
- Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies
- Perfectly Spiced Molasses Cookies
- Decadent Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
- Creamy Cookies and Cream Oreo Fudge
For even more delightful baking ideas, including a wide array of sweet treats and holiday desserts, feel free to browse our comprehensive Cookies Category. You’ll find recipes for every occasion!
If you loved baking and eating these festive Christmas M&M Cookies, we’d be thrilled to see your creations! Snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Remember to tag us @crunchycreamysweet so we can admire your delicious work and spread the holiday cheer!
Christmas M&M Cookies
Anna
Pin Recipe
10 minutes
10 minutes
20 minutes
Dessert
American
24
cookies
189
kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature, 1 stick
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 (3.5 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup red and green M&M’s
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Prepare your baking sheets: Line them with Silpat silicone baking mats or parchment paper. This prevents sticking and ensures even baking. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the softened unsalted butter for about 30 seconds until smooth. Add both the granulated sugar and packed light brown sugar. Beat for a full 3 minutes on medium-high speed until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color. This step incorporates air and makes your cookies tender.
- Crack in the large egg and add the pure vanilla extract (and almond extract if using). Mix on low speed until just combined and well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, instant vanilla pudding mix, baking soda, and salt. Ensure these dry ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Gradually add the whisked dry ingredients to the wet butter-sugar mixture. Mix with the electric mixer on low speed until almost incorporated, but do not overmix. Switch to a rubber spatula or a sturdy wooden spoon. Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips and red and green M&M’s (remember to reserve about ¼ cup of both for pressing on top later, if desired). Gently stir by hand until the chips and candies are evenly distributed and no dry streaks of flour remain.
- Using a medium cookie scoop (approximately 1.5 tablespoons), scoop out portions of the cookie dough. Roll each portion into a smooth ball between your palms. Place the cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- For that beautiful “bakery-style” look, gently press some of your reserved chocolate chips and M&M’s onto the tops and sides of each cookie dough ball before baking. This ensures they are visible on the finished cookies.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. The exact time may vary by oven; aim for edges that are set and lightly golden, while the centers still look slightly soft and puffed. For my oven, 10 minutes was the perfect “magic number.” Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
- The finished dough might seem a bit crumbly at first, but it should come together easily when rolled into balls by hand. If it’s overly crumbly, ensure your butter was very soft and your flour wasn’t over-packed. Using exactly 1 ¾ cups of flour typically results in a less crumbly, more manageable dough.
- Please note that the nutrition values provided are estimates and can vary significantly based on the specific brands and types of ingredients you use. Always refer to a calorie counter or nutrition calculator you are familiar with for the most accurate information.
Nutrition
Calories: 189kcal
|
Carbohydrates: 28g
|
Protein: 1g
|
Fat: 7g
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Saturated Fat: 4g
|
Cholesterol: 18mg
|
Sodium: 113mg
|
Potassium: 53mg
|
Sugar: 19g
|
Vitamin A: 145IU
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Calcium: 20mg
|
Iron: 0.9mg
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This recipe was originally published on December 4th, 2015, and has been updated on November 30th, 2023, to ensure the best possible baking experience for your family’s holiday celebrations.