Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies are just the cookie recipe you need to get you in the Holiday Spirit! They are a classic Chocolate Chip Cookie with Holiday M&M’s added, which makes them a crowd pleaser that kids and adults will love. They are also a great cookie to sit by the Christmas tree for Santa on Christmas Eve!
Some other kid friendly Christmas Cookies to make are: Peanut Clusters, Chocolate Star Cookies, Sugar Cookies and Christmas Hugs.
RELATED: All Christmas Recipes!
It’s A Great Christmas Cookie
- They are so easy to make, even the kids can help.
- The recipe only calls for simple ingredients that can all be found at your local grocery store.
- It is basically a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe with M&M’s added, so kids will LOVE them!
- The red and green color makes them perfect for the holiday season.
Ingredients
Pictured are the ingredients that you need to make Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies, plus some tips on a few ingredients:
Semisweet Chocolate Chips – These are traditionally used in chocolate chip cookies. However you can absolutely swap out dark chocolate chunks, milk chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips.
M&M’s – Purchase a 10oz bag of red and green M&M’s for this recipe. You may have to look in the Holiday Candy section or the baking aisle.
Baking Soda and Baking Powder – using both makes for a perfectly puffed cookie that is chewy on the inside with crisp edges, it also helps maximize the flavor of all the ingredients.
A Couple Secrets to Pretty Cookies
Do you ever make a cookie and then think, “why don’t they look like the pretty pictures on the recipe!?”?
Tip 1.
The first secret to making pretty cookies is saving some of the mix-in ingredients (like chocolate chips, M&M’s, marshmallows, or nuts) to press onto the outside of the cookie dough balls. See below for visual reference:
That way the pretty parts of the cookie are showing…like the Holiday M&M’s in this recipe, and they don’t all bake into the dough.
I use this trick in my other M&M Cookie recipe, as well as my Hot Cocoa Cookies and Fruitcake Cookies!
Tip 2.
The second tip for really pretty cookies is slightly undercooking in the oven, and letting them finish cooking on the hot baking sheet. This makes sure they are chewy and tender and the bottom of the cookies are JUST golden and not overbaked.
Tip 3.
The third tip to make your cookies extra bea-u-ti-ful is about a minute after they come out of the oven and they are still hot and pliable, place a large drinking glass over the cookies and shimmy them into a perfect circle! All your cookies will be uniform! see photo below for visual reference:
Step by Step Picture Instructions
- Prep
- Cream butter and sugar.
- Mix dry ingredients.
- Add dry ingredients to dough.
- Stir in chocolate chips and M&M’s.
- Scoop & Bake.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a reusable silpat.
In a large bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or hand held electric mixer cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar for about 2 minutes.
Add the vanilla extract and then the eggs, one at a time, until well combined.
In a medium sized bowl or on a piece of parchment paper mix the dry ingredients together: all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the cookie batter. Do not overmix at this point, just until combined.
Now with a wooden spoon stir in the chocolate chip and 1 cup of the holiday M&M’s (reserving the rest for the outside of the cookies!).
MAKE AHEAD: At this point you can chill the dough for up to 3 days or you can bake them right away. If you choose to chill the dough for more than 4 hours you may need to let it sit at room temp for 20 minutes before scooping into cookies.
Scoop rounded tablespoons full of cookie dough and drop onto the prepared cookie sheet. Using a cookie scoop makes quick work of this task (it also makes a great stocking stuffer)!
Now use the leftover M&M’s to dot the top and sides of the cookie dough balls.
Bake for 12 minutes. Then let the cookies finish on the hot baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack.
Storing
Store your Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies at room temperature in a covered container for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze your cookies for up to 3 months.
Serving
Christmas Cookies are best served on a platter of assorted holiday treats! They go great with a cold glass of milk or a cup of hot chocolate.
They also make an excellent cookie to leave for Santa!
More Yummy Christmas Cookies
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Did you make this recipe?
I would love to hear your review, especially if you have tips and tricks to add! Pop down to the comment section and connect with me
Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe + Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter - softened (2 sticks)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 10 oz bag Christmas M&M's (red and green) - Divided
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a reusable silpat.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or a bowl with a hand mixer), cream together the softened butter, sugar and brown sugar for about 2 minutes.1 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup brown sugar
- Add the vanilla extract and then one egg at a time, mix until it is completely combined, about 1 minute. Pro Tip: crack your eggs into a separate dish and then pour into the mixing bowl, this ensures you don't have any shell pieces in your cookies!2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 large eggs
- In a medium sized bowl or on a piece of parchment paper stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.Pro Tip: we like to use a piece of parchment paper and then pick it up like a funnel to easily get the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl!3 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Now slowly add the flour mixture, just mix until it all comes together, don't overmix at this point.
- With a wooden spoon stir in the 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup M&M's into the cookie dough.
- Drop heaping tablespoons full onto the prepared baking sheet. A cookie scoop is a great tool to use for this task.Pro Tip: use the extra M&M's to dot the outside of the cookies, lightly press them onto the tops and sides so they stick. This makes for a more pronounced red and green Holiday look!
- Bake for about 12 minutes, 9-10 minutes for darker baking sheets, they may look a little under-cooked, that is ok.Pro Tip: If you are baking in batches place the remaining cookie dough in the fridge until you are ready for the second batch.
- Let the cookies finish cooking on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then move to a wire rack to cool and set up completely. Pro Tip: to make uniform round cookies use a drinking glass upside down and shimmy/shape the warm cookies into perfect circles. see photo:
Serving
- These M&M Cookies are excellent served with a cold glass of milk for dunking or a hot glass of cocoa!
Storing
- Store your Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies at room temperature, in a covered container, for up to 5 days.
- They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp for about an hour before serving (although they are great frozen too).
John says
This is my new favorite Chirstmas cookie recipe!