M&M Christmas Cookies are my seasonal shortcut to instant cheer. Picture this: it is a chilly afternoon, the lights are twinkling, and you want a festive treat that looks bright, tastes buttery, and makes your kitchen smell like pure holiday magic. These cookies do all that without fuss. They are soft in the center, lightly crisp at the edges, and loaded with colorful candy that never fails to make people smile. If you need a cookie that delivers nostalgia and joy in one bite, this is it.
Why I Love This Recipe
Every December, I want a cookie that is reliable, fun, and easy to share. These cookies hit the sweet spot. They have a buttery vanilla base with just enough chew, plus those pops of chocolate and color from the M&Ms that make kids and adults reach for seconds. I also love that the dough is forgiving. You can chill it for more structure or bake it right away if your patience is gone. Another favorite part is the flexibility. Swap in different M&M colors for birthdays or game days, or add mini chocolate chips for extra chocolate in every bite.
And if your crowd loves super-soft, bakery style cookies, you might also enjoy my go-to irresistibly soft homemade chocolate chip cookies for any time of year. They are a cousin to these holiday beauties and never let me down.
These are the cookies I bring to parties when I want zero leftovers. They look festive on a platter, travel well, and taste even better the next day. When the season gets busy, that is everything I need.
Ingredients & Substitutions
What you will need
- Unsalted butter, softened: room temperature butter creams easily and gives a tender crumb.
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar: brown sugar adds moisture and flavor, white sugar brings crisp edges.
- Large egg and vanilla extract: for richness and classic cookie flavor.
- All-purpose flour: the base of your dough.
- Baking soda and cornstarch: baking soda lifts, cornstarch keeps centers soft.
- Fine sea salt: balances sweetness.
- Holiday M&Ms: I like a mix of regular and mini for color and chocolate in every bite.
- Optional mini chocolate chips: for extra chocolate flecks throughout.
Easy substitutions that work
Flour: A 1 to 1 gluten free flour blend with xanthan gum works well. The texture stays pleasantly soft. If you are baking for someone gluten free and want another festive idea, take a look at these cozy gluten-free eggnog thumbprint cookies.
Butter: Dairy free sticks can be swapped in a pinch. Choose one that is made for baking. The flavor is a little different, but still delicious.
Mix-ins: M&Ms are the star, but you can add white chocolate chips or crushed peppermint candies for holiday flair. Just keep the total mix-ins around 1 to 1.25 cups so the dough does not get crowded.
Sugar: If you love caramel notes, go for dark brown sugar. If you want a lighter flavor, use light brown sugar. Either way, the cookies stay soft.
How to Make Christmas M&M Cookies
- Cream the butter and sugars until fluffy. You want that mixture pale and a little airy. It traps tiny pockets that help the cookie rise and stay soft.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla. Scrape the bowl. This helps you avoid streaks of butter or sugar that could make cookies spread unevenly.
- Whisk the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Mix them in on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in most of the M&Ms and any mini chips. Save a handful of M&Ms for the tops, which keeps them bright and picture worthy.
- Chill for 30 minutes if you want thicker cookies. If you are short on time, you can scoop and bake right away. They will spread a little more but still taste amazing.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Scoop 1.5 tablespoon balls and space them a couple inches apart.
- Bake 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look a touch soft. Press a few extra M&Ms on top while the cookies are hot for that pop of color.
- Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a rack. They set up as they cool, staying chewy in the middle.
Chilling vs no chill dough
Chilling the dough helps the butter firm up, so your cookies hold their shape and bake thicker. No chill gives you faster cookies with a slightly thinner profile. Both ways taste great. If I am making M&M Christmas Cookies for a cookie exchange, I chill for consistency. If I am baking with kids on a weeknight, I skip it.
I made these for our neighborhood holiday swap and ended up printing the recipe four times. Everyone loved the soft middles and the bright candy tops. They are my new December tradition.
How to Store Christmas M&M Cookies
Room temperature is best. Keep cookies in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Slide a piece of bread into the container to help keep them soft. The bread gets stale first, not your cookies.
Freezing works beautifully. Freeze baked cookies in a zip top bag up to 2 months. Thaw at room temp and they taste freshly baked. For even fresher flavor, freeze dough balls on a sheet until solid, then store in a bag. Bake from frozen at 350°F, adding 1 to 2 extra minutes.
If you want to get ahead before a party, make the dough three days in advance and chill it. Scoop and bake when needed. That way your M&M Christmas Cookies are warm when guests arrive, which is such a sweet touch.
Tips & Tricks
Measure flour right: Fluff it, spoon into your cup, and level it. Too much flour makes dry cookies. If they taste cakey, that is usually the problem.
Use room temp butter: It should be slightly cool but soft enough to press with a finger. Melted butter leads to flat cookies. Cold butter will not cream well.
Do not overmix: After the flour goes in, mix on low just until it comes together. Overmixing develops gluten, which leads to a tougher bite.
Top with extra M&Ms: Press a few into the tops right after baking for bakery style looks. It also makes the candy stay bright instead of getting hidden in the dough.
Pan choices matter: Use light colored metal sheets lined with parchment. Dark pans brown the bottoms faster.
Size for consistency: A cookie scoop keeps sizes even, so they bake at the same rate. I use a 1.5 tablespoon scoop most often.
Use what you know works: If you love the texture of my regular base, you can riff from my chocolate chip cookie base and simply fold in holiday M&Ms. That trick keeps the taste your family already loves.
Trust your eyes: Pull them when the edges are set and the centers still look a little soft. They finish on the sheet. That is how you get those soft centers with lightly crisp edges.
Common Questions
Q: Can I make the dough ahead?
A: Yes. Chill the dough up to 72 hours. Let it sit at room temp for 10 to 15 minutes so it scoops easily, then bake.
Q: How do I keep the candy colors from bleeding?
A: Fold M&Ms in gently at the end and avoid overmixing. Pressing a few on top after baking also keeps colors bright.
Q: Can I double the recipe?
A: Absolutely. Use a larger bowl and scrape the sides more often so everything mixes evenly. Bake in batches for even browning.
Q: What if my cookies spread too much?
A: Chill the dough 30 to 45 minutes, and make sure your butter is not melted. Using parchment instead of a greased pan also helps.
Q: Can I make these without eggs?
A: Try a flax egg, 1 tablespoon ground flax mixed with 3 tablespoons water, rested until gelled. The texture stays nice and chewy.
Ready to Bake a Batch and Share the Cheer
If your holiday calendar is packed and you want something festive that never fails, M&M Christmas Cookies are the move. They are easy, crowd pleasing, and so cheerful on a cookie platter. For more cookie inspo, I love browsing ideas like these helpful tips and recipes for Christmas cookies that are easy, delicious, and make ahead friendly. And if you want another take on this classic, there is a fun guide to perfect Christmas M&M cookies that echoes many of the tricks I use here. Now grab a bowl, toss in the butter and sugars, and let the holiday baking begin. You will be pulling warm, colorful cookies from the oven in no time.
M&M Christmas Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Cream the butter and sugars until fluffy and pale.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla, scraping the bowl to combine.
- Whisk the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, cornstarch, salt) in a separate bowl and mix into the wet ingredients on low speed until just combined.
- Fold in most of the M&Ms and any mini chocolate chips, reserving a handful of M&Ms for topping.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes for thicker cookies, or bake immediately.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop 1.5 tablespoon balls spacing them a couple of inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until edges are set and centers are still touch soft.
- Press reserved M&Ms on top immediately after baking.
- Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
