The moment the calendar flips to December, the pressure is on to find the perfect Christmas cookies recipes. While intricate cut-outs and delicate swirls are beautiful, what does the busiest man of the season—the man who tastes millions of cookies—really crave? He craves comfort, chewiness, and a dash of festive fun. This recipe, officially deemed Santa’s Favorite Christmas Cookies, delivers exactly that!
This cookie is a holiday twist on the universally loved chocolate chip cookie. It swaps some of the traditional white sugar for brown sugar (the secret to that incredible chew!), and it’s loaded with a cheerful mix of red and green holiday M&Ms, a blend of chocolate chips, and a generous dose of holiday sprinkles. It’s a classic drop cookie—simple to scoop, quick to bake, and utterly impossible to resist. If you need a guaranteed, no-fail recipe for your cookie exchange or a cozy Christmas Eve tradition, stop searching. This one is pure holiday magic.
Why These Are Truly Santa’s Favorite Cookies
This recipe shines in the vast landscape of Christmas cookies recipes because it combines the nostalgia of a classic with the visual pop needed for holiday celebrations.
- Chewy Perfection: The high ratio of brown sugar in the dough is the game-changer here. Brown sugar contains molasses, which adds moisture and creates a cookie that stays soft and chewy in the center while developing slightly crisp, buttery edges—the ideal texture combo.
- The Drop Cookie Ease: We love an easy win during the holidays! This is a simple drop cookie, meaning there’s no chilling, rolling, or cutting required. It’s perfect for little hands to help scoop and decorate, making it a fantastic, stress-free holiday baking tradition.
- Ultimate Customization: While we stick to the classic chocolate chip and M&M combination, the base dough is so reliable that you can easily swap in other festive mix-ins, like toffee bits, crushed pretzels, or pecans (more on variations later!).
- Freezer-Friendly Flexibility: Like all great Christmas cookies recipes, this one is designed to be made ahead. You can freeze the baked cookies or, even better, freeze the dough balls so you can have fresh, hot cookies ready in under 15 minutes!
The Anatomy of a Chewy Drop Cookie
To ensure this Santa’s Favorite Christmas Cookies recipe delivers on its chewy promise, attention to the ratio of sugars, fat, and flour is key.
1. The Fat and Sugar Ratio
- Softened Butter: The butter must be properly softened to room temperature—not melted. This is essential for the creaming process, where air is beaten into the fat and sugar. This air is what makes the cookies lift and stay light instead of spreading too flat.
- Brown Sugar Power: The heavy reliance on light brown sugar (packed) locks in moisture, resulting in a much chewier final product compared to a cookie that uses mostly granulated white sugar.
2. The Mix-Ins: Color and Crunch
- Chocolate Blend: Santa gets a mix! Using both semi-sweet chocolate chips (for deep flavor) and white chocolate chips (for sweetness and visual contrast) adds complexity to every bite.
- M&Ms and Sprinkles: Use the red and green holiday M&Ms for a pop of color that stays vibrant during baking. Holiday jimmies (sprinkles) are added to the dough, which also help maintain a soft interior texture.
3. The Pro-Tip: The Post-Bake Press
- Picture-Perfect Finish: If you want that beautiful, bakery-style cookie look, reserve a small handful of chocolate chips and M&Ms. Immediately after pulling the cookies out of the oven, gently press the reserved pieces onto the tops of the hot cookies. This ensures the best-looking toppings are visible and not melted or buried inside the dough.
Step-by-Step: The Simple Drop Cookie Method
This stress-free method is perfect for getting cookies done quickly during the busy holiday season.
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 11-13 Minutes
- Yields: Approximately 4 Dozen Cookies
Part 1: Making the Dough
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. This prevents sticking and promotes even baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the softened butter, packed light brown sugar, and granulated sugar for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well-blended.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the eggs and the pure vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- Add Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), baking soda, and kosher salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Beat just until combined. Do not overmix!
- Fold in Fillings: Gently fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, holiday M&Ms, and holiday jimmies using a rubber spatula.
Part 2: Scoop, Bake, and Finish
- Scoop: Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to drop the cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet, ensuring about 2 inches of space between them. For larger cookies, use a 3-tablespoon scoop.
- Bake: Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned and the centers still look slightly soft.
- The Press: Immediately upon removing the cookies from the oven, gently press the reserved chocolate chips and M&Ms into the tops for that picture-perfect look.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for several minutes to allow them to set, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Pro-Tips and Variations for a Custom Cookie
Elevate your Santa’s Favorite Christmas Cookies recipe with these simple swaps and tricks.
- Baking Time is Key: The best chewy cookies are slightly underbaked. They should look barely done in the center when you pull them out. They will continue to set up on the hot baking sheet.
- Flavor Boost: Swap the vanilla extract for almond extract or peppermint extract for a fun holiday twist.
- Nutty Crunch: Replace the white chocolate chips with chopped pecans or walnuts for a great textural contrast.
- Bigger is Better: If you opt for the large (3-tablespoon) scoop, increase the baking time to 13-15 minutes. Always add a few extra minutes for larger cookies.
- A Touch of Salt: Sprinkle a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt (like Maldon) on top of the dough balls right before baking. This simple step enhances the chocolate and butter flavors beautifully.
Storage and Freezing for Holiday Efficiency
These cookies are perfect for getting a head start on your Christmas cookies recipes inventory.
- Storing Baked Cookies: Once cooled completely, store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. Placing a slice of white bread in the container helps keep them soft!
- Freezing Baked Cookies: Freeze the cooled cookies in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw them on the counter overnight.
- Freezing Dough Balls (Best Method): Scoop the dough balls onto a baking sheet and freeze until solid (about 1 hour). Transfer the frozen balls to a labeled freezer bag. When ready to bake, place the frozen balls on a baking sheet and bake as directed, adding 2-3 minutes to the total baking time.
Conclusion: The Cookie That Won the North Pole
The Santa’s Favorite Christmas Cookies recipe is proof that the simplest cookies are often the most beloved. It combines the irresistible flavor of a chewy chocolate chip cookie with the vibrant, festive colors of the holidays. This recipe guarantees perfectly soft centers, golden edges, and a batch of cookies that is as much fun to bake as it is to eat. Make this your new favorite drop cookie tradition, and you’ll always have a winner ready for Santa’s arrival!
Santa’s Favorite Christmas Cookies
Equipment
- electric mixer
- mixing bowls
- measuring cups and spoons
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- cookie scoop
- wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup red and green holiday M&Ms
- ¼ cup holiday sprinkles (jimmies)
- optional extra M&Ms and chocolate chips for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper for even baking and easy cleanup.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together softened butter, packed brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to the wet ingredients, mixing on low just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, red and green M&Ms, and sprinkles. Reserve a few M&Ms and chips for topping.
- Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to drop dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake for 11–13 minutes, or until the edges are golden but the centers look slightly soft.
- Immediately after baking, gently press a few reserved M&Ms and chocolate chips into the tops for a bakery-style finish. Let cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
• For soft, chewy cookies, slightly underbake and let them finish setting on the hot baking sheet.
• For a festive twist, substitute peppermint or almond extract for vanilla.
• Add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt before baking for elevated flavor. Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week. Freeze baked cookies up to 3 months or unbaked dough balls for up to 4 months. Bake frozen dough directly—just add 2–3 minutes to baking time.