Santa’s Favorite Christmas Cookies
This easy, chewy, and festive Christmas cookie recipe is Santa-approved! Packed with chocolate chips, holiday M&Ms, and sprinkles, these soft and buttery drop cookies are a guaranteed hit on any holiday cookie platter. Perfect for baking with kids, gifting, or leaving out for Santa himself!
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
Pro Tips:
• 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.
• 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.