Ho ho ho! Get ready to treat Santa to the most irresistible cookies of the season—Santa Cookies! These little bites of joy boast a soft and chewy base, generously loaded with the magic of chocolate chips and M&Ms. The festive red and green colors aren't just eye-catching; they're a surefire way to make Santa's jolly taste buds dance with holiday cheer.
Move over, milk, because these cookies are the perfect match for Santa's sweet tooth, making them the ultimate, tasty ticket to securing your spot on the Nice List!
If you're thinking of leaving out a plate of cookies for Santa this Christmas Eve, then look no further than this delightful twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie.
With everyday ingredients like all-purpose flour, butter, and sugars, you can whip up these beautiful Santa Claus Cookies with minimal fuss.
Whether you're looking for festive cookies to bring to a holiday party or delicious cookies to have with a glass of milk, these Santa Cookies will be a huge hit this holiday season.
For more Christmas cookie recipes that use candies, check out my Christmas Ornament Cookies, Cute Peanut Butter Pretzel Reindeer Cookies, Christmas Sugar Cookie Pie Bars, and Nutter Butter Reindeer Cookies.
Ingredients for Santa Christmas Cookies
Wet Ingredients. Butter, Vanilla Extract, Egg
Dry Ingredients. All Purpose Flour, White Sugar, Brown Sugar, Baking Soda, Salt, Baking Powder, Cornstarch
Add-ins. Milk Chocolate Chips, Christmas Mini M&M's
How to Make Santa's Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or use a silicone baking mat, and set aside. Cut the cold Butter into cubes and place them in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl if using an electric hand mixer. Add the Brown Sugar to the butter in the large bowl.
- Cream together the Butter and Brown Sugar with an electric mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until fluffy. This will take about 2-3 minutes on high or medium speed. Add the Egg and the Vanilla Extract and cream until light and fluffy, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed to combine all of the ingredients together. Add the White Sugar and continue to cream for another 2-3 minutes.
- Gradually add the All-Purpose Flour, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Cornstarch, and Salt to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
- Add the Chocolate Chips, White Chocolate Chips, and Christmas Mini M&M's Candies.
- Mix the add-ins into the dough until fully combined.
- Use a #24 cookie scoop to scoop about 3 tablespoons of cookie dough per cookie onto your prepared baking sheet.
- Leave at least 2 inches between each cookie to allow for spreading. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes, or until set with crisp edges.
- You can add extra Chocolate Chips and M&M's on top of each cookie while the centers are still soft after removing them from the oven. Then allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
FAQs
You can prepare the cookie dough ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days before baking. Simply wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap, place it in a Ziploc bag, and refrigerate. When you're ready to bake the cookies, remove the dough from the refrigerator and thaw it on the counter until it's back to room temperature, then bake as instructed.
You don't need to chill the dough for this recipe, but if the dough happens to be too soft or warm, then chilling it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes will make it easier to work with.
This recipe uses Milk Chocolate Chips and M&M's, but any type of chocolate would taste great here. So feel free to use dark or white chocolate instead, or go the extra mile and add chopped-up chunks of your favorite chocolate bars.
This recipe for Santa Cookies is very flexible and perfect for decorating with frosting, sprinkles, and candies.
Storage & Freezing
Storage: Once these M&M & Chocolate Chip Cookies have completely cooled, you can store them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag at room temperature. They will stay fresh for up to 7 days but are best enjoyed within 3-4 days.
Freezing the Cookies: These cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months, which is perfect for preparing for the holidays! Place the cooled cookies into a freezer bag or freezer-safe container, and put them in the freezer. Place a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap between each cookie to prevent them from sticking together. When ready to serve, remove them from the freezer and thaw them back to room temperature on the counter.
Freezing the Dough: After scooping out the cookie dough balls and placing them on the baking sheet, flash-freeze them until they're firm. Then place them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag to keep frozen for up to 3 months. When you're ready to bake them, preheat the oven and place the frozen cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Allow the cookie dough to thaw back to room temperature and then bake as directed in the recipe.
Substitutions & Variations
- Add-ins. This is a very versatile recipe, so swap out the add-ins for whatever you'd like. If you want to keep the festive colors of red, white, and green, then consider using white chocolate chips, red cinnamon candies, or green peppermint chips. Use semisweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks to add depth to the chocolate flavor, and miniature marshmallows would give these cookies a fun, gooey texture.
- Change the cookie base. You can never go wrong with lots of chocolate, so you can add some cocoa powder to the plain cookie dough if you desire. If you love winter spices, then some cinnamon would be perfect, perhaps with a little bit of nutmeg and clove. As the add-ins are all chocolates, you could enhance the dough with a completely different flavor extract, like strawberry, almond, raspberry, or coconut.
- Add something extra. There are a number of ways to make your cookies look even more Christmassy. Try mixing a couple of drops of red or green food coloring into the dough before adding the dry ingredients, and even divide the dough to make a small batch of cookies that are red and another that are green. You could also try gently pressing Christmas Sprinkles into the cookies before they've cooled, or even wait until the cookies have cooled and dust them with a light coating of powdered sugar for an added sweetness that looks just like snow.
Pro Tips
What makes a good cookie? Does it have a soft center and crispy edges, and is it chewy? Each of these makes a great-quality cookie. To make perfect cookies every time, here are some pro tips.
Weighing Ingredients.
Baking is a science, and adding too much or too little of any of the ingredients will alter the recipe. Weighing and measuring dry ingredients properly makes a world of difference. Investing in a kitchen scale is ideal. When a kitchen scale is not available, make sure to stir and lift ingredients before scooping them into a measuring cup.
| Volume | Ounces | Grams | |
| All Purpose Flour | 1 Cup | 4½ Ounces | 120 Grams |
| Bread Flour | 1 Cup | 4½ Ounces | 120 Grams |
| Granulated Sugar | 1 Cup | 7 Ounces | 200 Grams |
| Brown Sugar | 1 Cup | 7½ Ounces | 213 Grams |
| Confectionary Sugar | 1 Cup | 4 Ounces | 113 Grams |
Cookie Scoop.
Using a cookie scoop keeps each ball of cookie dough the same size, which is essential for ensuring even baking.
Baking Sheets.
You can use an ungreased cookie sheet if you prefer. I like to use Parchment Paper to line baking sheets or a Silicone Mat for easy cleanup.
Baking Time.
Every oven heats a little differently. I recommend doing a test batch of 1-3 cookies to test the baking time for a perfectly baked cookie before baking the remaining dough.
Cookies.
Cookies are perfectly baked when the edges are set and the centers are no longer glossy.
Cooling Rack.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a minute or two before moving them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Kitchen Scale. I use this for accuracy in measuring, and it's a lifesaver when it comes to consistent baking.
- Wire Rack for cooling cookies. I like to have at least two cooling racks.
- Mixing Bowls. A Large Mixing Bowl for mixing ingredients and small and medium mixing bowls for other ingredients.
- Cookie Sheet. Most recipes will take two batches to bake. It's great to have multiple baking sheets available.
- Parchment Paper or a Silicone Baking Mat. Line the Cookie Sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
- Cookie Scoop. A small #60 Cookie Scoop or a Medium Cookie Scoop #50 are great choices for uniform drops of cookie dough.
- Storage Container. An Airtight Container to store cookies or a Ziploc Bag works great too.
- Additional supplies. Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons, along with a silicone spatula, are all helpful.
To find out more, check out my Pro Tips Guide for making the best cookies every time!
Have you tried this easy Santa Cookies recipe?
Let me know what you think of this recipe! Tag @bestcookierecipes on social media so I can see how great your cookies turned out! I would also love to read your comments below. Let me know what you think of these cookies. It really does help!
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Holiday Pecan Pie Bars
- Classic Peanut Butter Blossoms Christmas Tree Cookies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Bear Paw Cookies
- Old-Fashioned Soft Molasses Cookies
- Hershey Kisses Candy Cane Blossoms
- Soft Sugar Cookie Cut Out Recipe for Royal Icing
- Air Fryer Sugar Cookies From Scratch
- Tasty White Chocolate Cranberry Macadamia Nut Cookies
Santa Cookies with M&M's candies
Ingredients
- ½ cup Butter Cold, Cut into Cubes
- ½ cup Brown Sugar 106g
- ¼ cup White Sugar 50g
- 1 Egg Large
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 3 teaspoons Cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour 180g
- ½ cup Chocolate Chips Milk Chocolate
- ½ cup Christmas M&M's Candies Mini
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or use a silicone baking mat, and set aside. Cut the cold Butter into cubes and place them in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl if using an electric hand mixer. Add the Brown Sugar to the butter in the large bowl.
- Cream together the Butter and Brown Sugar with an electric mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until fluffy. This will take about 2-3 minutes on high or medium speed. Add the Egg and the Vanilla Extract and cream until light and fluffy, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed to combine all of the ingredients together. Add the White Sugar and continue to cream for another 2-3 minutes.
- Gradually add the All-Purpose Flour, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Cornstarch, and Salt to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
- Add the Chocolate Chips, White Chocolate Chips, and Christmas Mini M&M's Candies.
- Mix the add-ins into the dough until fully combined.
- Use a #24 cookie scoop to scoop about 3 tablespoons of cookie dough per cookie onto your prepared baking sheet.
- Leave at least 2 inches between each cookie to allow for spreading. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes, or until set with crisp edges.
- You can add extra Chocolate Chips and M&M's on top of each cookie while the centers are still soft after removing them from the oven. Then allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Store: Once these M&M & Chocolate Chip Cookies have completely cooled, you can store them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag at room temperature. They will stay fresh for up to 7 days but are best enjoyed within 3-4 days.
- Freeze the Cookies: These cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months, which is perfect for preparing for the holidays! Place the cooled cookies into a freezer bag or freezer-safe container, and put them in the freezer. Place a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap between each cookie to prevent them from sticking together. When ready to serve, remove them from the freezer and thaw them back to room temperature on the counter.
- Freeze the Dough: After scooping out the cookie dough balls and placing them on the baking sheet, flash-freeze them until they're firm. Then place them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag to keep frozen for up to 3 months. When you're ready to bake them, preheat the oven and place the frozen cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Allow the cookie dough to thaw back to room temperature and then bake as directed in the recipe.
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