Best Christmas M&M Sugar Cookies

The holiday season is upon us with the aroma of fresh baked cookies in the air! My Best Christmas M&M Sugar Cookies are perfect for Santa and all of his little helpers! Red and green M&M’s are baked into a classic cookie dough and made a little bit thicker with soft centers.

Like my Thick and Delicious Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies , these easy cookies are a festive treat, great for cookie exchanges and or to serve at a holiday party, birthday parties or baby showers.  

This M&M cookie recipe is adapted from on the back of the package but instead of using Christmas cookie cutters and making them thin, I use a 2 inch biscuit cutter to help form 12 giant delicious cookies, making them kind of cake like.

Original Post: December 2022 | Updated Post: October 2024.

Why this recipe works

You can never go wrong with a delicious cookie recipe! Everyone loves easy Christmas cookies and chocolatey M&M’s! This soft sugar cookie is like a classic chocolate chip cookie but with delicious M&M’s. Using a biscuit cutter makes a much thicker cookie. Festive Christmas cookies are fun to make with your toddlers! This Christmas M&M sugar cookies recipe uses simple ingredients. All you need is some basic pantry staples and the green and red M&M’s.

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Ingredients

• M&M’s. Red and green holiday colors. To use this base recipe for other holidays, change out the M&M colors. Such as orange for Halloween, red and pink for Valentine’s Day.
• Granulated sugar.
• All purpose flour.
• Baking powder.
• Fine sea salt. Fine sea salt is great for baking.
• Egg.
• Room Temperature Butter. Unsalted.
• Vanilla extract.

How to make this simple cookie recipe

Step One: Cream the Butter and Sugar: Start with preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large electric mixer, add the softened unsalted butter and beat for 2-3 minutes. Then add the sugar and continue to combine until fluffy. Add the vanilla and the egg on low speed.

Step Two: Gather Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, add the dry ingredients. Whisk to combine the flour mixture and add slowly to the wet ingredients.

Step Three: Add the M&M’s: Gently fold in the M&M’s. Then take the cookie dough and place on to a floured flat surface. For best results, roll out into about a 1/2 inch thick. 

Step Four: Cut the Cookies: Using a 2 inch biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter, cut out into 12 pieces. 

Step Five: Bake Off M&M Cookie Dough: Place on an ungreased prepared baking sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes or until the tops of the cookies are a golden brown. (10 minutes was my ovens magic spot) Let them cool for a couple of minutes then transfer to a wire rack.

Storing leftover M&M Sugar Cookies

Store any leftover Christmas M&M cookies in an airtight container or cookie jar for up to 3-4 days. 

Helpful tips for this M&M Sugar Cookies recipe

• To keep these sugar cookies festive, you will want to use the red and green color. You can find them at your local grocery store. Mine had them sectioned off in the holiday aisle along with other popular holiday treats.

• Do not knead the cookie dough however you can use a roller pin coated in flour to help spread it out. A large cookie scoop also works. 

• I tested a batch with a lined baking sheet with parchment paper and one without. Both turned out good, but my preference was the batch that was on the ungreased cookie sheet (and is the newer of the baking sheets). However, one of my baking sheets are old and that is the one I used the parchment paper on.

• 1 10 oz bag of M&M’s will make a double batch (24 cookies). 

• Use a 2 inch biscuit cutter to give the cookies a nice round shape and thickness. 

• A hand mixer works along with a large bowl if you don’t have a stand mixer.

• Make this Christmas M&M cookie dough ahead of time and freeze it in a freezer bag. 

Serving suggestions

• Try adding a touch of cocoa powder for a chocolate dough!

• Mix the M&M’s with semi-sweet chocolate chips or white chocolate chips.

• You can substitute granulated sugar with brown sugar or light brown sugar.

Recipe inspiration for these easy M&M Cookies

This time of year, who can say no to a warm chocolate chip cookie. And to throw a cup of the m&m’s in there makes it even better! 

I think the best Christmas cookies are simple. This recipe is easy and straight forward and bonus-  I had everything in my pantry. 

The biscuit cutter really makes this cookie substantial and reminds me of these cookies from one my one my favorite bakeries here in Seattle, Lowrider Cookie Company. 

Whatever your favorite Christmas cookie recipes are, I want to wish you a Happy Holidays and hope you will enjoy these Christmas M&M Cookies! 

Check Out Other Festive Desserts:

• Pumpkin Pecan Coffee Cake
• Gluten Free Chocolate Strawberry Nutella Cake
• Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Cake with Almonds

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Did you make this recipe and love it? Please leave a comment and give it a 5 Star Rating! THANK YOU!

Whether you are looking for a soft cookie to serve at holiday parties or are just in the mood to make bakery-style cookies, this is a great base recipe. A simple sugar cookie dough recipe is perfect to have in your back in your back pocket for desserts and baked goods. Hope you enjoy these sweet treats!

Making this recipe? I would love to see it! Tag me on Instagram at @whensaltyandsweetunite or use hashtag #whensaltyandsweetunite .