M&M Christmas Cookies Recipe: Festive Holiday Treats

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These M&M Christmas Cookies are soft, chewy, buttery, and packed with festive red and green candies. They bake up thick like bakery cookies, stay tender for days, and are the ones everyone reaches for first on a holiday tray.

What makes this recipe work is how simple it is while still delivering bakery-quality results. Brown sugar keeps the cookies moist and rich, cornstarch gives them an extra-tender, almost melt-in-your-mouth texture, and chopping some of the M&M’s so they blend into the dough while pressing extra whole candies on top creates a beautiful interior and a festive exterior. If you love holiday baking, try other favorites such as Italian Christmas Cookies, Christmas Butter Cookies, or Candy Cane Cookies from the same collection of Christmas cookie recipes.

Before You Begin

Use softened butter, not melted butter: Softened butter helps the dough cream properly and produces thick, soft cookies instead of thin, greasy ones.
Chop some of the M&M’s: Coarsely chopping about half the candies helps distribute the chocolate and color throughout each cookie for a bakery-style interior.
Press extra M&M’s on top: Arrange a few whole candies on the tops of the dough balls before baking for a bright, festive look.
Don’t overbake: Remove the cookies when the centers appear just set; they’ll finish firming up as they cool on the baking sheet.
Line your baking sheets: Parchment paper or silicone mats ensure even baking and easy removal.

Why This Recipe Works

Soft, chewy centers with lightly golden edges
Thick, bakery-style cookies that stay soft for days
Loaded with festive red and green M&M’s
No chill time required — quick and easy dough
Cornstarch yields a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture
Chopped candies spread color and chocolate into every bite

M&M Christmas Cookies — Ingredients & Notes

Key ingredients and why they matter:

Unsalted butter (softened): Creams with sugar to create structure and thickness.
Baking soda: Use fresh baking soda so cookies rise properly and stay soft.
Granulated sugar: A small amount helps the edges crisp slightly while the center stays chewy.
Brown sugar: Adds moisture, chewiness, and rich flavor thanks to the molasses content.
Cornstarch: The secret to the tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture of these cookies.
Christmas M&M’s: Use red and green candies for the classic holiday look; chop half for distribution and press extra whole ones on top for appearance.

How to Make M&M Christmas Cookies

Make the dough: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). In a large bowl, cream the softened butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt, mixing just until the dough comes together.
Add the M&M’s: Coarsely chop about half of the M&M’s and gently stir them into the dough. Scoop the dough into rounded balls and place on lined baking sheets.
Top with whole candies: Press several whole M&M’s into the top of each dough ball so the cookies bake up with a colorful, festive face.
Bake and cool: Bake 8–10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers no longer look wet. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. They’ll set soft and chewy.

Pro Tips

Chop M&M’s with a knife: Use a sharp chef’s knife to coarsely chop candies. Avoid food processors — they pulverize the shells and create small fragments instead of colorful chunks.
Do not overbake: The centers should still appear slightly soft when you remove the cookies. Overbaking dries them out quickly.
Press extras on top: While mixing candies into the dough adds flavor, pressing additional whole M&M’s on top gives the cookies an attractive, festive finish.
Use a large scoop: Larger cookie portions stay softer in the center and achieve the desired bakery-style thickness.

Cooking Science: Why These Cookies Stay Soft

Brown sugar contains molasses, which retains moisture and helps cookies remain chewy. Cornstarch weakens the gluten structure slightly, producing a more tender crumb and that soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Pulling the cookies from the oven when the centers still look a little soft locks in moisture as they cool on the baking sheet.

Storage, Freezing, Reheating, and Make-Ahead

Storing: Keep cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Reheating: Warm a cookie in the microwave for 8–10 seconds to restore fresh-baked softness.
Freezing: Freeze baked cookies or unbaked dough balls for up to 3 months. For unbaked dough, freeze scooped balls on a sheet until firm, then transfer to a bag.
Make-ahead: Scoop dough into balls and refrigerate for up to 2 days before baking for the freshest results.

M&M Christmas Cookies — FAQs

Can I freeze the cookie dough?

Yes. Scoop dough into balls, freeze on a baking sheet until firm, then store in a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding a minute or two to the baking time.

Do I put M&M’s in cookies before baking?

Yes. Mix some M&M’s into the dough and press additional whole candies on top before baking for the best texture and appearance.

Why did my cookies spread too much?

Excessive spreading usually means the butter was too warm or there wasn’t enough flour. Measure flour properly and use butter that’s softened but not melted.

Can I use regular M&M’s instead of holiday colors?

Absolutely. Regular M&M’s work fine, though red and green give the classic Christmas look.

How do I keep Christmas cookies soft?

Store in an airtight container and avoid overbaking. Remove the cookies when the centers still look slightly soft so they finish chewy as they cool.

Recipe Card

M&M Christmas Cookies

Prep time: 25 mins | Cook time: 8 mins | Total time: 33 mins | Servings: 2 dozen

Ingredients

1 cup M&M’s (use red & green for a festive look; chop half)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC).
Coarsely chop 1/2 cup of M&M’s and set aside.
Cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
Stir in flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt until just combined. Fold in the chopped M&M’s.
Scoop dough by tablespoonfuls onto lined cookie sheets. Press 4–5 whole M&M’s into the top of each dough ball.
Bake 8–10 minutes, until edges begin to brown and centers look set. Cool a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a rack.

Notes

The cookies are done when the center just loses its wet sheen and the edges start to brown.

Nutrition (per cookie)

Calories: 171 | Carbs: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g

More Christmas Cookies You’ll Love

Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies — tender, buttery pressed cookies ideal for holiday trays
Pecan Shortbread Cookies — rich shortbread with toasted pecans
Danish Wedding Cookies — nutty, powdered-sugar meltaways
Sour Cream Cookies — soft, old-fashioned cookies with a tender crumb
Christmas Sugar Cookies — classic cut-outs perfect for decorating

If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment — feedback helps other bakers and makes my day. Thanks for stopping by the kitchen — happy baking!