Red and Green M&M Christmas Cookies: Easy Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipe

This holiday season is upon us and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than having a batch of these M&M Christmas cookies on hand. Rich cookie dough studded with colorful red and green M&M’s makes for the ultimate seasonal treat.

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Perfect for your holiday table, school party, cookie exchange, hostess gift, or just when you need a sweet treat, these easy M&M sugar cookies will hit the spot. They also make the perfect cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve!

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Festive
• Colorful
• Easy
• Crowd-pleaser

Family-friendly, these from-scratch sugar cookies are a great seasonal spin on a classic holiday treat. Colorful, cheerful, and loaded with red and green M&M’s goodness, these cookies must be added to your cookie jar.

Equipment Needed

• 1 Baking Sheet
• 1 mixing bowl
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Cookie Scoop

Ingredients to Make M&M Christmas Cookies

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp milk
• 2 cups red and green M&M’s

How To Make Red and Green M&M Christmas Cookies

• Preheat the oven to 325° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.

• Add in flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix until incorporated.

• Add in milk and blend until it creates a ball of dough.

• Next, add your M&M’s, folding them gently into the cookie dough.

• Place sugar cookie dough on a baking sheet using a cookie scoop about 1” apart.

‌NOTE: For a pretty presentation, top each dough ball with 3-4 red and green M&M’s before baking!

• Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the center has just set.

• Allow to cool for 1-2 minutes until transferring to a cooling rack.
• Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes more and enjoy!

Variations

• Change up the M&Ms and use your favorite colorful candy. Skittles works really well.
• Modify the color on the add-ins based on the season; red and green for Christmas; pink and red for Valentine’s Day; and green for St. Patrick’s Day. You’ll have a basic cookie you can adapt for any occasion.
• Mix in some nuts, seeds or coconut flakes.
• Stir in chocolate chips; semi-sweet, dark, or white chocolate all work. Or try peanut butter or Skor bar chips.

You can easily make up a batch or two before the holiday chaos begins and have them on hand to serve. Just take them out of the freezer a few hours before the festivities begin and you’ll be all set. Serve them with a cold glass of milk or a cup of tea or coffee. And don’t forget to leave a few out for Santa.

Tips and Tricks

• Take the butter and egg out of the fridge before you begin to prepare the cookies. Room-temperature butter and eggs are easier to work with.
• If you have a hard time mixing by hand you can use an electric mixer or food processor.
• Make sure your baking soda is still active. If you’ve had it in the pantry for a while you can test it by placing 1/4 teaspoon in a bowl and then adding a few drops of vinegar. If the baking soda fizzes it’s still good, if not it’s time to buy a new box.
• If you don’t have a cookie scoop use an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon measuring spoon. It’s important that the cookies all be the same size so they bake up at the same pace.
• Don’t overbake the cookies. Once they start to turn golden brown, take them out of the oven. They will firm up as they cool.
• Make a double batch and freeze half the dough so you can quickly and easily bake up another batch at a later time.

FAQs

What is the most popular Christmas cookie?

It seems the most researched Christmas cookie, according to General Mills, is the peanut butter blossom.

Can I make these cookies ahead of time?

Yes, absolutely! These cookies keep well so you can make these cookies a few days in advance and store them on the kitchen counter or the fridge. Or better yet, to preserve their freshness store them in the freezer and defrost a few hours before you want to serve them.

How long will Christmas cookies keep?

These M&M cookies will keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container on the kitchen counter. You can freeze them for up to 3 months. To thaw leave on the kitchen counter until soft.

Can I use brown sugar instead of white sugar?

You can substitute brown sugar for white sugar though the texture of your cookies may be slightly different.

Can I serve these cookies any time of the year?

Yes absolutely! Though this recipe uses the Christmas M&Ms you can use regular M&Ms and make these cookies any time of the year.

If you love cookies as much as I do, you may like these recipes below~