Nothing quite says festive like a colorful, chewy treat to enjoy with friends and family. That’s why I’m excited to share this Christmas Cookie Bake with M&Ms and Chips Recipe — it’s a fun twist that brings together sweet, salty, and crunchy in every bite.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
I’ve made countless cookies over the years, but this Christmas Cookie Bake with M&Ms and Chips Recipe always steals the show. It’s a playful mashup of textures and festive colors that’ll brighten any holiday gathering — plus, it’s unexpectedly simple to make!
- Sweet and Salty Harmony: The combo of M&Ms, pretzels, and potato chips delivers a flavor explosion that's hard to resist.
- Perfectly Chewy: Bake it right, and you get that soft center with just a tiny crisp edge—my favorite cookie texture.
- Eye-Catching & Festive: Those red and green jimmies sprinkle extra holiday cheer and look gorgeous on every cookie.
- Super Customizable: You can switch up the mix-ins to fit your cravings or what you have on hand — so fun to play with!
Ingredients & Why They Work
This cookie bake is a wonderful balance of buttery dough, sweet chocolate, and salty crunch. Every ingredient has a role, making sure your cookies come out bursting with flavor and the perfect texture. Plus, a few shopping tips to keep in mind.
- Salted Butter: Softened butter adds richness and helps the cookies stay chewy.
- Light Brown Sugar: This brings moisture and a subtle caramel flavor that deepens the cookie’s taste.
- Granulated Sugar: Helps with structure and adds just a bit of sweet crunch.
- Egg Yolks: These make the cookies tender and moist — don’t skip them!
- Vanilla Bean Paste or Extract: It’s amazing how much vanilla amps up the flavor, making everything taste homey.
- All-Purpose Flour: The backbone of our cookie; measuring properly is key for a soft, not dense cookie.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: They work together to give the perfect rise and texture.
- Salt: Essential for balancing the sweetness and enhancing flavors.
- M&Ms (red & green): Festive pops of sweetness and color—plus, chocolate inside!
- White Chocolate Chips: Creamy bursts that melt just right in every bite.
- Pretzel Pieces: Bring that satisfying salty crunch you’ll love contrasting the sweets.
- Potato Chip Pieces: Adds an unexpected, delightful crunch and saltiness.
- Red & Green Jimmies: Purely decorative, but they make the cookies look so festive and fun.
Make It Your Way
This recipe is a playground — I love to customize it depending on what holiday treats I want to highlight or what’s sitting in my pantry. Feel free to mix in nuts, swap chips, or adjust sweetness levels to your liking.
- Variation: One year, I swapped out the white chocolate chips for butterscotch chips — the family went crazy for the rich, buttery twist!
Step-by-Step: How I Make Christmas Cookie Bake with M&Ms and Chips Recipe
Step 1: Cream Butter & Sugars Until Fluffy
Start by softening your salted butter — room temperature is best here. Beat it together with both brown and granulated sugars for about two minutes until the mixture looks pale and fluffy. This little step sets the foundation for that tender, chewy texture everyone loves.
Step 2: Add Egg Yolks & Vanilla
Mix in two egg yolks and your vanilla bean paste or extract. Keep mixing on medium speed until your batter turns light and fluffy again — it’ll get a bit pale in color, which means you’re on the right track.
Step 3: Combine Dry Ingredients & Mix
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Slowly add it to your wet mixture, blending just until combined. Overmixing here can lead to tough cookies, so keep it gentle!
Step 4: Fold in M&Ms, Chocolate Chips, Chips, Pretzels & Sprinkles
Grab a spatula and fold in all the colorful mix-ins — M&Ms, white chocolate chips, pretzel pieces, potato chip pieces, plus those festive red and green jimmies. This is the moment the cookie dough really starts to feel joyful!
Step 5: Scoop & Bake
Scoop your dough into 20 balls, placing them two inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Here’s a little trick: adding a few extra mix-ins on top of each ball before baking adds a festive flair and makes your cookies look stunning. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.
Step 6: Shape & Cool
Right after baking, if you want those perfect circles like in pictures, swirl a large circular cookie cutter around each still-warm cookie — it tucks the edges in nicely. Let the cookies cool for five minutes on the baking sheet, then move them to a rack for another 10 minutes before digging in.
Top Tip
Growing up, I quickly learned that measuring flour correctly makes all the difference — especially with cookies. A little too much flour and your cookies become dry and crumbly. Here are some tips from my kitchen to yours.
- Flour Measuring: Avoid scooping flour directly with your measuring cup. Instead, gently spoon flour into your cup and level it off with a knife or use a kitchen scale for the most accurate measurement.
- Cookie Shaping: Don’t skip the cookie cutter swirl technique after baking—it’s my secret for perfect round cookies that impress everyone.
- Mix-In Adjustments: Feel free to add a handful more M&Ms or chips on top before baking for an eye-catching look and extra bursts of flavor.
- Don’t Overbake: Pull the cookies out when edges are just set, especially if you like them soft and chewy — they’ll keep cooking a bit on the hot pan.
How to Serve Christmas Cookie Bake with M&Ms and Chips Recipe
Garnishes
I usually keep it simple — a light dusting of powdered sugar or a few extra red and green sprinkles on top to boost that festive look. Sometimes, just serving them warm with a cold glass of milk is all the garnish they need!
Side Dishes
I love pairing these cookies with hot cocoa or spiced apple cider for a cozy holiday treat. They’re also fantastic alongside your favorite holiday tea or coffee, making every bite a comforting experience.
Creative Ways to Present
For holiday parties, I like to arrange these colorful cookies on a large wooden board with some fresh evergreen sprigs and red berries around. It turns the platter into a festive centerpiece that guests can’t resist reaching for!
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They usually stay fresh and soft for about three days — but if they start feeling a little stale, a quick zap in the microwave revives their chewy goodness.
Freezing
I’ve frozen the dough balls before and baked them right from the freezer, adding a minute or two to the baking time. You can also freeze already baked cookies — just wrap them tightly and thaw at room temperature before serving.
Reheating
To refresh leftover cookies, I pop them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or warm them in a low oven (about 300°F) for 5 minutes. This brings back that fresh-from-the-oven texture and melts those chocolate chips just right.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely! Regular or semi-sweet chocolate chips work wonderfully in this recipe — just swap them out in equal amounts to suit your preference.
Make sure your butter is softened but not melted, and avoid overmixing the dough once you add the flour. Chilling the dough for 15-30 minutes before baking can also help the cookies hold their shape better.
Yes! Substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend that is designed to measure 1:1 with regular flour. Just be sure the blend contains xanthan gum or add some if it doesn’t, to help with texture.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature and place a slice of bread inside. The bread helps keep the cookies soft and chewy for longer by maintaining moisture levels. Replace the bread slice every couple of days for the best results.
Final Thoughts
This Christmas Cookie Bake with M&Ms and Chips Recipe is one of those festive treats that fills the kitchen with joy and invites everyone to gather around for a bite. From the colorful mix-ins to the buttery chewiness, it’s become a holiday favorite I look forward to every year. Give it a try, experiment a bit, and watch how this simple cookie bake brings big smiles to your festivities!
Print
Delicious Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 20 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Festive Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies packed with colorful M&M's, white chocolate chips, salty pretzels and potato chips, and sprinkles. These cookies combine sweet and salty flavors and crunchy textures, perfect for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup salted butter, softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Mix-Ins
- ½ cup red and green M&M's
- ⅓ cup white chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup pretzel pieces
- ⅓ cup potato chip pieces
- 2 tablespoon red and green jimmies
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
- Cream butter and sugars: In a large bowl, combine the softened salted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Use an electric mixer to cream them together for two minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add egg yolks and vanilla: Add the egg yolks and vanilla bean paste or extract to the bowl. Mix on medium speed for two minutes until the mixture becomes pale in color and fluffy.
- Mix dry ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the mixture. Mix until just combined.
- Fold in mix-ins: Gently fold in the red and green M&M's, white chocolate chips, pretzel pieces, potato chip pieces, and red and green jimmies using a spatula until evenly distributed.
- Scoop cookie dough: Scoop the dough into 20 balls and arrange them two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Optionally, add a few extra mix-ins on top of each cookie dough ball for decoration.
- Bake cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes for crisper edges or 10 minutes for chewier centers.
- Shape cookies (optional): While cookies are still warm, use a large circular cookie cutter to swirl around each cookie, shaping them into perfect circles by pushing the dough together.
- Cool cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool for an additional 10 minutes.
- Store: Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to three days.
Notes
- Measure flour properly by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife to avoid using too much flour, or better yet, weigh flour (1 cup flour = 125 grams).
- Use a large circular cookie cutter right out of the oven to shape cookies into perfect circles by swirling it around each cookie to push them together.
- Adding extra mix-ins on top of scooped dough balls is optional but enhances the festive look of the cookies.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 160 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
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