Christmas M&M Cookies (+ Mix in a Jar)

What You’ll Need for Christmas M&M Cookies

Everything here is an ordinary grocery store ingredient. I’ve listed them in the order they go into the jar, and then the order they go into the bowl when it’s time to bake.

All-purpose flour. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife instead of scooping straight from the bag. This helps because scooping packs the flour down, and too much flour makes a dry, crumbly cookie.

Baking soda and salt. Whisked right into the flour so they’ll spread evenly before anything goes on top. I use regular table salt.

Brown sugar and granulated sugar. Brown sugar keeps the centers soft and chewy, and the little bit of granulated sugar helps the edges turn golden. Pack the brown sugar firmly when you measure it. If you run out, it’s easy to stir up a batch of homemade brown sugar from white sugar and molasses.

Semi-sweet chocolate chips. They balance out the sweetness of the candy. Milk chocolate chips work too if you like a sweeter cookie.

Red and green M&M’s. The holiday bags of red & green M&M’s show up in stores every fall (and you can also get them online). Regular M&M’s work any time of year, and you can match the colors to any holiday you like. Whatever you use, have a few extra on hand to top off the jar and press onto the cookies.

Butter. Any regular butter works here, including homemade butter. It’s soft enough when a finger leaves a dent. If it looks shiny or greasy, it’s too warm, so pop it back in the fridge for a few minutes.

Egg and vanilla. One large egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. That’s it.

How to Make Christmas M&M Cookies

The method is the same whether your dry ingredients came out of a jar or you just measured them into a bowl. We’ll stir the wet ingredients together first, then add everything else at once.

Start by heating the oven to 350°F and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then put the softened butter, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl and stir them together with a wooden spoon. Don’t worry if it looks lumpy or a little curdled. Butter and egg don’t fully blend until the sugar goes in, and this is totally normal.

How Do I Know the Dough Is Ready?

Before you pour in the dry ingredients. pick out a small handful of M&M’s from the top and set them aside for later. Then add everything else and stir. At first it will look like there’s WAY too much dry mix. Keep going, and switch to your hands once the spoon stops helping.

Here’s the test: squeeze a small handful. If it holds together in a ball, it’s ready, even if the dough in the bowl still looks a little crumbly. Be careful not to stop while it’s still sandy, because those cookies won’t hold together on the pan.

How Big Should I Make the Cookies?

Scoop the dough by rounded tablespoons (a medium cookie scoop is perfect) and roll each one into a ball between your palms. Set them 3 inches apart on the parchment. That spacing sounds like a lot, but these spread more than you’d expect. On my baking sheet, 8 fit without touching.

At that size you’ll get about 2 dozen cookies. I made mine a little bigger and got 20, which is a nice option if you want bakery-style cookies. Bake those the full 12 minutes and go by the golden edges.

Why Do You Save Some M&M’s for the Top?

The candy shells crack easily. When you stir M&M’s into a stiff dough, a few of them break, and the red and green coloring bleeds into the cookie as little smudges. That’s exactly what happened in my test batch. It looked festive, honestly, but the M&M’s pressed on top are the ones that stay bright and whole, and they’re what make these look like Christmas cookies.

So once the dough balls are on the pan, press 3 or 4 of the M&M’s you saved gently into the top and sides of each one. There’s no need to flatten the ball while you do it. They spread on their own in the oven.

How Do I Know When They’re Done?

Bake for 11 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden. The centers will still look soft, and that’s what you want, because they finish setting on the hot pan.

Don’t be surprised if a few M&M’s on top crack in the oven. Mine did! If you want them perfectly bright and round for gifting or photos, press a few fresh M&M’s into the tops right when the pan comes out, while the cookies are still soft enough to grab them.

Why Let Them Cool 5 Minutes on the Pan?

Right out of the oven, the butter in these cookies is still melty and the centers haven’t set yet, so they bend and tear if you try to lift them. Leave them alone on the hot pan for 5 minutes. As they sit, the bottoms finish baking and the middles firm up.

After 5 minutes, slide a spatula under each one and move it to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way. Be careful not to stack them or pack them into a container until they’re completely cool, or the steam will make them soggy. Then reline the pan (or let it cool down) before the next batch goes on.

Can I Freeze Christmas M&M Cookie Dough?

Yes, and I did. I baked one pan of 8 and froze the other 12 dough balls for later. Roll the balls, press the M&M’s on top, then freeze them on a pan until they’re solid. Move them to a freezer bag, write the baking directions right on the bag, and keep them for up to 3 months.

When you want cookies, bake them straight from frozen at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes. No thawing needed.

How to Make M&M Cookie Mix in a Jar

This is where the recipe does double duty. The jar holds all the dry ingredients, and whoever gets it just adds butter, an egg, and vanilla. You’ll want a 1 quart wide-mouth mason jar, since the wide mouth makes layering SO much easier and pours out cleanly later. A canning funnel helps keep the glass clean as you go.

We’ll layer from the bottom up in this order, packing each layer down before adding the next:

Layer	Ingredient
1 (bottom)	1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt, whisked together right in the jar with a fork, then packed down well
2	3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3	1/4 cup granulated sugar
4	1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
5 (top)	1/2 to 1 cup red and green M&M’s (how many you can fit depends on how well you pack), plus a few extra to fill the jar to the brim

The reason we whisk the flour mixture right in the jar is that nobody will whisk it later. It all gets dumped into the bowl together, so this is the only chance to spread the baking soda and salt evenly. Packing each layer matters too. Loose layers settle on the way to wherever the jar is going, and the stripes slump together. Don’t worry if your lines aren’t perfectly level… a slightly wavy line looks homemade in the best way.

The M&M’s go on top for two reasons. Their colors stay bright and don’t rub off onto the white layers, and they’re the first thing anyone sees through the glass. If there’s still space after the full cup, add a few more until the jar is full to the brim. A full jar keeps the layers from shifting.

What to Write on the Gift Tag

I put the baking directions on a round label right on the lid, but a tag tied on with twine works just as well. Here’s what it says:

CHRISTMAS M&M COOKIE MIX

Best by: (3 months from the day you fill the jar)

Add: 10 Tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) softened butter, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla

Make: Heat the oven to 350°F. Mix the butter, egg, and vanilla. Save a few M&M’s, then stir in the entire jar until a handful holds together. Drop by rounded tablespoons 3 inches apart on a parchment-lined pan; press M&M’s on top. Bake 11 to 12 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on the pan, then move to a rack.

How Long Does Cookie Mix in a Jar Last?

The mix keeps for about 3 months in a cool, dark pantry with the lid on tight. After that, the brown sugar starts to harden. Fill in the best-by date before the jar leaves your house so whoever gets it doesn’t have to guess.

If you’re giving these away or selling them at a craft fair, please list the allergens on the tag. This mix contains wheat, milk, and soy, and many bags of M&M’s carry a “may contain peanuts” warning, so check yours. Many states also have cottage food rules for labels, so look up yours before you sell.

How to Store Christmas M&M Cookies

Once they’re completely cool, keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months. To bring one back to that just-baked softness, warm it in the microwave for about 10 seconds. For more on keeping food fresh, here’s my guide to storing leftovers for the best results.

Christmas M&M Cookie FAQs

Can I use mini M&M’s?

Yes. Minis spread through the dough more evenly. They just don’t show up as boldly on top, so press on plenty.

Why did my cookies spread too thin?

Usually the butter was too warm. If it was melted or greasy, chill the dough balls for 15 minutes before baking the next pan.