Description
Classic Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies are festive, delicious treats perfect for holiday celebrations. These cookies combine a soft, buttery base with rich semi-sweet chocolate chips and optional colorful red and green holiday M&M’s or sprinkles, making them both flavorful and visually appealing. With a quick prep and bake time, they are an easy-to-make dessert that yields chewy, golden-edged cookies perfect for sharing or gifting during the festive season.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
Add-ins
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup red and green holiday M&M’s or sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to ensure it reaches the proper baking temperature before you start preparing your cookie dough.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt thoroughly. This step ensures even distribution of the leavening and seasoning throughout your dough.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until the mixture is creamy and smooth, which typically takes a few minutes. This step incorporates air for a light texture.
- Add Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time into the butter mixture, beating well after each addition to fully incorporate them and create a homogenous batter.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually mix in the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined, avoiding overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Stir in Chocolate Chips and Optional M&M’s: Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and, if using, the red and green holiday M&M’s or sprinkles for that festive look and taste.
- Shape Cookies: Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto an ungreased baking sheet, spacing each cookie about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading during baking.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the edges turn golden and the centers appear just set but still soft. For chewier cookies, slightly underbake as desired.
- Cool: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes to set before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely, preserving their shape and texture.
Notes
- For chewier cookies, slightly underbake them and allow them to finish cooking on the baking sheet after removing from the oven.
- To make ahead, freeze the dough balls individually. When ready, bake them straight from the freezer, adding 1 to 2 extra minutes to the baking time.
