Description
Santa's Favorite Cookies are soft and pillowy brown sugar pudding cookies loaded with festive red and green sprinkles and Christmas M&Ms. These easy-to-make cookies are perfect for holiday celebrations and offer a delightful combination of sweetness and texture with a rich buttery flavor and a hint of vanilla.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 box (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix (not sugar free)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup red and green sprinkles (or any colors)
- 3/4 cup Christmas M&Ms (or any color of M&M)
Instructions
- Cream the Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter and packed brown sugar until light and fluffy. If you don’t have a stand mixer, a hand mixer works just as well.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and uniformly combined.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add the instant vanilla pudding mix, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. Mix until well combined and the dough starts to come together.
- Mix in Flour and Mix-ins: Gradually add the all purpose flour to the dough and mix until incorporated. Then gently fold in the red and green sprinkles and Christmas M&Ms evenly throughout the dough.
- Chill the Dough: Scoop 2 tablespoon-sized balls of cookie dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat. There is no need to space them out at this stage. Cover the sheet and chill the dough balls in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat baking mats for easy release and cleanup.
- Arrange and Bake Cookies: Place the chilled cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 11 minutes or until the edges just start to turn golden brown.
- Cool the Cookies: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store Properly: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze them for up to one month to retain freshness.
Notes
- For best texture, make sure to chill the dough before baking to prevent spreading and to keep the cookies soft and pillowy.
- You can substitute the red and green sprinkles with any festive colors or leave them out if preferred.
- M&Ms can be replaced with your favorite holiday candies or chocolate chips.
- Use unsalted butter to control salt levels in the recipe — if using salted butter, reduce the added salt accordingly.
- Be careful not to overbake; removing the cookies when edges just begin to brown keeps them soft inside.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet first to firm up and avoid breakage when transferring.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute all purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend designed for baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 127 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 57 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 18 mg
