Description
Santa's Cookies are soft and chewy double chocolate chip cookies loaded with festive red and green M&M candies and white chocolate chips. Made with instant vanilla pudding mix for extra moisture and richness, these holiday treats are perfect for sharing or gifting during the season.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter (softened)
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix - dry (3.4 ounces, instant)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Add-ins
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup red and green M&M candies
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugars: In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and sugar together for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is fluffy and well combined.
- Add vanilla and egg: Add the vanilla extract and egg to the creamed mixture and mix well until fully incorporated.
- Combine dry ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, instant vanilla pudding mix, baking soda, and salt to evenly distribute the ingredients.
- Mix wet and dry ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Stir in most of the semi-sweet and white chocolate chips, reserving some along with the M&M candies for topping. Cover the dough and chill for at least one hour.
- Preheat oven and prepare baking sheet: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a baking sheet by misting it with cooking spray and then wiping it lightly with a paper towel.
- Shape cookies and add toppings: Roll about 3 tablespoons of chilled cookie dough into balls roughly the size of a golf ball. Place them on the prepared baking sheet and gently press the reserved chocolate chips and M&M candies onto the tops of each cookie ball to ensure visibility after baking.
- Bake cookies: Bake the cookies for 12 minutes until the edges are set but the centers still appear slightly underdone for a soft, chewy texture.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
- Use instant pudding mix (not cook-and-serve) to keep cookies moist and chewy.
- Chilling the dough helps solidify the butter and prevents excessive spreading during baking.
- Pressing the chocolate chips and M&Ms on top after shaping ensures a more festive look.
- Cooling cookies on the pan first lets them set properly without breaking apart.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week for best freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 238 kcal
- Sugar: 26 g
- Sodium: 186 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 13 mg
