Description
Delight in these festive Santa's Cookies featuring double chocolate chips and colorful M&M candies. Soft, chewy, and bursting with holiday cheer, these pudding-infused cookies are perfect for celebrating the season and sharing with family and friends.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter (softened)
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix - dry (3.4 ounce box, 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 the 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: Mix in the vanilla extract and the egg thoroughly until incorporated.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, instant vanilla pudding mix, baking soda, and salt until evenly mixed.
- Mix dry into wet: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring gently until just incorporated. Fold in most of the chocolate chips, reserving some chocolate chips and M&M candies for topping.
- Chill the dough: Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least one hour to firm up and enhance the flavors.
- Preheat the oven and prepare baking sheet: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a baking sheet using a cooking spray mist wiped off with a paper towel for a light coating.
- Shape the cookies: Roll about 3 tablespoons of dough into golf ball-sized balls and place them evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet. Gently press the reserved chocolate chips and M&M candies onto the top of each dough ball, ensuring they will be visible after baking.
- Bake the cookies: Bake for 12 minutes until the cookies are set but still slightly soft in the center to retain chewiness.
- Cool the cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store properly: Once cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain freshness.
Notes
- For best results, ensure the butter is softened, not melted, to achieve a fluffy texture when creaming.
- If you prefer crunchier cookies, bake an additional 2 minutes but watch closely to avoid overbaking.
- Substitute M&M candies with holiday-themed chocolate chips or candy pieces for different festive looks.
- Using instant pudding mix is crucial for the soft and chewy texture — do not use cook-and-serve pudding.
- Chilling the dough helps prevent spreading and enhances flavor development.
- Lightly greasing the baking sheet prevents sticking but allows cookies to brown nicely.
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
