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    Home » Recipes » Cookies

    Published: Dec 17, 2020 Modified: May 26, 2023 by Nicole This post may contain affiliate links.

    Santa's Favorite Cookies

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Did you know that Santa picks favorites? It's true, and these cookies are his absolute FAVORITE. Rumor has it that those who leave these out will get the best gifts under the tree.

    side view of a plate full of chocolate chip m&m cookies

    I heard of it from a very reliable source that the big guy likes his chocolate. He also LOVES a good and chewy cookie that melts in the mouth. And why not? The easier the cookie is to chew, the more he can eat before he has to move on to the next home!

    This is Santa's favorite cookie recipe, and I'm sure you can see why...

    For more Christmas favorites, check out our Hot Chocolate Pancakes, Elf Sized Cookies, and Christmas Tree Pretzels.

    Why This Recipe Works

    1. These chocolate chip M&M cookies are THE BEST! They have chewy edges and soft centers, are packed with flavor, and are so easy to prepare.
    2. They're quick to make. My favorite part about these holiday cookies is that there are no long chill times, which is perfect for us impatient bakers.
    3. Simple ingredients. Using pantry staples like flour, baking powder, and sugar, we can keep our costs low. Adding in things like M&Ms, chocolate chips, and pudding mix help to give us a wonderful flavor in every cookie. This is one you may not want to share.
    Jump to:
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🍽 Equipment Needed
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 🍴 Recipe Tips
    • 💭 FAQs
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments
    plate full of chocolate chip m&m cookies

    🥘 Ingredients

    All-purpose flour- This is the gluten structure and base of our cookie dough.

    Jell-O Instant Pudding- Cheesecake-flavored pudding is needed in this recipe. Just the dry mix, do not prepare it in advance! The pudding mix will give us more flavor and a better texture.

    Cornstarch- This is needed to help the cookies stay soft.

    Leavening agents- You will need both Baking powder and Baking soda to help these cookies puff up and spread as they bake.

    Salt- A natural flavor enhancer.

    Unsalted butter- You will need some softened butter for this recipe. You can use salted or unsalted butter, but I think this recipe works best with unsalted butter.

    Sugars- Use Brown sugar and Granulated sugar for the best flavor profile.

    Vanilla- A flavor enhancer.

    Eggs- These will give the cookies a richer taste and help to bind them together so that they aren't too crumbly.

    Chocolate chips- You will want to use milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips for this recipe. I prefer milk chocolate, but either works great!

    Red and Green Holiday M&Ms- To keep these cookies festive and fun, make sure to use red and green M&Ms.

    For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.

    🍽 Equipment Needed

    BeeyondCereal is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.

    • Mixing Bowls
    • Electric Mixer
    • Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Baking Sheet

    🔪 Instructions

    Check out how to make Santa's favorite cookies with these simple step-by-step instructions:

    Whisk together the flour, cheesecake pudding dry mix, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then set it aside.

    Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy in another large bowl.

    butter and sugars in a mixing bowl with dry ingredients in another bowl in background

    Add in the vanilla and then mix again to combine.

    Add in the eggs, one at a time. Mix well after each, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

    cookie dough mixture in a bowl

    Add the dry ingredients to the sugar and egg mixture. Mix until well combined.

    dry ingredients added to wet ingredients in a mixing bowl

    Fold in the chocolate chips and M&Ms.

    santas favorite cookie dough in a bowl with a spoon

    Scoop the dough out into 2 tablespoon-sized balls and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet at least 2 or 3 inches apart.

    scooped cookie dough onto a parchmet paper lined baking sheey

    Stick the baking sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes while the oven preheats to 350 degrees F. Keep the bowl of dough covered in the fridge as you wait so that it doesn't get too warm.

    Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes or until the edges look set, and the center is still soft and doughy.

    Let cool on the baking sheet for 10-30 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

    Continue the process until all cookies have been cooked and cooled.

    stacked chocolate chip m&m cookies with scattered chocolate candies around it

    🍴 Recipe Tips

    The most important thing to tell you is that the cheesecake pudding dry mix makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE! Some people make their cookies with vanilla pudding mix, but once you try cheesecake flavor, there's no going back. Trust me.

    When you chill the dough, having it nice and cold is what helps to keep the cookies from cooking too fast and melting down too thin. If you reuse the same baking sheet over and over for every round of cookies in the oven, you may notice that the cookies are coming out thinner as you cycle through the cookie dough. This is because of the warm pan.

    Let the cookies cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes. 30 minutes is much better. The longer they sit on the pan, the more they sit and finish cooking. They also retain better texture.

    💭 FAQs

    What are Santa's favorite cookies?

    Santa likes soft and chewy cookies like these chocolate chip M and M cheesecake cookies. They have a nice firm edge he can grab with his gloves on, and they melt in his mouth so he can finish the plate quickly before moving on to the next house.

    Why do my cookies look raw in the center?

    Your chocolate chip cookies should look raw in the center but set around the edges. This is how to avoid overcooked cookies, as they will finish the cooking process as they cool on the baking sheets.

    How long are chocolate chip cookies good for?

    If stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these cookies can last up to a week! You can also choose to freeze them for longer storage (3 months).

    hand holding broken melted chocolate chip m&m cookie near plate of cookies and mug of milk

    More great holiday recipes to try

    • Christmas Tree Fruit Pizza
    • Easy Christmas Pretzels
    • Cranberry White Chocolate Cheesecake
    • Cranberry Eggnog Streusel Muffins

    📖 Recipe

    Santas Favorite Cookies
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Santas Favorite Cookies

    Did you know that Santa picks favorites? It's true and these cookies are his absolute FAVORITE. Rumor has it that those who leave these out will get the best gifts under the tree.
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Chill 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 40 minutes mins
    Servings: 46 cookies
    Calories: 240kcal
    Cost Recipe $5.60 / Serving $0.24
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Mixing Bowls
    • Electric Mixer
    • Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Baking Sheet

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups All-purpose flour ($0.24)
    • 1 box (3.4 ounce) Cheesecake Jell-o Instant Pudding ($0.98)
    • 2 teaspoons Cornstarch ($0.01)
    • 1 teaspoon Baking powder ($0.02)
    • 1 teaspoon Baking soda ($0.01)
    • 1 teaspoon Salt ($0.10)
    • 1 cup Unsalted butter, softened ($1.50)
    • 1 cup Brown sugar ($0.35)
    • 1 cup Granulated sugar ($0.22)
    • 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract ($0.04)
    • 2 large Eggs, room temp ($0.16)
    • 1 cup Milk chocolate chips ($0.99)
    • 1 cup Red and Green Holiday M&Ms ($0.98)
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cheesecake pudding dry mix, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
    • In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
    • Add in the vanilla and mix to distribute.
    • And in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
    • Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of egg mixture and mix until well combined.
    • Fold in the chocolate chips and M&Ms.
    • Scoop the dough into 2 tablespoon sized scoops and place on a parchment lined baking sheet at least 2 or 3 inches apart.
    • Place the sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Alternatively you can let the dough chill in a covered bowl in the fridge for a few hours. Let unused dough sit covered in the fridge to avoid getting too warm as it waits.
    • Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes until the edges look set. Let cool for 10-30 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to the cooling wrack.
    • Continue until all cookies have been cooked and cooled.

    Notes

    Recipe Tips

    For that photo-ready finish look, you can sprinkle additional milk chocolate chips on the hot cookies immediately after they pop out of the oven. They'll melt and look glossy as the cookies cool.
    When you chill the dough, having it nice and cold is what helps to keep the cookies from cooking too fast and melting down too thin.
    If you reuse the same baking sheet over and over for every round of cookies in the oven, you may notice that as you cycle through the cookie dough the cookies are coming out thinner. This is because of the warm pan.
    Let the cookies cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes. 30 minutes is much better. The longer they sit on the pan, the more they set and finish cooking. They also retain better texture.
    Your chocolate chip cookies should look soft in the center but set around the edges. The tops should no longer look glossy. This is how to avoid overcooked cookies as they will finish the cooking process as they cool on the baking sheets.

    Storage

    If stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these cookies can last up to a week! You can also choose to freeze them for longer storage (3 months).

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 2cookies | Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 32.2g | Protein: 3.3g | Fat: 11.4g | Saturated Fat: 6.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3.1g | Cholesterol: 39.1mg | Sodium: 232.9mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 1.7g | Sugar: 17.1g | Vitamin A: 157IU | Vitamin C: 2.9mg | Calcium: 46.3mg | Iron: 1.3mg
    Author NicoleDurham
    Course Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Tried this recipe?Mention @BeeyondCereal on Instagram and hashtag it #BeeyondCereal
    To view how this recipe was calculated you can visit my Pricing Disclosure Page for more information.

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    I'm Nicole and I am the owner and recipe developer here at Beeyond Cereal. I love saving money and one of the best places to trim expenses is in the kitchen. With this site, we are serving up tasty and frugal homemade dishes that the whole family will enjoy.

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