Description
Delight in these soft and chewy Santa's Cookies featuring double chocolate chips and festive red and green M&M candies. Made with a unique twist of instant vanilla pudding mix, these holiday treats are perfectly sweet and loaded with chocolate goodness, ideal for festive celebrations or cozy winter days.
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 ounce box)
- 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 smooth.
- Add Vanilla and Egg: Mix in the vanilla extract and egg thoroughly until all ingredients are well combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, instant vanilla pudding mix, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients, stirring until just incorporated. Then fold in most of the semi-sweet chocolate chips, reserving some for decoration.
- Chill Dough: Cover the dough and refrigerate it for at least one hour to help it firm up and develop flavors.
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a baking sheet by misting with cooking spray and wiping it off with a paper towel for a subtle non-stick surface.
- Shape Cookies: Roll approximately 3 tablespoons of chilled cookie dough into golf ball-sized balls. Place them spaced on the prepared baking sheet.
- Add Toppings: Gently press the reserved chocolate chips and M&M candies onto the tops of the cookie dough balls to ensure they remain visible after baking.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 12 minutes or until they are set but still slightly underdone to maintain softness.
- Cool Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
- Store: Once cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature to keep them fresh.
Notes
- For best results, use instant vanilla pudding mix—not cook-and-serve pudding.
- Chilling the dough is crucial to prevent spreading and to enhance the texture and flavor.
- If you prefer softer cookies, do not overbake them; slight underbaking helps retain chewiness.
- Lightly greasing and wiping the baking sheet helps cookies lift easily without sticking.
- Feel free to substitute M&Ms with other festive candies or chocolate pieces for variation.
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
