Description
These festive Easter Cookies are soft and chewy with a delightful blend of colorful M&M’s, creamy white chocolate chips, and pastel sprinkles. Perfect for celebrating springtime or Easter, they are simple to prepare and bake into tender cookies with a slightly underdone center for extra softness.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1½ cups plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened but still cool
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, lightly packed, fresh and soft
- 1 large egg, cold, straight from the fridge
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Add-ins
- ¾ cup Easter/spring M&M’s, plus extra for topping if desired
- ½ cup white chocolate chips or chunks, plus extra for topping if desired
- ¼ cup pastel sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set this mixture aside for later use.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a separate large bowl, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened but cool butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar for 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Add the cold egg straight from the fridge and the vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is incorporated evenly.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix just until the dough comes together, avoiding overmixing to maintain a tender cookie texture.
- Mix in Add-ins: Gently fold in the ¾ cup of Easter/spring M&M’s and the ½ cup of white chocolate chips, distributing them evenly throughout the dough.
- Prepare Sprinkles and Form Dough Balls: Place the pastel sprinkles in a shallow bowl. Scoop cookie dough balls using between 1½ and 2½ tablespoons per cookie. Press the top of each dough ball gently into the sprinkles to coat.
- Optional Chilling: You can bake the cookies immediately or chill the dough balls in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. Chilling results in slightly thicker cookies.
- Arrange on Baking Sheets: Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1 to 2 inches apart to allow for spreading. Aim for dough balls that are mounded higher rather than flattened to prevent thin, crispy cookies.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 11 minutes. Bake until the edges are set but the centers are still slightly underdone to achieve a soft, chewy texture.
- Cool and Finish: Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let the cookies cool completely. While still warm, you may optionally press additional M&M’s or white chocolate chips on top for decoration.
Notes
- Baking time may vary slightly depending on your oven; monitor closely between 8 to 11 minutes for the best soft texture.
- Chilling the dough before baking helps to prevent excessive spreading and creates thicker cookies.
- Using cold eggs straight from the fridge helps dough temperature control and affects cookie spreading.
- For softer cookies, remove them when centers look slightly underdone. They will firm up as they cool.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
