Introduction

Celebrate spring with these delightful Easter Cookies, packed with colorful M&M’s and creamy white chocolate chips. Soft, chewy, and festive, they’re perfect for sharing at your holiday gatherings or enjoying as a sweet treat any time.

A stack of soft, light beige cookies covered with colorful sprinkles and candy pieces sits close together on a white plate, all set against a white marbled surface. Each cookie is thick with a slightly uneven, chewy texture and is decorated with layers of tiny cylindrical sprinkles in purple, yellow, pink, and white, along with flat round sprinkles in blue and pink, and small, smooth candy-coated pieces in green, yellow, purple, and blue embedded in the dough. Some cookies show melted white chocolate chips peeking through, adding to their varied texture. The top cookie is whole and prominently placed in the center, while others are piled underneath or broken into pieces around the edges, showing soft, dense cookie dough inside. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

1½ cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
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
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

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, beat the butter and both sugars with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Step 4: On low speed, add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
Step 5: Gently fold in the M&M’s and white chocolate chips. Pour the sprinkles into a shallow bowl.
Step 6: Scoop cookie dough into balls between 1½ and 2½ tablespoons each. Press the top of each ball gently into the sprinkles. Chill the dough balls in the fridge for about 20 minutes if you prefer thicker cookies, or bake immediately.
Step 7: Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 1-2 inches between each. Aim to keep the dough mounded rather than flattened to avoid thin cookies.
Step 8: Bake for 8-11 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers are still slightly underdone, for soft and chewy cookies.
Step 9: Remove the baking sheets from the oven and cool on wire racks. While still warm, press extra M&M’s or chocolate chips on top if desired.

Tips & Variations

For extra flavor, try adding a pinch of cinnamon or a teaspoon of lemon zest to the dough.
Use pastel-colored sprinkles and M&M’s to keep the Easter theme bright and festive.
Chilling the dough improves the texture and helps prevent excessive spreading.
Swap white chocolate chips for milk or dark chocolate chips if preferred.

Storage

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze baked cookies in a sealed container for up to 2 months. To reheat, warm gently in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or let come to room temperature for soft, melty treats.

How to Serve

A close-up of a stack of four colorful cookies on a white marbled surface, each cookie thick and textured with a light golden-brown color. The cookies are decorated with bright sprinkles in yellow, pink, purple, blue, and white scattered all over the top and edges. The top cookie is broken in half, showing a soft, gooey white filling inside. Each cookie is dense with chunks of pink, blue, and white candies embedded in the dough. In the foreground, out-of-focus candy-coated chocolates in pastel colors lie scattered around. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted?

Yes, but reduce or omit the added salt in the recipe to avoid overly salty cookies.

How do I prevent the cookies from spreading too much?

Make sure the butter is softened but still cool and chill the dough before baking. Also, mound the dough higher rather than flattening the balls on the baking sheet.