Santa’s Cookies are a festive treat that are loaded with M&M’s chocolate chips, peanut butter, and oats. These are perfect for setting out on Christmas Eve or sharing with friends and neighbors.
Do you leave cookies for Santa out on Christmas Eve? You kind of have to, right?! We usually switch up what kind we leave each year but I heard that these Christmas Monster Cookies are Santa’s current favorite. 😉
Cookies for Santa
Santa’s Cookies are a definite favorite in our house! They’re soft & chewy monster cookies but Christmas style! Not only are they the perfect texture and loaded with deliciousness, the dough doesn’t require chilling! We’ve done enough waiting this year!
These are sure to give Santa the energy he needs to deliver all those presents and set up all million piece toys. But seriously, my husband actually begs me to make these whenever he has a week of night shifts because they’re 1. dang good! and 2. the protein and oats give sustenance and make it filling.
Ingredients for Christmas Monster Cookies:
- Butter– The best kind of fat to use when making cookies. It provides the best flavor and texture. I always use salted butter but unsalted works too.
- Peanut Butter– Use creamy! I recommend using a brand like JIF or Skippy.
- Brown Sugar– Adds a depth of flavor and makes the cookie chewy.
- Granulated Sugar– This helps the cookie crisp on the outside edges.
- Eggs– Binds the ingredients together so the cookie doesn’t fall apart into crumbs. It also adds moisture.
- Vanilla– Adds flavor. Use extract, not flavoring.
- Oats– Old fashioned oats work best in this recipe and help give the cookie texture.
- Flour-Needed to give structure to the cookie. All-purpose flour is used in baking because it gives the baked good a soft and tender crumb.
- Baking Soda– The leavening agent most often used for cookies because it results in a chewy texture. Baking powder would give you a cake like texture.
- Salt– This is added to almost every baked good because it helps to enhance the other flavors in the recipe.
- Cinnamon– The tiniest bit of cinnamon adds a warm flavor to these cookies.
- Chocolate Chips– I prefer semi-sweet chocolate in my cookies but feel free to use what you have or prefer.
- M&M’s– The hard coating on these candies makes these cookies even better than regular chocolate chips cookies. Change up the M&M’s for different holidays!
- Sprinkles– This is optional but definitely cute and fun for kids.
How to make Santa’s Cookies:
Time needed: 30 minutes
- Preheat
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Make the dough
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer (or with an electric hand mixer), cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars together until light and creamy (2 minutes).
Mix in the eggs and vanilla until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
Whisk the flour, soda, and cinnamon together in a small mixing bowl. Add it to the butter mixture along with the oats. Mix until combined.
Stir in half of each kind of chocolate chips and 1/2 cup M&M’s by hand with a wooden spoon. - Scoop Dough
Use a 1/4 cup trigger scoop to portion dough onto a baking sheet leaving 3 inches between each. (I fit 8 onto a half-sheet pan.) Press remaining m&m’s into the top of each mound of dough and sprinkle with sprinkles and gently press them in.
- Bake
Bake for 10 minutes. (They won’t look done but trust me, do NOT cook them any longer! They set up and darken as they cool.)
- Cool
Press remaining chocolate chips into the top of the cookies as soon as they come out. Let cookies cool 5 minutes on the pan and then move them to a cooling rack.
FAQs
Once completely cool, store cookies in an airtight container.
It’s important to have the butter and eggs at room temperature so that everything can combine well. The butter is ready when you can make an finger indent, pressing firmly. Setting the stick out for 20-30 minutes on the counter in a 70 degree home is perfect.
Not for these cookies. The peanut butter in these cookies helps keep these cookies thick. As long as your butter isn’t too soft, these cookies can be baked right away.
These stay soft and chewy for up to 4 days if stored in an airtight container.
TOOLS USED TO MAKE SANTA’S COOKIES:
- Rubber Spatulas– Get every last ounce of batter out of the bowl and into the pan with these sturdy rubber spatulas. These are also great to use when cooking since they are heat resistant.
- Kitchen Aid Mixer– This is so handy to have in the kitchen. I use it for cookies, cakes, frosting, bread, whipped cream… LOVE IT!
- Half-Sheet Pan– I LOVE these pans. I’ve had the same 4 pans since I got married (10 years ago) and they are in great condition. I use them all the time for sheet cakes, cookies, roasting vegetables, baking chicken…
- Trigger Scoop– I love all three of these! The large is great for portioning muffin and cupcake batter, the medium is perfect for cookies, and the small is great for truffles.
LOOKING FOR MORE CHRISTMAS COOKIES? CHECK OUT THESE:
- Fudgy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies
- White Chocolate Dipped Gingersnaps
- Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms
Santa’s Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, (divided)
- 1/3 cup white chocolate chips, (divided)
- 1 cup m&m’s, (divided)
- sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer (or an electric hand mixer), cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars together until light and creamy (2 minutes).
- Mix in the eggs and vanilla until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
- Whisk the flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a small mixing bowl. Add it to the butter mixture along with the oats. Mix until combined.
- Stir in half of each kind of chocolate chips and 1/2 cup M&M’s by hand with a wooden spoon.
- Use a 1/4 cup trigger scoop to portion dough onto a baking sheet leaving 3 inches between each. (I fit 8 onto a half-sheet pan.) Press remaining m&m’s into the top of each mound of dough and sprinkle with sprinkles and gently press them in.
- Bake for 10 minutes. (They won’t look done but trust me, do NOT cook them any longer! They set up and darken as they cool.)
- Press remaining chips into the top of the cookies as soon as they come out. Let cookies cool 5 minutes on the pan and then move them to a cooling rack.
I’m not sure what I’ve done wrong. This dough will not stay together, it’s very crumbly and hard to get on the pan without falling apart. They do taste really good though it’s just a real pain to get them on the pan as I don’t have a scoop