Easter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These easy, make-ahead Easter chocolate chip cookies capture spring baking at its sweetest. While springtime cakes tend to steal the spotlight—think bunny cakes, bird’s nest cakes and, of course, carrot cake—you don’t need expert piping skills to serve up a festive Easter dessert. These Easter M&M cookies, developed by our Test Kitchen, bake up with crisp edges, soft and chewy centers, and plenty of cheerful pastel M&M’s in every bite.

I can’t explain it, but seasonal M&M’s just taste better. The festive colors take me straight back to childhood, when my family set out candy-coated chocolates to match the calendar: orange and purple for Halloween, red and green for Christmas, and soft pastels in the spring. That same magic is baked right into these cookies.

The dough comes together just like a classic chocolate chip cookie dough, but an overnight chill makes all the difference, ensuring a thick, bakery-style texture. Trust us—plan to make the dough a day ahead and don’t skip the chill. For an extra-festive touch, press a few more M&M’s on top before baking, or arrange them into tiny bunny faces for a seriously cute Easter treat.

Ingredients for Easter Chocolate Chip Cookies

• Butter: You’ll need 1 cup (2 sticks) of softened butter for these cookies. Let your butter sit on the counter for at least 30 minutes before making the dough. If my kitchen’s chilly, I tuck the wrapped sticks into my apron pocket to help them soften a little faster!
• Sugars: This recipe uses both brown and granulated sugars for a perfect balance of sweetness and a subtle caramel note. Just as with our best-ever chocolate chip cookies, this combo helps create cookies with soft centers and golden, crisp edges.
• Eggs: Go ahead and pull the eggs from the fridge when you get the butter out to soften. Room-temperature eggs blend more smoothly for a lump-free batter.
• Vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor; its floral aroma enhances the sweetness and deepens the butterscotch flavor from the brown sugar.
• Flour: All-purpose flour provides structure to the cookies. For the most tender results, spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off—no scooping straight from the bag!
• Baking soda: Baking soda gives the cookies a little lift and helps them brown beautifully. Make sure it’s fresh for the best texture.
• M&M’s: Pastel M&M’s bring a pop of springtime color and chocolaty sweetness to every bite. Swap in different colors for any holiday—orange and purple for Halloween, red and green for Christmas, or red, white and blue for the Fourth of July.

Directions

Step 1: Cream the butter and sugars

In a large mixing bowl, use a stand mixer or hand-held mixer to beat the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until blended. The mixture should look pale and slightly creamy.

Editor’s Tip: Proper creaming takes a few minutes of continuous beating—the mixture should look light, fluffy and pale in color.

Step 2: Mix the cookie dough

Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in the M&M’s until evenly distributed.

Step 3: Shape and chill the dough

Scoop 1/4 cupfuls of dough and shape into balls. Gently flatten each ball to 3/4-inch thickness (about 2-1/2 inches in diameter), smoothing any cracks along the edges as needed.

Place the cookie dough portions in an airtight container, separating the layers with waxed paper or parchment. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t skip the chilling—it’s the secret to thick, chewy cookies! Resting the dough overnight allows the flavors to develop and prevents over-spreading in the oven.

Step 4: Bake the cookies

When it’s time to bake, remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and arrange the cookie dough portions 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Let the cookies stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400°F.

Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the centers look just set. Allow the cookies to cool on the pans for two minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

Editor’s Tip: For a bakery-style look, press a few extra M&M’s into the top of each cookie dough portion before baking.

Recipe Variations

• Double the chocolate: Stir in a handful of chocolate morsels—mini chocolate chips, semisweet or white chocolate would all be divine—along with the M&M’s for double the chocolaty goodness.
• Add other mix-ins: Fold in a handful of rainbow sprinkles for an extra pop of color and whimsy, or stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts for a little extra crunch.
• Try almond extract: Swap in almond extract for 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla extract for a nutty flavor and aroma.
• Create bunny-topped cookies: For an extra-cute Easter touch, press a few extra M&M’s on top to form little bunnies—one whole M&M for the face and two halves, cut-side down, for the ears.
• Make them bite-sized: These cookies are delightfully substantial, but you can easily size them down. Use a 1- or 2-tablespoon cookie scoop and shave a few minutes off the baking time.

How to Store Easter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Store cooled Easter chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. To keep cookies soft, tuck a slice of bread into the container—the cookies will absorb moisture from the bread, keeping them fresh longer.

Can you freeze Easter M&M cookies?

Yes! Easter M&M cookies freeze beautifully, so you can bake them ahead for the holiday or stash a few away for when a sweet craving strikes. After cooling, freeze baked cookies in an airtight container for up to three months. Let them thaw at room temperature before serving.

You can also freeze unbaked cookie dough portions. After scooping and flattening, place the dough on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, about one hour. Transfer to a freezer bag and bake straight from frozen, adding one to two minutes to the baking time.

Easter Chocolate Chip Cookie Tips

Are regular or mini M&M’s better in cookies?

Both regular and mini-sized M&M’s work beautifully in cookies, so it really comes down to personal preference. Regular M&M’s deliver bigger pops of chocolate, while mini M&M’s create a more even candy distribution. For the best of both worlds, use a mix of both in M&M cookies!

No matter which you choose, we recommend pressing a few extra candies on top of the cookies before baking for a colorful finish. You could also crush some for a confetti-like effect, or arrange them into little bunny faces for a festive Easter touch.

When should you add M&M’s to the cookie dough?

Add the M&M’s right after combining the wet and dry ingredients. Gently fold them in at the end to avoid overmixing the dough and to keep the candies from cracking or breaking.

Do you have to chill the cookie dough?

Yes! Chilling cookie dough is key for thick cookies with crisp edges and soft, chewy centers. You could bake Easter M&M cookies right after mixing, but they’ll spread more and won’t taste quite as rich. For the best results, make the dough a day ahead and refrigerate overnight—you’ll be glad you did!

How do you know when M&M cookies are done?

Your Easter M&M cookies are done baking when the edges and bottoms are golden brown and the centers look just set. Resist the urge to bake them longer—the centers will continue to set on the hot baking sheet when you take them out, giving you that perfect chewy texture.