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Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies

ByMelissa Jo Posted on Updated on
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A stack of colorful sprinkle cookies on a white plate, with a glass of milk in the background. The cookies are decorated with green, yellow, white, and red sprinkles.

There is just something about this time of year. The kitchen is warm, the oven is on, holiday music is playing, and family recipes are being made the same way they have been for years. These Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies are one of those recipes in my house — simple, classic, and absolutely perfect every single time.

They’re soft in the center, lightly golden on the edges, and finished with festive sprinkles that make them feel extra special for the holidays. I’ve tested and tweaked this recipe to get the texture just right, and I’m sharing all my tips so yours turn out just as good. You can find the top 10 holiday desserts here!

🗒 More Delicious Recipes

A person holds a measuring cup of granulated sugar and a measuring cup of brown sugar over a metal mixing bowl with two sticks of butter inside. Baking ingredients and containers are visible in the background.
A metal mixing bowl with creamed butter and sugar, eggs, and vanilla being combined with a pink spatula; a hand mixer and kitchen containers with fruit designs are in the background.
A pink spatula rests in a metal mixing bowl containing a mound of white flour on top of a brown dough mixture, ready to be combined for baking.
A pink spatula rests in a metal mixing bowl filled with light tan cookie dough, partially mixed and creamy in texture.
A large metal mixing bowl with cookie dough and chocolate chips, being stirred with a pink spatula on a wooden countertop in a kitchen. A yellow container is in the background near a white sink and cabinets.
A hand holds a Wilton Under the Christmas Tree sprinkles container above a bowl filled with colorful holiday sprinkles shaped like stars, beads, and rods. A metal mixing bowl is in the background on a wooden surface.

Best sprinkles!

A person with red nail polish scoops raw chocolate chip cookie dough from a metal bowl using a cookie scoop. A festive spatula and flowers are visible in the background.
A hand places a ball of cookie dough covered in colorful sprinkles onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Several similar cookie dough balls are already on the tray, ready to be baked.
A plate of colorful sprinkle cookies with chocolate chips and festive decorations sits next to a glass of milk on a kitchen counter.
A stack of festive cookies with colorful sprinkles sits on a white plate next to a glass of milk, with a checkered teapot and kitchen background visible behind them.
A close-up of a stack of cookies covered with colorful sprinkles on a white plate, with a glass of milk in the background.
Two festive cookies with colorful holiday sprinkles sit on a white plate next to a glass of milk. The cookies have green, red, yellow, and white decorations, creating a cheerful, celebratory look.
A woman in a striped hoodie smiles while holding a sprinkle cookie and a glass of milk in a bright kitchen. A wire rack with cookies, a plate, and a vase of flowers are on the wooden counter in front of her.

👝 How to Store Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container and eat whenever!

🤔 Common Questions

Do I need to chill the dough?

No, chilling is optional. These cookies bake beautifully without chilling, but chilling will make them thicker.

Why are my cookies flat?

Most often, the butter was too warm or the oven wasn’t fully preheated. Make sure butter is cool-soft and give your oven time to heat properly.

A stack of colorful sprinkle cookies on a white plate, with a glass of milk in the background. The cookies are decorated with green, yellow, white, and red sprinkles.

Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies

There is just something about this time of year. The kitchen is warm, the oven is on, holiday music is playing, and family recipes are being made the same way they have been for years. These Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies are one of those recipes in my house — simple, classic, and absolutely perfect every single time.
They’re soft in the center, lightly golden on the edges, and finished with festive sprinkles that make them feel extra special for the holidays. I’ve tested and tweaked this recipe to get the texture just right, and I’m sharing all my tips so yours turn out just as good. You can find the top 10 holiday desserts here!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened but still cool
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar lightly packed (fresh and soft)
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ tablespoon Molina Mexican Vanilla Blend
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips I use Nestlé Toll House

Optional Add-Ins

  • Crushed M&M’s
  • An additional ½ cup chocolate chips for extra chocolatey cookies
  • Holiday sprinkles I used Wilton “Under the Christmas Tree” Sprinkle Mix

Instructions
 

Preheat the Oven

  • TIP: Preheat your oven 30 minutes before baking. A fully heated oven helps cookies rise properly and bake evenly.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats (silicone is ideal if you have them).

Mix the Dry Ingredients

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
  • TIP: I don’t add salt because I use salted butter.
  • If you’re using unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon salt here.
  • Set aside.

Cream the Butter & Sugars

  • TIP: Butter should be softened but still cool. Butter that’s too warm will cause cookies to spread and bake flat.
  • In a large bowl, add butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.
  • Using a hand mixer or stand mixer:
  • Start on low speed
  • Gradually increase to high
  • Mix for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy

Add Egg & Vanilla

  • Crack the egg into a small bowl and lightly break it up (no need to whisk).
  • Add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture.
  • Mix on medium speed just until incorporated, about 30 seconds.

Add Dry Ingredients

  • Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.
  • Mix on low speed just until combined and no dry flour remains.

Fold in Chocolate Chips

  • Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.
  • TIP: I prefer more cookie than chocolate, but feel free to add more chips or crushed M&M’s if that’s your thing.

Scoop & Decorate

  • Using a cookie scoop, scoop heaping scoops of dough.
  • Lightly roll in your hands to smooth, then dip just the tops of the cookies into a bowl of holiday sprinkles.
  • Place on prepared baking sheets, leaving space between cookies.

Bake

  • Bake at 350°F for 8–12 minutes, depending on your oven.
  • I usually pull mine around 10 minutes, when the edges are set but the centers still look soft.
  • Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Video

YouTube video
Keyword best cookies, chocolate chip cookies, christmas cookies, easy cookies
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!


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