Holiday M&M Peanut Butter Cookies

If you can’t indulge a little at Christmas time, then there is just no point! These soft and chewy, chocolatey Holiday M&M Peanut Butter Cookies are certainly indulgent! Not only are they one of the best cookies ever, but they are massive as well! Brighten up your cookie platter with these colourfully festive treats!

For those of you who love chewy cookies, and for those of you who prefer a crispy cookie, these Holiday M&M Peanut Butter Cookies provide both of you with your favourite cookies from the same batch. When baked, the edges of the cookies are a little crispy. The center of the cookies, however, are chewy and super moist. But, fair warning, Dear Reader – natural peanut butter will not give you the same results here.

Before you are tempted to send me an email or a comment knocking my choice of peanut butter that is not natural and organic, hear me out! This recipe will not work with natural peanut butter. I repeat, this recipe will not work with natural peanut butter. There, I said it. Now, if you go ahead and make this recipe using natural peanut butter and it comes out a big, wet mess, you cannot blame me.

John.e uses only natural peanut butter, but I do not. I do not like it at all. Yes, it’s healthier and better for me, but I’d rather not eat it at all if I have to choose the natural stuff. I grew up on Kraft or Jiffy peanut butter and it’s the only peanut butter I ever use.

For these cookies, you do not have a choice between all-natural and sugar-laden, mass-produced stuff. If you are completely against using non-natural peanut butter, as harsh as it may sound, this recipe is most certainly not for you.

I’m going to tell you all about this cookie recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re getting closer to the big day, so it’s time to get to the cookie recipes! Before I get into this brand-new series, let me make mention of the three previous holiday confection countdowns that I just finished up this year.

Back in October, I kicked off the holiday season with a holiday recipe series called Lord Byron’s 12 Christmas Donuts and followed that up with a second series called Lord Byron’s 12 Christmas Appetizers. And now, I’m starting out on this new series, which is the sixth annual instalment! I cannot believe that this is the sixth year in a row that I’ve shared Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas! But, before we get to a list of ingredients and instructions for today’s recipe, let me tell you about this series and more!

LORD BYRON’S 24 COOKIES OF CHRISTMAS SERIES

Another holiday series, Lord Byron? Yes – why not!? Welcome, Dear Reader, to the fourth of my annual holiday recipe series for this season! This one is called Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas – Volume 6! I will try to keep the recipes in this series quick and easy, just like in previous years. Even if a recipe looks complex, I promise you that it is not! My goal, as always, is to share recipes with you that are not too complex to whip up as a holiday treat for your family. 

Like every other holiday series I’ve shared over the years, this series will share a new recipe every day for the next 24 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW SO THAT YOU NEVER MISS OUT ON NEW RECIPES!

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas series! Even though this is the fourth series for this holiday season, you can always look back at previous years if you just cannot wait until the next recipe is published. Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday recipe countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Butter – Make sure your butter is softened and at room temperature.
• Peanut Butter – Use smooth peanut butter. I have not tested this recipe with natural peanut butter and to be frank, I don’t think natural peanut butter will work without some adjustments.
• Vanilla Extract – Probably the most common extract and the most common flavouring used in cakes and cookies.  
• Brown Sugar – For colour and flavour!
• Sugar – Sugar will caramelize when baked, which will help to brown cookies and cakes.  In cookies, the sugar will help the dough to spread and will create a crispness at the bottom of the cookie.
• Eggs – You will need three large eggs, but will only use the yolk from one of them. When you set out to bake, ensure your eggs are at room temperature too – just like your butter!
• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Baking Soda and Baking Powder
• Salt
• M&Ms
• Chocolate Chips
• Sanding Sugar
• Sprinkles

HOW TO MAKE HOLIDAY M&M PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

In a large bowl, beat the butter and light and fluffy. Add the peanut butter and beat to combine. Add the brown sugar and regular granulated sugar. Beat into the butter and peanut butter mixture. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Once you get to the third egg, only add the egg yolk and beat it in to incorporate. Remember to discard the egg white from the third egg. Next, beat in the vanilla extract.

Measure the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl. Beat on low speed until just incorporated. Add in the mini M&Ms, the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, and the candy sprinkles. Use a sturdy spatula to fold these into the cookie dough mixture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. These cookies are big, so portion out 2 tablespoons of the dough using a spring handle cookie scoop. Scoop mounds of dough directly onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches of space between each ball. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately sprinkle each cookie with a little bit of coarse sanding sugar. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.

CANDIES, CANDIES, AND MORE CANDIES!

I know I use M&Ms quite often in many of my cookie and no-bake treats, but there are other candy-coated chocolates out there that you can use. Here in Canada, we have something called Smarties. I think in the United States, smarties are those flat, pressed-powder-like candy that comes in a cellophane-wrapped roll. They’re often found in large bags for Halloween treats. In Canada, smarties are candy-coated chocolate much like the popular M&M. For even more of my M&M recipes, click here!

STORING, PACKAGING, & FREEZING

When it comes to most cookies, they taste best at room temperature, but they don’t hold up well to being left out on your countertop for long periods of time. Cookies will stay fresh in a cookie jar or food-safe container with a lid for 3-5 days if left to sit on your kitchen countertop. You can store them in a food-safe container in your fridge. When you want one, two, or half a dozen, take them out of the container and place them in a single layer on a plate. Let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes and they’re ready!

If you plan to freeze your Holiday M&M Peanut Butter Cookies, you certainly can! Pile them into a clean, food-safe container. The container must be freezer-friendly! You’ll want to ensure a very tight-fitting lid too. I use these quite often when freezing baked goods. I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that freshness locked in!  

You can freeze these cookies for up to three months. If you plan to give previously frozen cookies as a gift, I would lay them out on a wire cooling rack to thaw completely. Once thawed, pile into cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon, or stack in a cookie tin/box.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!