The Memory Behind This Treat
The first batch of these Easter Cookies happened by accident on a drizzly April afternoon when my mom and I realized we’d bought far too much candy “for the kids’ baskets.” The kitchen counter was covered in pastel M&M’s, open bags of white chocolate, and a generous confetti of sprinkles threatening to roll onto the floor. We didn’t want something fussy or time-consuming, just a soft, chewy cookie that felt like spring in every bite. So we took our favorite base dough, stirred in everything that reminded us of Easter morning, and watched as trays of colorful cookies puffed and cracked in the oven. When we broke one open while it was still warm, the white chocolate was just barely melted, and the candies made little polka dots of color through the crumb.
Since then, these Easter Cookies have become our unofficial kick-off to spring baking. Some years we bake them the night before Easter and “test” more than we reasonably should while they’re still warm; other years I mix the dough in the morning while coffee brews and the house is still quiet. They’re the kind of cookie you make with kids, with nieces and nephews, or with a friend who swears they “can’t bake” because the dough is forgiving and doesn’t demand perfection. A little extra butter softness? The cookies just spread a touch more. A few too many M&M’s? They turn into a chunky, candy-studded dream. Every time I roll a scoop of dough in pastel sprinkles, I’m right back in that cozy kitchen with my mom, turning a pile of leftover candy into a new family tradition.
How To Make It (Mix & Ingredients)
To get these Easter Cookies started, you’ll first build a simple, reliable base. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt so everything is evenly distributed; this prevents you from biting into a cookie with a random pocket of baking soda. In a separate large bowl, beat the softened-but-still-cool butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar for 1–2 minutes, until the mixture looks a bit lighter and fluffy—think pale and slightly creamy, not whipped cream-level airy. Add the cold egg and vanilla bean paste, then mix just until smooth, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl so no sneaky butter lumps remain.
Instructions Process of Easter Cookies
Once the wet mix is ready, turn your mixer to low and add the dry ingredients in a few additions, mixing only until you no longer see streaks of flour. The dough should look soft and a little thick; if it seems greasy or shiny, you may have overmixed, so stop as soon as it comes together. Gently fold in the pastel M&M’s and white chocolate chips—use a spatula and a light hand so you don’t crush all that candy color. Pour your pastel sprinkles into a shallow bowl, then scoop the dough into balls (about 1½–2½ tablespoons each) and press just the tops into the sprinkles for that classic Easter Cookies bakery look.At this point, you can bake right away for slightly thinner, chewier cookies, or chill the dough balls for about 20 minutes if you’d like them a touch thicker and puffier. Space the dough on parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving enough room for a bit of spreading, and make sure each scoop is mounded higher than it is wide so your Easter Cookies don’t flatten too much in the oven. A short 8–11 minutes of baking will give you soft centers with set edges, so pull them out even if they look a little underdone in the middle—they’ll finish setting as they cool on the pan.
Make-Ahead & Storage
These Easter Cookies are perfect for getting ahead before a busy holiday weekend. To make the dough in advance, scoop it into balls as directed, roll or press the tops in sprinkles, then chill the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet until firm. Once they’re solid, transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to bake, place the dough balls on your baking sheet and bake straight from the fridge or freezer, adding just 1–2 extra minutes if frozen. I love doing this the night before Easter brunch, so all I have to do in the morning is preheat the oven.
For storing baked Easter Cookies, let them cool completely so the centers set and the chocolate firms up slightly. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days, layering parchment between cookies if the sprinkles are extra generous. If your kitchen runs dry, add half a slice of sandwich bread to the container to help keep the cookies soft and chewy. You can also freeze fully cooled cookies in a zip-top bag for up to 2 months; press out extra air to avoid freezer burn and off flavors. To serve, thaw at room temperature or warm a cookie in the microwave for about 10 seconds for that just-baked, melty M&M and white chocolate texture.
Best Ingredients & Party Variations
When you’re making Easter cookies that really pop on a spring dessert table, start with good basics and then have fun with the pretty add-ins. Use fresh, soft brown sugar (no hard clumps hiding in the corner of the pantry) so the cookies bake up chewy instead of dry. Real unsalted butter, softened but still cool to the touch, gives you that perfect tender texture and lets you control the salt. I love pure vanilla bean paste here because those little specks make the dough taste and look extra special, but good vanilla extract works if that’s what you have. For the mix-ins, choose pastel Easter M&M’s, quality white chocolate chips that actually melt (some bargain brands stay chalky), and sprinkles that are labeled “jimmies” or “sprinkles,” not nonpareils, which can bleed into the dough.
Once you’ve got a solid batch of Easter cookies, you can spin the same dough into easy, crowd-pleasing party variations. For a “Bunny Trail” version, swap half the white chocolate for mini marshmallows and press a few extra M&M’s and sprinkles on top right after baking. Turn them into “Bird’s Nest” cookies by baking them slightly thicker, then pressing a shallow well in the center when they’re warm and filling it with a spoonful of frosting and 2–3 mini egg candies. If you’re hosting a dessert buffet, make a “Pastel Party” trio: one batch with all white chocolate and sprinkles, one with only M&M’s, and one with chopped dark chocolate and a pinch of flaky sea salt. You can even bake the dough in an 8- or 9-inch pan as an Easter cookie cake, then decorate the top with buttercream rosettes and extra candies for a simple, shareable centerpiece.
Serving of Easter Cookies
Conclusion
Every holiday in my house seems to have that one treat everyone quietly waits for, and these Easter Cookies have become exactly that. There’s something so simple and sweet about creaming butter and sugar, rolling pastel dough, and filling the kitchen with the smell of vanilla and celebration. It’s not just about a dessert on the table—it’s the stories shared while the trays bake, the giggles over crooked bunnies, and the little hands sneaking “just one more” from the cooling rack.
I hope this recipe gives you that same sense of togetherness. Whether you make them with kids, friends, or solo with a good playlist and a cup of coffee, you’re creating more than cookies—you’re building traditions that will be asked for year after year. Don’t feel pressured to make them perfect; the slightly uneven edges and extra sprinkles are exactly what make them yours.
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Can I swap the Easter M&M’s for other candies in these Easter Cookies?
You can absolutely switch up the candy mix-ins in your Easter Cookies. Any colorful candy-coated chocolate will work, like regular M&M’s or chopped mini chocolate eggs. For a more “grown-up” cookie, you can use dark chocolate chunks and skip the candy shells entirely. If you use larger candies, chop them so they distribute evenly and don’t create big pockets that make the cookies spread strangely. Aim for similar size pieces to the original M&M’s so the cookies bake evenly and keep their shape.
How should I store and freeze these Easter Cookies?
Store baked Easter Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days; I like to layer them with parchment if I’m stacking them. To keep them extra soft, you can tuck a small piece of bread or a marshmallow into the container to add a bit of moisture. For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw them at room temperature, or warm them in a low oven for a few minutes to bring back that just-baked texture. Let them cool slightly before stacking again so they don’t stick together.
Recipe
Easter Cookies
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened but still cool
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 large egg cold
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 3/4 cup Easter or spring M&M's plus extra for topping
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips or chunks plus extra for topping
- 1/4 cup pastel sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the cold egg and vanilla bean paste to the butter mixture and mix until smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix just until no dry streaks of flour remain.
- Use a spatula to gently fold in the M&M's and white chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
- Place the sprinkles in a shallow bowl. Scoop cookie dough into balls using 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Press the top of each dough ball into the sprinkles.
- Arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, mounding them higher than they are wide and leaving about 2 inches between each cookie for spreading.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 8 to 11 minutes, or until the edges are just set and the centers still look slightly underdone.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and, if desired, gently press a few extra M&M's and white chocolate chips onto the tops of the warm cookies.
- Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets set on wire racks before serving or storing.
Notes
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- You can freeze unbaked dough balls for up to 2 months; bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time.
- Make sure the butter is softened but still cool so the cookies do not spread too much.
