Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies Recipe delivers chewy centers, caramelized edges, big chocolate pockets, and a cozy hint of cinnamon with festive sprinkles. This batch suits busy holiday bakers, cookie swaps, and kids’ decorating sessions, and you can finish everything in about 45 minutes, including a quick 20 minute chill. I still stash a bag in the garage freezer so my family doesn't find them before the party.
Why You Should Try This Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies Recipe
This Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies Recipe gives you bakery-style results with simple pantry ingredients and straightforward steps. You get soft and chewy middles, crisp rims, and generous chocolate in every bite.
The dough chills fast, scales well for parties, and handles mix-ins like nuts or sprinkles without fuss. You can use brown butter for richer flavor or stick with softened butter when time runs tight.
Buttery edges, gooey centers, and holiday sparkle that had everyone asking for the recipe on the spot ★★★★★
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (170 g), browned until nutty and cooled to warm; shortcut: use softened butter if you skip browning
- 1 tablespoon milk, only if you brown the butter to replace lost moisture
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg plus 1 yolk, room temp (the extra yolk adds chew)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (Nielsen-Massey or Watkins both taste great; store brands work fine)
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (270 g); spoon and level if you skip a scale
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional, adds holiday warmth)
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks (Guittard or Ghirardelli hold shape; mini chips work for small cookies)
- 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans (optional)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons holiday sprinkles, plus extra chips for topping
- Flaky salt for finishing (optional)
Equipment:
- Medium skillet or saucepan
- Large and medium mixing bowls
- Hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle; a whisk and sturdy spatula also work
- Measuring cups and spoons or a digital scale
- Cookie scoop, about 1.5 tablespoons
- Two baking sheets lined with parchment or silicone mats
- Wire rack
How to Make Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies Recipe
Brown the butter — 5 to 7 minutes
Set a skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Stir until the milk solids turn golden and smell nutty. Pour into a bowl and let it cool until warm, not hot. If you browned the butter, stir in the milk.
Whisk the dry ingredients — 2 minutes
In a medium bowl whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Break up any flour clumps so the dough mixes evenly.
Mix the wet ingredients — 3 minutes
In a large bowl beat the warm brown butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until glossy and thick. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until the mixture looks smooth and ribbony.
Bring the dough together — 1 to 2 minutes
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just until no dry spots remain. Fold in chocolate, nuts if using, and sprinkles. The dough should feel soft but scoopable.
Chill the dough — 20 minutes
Cover and chill the bowl to firm the dough slightly. Flatten the dough into a disc in the bowl so it chills faster.
Scoop and top — 5 minutes
Heat oven to 350°F. Scoop 1.5 tablespoon portions onto lined sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Press a few extra chips and a pinch of sprinkles on top for that bakery look.
Bake — 10 to 12 minutes
Bake until edges set and the centers still look pale and soft. Rotate the pans once for even color. For crinkles, tap the pan lightly on the rack at minute 8. Sprinkle flaky salt while warm if you like a sweet-salty bite.
Cool and set — 10 minutes
Let cookies rest on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a rack. They finish setting as they cool, so keep the centers a little underdone for max chew.
Tips & Tricks
- Measure flour with a scale for consistent chew; if you use cups, spoon and level.
- Chill the dough to prevent spread; in a rush, scoop balls and chill them on the sheet to speed things up.
- Mix chip sizes to pack more chocolate into each bite.
- Pull cookies when edges set and centers look slightly pale; they keep cooking on the sheet.
- Want thicker cookies? Scoop taller mounds and bake straight from a colder dough.
- Age the dough 24 to 48 hours in the fridge for deeper flavor; keep it tightly covered.
- Bake from frozen by adding 1 to 2 minutes to the time.
- Line sheets with parchment so the bottoms color evenly and release cleanly.
What to Serve with Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies Recipe
Set these on a holiday dessert board with peppermint bark, shortbread, and frosted sugar cookies for color and variety. Pair with cold milk, hot cocoa, or spiced chai to balance the sweetness. If you want a showstopper, sandwich two cookies around vanilla ice cream and roll the edges in sprinkles. Add a bowl of crushed candy canes so guests can dip warm cookies for a minty crunch.
Make-Ahead and Storage
- Room temperature: Store baked cookies in an airtight tin up to 4 days with a slice of sandwich bread in the tin to keep them soft.
- Fridge: Keep dough covered up to 3 days; let it warm slightly before scooping.
- Freezer, unbaked: Scoop balls, freeze on a sheet, then bag for up to 3 months; bake from frozen and add 1 to 2 minutes.
- Freezer, baked: Freeze fully cooled cookies up to 3 months; thaw at room temp.
- Reheat: Warm cookies on a sheet at 300°F for 3 to 5 minutes or microwave 8 to 10 seconds for gooey centers.
Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Brown the butter: In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and cook, stirring, until the milk solids turn golden and smell nutty, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool until warm, not hot. If you browned the butter, stir in the tablespoon of milk.
- Whisk dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon (if using), breaking up any flour clumps.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, beat the warm brown butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until glossy and thick. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth and ribbony.
- Bring the dough together: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until no dry spots remain. Fold in the chocolate chips or chunks, nuts (if using), and sprinkles. The dough should be soft but scoopable.
- Chill the dough: Cover the bowl and chill for about 20 minutes to firm the dough slightly, flattening it into a disc in the bowl so it chills faster.
- Scoop and top: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Scoop about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto the sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Press a few extra chocolate chips and a pinch of sprinkles on top of each mound.
- Bake: Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden but the centers still look pale and soft. Rotate the pans once during baking for even color. For crinkled tops, tap the pan lightly on the oven rack around minute 8. Sprinkle flaky salt over the warm cookies if desired.
- Cool and set: Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The centers will finish setting as they cool, staying soft and chewy.
Notes
Approximate per cookie (24 cookies): 180 calories; fat 10 g; saturated fat 6 g; carbohydrates 22 g; fiber 1 g; sugars 14 g; protein 2 g; sodium 140 mg. Values are estimates and will vary based on specific ingredients, mix-ins, and cookie size.