These browned butter chocolate chunk candy cookies are a wonderful combination of flavors and are the pefect addition to your Christmas cookie recipe collection.
The name of these cookies is a bit of a tongue twister in order to capture all of the things that make these cookies so terrific, including crushed candy coated chocolate, bittersweet chocolate chunks, and browned butter.
Aaah, browned butter, or "beurre noisette." It brings a nutty, caramelly, and complex flavor to both sweet and savory dishes such as snickerdoodles, chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon cake, and carrot and cauliflower puree.
To Make Browned Butter:
Depending on how much browned butter you are making, the process should take about ten minutes.
Begin with a light colored pan so that you can watch very closely as the butter cooks because it can go quickly from perfectly browned to burned. Cook the butter over medium low heat, stirring constantly. The butter will start to sizzle and foam and then begin to turn brown. As soon as it turns a medium-brown color, remove it from the heat and pour it into a heat proof bowl to prevent burning. Be sure to scrape up any browned bits from the pan into the bowl.
To harden the browned butter, place the bowl in a bowl of ice water and stir the butter every few minutes until it solidifies.
Ingredients in these Cookies:
From the Pantry: Granulated sugar, light brown sugar, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda.
From the Refrigerator: Butter (for the browned butter), two eggs, and an egg yolk.
Dark Chocolate Chunks: If you don't have them, you can use standard chocolate chips.
Candy Coated Chocolate: I used both standard sized and mini M&Ms. Place them in a resealable plastic bag and lightly crush them with a rolling pin or a mallet. Save the tiny crumbs left for sprinkling the cookies when they first emerge from the oven.
I used red and green candies for the Christmas holiday, but you can use any color combination you like to celebrate any occasion or season.
Sea Salt: Optional, for sprinkling the baked cookies.
To Make These Cookies:
First, brown the butter and then chill it to solidify it. In a stand mixer, combine the butter with the sugars and beat for two to three minutes. Beat in the eggs and egg yolk along with the vanilla.
Next, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture with the mixer speed on low. Add the crushed M&Ms and chocolate chunks and beat on low until just combined.
After that, scoop the dough into 2 1/2 tablespoon balls and then press the tops into more crushed M&Ms. Refrigerate the prepared dough for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Finally, bake the cookies at 350 degrees F for 14 to 16 minutes. When you remove them from the oven, sprinkle them with a dusting of finely crushed candies and sea salt.
Cool completely.
Make-Ahead and Storage:
These cookies will keep fresh in an airtight container for up to four days, You could also wrap them well and freeze them for up to thirty days. Just skip the sea salt topping as it will melt as the cookies thaw.
Christmas Cookies Week:
If you are looking for more Christmas cookie recipes, you're in luck! This week we are sharing over 40 new Christmas cookie recipes. Stop by each day and check the links to see if there's a new recipe you'd like to try.
- Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars by Hezzi-D's Recipe Box
- Penguin Nutter Butter Cookies by Blogghetti
- Holiday Sugar Cookie Cups by Jolene's Recipe Journal
- Pistachio Cranberry Macaron by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
- Double Chocolate Orange Buckwheat Cookies (redo) by Magical Ingredients
- Gluten Free Molasses Cookies by Art of Natural Living
- Christmas Cookie Brownies by The Spiffy Cookie
- Chocolate Cherry Bubbles by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Buttery Oatmeal Raisin Molasses Spice Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Browned Butter Chocolate Chunk Candy Cookies by Karen's Kitchen Stories
Browned Butter Chocolate Chunk Candy Cookies
These browned butter chocolate chunk candy cookies are a wonderful combination of flavors and are the pefect addition to your Christmas cookie recipe collection.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 grams/2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (110 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups (344 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup (163 grams) lightly crushed M&Ms
- 1 cup (163 grams) dark chocolate chunks
- 3/4 cup (122 grams) lightly crushed M&Ms
- Finely crushed M&Ms and flaked sea salt for garnish
Instructions
- In a light colored medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium low heat, stirring regularly until the butter sizzles and foams and the butter starts to turn medium golden brown. Immediately pour the butter into a medium bowl. Place the bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice water to cool. Stir the butter every few minutes until it solidifies.
- Place the butter and sugars into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on medium until it becomes fluffy. Add the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating after each egg is added. Beat in the vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture while beating on low. Once the flour is just incorporated, add the cup of M&Ms and cup of chocolate chunks and beat until just combined.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop 2 1/2 tablespoons of dough and form into balls. Press the tops of each ball into the 3/4 cup of crushed M&Ms. Place the dough balls on a parchment lined pan, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the dough balls 2 inches apart and bake each sheet for 14 to 16 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
- Remove the pan from the oven and garnish the cookies with the fine candy crumbs and optional sea salt. Cool for five minutes on the pan before transferring to a wire rack.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
263Fat (grams)
16 gSat. Fat (grams)
9 gCarbs (grams)
28 gFiber (grams)
1 gNet carbs
27 gSugar (grams)
15 gProtein (grams)
3 gCholesterol (grams)
61 mgRecipe adapted from Bake From Scratch Holiday Cookies 2025.
Great tips on browning butter! Love how you use both the whole and the crushed M&Ms.
ReplyDeleteThese cookies make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. They are just so homey and fun.
ReplyDeleteYou're totally talking my cookie language with these lil' guys! M&M's and chocolate chunks? YES, PLEASE!!!
ReplyDelete