M&M Christmas Tree Cookies are a kid-friendly favorite and a festive treat to share with family and guests. These charming cookies, decorated with M&M “lights,” are easy to make. Cocoa powder and pumpkin pie spice give them a warm, rich flavor that’s perfect for the holidays.
Christmas Tree Cookies
If you want a festive, flavorful, and easy dessert, these Christmas tree cookies are a perfect choice for holiday parties, cookie exchanges, or an afternoon of baking with kids.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 cup molasses
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- M&Ms or similar candy for decorating
- Melted chocolate or candy melts (to attach the M&Ms)
Supplies Needed
- Mixing bowls
- Electric mixer (handheld or stand)
- Christmas tree cookie cutter
- Wire cooling rack
- Plastic cling wrap
- Rolling pin
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Recipe
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Kids can help with this step.
In a separate bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium speed until light and creamy, about 2–3 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the egg and molasses, mixing until well combined.
Gradually add the dry mixture to the butter mixture in batches and mix until a dough forms. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap it in cling wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Once chilled, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use a Christmas tree cookie cutter to cut shapes and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12–13 minutes. Allow them to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
Use a small amount of melted chocolate to glue M&Ms onto the cooled cookies as “lights.” For a snowy look, dust with powdered sugar, or add white frosting and sprinkles. You can tint frosting green with food coloring for a traditional tree color.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1–2 days or refrigerate for 3–4 days. The final yield depends on the thickness of the dough and the size of your cookie cutter.
More Christmas Recipes by The Blogette to Try Next:
- Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies
- Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
- Red Velvet Cookie Bars
- Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Bread
- Chocolate Turtles
Christmas Tree Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Electric mixer – handheld or stand
- Christmas tree cookie cutter
- Wire rack for cooling
- Plastic cling wrap
- Rolling pin
- Baking tray/cookie sheet
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- ½ cup Cocoa Powder
- 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ⅛ cup Molasses
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 egg
- Melting chocolate or candy melts (for decorating)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Sift and whisk the dry ingredients—flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin spice, and salt—together and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 2–3 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Add the egg and molasses and beat until incorporated.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in batches and mix until a dough forms.
- Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap in cling wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Roll the chilled dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface and cut with a Christmas tree cutter.
- Place the cutouts on the prepared baking tray and bake for 12–13 minutes.
- Cool briefly on the tray, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating with melted chocolate and M&Ms.
Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container for 1–2 days at room temperature or 3–4 days in the refrigerator.
- Do not bake the cookies with the M&Ms in place; their colors may fade in the oven.
- Avoid pressing M&Ms into the dough before baking, as the cookies can become fragile—attach candies after baking with melted chocolate.
- The number of cookies depends on dough thickness and cookie cutter size.