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Delight your guests this Easter with these perfect soft Easter Cookies that are a little crispy on the outside but so gooey on the inside. They are decorated with pastel M&Ms and sprinkles for a cute and festive treat.
Perfect Soft Easter Cookies
This homemade cookie recipe is sort of like my best pudding cookie recipe, except we fill these traditional easter cookies with holiday themed M&Ms and sprinkles. Easter desserts like this one are perfect for the season because kids and adults love them. Even the Easter bunny approves.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- The pudding mix keeps these cookies soft for days.
- These cookies are decorated with pastel colored M&Ms and sprinkles for Easter, but you can easily switch out the color theme to make these the perfect year round cookies recipe.
- I’ve made these into 4th of July Cookies and Christmas Cookies and they turn out every single time!
Ingredients Needed
- Butter: unsalted butter and at room temperature to control the salt
- Sugar: we’ll use packed brown sugar – all that brown sugar keeps the texture soft.
- Eggs: I recommend using large eggs to achieve a chewier texture
- Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix: the secret ingredient to achieve a moist cookie with extra vanilla flavor!
- Pastel colored M&Ms: or any color you prefer
- Pastel sprinkles: or any other colors to fit the occasion
How to make Easter Cookies
- Cream the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer.
- Mix in the eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add pudding mix, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low speed until combined.
- Mix in flour.
- Stir in sprinkles and M&Ms.
- Scoop 2 tablespoon balls of cookie dough onto a baking sheet covered with parchment or a silpat baking mat. There’s no need to space them out, you’re going to chill them. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a second cookie sheet with parchment paper or silpat baking mats. Place chilled cookie dough balls 2” apart on cookie sheets. Bake for about 9-11 minutes or until the edges just start to turn brown. Allow to cool 10 minutes on cookie sheet before removing to a cooling rack.
Expert Tips
- You must chill the dough prior baking to baking! Chilling cookie dough allows the flavors to meld perfectly, resulting in a flavorful cookie. With a lot of recipes, cookies are designed to be soft and chewy without too much flour, and if the dough isn’t chilled they’ll spread too much.
- I like to use butter, not shortening, in my cookies. Butter adds tons of flavor.
- Make sure to use instant pudding mix, not the cooked kind. I prefer regular instant pudding, not sugar-free. Add the powder to the cookie dough (no need to make actual pudding).
- You can use any candy you want, I just love using M&Ms and sprinkles for their fun color combinations.
- For sprinkles: I suggest “jimmies” not nonpareils or drops or anything like that. Jimmies hold up better in the oven.
- Pudding cookies are not only soft and chewy, but they stay soft for days…but they’ll never last that long in your kitchen. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to one month.
FAQs
How long do pudding cookies last?
At room temperature, these Italian Easter cookies last for up to 1 week. If frozen, up to 2 months.
Can I use another pudding flavor?
Yes! Feel free to use any flavor you like. I just love the vanilla with chocolate together.
Can you freeze easter cookies?
Yes! Store them in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months.
Why do you chill cookie dough?
Chilling cookie dough allows the flavors to meld perfectly, resulting in a flavorful cookie. With a lot of recipes, cookies are designed to be soft and chewy without too much flour, and if the dough isn’t chilled they’ll spread too much.
Easter Cookies
Make Easter M&M Cookies for spring! This is the best pudding cookie recipe filled with Easter M&Ms and pastel sprinkles. They’re the perfect Easter treat!
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 3.4 ounces (96g) box Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups (155g) all purpose flour
- 1 cup (195g) pastel colored M&Ms
- ½ cup (76g) pastel sprinkles
Instructions
- Note: This dough requires chilling.
- Cream butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (You can also use a hand mixer.) Mix in egg and vanilla until smooth. Add pudding mix, baking soda, and salt. Mix until combined. Mix in flour, then stir in sprinkles and M&Ms.
- Scoop 2 tablespoon balls of cookie dough onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment or a silpat baking mat. There’s no need to space them out, you’re going to chill them. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat baking mats. Place chilled cookie dough balls 2” apart on cookie sheet. Bake 9-11 minutes or until the edges just start to turn brown. Cool 5 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to one month.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- You must chill the dough prior baking to baking! Chilling cookie dough allows the flavors to meld perfectly, resulting in a flavorful cookie. With a lot of recipes, cookies are designed to be soft and chewy without too much flour, and if the dough isn’t chilled they’ll spread too much.
- I like to use butter, not shortening, in my cookies. Butter adds tons of flavor.
- Make sure to use instant pudding mix, not the cooked kind. I prefer regular instant pudding, not sugar-free. Add the powder to the cookie dough (no need to make actual pudding).
- You can use any candy you want, I just love using M&Ms and sprinkles for their fun color combinations.
- For sprinkles: I suggest “jimmies” not nonpareils or drops or anything like that. Jimmies hold up better in the oven.
- Pudding cookies are not only soft and chewy, but they stay soft for days…but they’ll never last that long in your kitchen. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to one month.
Recipe Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 605mg | Sugar: 7g
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Favorite Easter Cookies
Besides these M&M Easter Cookies, we also love making carrot cake cookies, lemon cookies with lemon glaze, or coconut cookies for spring holidays.
Do you add additional m&m’s to top or how do you get them so pretty?
Sometimes yes I do – if I notice some don’t have as many after scooping. Photographers trick 🙂 You can add them before or after baking!
I made these last easter and remember them being the BEST cookies ive ever made. I have tried many different cookie recipes and this is by far the best. Im looking forward to making them again this week
I did not add the sprinkles to these cookies and that appears to have made an awful lot of difference. I had to cook the cookies 20 minutes vs 9 – 11 minutes. And even then I had to use a fork to smash the cookies down as they never lost their ball shape. They are ok but somewhat dry. Again would the sprinkles really have made that much difference?
These are – hand down – the very best cookies!!! I’ve made them about four times and each time they turn out awesome!! I will make them even after Easter, just switch out the M&Ms!! Thanks for an awesome recipe!!
Barb Settles – inappropriate comment! Don’t judge!!!
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