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These thick, chewy double-chocolate Easter cookies are made with cocoa powder, dark chocolate chips, and pastel M&M's. They're festive, easy to make ahead, and perfect for all your spring baking.
Your new favorite Easter Cookies are here!
- Brownie-like texture: Soft, fudgy centers with just the right crispy edge. Soft and fudgy in the middle, with the perfect crunch from the M&M's - they're so addictive, you won't be able to stop at just one!
- Festive pastel M&M's: Bright, colorful, and perfect for Easter, Mother's Day, or spring bakes.
- Extra chocolatey: Packed with dark chocolate chips and topped with more M&M's. Here are 2 more holiday chocolate recipes you'll love: Easter chocolate cake and chocolate hot cross buns.
- Great for leftovers: A fun way to use up extra Easter candy.
- Crowd-pleaser: Kid-approved, party-ready, and dangerously addictive. Just like these Easter cupcakes featuring mini chocolate eggs.
The Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter: 2 sticks, softened. Adds richness and moisture.
- Brown sugar: Creates chewy texture. Both light brown sugar and dark brown sugar work for this recipe.
- Granulated sugar: I used a combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar to create cookies that are thick, soft and fudgy in the center, with perfectly crisp edges.
- Eggs: Help to bind ingredients and add moisture. Use room temperature large eggs.
- Vanilla extract: Use high-quality pure vanilla extract to enhance chocolate flavor.
- Flour: Meaure the flour using the spoone-and-leveled method to avoid overpacking and adding too much flour.
- Cocoa powder: Adds a rich chocolate flavor. You can use natural or Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
- Baking soda and baking powder: Using both helps the cookie dough spread, rise, stay soft and chewy.
- Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances flavor.
- Pastel M&M's: Add color and crunch. I added them both into the cookie dough and on top of cookies. Can be swapped with regular M&M's, chocolate chips, or other candy-coated chocolates.
- Chocolate chips: I used dark chocolate chips. You can sub with peanut butter chips, semi-sweet chips, chopped chocolate bars, or use more pastel M&M's.
How to Make Easter Cookies
Let me show you how I make these ridiculously good Easter cookies. This is a quick overview. Scroll down to find the complete instructions + ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
- Mix wet ingredients: I started by beating the butter and both sugars in my stand mixer for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Then I added the eggs, one at a time, and stirred in the vanilla.
- Mix dry ingredients: I whisked the dry ingredients - flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt - in a separate bowl and slowly mixed them into the wet stuff.
- I folded in M&M's and dark chocolate chips, and no, it wasn't me snacking on them as I worked. Don't overmix.
- Chill: I chilled the dough for at least an hour (overnight works too). While the dough chilled, I did my part and chilled on the couch.
- Bake: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F, line two baking sheets with parchment, and roll the chilled dough into balls. Space them out and bake for about 10 minutes until the edges look set.
- Pro tip: check your cookies around the 8-minute mark since ovens have minds of their own.
- Another pro tip: If you're baking in batches, stash the dough in the fridge while one tray bakes, then cool your sheet before loading up round two.
- Decorate: The moment the cookies came out of the oven, I pressed a few extra M&M's on top because more is more.
After I cooled the cookies on a baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, I moved them to a wire rack - and then pretended I didn't eat three before they were even fully cool. My husband sneaked a couple off the rack, too.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What if I don't have pastel M&M's? No worries! You can use regular M&M's, any candy-coated chocolates, or even add chopped candies for extra flavor and crunch. I used the pastel M&M's for the festive Easter look.
- Can I use other add-ins? Yes, feel free to use other add-ins, but make sure not to overload the dough with more than 1 ¼ cups of add-ins to keep the texture just right.
- Why is it important to use softened butter? Softened butter mixes better with the sugars, helping the cookies stay soft and chewy. If the butter is too cold, the dough will be hard, and if it's melted, the cookies might spread too much while baking.
- How to measure flour correctly? Spoon the flour into a clean and dry measuring cup. Then, level it off with a knife. Don't pack the flour.
- How do I know when the chocolate cookies are done? For chewy brownie cookies, look for firm edges and a soft, fudgy center. The cookies should still feel soft in the middle when you take them out from the oven. Usually, about 10 minutes of baking is enough.
- How do I prevent cookies from spreading? To prevent cookies from spreading, chill the dough for at least 1 hour (or overnight) before baking. Also, make sure to use softened butter (not melted), measure the flour correctly, arrange cookies on a room-temperature baking sheet, and make sure your oven is properly preheated to 350°F.
Make-Ahead Instructions
- You can prepare the dough ahead of time and let it chill in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Let the dough warm up at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes before baking. Then, scoop the dough, roll into balls, and bake!
Storage Instructions
- Fridge: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.
- Freezer: Place cooled chocolate cookies in a single layer in a freezer-safe plastic bag or airtight container. Store in a freezer for up to three months.
- To thaw these chocolate cookies, remove them from the freezer and place in the fridge overnight. You can also warm them up in the microwave for a few seconds or in the oven for a couple of minutes before serving.
More Easter Desserts
- Carrot Cake Loaf (with pecans and cream cheese frosting)
- Chocolate Hot Cross Buns (an Easter classic in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland)
- Carrot Cake Cheese Cake
- Raspberry Lemon Cake (with Easter-themed sprinkles)
- Blueberry Lemon Bread with Lemon Glaze (perfect for Easter Brunch)
- Easter Chocolate Covered Oreos
- Easter Chocolate Tart
Easter Cookies
These fudgy chocolate Easter cookies are like brownies in cookie form - rich, chocolaty, with crispy edges and soft, gooey centers. I loaded them up with dark chocolate chips and pastel M&M's, making them perfect for Easter.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, softened
- 1 ¼ cups brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup pastel M&M's
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
For topping:
- ½ cup pastel M&M's
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed for about 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Don't forget to scrape the bottom and the sides of the bowl to make sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Beat in vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to the wet ingredients. Gently mix using a rubber spatula until combined. Fold in M&M's and chocolate chips. Don't overmix.
- Chill the dough for at least 1 hour (or overnight).
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop out the chilled dough and roll into balls. Place them on prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until the edges set.
- Remove from the oven and press extra M&M's on top while cookies are warm. Then, let them cool on a baking sheet for 5-10 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Notes
- Sift cocoa powder to remove lumps and ensure it blends smoothly with the other dry ingredients for an even-textured dough.
- Do not overmix the cookie dough. Mix just until combined and no big lumps of flour remain.
- Don't overbake the cookies - the edges should be firm, but the center should stay soft and fudgy.
- Don't skip chilling the dough! Chilling helps control overspreading and gives the cookies a thick, chewy texture.
- Measure ingredients correctly, especially the flour. Too much flour can make the cookies dry and crumbly, while too little can cause them to spread too much and turn out flat.
- Start checking the cookies after baking them for 8 minutes to avoid overbaking as every oven works a little differently.
- If you don't have two large baking sheets, bake the cookies in batches. Keep the remaining dough in the fridge while the first batch bakes. Once the first batch is done, let the baking sheet cool. Then, scoop the dough into balls and bake the next batch.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information
Easter Cookies
Amount per Serving
Calories
171
% Daily Value*
Fat
8
g
12
%
Saturated Fat
5
g
31
%
Trans Fat
0.2
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.3
g
Monounsaturated Fat
2
g
Cholesterol
25
mg
8
%
Sodium
83
mg
4
%
Potassium
64
mg
2
%
Carbohydrates
24
g
8
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
16
g
18
%
Protein
2
g
4
%
Vitamin A
189
IU
4
%
Vitamin C
0.1
mg
0
%
Calcium
32
mg
3
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
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