The Best Chewy Easter Cookies
These soft and chewy Easter cookies are an easy Easter dessert made with simple ingredients and colorful pastel M&Ms and sprinkles for that perfect Easter color. This chewy cookie recipe is great for Easter baskets, spring parties, and classroom treats.
These chewy Easter cookies are the best recipe if you’re looking for Easter cookies for kids, cute Easter snacks, or Easter party snacks. They are soft, yet chewy, taste amazing, and have that classic Easter look.
I love to serve these with these easy robins egg brownies and these rainbow peeps pudding cups for a beautiful Easter charcuterie board.
How To Make Chewy Easter Cookies
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (300 g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (225 g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 g)
- 1 large egg yolk
- Candy-coated chocolates (such as M&M’s), to taste
- Colorful sprinkles (optional)
Step-By-Step Instructions For This Easter Dessert
1. Cream the butter and sugar
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and mix until fully incorporated.
2. Add dry ingredients
Add the flour and baking powder directly to the bowl. Mix just until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
3. Shape the cookies
Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll into balls. Place on a parchment-lined tray. Press several candy-coated chocolates gently into the top of each dough ball.
4. Freeze the dough
Transfer the tray to the freezer and freeze for at least 1 hour, or until the dough balls are firm.
5. Bake
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Place frozen dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them slightly apart.
Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers remain soft.
6. Finish and cool
Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. If using, sprinkle with colorful sprinkles while still slightly warm. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Important Recipe Notes
- Do not overmix the dough. Overmixing the dough causes too much air to be incorporated and will leave your cookies tasting tough and dense.
- Freeze the dough. Don’t skip freezing the dough – it keeps the dough from spreading while baking and it creates a chewier texture like you’d find in a bakery.
- Do not mix the M&Ms into the dough. Mixing the M&Ms in the dough will take away from the beautiful pastel look of these cookies as most of them will be covered with dough. Instead, make sure to add the M&Ms on top after you have shaped the cookies.
- Let the cookies rest. Allowing the cookies to rest after baking will help them firm up and create that soft, yet chewy texture.
The Best Chewy Easter Cookies
These chewy Easter cookies are made using specific baking techniques that allow the cookies to have a soft, yet chewy texture. They are easy to bake, kid-friendly, and are perfect for Easter baskets or Easter parties.
- Total Time1 hour 27 minutes
- Yield18–22 cookies 1x
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (300 g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (225 g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 g)
- 1 large egg yolk
- Candy-coated chocolates (such as M&M’s), to taste
- Colorful sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Cream the butter and sugar
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and mix until fully incorporated. - Add dry ingredients
Add the flour and baking powder directly to the bowl. Mix just until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix. - Shape the cookies
Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll into balls. Place on a parchment-lined tray. Press several candy-coated chocolates gently into the top of each dough ball. - Freeze the dough
Transfer the tray to the freezer and freeze for at least 1 hour, or until the dough balls are firm. - Bake
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Place frozen dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them slightly apart.
Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers remain soft. - Finish and cool
Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. If using, sprinkle with colorful sprinkles while still slightly warm. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Do not overmix the dough. Overmixing the dough causes too much air to be incorporated and will leave your cookies tasting tough and dense.
- Freeze the dough. Don’t skip freezing the dough – it keeps the dough from spreading while baking and it creates a chewier texture like you’d find in a bakery.
- Do not mix the M&Ms into the dough. Mixing the M&Ms in the dough will take away from the beautiful pastel look of these cookies as most of them will be covered with dough. Instead, make sure to add the M&Ms on top after you have shaped the cookies.
- Let the cookies rest. Allowing the cookies to rest after baking will help them firm up and create that soft, yet chewy texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Freeze Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
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