My whole family is obsessed with these cookies. Holiday M&Ms, chocolate chips, pretzels, and flaked salt, what more could you ask for?!
The secret ingredient in this recipe is flaked sea salt. My absolute favorite flaked sea salt is Maldon’s, which you can buy in a gourmet grocery store or online, here.
The way we like them best is with chocolate chips, holiday milk chocolate M&Ms and broken pretzels.
But you can get creative with your add-ins and try caramel bits, potato chips, raisins, mini marshmallows, Christmas sprinkles, or crushed peppermint candy canes. Really, the possibilities are endless!
Whatever you decide to add to your cookies, just make sure you don’t skip out on the salt, which should be sprinkled on just after removing your cookies from the oven.
Enjoy!
Sweet and Salty Santa Cookie Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup Holiday M&M’s (milk chocolate)
- 1 cup miniature pretzels, broken
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Beat butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla and eggs, one at a time until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until well combined.
- Add in candy, pretzels, chocolate chips, and whatever other add-ins you decide.
- Chill for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Scoop cookie dough onto cookie sheet or silicone lined cookie sheet. Arrange cookies to 2 inches apart.
- Bake until lightly golden brown, or about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Immediately after removing cookies from oven, sprinkle with flaked sea salt.
- Cool on pan for 5 minutes and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.