Chocolate chip cookies are favorites in our house and likely in yours too. I thought it would be fun to jazz them up a bit and created these Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookies just for you! Packed with pecans, dark and white chocolate chips, toffee bits, and M&M candies, they are so much fun!
These cookies are so jolly because you get so many flavors in every bite. Feel free to change the mix-ins to suit your tastes and dietary requirements. Use what you have in the cupboard, no need to make a special trip to the store unless you want to. I do recommend using mini chocolate chips so they are better dispersed throughout the dough.
The cookies are easy to make and after 30 to 60 minutes in the refrigerator are ready for the oven. The resting time gives the flour time to fully absorb all the liquid. If the dough is too cold and difficult to scoop, just leave it at room temperature for a few minutes to soften up and try again.
If you want, you can press a few M&Ms on the top of each cookie for extra decoration. It makes your cookies even more colorful and fun! Your littles will love to help you with this step.
This dough gives you large, 4-inch diameter cookies that will thrill any child or the child in everyone! They are impressive and packed with so much flavor from all the add-ins. Every bite is an adventure.
The recipe offers you a choice of two ways to line your baking sheets so the cookies won’t stick. Parchment paper sheets or Silpats. Parchment is sold in rolls or cut sheets. The cut sheets will lay flat and can be used repeatedly – I use the same sheet for an entire batch of cookies. My favorite cut parchment sheets come from King Arthur Flour.
Silpat is a brand name for silicone baking mats. You can use them over and over without replacing them. The other benefit is that they act as insulation, protecting your baked goods from the direct heat of the baking sheet pan. Just be careful to never cut on them or they will be ruined. Both parchment and Silpats are great options when baking.
If you are curious about why so many people including me use kosher salt in baking, here is a great article about what salt does and the differences between the various types of salt, table salt, kosher salt, sea salt, and Himalayan salt. I like kosher salt because it is cleaner tasting and less salty than other options giving me more flexibility and control in cooking and baking.
I hope you make these Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookies with your family and especially your little ones. They can help you scoop the dough (if they are big enough) and press the M&Ms in the tops of the cookies before you slip them in the hot oven and the magic happens.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know in the comments and leave a star rating, I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookies:
- Gluten-free all-purpose flour blend or regular all-purpose flour
- Baking soda, salt, butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, water
- Eggs, pecans, toffee bits, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips M&Ms
PRO Tip: How to Quickly Soften Butter
There are several tricks for quickly softening butter but this is my favorite. Set the wrapped cold butter sticks upright on the counter. Fill a drinking glass with very hot water for a minute to warm the glass, pour out the water and dry the glass. Now quickly set the glass upside down on top of the wrapped stick of butter. It will soften in the gentle heat. Leave for 10 minutes or so and your butter will be perfect for baking!
How to make Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookies:
- Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, both sugars, vanilla, and water. Beat until creamy. Add the eggs and beat until smooth
- Add in the dry ingredients, 1/3 at a time. Scrape the bowl and beater(s). Then stir in the pecans, toffee bits, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and M&Ms. Mix until well distributed. Cover and refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes to firm up and hydrate the dough. Note: this is especially important on hot days!
- Using a large cookie scoop, drop balls of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, about 6 cookies per sheet pan. Press some extra M&Ms on the tops if desired.
- Bake at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on the baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. Let rest until cool and firmed up. Store in an airtight container.
PRO Tip: How to Quickly Warm Eggs
The eggs should also be at room temperature. If you haven’t left them out of the refrigerator in advance, fill a bowl with very hot tap water. Place the eggs (still in their shells) into the water and leave for about 10 minutes to warm up. Drain, pat the eggs dry, and use in your recipe.
PRO Tip:
If you buy cut parchment sheets, you can use the same technique I do and store them between my baking sheets so they stay flat and smooth. Then I can slip one sheet out at a time for baking.
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Kitchen scale
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Baking sheet pans
- Parchment paper or Silpats
- Sieve
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Cookie scoop
Gluten-Free Tips:
*You can adjust any baking recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with the back of a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free)
These Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookies are packed with pecans, dark and white chocolate chips, toffee bits, and M&M candies. Bright, festive, and large, they are so much fun! They are so jolly because you get so many flavors in every bite. Feel free to change the mix-ins to suit your tastes and dietary requirements.
Ingredients
- 2-1/4 cups (270g) gluten-free all-purpose flour blend* or all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks; 226g) softened butter
- 3/4 cup (149g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (160g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla paste or extract
- 1/2 tsp water
- 2 large eggs (100g), at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (57g) finely chopped pecans, optional
- 1/2 cup (78g) toffee bits, such as Heath brand
- 1/2 cup (89g) mini chocolate chips (dark or milk)
- 1/2 cup (89g) mini white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (102g) M&M candies, plus more for decorating if desired
Instructions
- Sift dry ingredients together onto parchment or waxed paper; set aside.
- Combine butter, both sugars, vanilla, and water in a mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Scrape the bowl. Add the eggs and beat until well combined and smooth. Add the dry ingredients, 1/3 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape the bowl and beater(s). Stir in the pecans, toffee bits, both types of chocolate chips, and M&Ms and mix until well distributed. Cover and refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes to firm up the dough (this reduces spreading of the cookies while baking and is especially important on hot days).
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C). Set a rack in the middle of the oven. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats. For the best results bake one sheet at a time.
- Using a medium cookie scoop (I used a #24), drop balls (2 to 3 tbsp each) onto the prepared cookie sheets, about 2-inches apart and 6 to a baking sheet to allow for spreading. Add some extra M&Ms on the tops if desired. Keep the extra dough in the refrigerator.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on the baking sheet for several minutes to finish baking and firm up, then transfer to a wire cooling rack. Let rest until thoroughly cooled. Store in an airtight container.
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
*You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup without a spout until mounded, level off the top with the back of a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela's, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
30Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 117Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 73mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 3g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate.
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