Description
Celebrate Easter with these festive Easter Chocolate Chip Cookies featuring colorful pastel swirls and classic chocolate chips. Soft, chewy, and bursting with vibrant spring hues, these cookies are perfect for holiday gatherings and sweet treats all season long.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Additional Ingredients
- Gel food coloring (pastel pink, purple, yellow, and blue)
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt to evenly distribute the leavening agents and salt within the flour.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Using a mixer, cream the softened unsalted butter with both the granulated and brown sugars until the mixture is light and fluffy, which helps create a tender cookie texture.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract to add depth of flavor.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined, being careful not to overmix to maintain cookie softness.
- Color the Dough: Divide the dough into four equal portions. Tint each portion with a different pastel gel food coloring (pink, purple, yellow, and blue) to achieve the festive Easter look.
- Create Swirled Dough Balls: Gently swirl the colored doughs together to create a beautiful marbled effect, then shape the dough into balls for baking.
- Arrange and Decorate: Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, flatten them slightly for even cooking, and press extra chocolate chips on top for an extra chocolatey finish.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown, indicating the cookies are cooked through.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, preventing breaking or crumbling.
Notes
- Use gel food coloring to avoid altering the dough consistency and achieve vibrant colors.
- Do not overmix the dough once the flour is added to keep cookies tender.
- For chewier cookies, slightly underbake and let them finish setting on the baking sheet.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- For variation, try mixing in white chocolate chips or chopped nuts instead of regular chocolate chips.
