Buddy the Elf "Breakfast" Cookies

Inspired by my favorite holiday movie, Elf, these Buddy the Elf “Breakfast” Cookies are loaded with pop-tarts, maple flavoring, sprinkles, M&M’s and mini marshmallows. They’re over the top and I’m not even the teensiest bit sorry.

Thank you to Dixie Crystals for sponsoring this post. You can skip to the FULL RECIPE now!

Ok, let’s just get one thing straight right outta the gate. These aren’t really breakfast cookies. I mean, no judging if you were to sneak one to go with that last bit of coffee left in your mug. But please do so after you’ve had a well rounded breakfast, mmmmkay? The name of these cookies was inspired by the scene in Elf when Buddy is making himself breakfast pasta and he loads his plate with candies, marshmallows, chocolates, and then pours an obscene amount of maple syrup over the whole plate and has a Pop-Tart on the side!

A fun fact, my husband worked on Elf. He’s a stuntman and drove a taxi in the scene when Will Ferrel gets hit by a moving taxi. Elf is one of the few movies my husband has worked on that is actually kid appropriate so my boys love seeing their dad in the flick and I don’t feel like a horrible parent letting them watch it!

I’ve been making my cookie/treat list this past week and like every year, I have such a hard time narrowing it down to just a handful of things to make! I love to gift homemade cookies and treats to our neighbors and the teachers and staff at school. I also love to have a healthy stash on hand in my freezer to pull out for any last minute entertaining or just for a sweet bite in the afternoon! (And let’s be totally honest, the last reason is the one that hits closest to my heart!)

These cookies were so much fun to make. My kids thought they’d hit the jackpot when they saw these. It’s rare that I go over the top and I’m not really known for my kitschy recipes. Imagine their surprise and eagerness to be my taste testers when they came home from school a few weeks ago. Let’s just say the stoke level was high!!!

I loaded a classic chocolate chip cookie dough with sprinkles, mallow bits (dehydrated marshmallows), mini M&M candies, coarsely chopped Pop-Tarts (oh, yes!), and what I think really makes the cookies: maple extract! I first tried making these with pure maple syrup but the cookies turned out too sweet and you couldn’t really taste the maple. You can find maple extract in the baking section of your local grocery store by the vanilla. As far as the mallow bits I had to order some on Amazon. Kraft makes them. I know target carries them but I don’t have one close so it was easier for me to order online.

I created this recipe in partnership with Dixie Crystals, a longtime supporter of Mountain Mama Cooks. You can find the FULL RECIPE on their website. Please know that all thoughts and reviews are my own and I only work with brands that I trust and use in my kitchen. I hope you enjoy this recipe even half as much as I did creating it. These are definitely going on my “to make” list and I’m pretty sure these will be Santa’s favorite!

Happy Monday, happy baking, and as always, thank you for being here and reading!! xo, Kelley

Photos by Kellie Hatcher/ recipe by Mountain Mama Cooks