Let’s dive into how to make these irresistible cookies! Don’t worry, it’s a super straightforward process that even beginners can follow with confidence. You’ll be amazed at how quickly these come together.

1. Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. This helps the cookies bake evenly and prevents them from sticking.
2. Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. This ensures everything is evenly combined and helps prevent lumps in the cocoa powder.
3. Cream the butter and sugars: In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed. Cream until the mixture is light and fluffy—this should take about 3-4 minutes. It’s crucial to get this step right because it helps the cookies achieve that melt-in-your-mouth texture.
4. Add eggs and vanilla: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then, add the vanilla extract and mix until fully combined. You’ll notice the batter becoming slightly lighter in color.
5. Combine wet and dry ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Be careful not to overmix at this stage. You want to keep the dough tender and soft, so stop mixing once you see no more flour streaks.
6. Fold in chocolate chips: Gently fold in the chocolate chips. These will melt into the dough, giving each bite a little surprise of melty chocolate goodness.
7. Chill the dough: If you have time, chill the dough for 30 minutes to an hour. This helps the cookies maintain their shape while baking, so they don’t spread too much. But if you’re short on time, it’s okay to skip this step.
8. Form the cookies: Using a cookie scoop or two spoons, scoop dough into 1.5-inch balls and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. This gives them plenty of room to spread out.
9. Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when the edges are slightly crisp but the centers still look a little soft. They will firm up as they cool, so don’t worry if they look a little underdone at first.
10. Add sprinkles: Immediately after taking the cookies out of the oven, sprinkle the rainbow M&M’s or sprinkles on top while they’re still warm. This will make them stick to the cookie, giving them that signature “Cosmic” look.
11. Cool and enjoy: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Trust me, the wait is worth it, but if you can’t resist, go ahead and take a bite while they’re still warm!