Mama Kelce’s Cookies have become a fan favorite, not just because they’re delicious, but because they come with a heartwarming story. Made famous by Donna Kelce, the proud mother of NFL stars Travis and Jason Kelce, these cookies have earned a place in football fans’ hearts and kitchens alike.
What makes Mama Kelce’s Cookies special? It’s not just the celebrity connection, it’s the recipe itself. These cookies strike the perfect balance between crispy edges and a soft, chewy center. Rich with butter, brown sugar, and just the right touch of vanilla, they’re packed with semi-sweet chocolate chips and often a surprise mix-in like chopped walnuts or oatmeal for texture.
According to interviews and social media buzz, Donna Kelce baked these cookies throughout her sons’ childhood, bringing them to games, school events, and eventually the NFL sidelines. The cookies have become symbolic of comfort, family, and the kind of home-baked love that can’t be bought in a store.
If you want to try Mama Kelce’s Cookies for yourself, start with a classic chocolate chip cookie base. Cream together butter and sugars until fluffy, beat in eggs and vanilla, and gradually mix in flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold in chocolate chips—and if you want to go full Mama Kelce, add a handful of oats or nuts.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 10–12 minutes until golden around the edges. Let them cool slightly on the pan before transferring to a wire rack. You’ll be left with cookies that are melt-in-your-mouth good and full of nostalgic flavor.
Whether you’re a football fan or just a cookie lover, Mama Kelce’s Cookies are more than a treat-they’re a tradition. They remind us that sometimes, the sweetest moments come straight from the kitchen. So grab your mixing bowl and whip up a batch that’s worthy of game day (or any day).
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 units eggs large
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons hot water
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup nuts chopped, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
- Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt.
- Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts.
- Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
- Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.
Nutrition
Why hot water for baking soda? Sounds weird. I should stick to my regular recipe.
Hot water helps activate the baking soda better! You might wanna try it. Change can be good!
Honestly, who puts nuts in cookies? It’s gotta be chocolate all the way! 😡
These cookies are incredible! Best I’ve ever made. Thank you, Mama Kelce! 🍪❤️
I tried them, but they didn’t come out right. Maybe I did something wrong? 🤔
I’m so glad you loved them! They’re my go-to cookie recipe for sure. 🍪😊
Why do you need hot water for baking soda? Mad confusing.
I tried this but used margarine and they just didn’t turn out right. Too dry.
I think margarine is fine, but maybe you overbaked them? Gotta keep an eye on those cookies!
Using margarine instead of butter can definitely affect the texture! Butter adds moisture and richness. Maybe give it another try with real butter next time!
Cookies r great! Me and my kids love em! We made them a bit bigger. Yum!
I think 1 cup of butter is too much. Made them greasy.
1 cup is like a lot! My mom used less in her cookies and they were still good. Just sayin’.
I disagree! The butter gives the cookies a rich flavor. Maybe try less next time?
These cookies are amazing! Just like my grandma’s! 😍
Best cookie recipe ever! I added some dried cherries too.
My kids loved them, but I forgot the nuts! Whoops!
Tried these and they turned into little blobs…what went wrong?
Baked them in 8 mins and they burnt. Ugh! Guess it varies by oven?
Too sweet for me. Maybe less sugar next time.
Soo good! Just made my second batch this week!
Yum! I need to try this recipe. Sounds delicious!
I don’t get what the fuss is about. They just cookies, right?
Cookies? More like care for diabetes. No thanks.
But cookies bring joy! Just eat them occasionally, not every day.
Life’s too short to skip cookies! Moderation is key. 🍪
3 cups flour seems like a lot… I felt like it was too dry and I added a splash of water. Ended up fine, but next time I’d measure more carefully.
So easy to make! I love how simple the ingredients are. I didn’t even have nuts and still tasted great!
Is it just me or are a lot of these cookie recipes kinda similar? Anyway, I added some peanut butter and they came out ok.
I get what you mean! But adding peanut butter sounds delicious! I might try that next time.
Not my favorite. Yours look nice but I’m sticking to my secret family recipe. Sorry!
too many choclate chips for my taste!!!! not a fan!!!
I dunno, but they came out too sweet for my taste. Maybe less sugar next time?
Uh, I substituted the eggs with applesauce and it actually worked. Didn’t know that was a thing! They’ll never know! Haha!
One word: yum.
yum for sure. I did 11 min tho cuz mine got pale otherwise.
Right?? Those cookies are dangerously good 😄
I followed the recipe exactly but mine turned out flat… what did I do wrong? I think the butter was too soft. Maybe next time I’ll try cold butter?
These came out so soft and chewy—my whole kitchen smelled like chocolate heaven. I used pecans and didn’t skip the nuts. Great recipe!
I followed the recipe exactly but they turned out too sweet for my taste. Maybe cut down the sugar a bit next time?
meh, where’s the flavor? I expected more. 1 star.
Did someone say chocolate?! Count me in! These sound delicious!
Yum! I love chocolate cookies! Can’t wait to try these! 🍪
Sounds great, but is it really that easy? I have trouble with baking sometimes.
These cookies taste like a classic chocolate chip, but I found the batter a bit dry after adding flour. Maybe I measured wrong—3 cups is a lot of flour. Would make again with a slight adjustment.
Totally get that—3 cups flour is a LOT for cookies. I’ve found they turn out better if I start with a little less and add only until the dough looks right. Glad you’d try it again!
These are the BEST cookies I’ve ever made! So chewy and delicious. Can’t go wrong with chocolate chips. Five stars all the way!
Yum, yum, yum! My kids loved these cookies, especially with the nuts! 🍪 Definitely making again!
I’m so glad your kids loved them! 🍪 My family does too, but I usually leave out the nuts. Just a personal thing, I guess. 😂
These cookies are AMAZING! I made them for my family and they devoured them in no time. Definitely a 5-star recipe!
These are dangerously good. I used walnuts instead of the nuts and they came out chewy and chocolatey like promised. 10 minutes was perfect for my oven—edges browned but centers stayed soft.
That sounds *exactly* like the texture I’m after—chewy centers with browned edges. Love the walnuts swap!
I tried making these, but I think I messed up somewhere. My cookies came out flat and burnt. What did I do wrong?
Nah, my cookies burn too. I just think ovens are moody! Keep trying! You’ll get there.
Maybe you put too much flour? That can make them flat. And burns can happen if the oven is too hot! Hope that helps.
Yum!!! Chocolate chips make everything better! So easy to do!
I think these are too oily… I don’t think I did anything wrong but they didn’t work for me. 2 stars.
Too oily? You sure? Lots of cookies use butter, so could be normal. I think your oven temp might be off.
I find them delish! Maybe check your butter quantity? I use half that and they’re perfect!
Cookies!
I’m skeptical about 10 minutes being enough for 350F. Mine needed like 13-14 minutes before the centers set. Not a disaster, just surprised.
My mom used to make a similar recipe, but with oatmeal instead of flour. Anyone tried that?
Not gonna lie, I messed up step 4. I poured the hot water straight into the batter without dissolving the soda first… it was kinda fizzy? But somehow the cookies still turned out decent. Weird but worth it.
The instructions are simple, but I wish it had a little more detail on cookie size. “Large spoonfuls” is vague. I did smaller ones and they were done closer to 8 minutes.
These are dangerously good. The edges come out perfect and the cookie centers stay chewy. I used walnuts instead of the nuts and it worked great.
I swapped in dark chocolate chips and it turned out great. Also, cream the butter and sugars longer than the recipe says—makes it smoother.
I can’t bake to save my life, but I gave this a shot and they actually turned out good! Woohoo!
I don’t really get why everyone likes these cookies. They’re just ok to me. I think my mom’s recipe is better, but maybe I’m just picky.
Everyone has different tastes! But you should try some of the variations. My aunt makes cookies with almond extract and they’re amazing!
These cookies are amazing! My kids devoured them in minutes! Definitely making these again!
I don’t know if my oven runs hot or what, but mine burned at 10 minutes. Could be user error, but the flavor was good before it went too far.
The baking time seemed off, mine took like 15 minutes instead of 10 but they still turned out nice!
I added some extra chocolate chips because why not? They were great! Definitely making these again!
These cookies are absolutely delicious! My family couldn’t get enough. Definitely a 5-star recipe!
I’m glad you loved them! These cookies really are a family favorite in my house too! 🍪
Best cookies ever! Even my picky kids loved them. Thank you, Mama Kelce!
Not bad, but mine came out a bit dry. Maybe I messed up the measurements? Would be helpful to have weight for the flour.
Pretty solid. I think I overbaked though—next time I’ll pull them closer to 9 minutes. Chocolate distribution could be a tiny bit better, but flavor is excellent.
i followd it excactly and it came out perfect—sweet, buttery, chocolatey. i added no nuts and they were still great.
These were supposed to be cookies??? More like little bricks. Couldn’t even chew them!
Followed the recipe pretty much exactly—except I added a little extra vanilla—and they turned out soft and flavorful. Definitely going in my repeat rotation.
Love that! I’ve been looking for a cookie that’s both soft and super flavorful—glad the extra vanilla worked out 😄
Hmm I tried this once but mine came out kinda flat. Maybe I overbaked? 10 minutes sounds short. Also, do you really mean 3 cups flour—seems like a lot.
Sounds good, but is it really healthy with all that sugar and butter? I’d probably use substitutes.
These cookies are amazing! They turned out so soft and gooey! My family loved them. Definitely a keeper!
Made these last night—so chewy and the edges were actually browned like the recipe says. Used pecans instead of “nuts” and it worked great. 10 minutes was spot on for my oven.
I’m not sure about the baking time. Mine were pale at 10 minutes, so I went closer to 12-13 and they finally browned. Still yummy though.
Totally agree—10 minutes sounded too short for me too. I also ended up doing closer to 12–13 so they actually browned, otherwise they stayed kinda pale.
Pretty good but mine spread way too much. I’m not sure if I over-creamed or my butter was too soft. Still tasted amazing though, just flatter than expected.
Cookies, mmm! 😍
These cookies turned out amazing! So chewy and delicious. My family devoured them in no time!
I was skeptical about the hot water part, but they turned out great! Who knew? 😂
Hot water in cookies? That’s wild! Makes me wanna try it! 😄
Not gonna lie, I was skeptical about 1 tsp baking soda + 2 tsp hot water, but it worked! Texture was nice. I might reduce sugar next time just a tad.
Same here—I thought “baking soda + hot water” was gonna do nothing, but the texture turning out right is convincing. I’ll try your sugar tweak next batch. 😊
Wait so 1 tsp baking soda in 2 tsp hot water… i guess that’s fine. I usually add it dry though. Did you let it fizz first? My cookies came out flat once, maybe i overmixed.
Are you supposed to use warm water or hot water for the baking soda? I used warm and it seemed off.
Delicious! 10 minutes was perfect for baking too. I was terrified of burning them but they’re just right!
Yum! I added some peanut butter chips with the chocolate, and it was the best decision ever. Highly recommend!
Yum! Just made a batch, but forgot the nuts, still good tho!
Mama Kelce definitely knows her cookies! My kids can’t get enough! Thanks for sharing!
Not bad, but mine spread way too much. I’m wondering if 350 is too hot or if I didn’t cream long enough. Still ate them all anyway 😅
Yum!
These cookies are overrated. They taste fine but they’re just regular cookies to me.
I get what you mean, but I think they’re pretty great! The chocolate chips make them special, right?
Nah, I disagree! These cookies bring back memories. They remind me of my grandma’s baking. They ain’t overrated!
These sound good, but I don’t think I’ll ever make them. Too much sugar maybe.
I get what you mean about the sugar! You could always cut back a bit. But cookies are meant to be sweet, right?
I don’t get why people fuss over chocolate chip cookies. Just use the store-bought ones, easier and faster. 🤷♂️
Had to scrape the bowl a lot—batter was thick. Also my hot water + baking soda step fizzed a ton and I panicked lol but it still baked up fine. Chocolate ratio is legit.
Thanks for sharing! That thick batter/scraping sounds exactly right for this cookie dough. The fizz/panic happens when the baking soda hits the hot water, but if they still turned out—awesome. I’m glad the chocolate ratio worked for you!
The cookies spread too much for me, like almost flat. I used room-temp butter and I thought it was right. Maybe my oven runs hot?
I’m skeptical of adding hot water with baking soda—felt weird, but it actually worked. My cookies were a little cakier than expected, though.
Easy to make, but I forgot the nuts. Still tasted great without them. Next time I’ll remember!
The dough spread a lot for me even though I used ungreased pans. Maybe chill the dough? Otherwise they were still good—just thinner than expected.
These cookies are dangerously good. The edges got that perfect browned look and the centers stayed chewy. I added walnuts and it was a win.
I tried these but mine came out a bit flat and not chewy—maybe I overbaked around 12 minutes. Also I only had salted butter so I reduced the salt and it still felt off. Any tips?
Right?! The browned edges + chewy centers combo is unbeatable. I’m tempted to double the batch next time (and yes… I’m adding walnuts again).
Eh, they taste alright. I’ve had better cookies from the store tbh.
I totally disagree! These cookies are way better than store-bought ones. You just gotta bake them right!
Tried making this recipe but I forgot the eggs 😩. They ended up like pancakes! Can I still call them cookies?
Haha, pancakes or cookies, they’re still yummy! Just call them cookie pancakes! 😄
Wow, these taste like the kind of cookies you get from a church bake sale. Simple ingredients, big payoff. Will make again for sure.
Are you sure that 350F is right? Mine took way longer to cook. Maybe it depends on the oven?
Did you really need 3 cups of flour? My dough came out kinda dry. I followed the recipe exactly!
Cookies? More like cookie! I only got one per batch. 😆
Cookies!! Yum! 🍪
I love chocolate chip cookies, but did anyone else find this recipe too sweet? 🤔
Pretty solid cookie base. I think mine spread a bit more than I expected, maybe because my butter wasn’t soft enough (or I overmixed after adding flour). Still tasted great though—will make again.