This easy recipe is all you need for the best soft-baked M&M cookies! These simple cookies have an irresistible combination of crispy edges with a soft, chewy center. Plus, they’re bursting with delicious chocolate flavor from the M&M candies.
Quick to make, they’re ideal for any occasion and will have everyone thinking you bought them fresh from the bakery.
Table of Contents
Everyone’s Favorite Cookies
Do your kids love M&M cookies? Ours do, and of course, we do, too! There’s something about them that can’t help but remind you of childhood.
Bright and colorful, they’re the perfect sweet treat to pack in a lunchbox, snack on after school, or enjoy on a fun weekend day. Honestly, we haven’t found a time when they’re not a great option!
Admittedly, we’ve been working on developing this M&M cookie recipe for quite some time. Of course, we have recipes like our M&M Lava Cookie and M&M Brookie Skillet.
However, we knew we wanted a simple cookie, too! So, we took our chocolate chip cookie recipe and made it even better with the addition of M&M’s.
Luckily, after just a few tweaks, the recipe came out great. The cookies store well, are super soft, and full of chocolate in every bite. Who can say no to that?! Not us. If you can’t either, keep reading to find everything you’ll need to know!
Ingredients You’ll Need
We kept these M&M cookies as simple as possible. However, using the right ingredients in the correct amounts is crucial to creating the soft texture we’re looking for with this recipe.
To make sure they turn out perfectly, here’s an overview of what you’ll need in addition to a few extra baking essentials:
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup mini M&M’s
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, optional
How to Make the Best M&M Cookie Recipe
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Next, add the butter and sugars to a separate bowl, and cream them together.
- Add the egg to the sugar mixture, and beat to combine. Scrape the edges of the bowl before adding the egg yolk and vanilla. Then, beat again until the ingredients are light and fluffy.
- Once mixed, add the dry ingredients to the bowl. Stir until the batter is just combined.
- Pour the mini M&M’s into the bowl, and gently fold them into the batter.
- Portion the dough into ¼ cup-sized scoops, and place them on a baking sheet. At this point, freeze the cookie dough for at least 1 hour, or refrigerate overnight.
- When you are ready to bake, make sure the cookies have enough space in between. The batter will spread while baking!
- Bake for 13-14 minutes.
- Cool, and enjoy!
Baking Tips for Soft and Delicious M&M Cookies
Use Fresh Ingredients. For the tastiest, softest cookies, make sure all your ingredients are fresh – especially the brown sugar! You want it to be super soft because the moisture creates a chewy texture in this M&M cookie recipe.
Use Room Temperature Ingredients. Allowing your butter and eggs to come to room temperature makes them easier to incorporate into the batter. In addition, it also causes them to form an emulsion. This traps the air as the dough bakes and creates the soft, fluffy cookies we all love!
Don’t Overmix! Stir the ingredients until they are just combined and smooth. Overmixing the batter will cause it to be hard and tough once baked.
Don’t Overbake! You’ll want to remove the cookies from the oven before they look fully baked. That’s because they’ll continue to bake as they set and cool.
Allow the Cookies to Set. Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling. This allows them to finish baking and helps them set so that they don’t fall apart when you move them.
Common Questions
Why are my cookies flat?
If your cookies are super flat, it’s because they expanded too much while baking. This is most often due to too much or too little butter, sugar, and flour being used. Make sure to measure carefully!
Can I use regular M&M’s instead?
Yes! Feel free to use regular M&M’s if you prefer. Or, you could even sprinkle in festive variations for holiday treats.
How long do these cookies last?
Stored in an airtight container, M&M cookies will stay fresh for up to 1 week at room temperature.
Can I freeze M&M cookies?
These cookies freeze super well and can be frozen both baked and unbaked.
To freeze baked cookies, first, let them cool. Then, transfer them to a sealable bag or container, and store them for 2-3 months.
Or, if you prefer to freeze the dough, scoop it onto a baking sheet, and place it in the freezer to set. Then, transfer the portions to a sealable bag or airtight container, and freeze for up to 6 months!
More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
Honestly, this M&M cookie recipe is so delicious, that you may never need another! But, if you want a little variety, try some of our other favorite recipes for cookies below!
Easy Soft-Baked M&M Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup mini M&M’s
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, add the softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Cream them together until smooth.
- Add the whole egg to the bowl with the sugar mixture. Use a hand held or stand mixer to beat the egg into the mixture.
- Scrape the edges of the bowl, and add the yolk and vanilla. Beat again until the ingredients are light and fluffy.
- Mix the dry ingredients in with the wet, stirring until they are just blended. Note – It is important not to overmix the dough after combining the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. If the dough is overmixed, the cookies may not be soft after baking.
- Add the mini M&M’s and chocolate chips to the bowl, and gently fold them into the dough.
- Place ¼ cup-sized dollops of dough on a baking sheet, making sure to space them out. At this point, freeze the cookie dough for at least 1 hour, or refrigerate overnight.
- When you are ready to bake, bake for 13-14 minutes or until the edges are a light golden-brown. The inside will continue to bake as they cool. So, it’s okay if they are still a bit gooey!
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes once out of the oven. This allows them to firm up and hold their shape. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Would you like to save this? 🔖
We’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Loved this recipe and the size of the cookie! Methods working great.
Thank you, Chelsea! We’re so glad you enjoyed it. 😊
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
Amazing!! Made these with gluten free flour. So addicting…
Love that you were able to sub for gluten free flour!
I followed the recipe as indicated and the cookies came out flat. very frustrated.
Also the recipe layout is very confusing and misleading…a suggestion would be to remove key ingredients from your blog and direct people to the recipe.
Oh no! We are so sorry to hear that they didn’t turn out well. We have retested this dough several times since and have adjusted the recipe! We hope you give this recipe a try! xo, Alia & Radwa