These are the BEST M&M Cookies! Super soft, chewy, crispy edges and full of chocolate. These M&M cookies are a family favorite and taste like they came straight from a bakery!
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Table of Contents
Soft & Chewy M&M Cookies
These chocolate chip M&M cookies are one of the best classic cookies out there!
- Easy. This recipe comes together in 30 minutes in one bowl.
- Full of chocolate. These cookies are filled with chocolate chips & M&M’s adding the perfect balance to this chewy cookie.
- Variations. This dough also makes great mini m&m cookies and a M&M cookie cake! Use holiday colors for M&M Christmas cookies.
Ingredients
Below are the ingredients need to make this easy M&M cookie recipe. Many of these ingredients are pantry staples that you already have on hand.
Scroll down for the printable M&M cookie recipe and video tutorial.
- Unsalted butter: I prefer to use unsalted to control the amount of salt.
- Baking staples: Butter, sugar, flour, baking soda, salt and eggs.
- Light brown sugar: I love mixing brown sugar into my cookies for the perfect flavor.
- Vanilla: I like to use a pure vanilla extract to bring out the flavor.
- Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet are my personal favorite for this recipe.
- M&M’s: I prefer to use the regular m&m candies, unless there is a holiday coming up.
How To Make M&M Cookies
- Using a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars for 1 minute in a large bowl using the paddle attachment. Add in eggs and vanilla and mix.
- Next add flour, baking soda and salt and whisk until combined. Fold in both chocolate chips and M&M’s to the flour mixture. Refrigerate dough for 15-30 minutes. By chilling the dough it helps them to not fall flat.
- Scoop cookie dough with large cookie scoop onto two baking sheets lined with baking mats or parchment paper, about 2 inches apart. Place extra M&M’s on top.
- Bake M&M cookies at 375°F for 8-10 minutes, until tops are barely golden. Let set on pan for 2 minutes, then move to cooling wire racks.
Quick Tips
Before you get started baking, check out my tips below. Follow these simple tricks and you’ll have the BEST M&M cookies in no time!
- Refrigerate the dough, to help them stay thick and chewy.
- Use a large cookie scoop to scoop dough onto baking sheet. This ensures the M&M cookies are all equal size.
- Add extra M&M’s on top once the dough balls have been formed.
- Bake at 375°F to get them crispy around the edges, yet keeping them soft inside.
- Allow the M&M cookies to set on the pan for 2-3 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes you can use regular or mini baking m&m’s. They both work great!
The outside shell prevents them from melting into the cookie.
You may have not added enough flour. If your dough is too sticky, add a couple Tablespoons more flour. To make them not flat you can also refrigerate the dough for 1 hour. The oven could also be too hot. If your oven runs hot, bump it down 15 degrees.
Immediately when the cookies come out of the oven use a round cookie cutter or round glass placed directly over the cookie and use a circular motion to bump the edges of the cookie into a round shape. Just a reminder that your cookies must be warm!
Make Ahead and Freezing
Yes, these M&M cookies freeze very well. You can either freeze the baked M&M cookies or freeze the cookie dough. If freezing baked cookies, simply let cool completely then add to ziptop bag or freezer container. Store in freezer for about 2-3 months.
If you’d rather freeze the M&M cookie dough, simply scoop out dough and add to your prepared baking sheet. Freeze for about 30 minutes, or until cookie dough balls have hardened. Then add to a ziptop bag and store in the freezer for about 2-3 months.
When ready to eat, add cookie dough balls to baking sheet while oven warms. The M&M cookies will most likely need to bake a few minutes longer than usual since the dough was frozen.
More M&M Desserts:
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M&M Cookie Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter , just barely softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar , packed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup M&M’s , plus more for tops if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. In a large bowl, using a mixer, cream together the butter and sugars for 1 minute. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt and stir mix just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and M&M’s. Refrigerate dough for 15 to 60 minutes (up to 24 hours) if time allows.
- Using a large cookie scoop (about 3 Tablespoons), scoop the cookie dough onto the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Place extra M&M’s on the top of the cookies if desired.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until the edges are barely golden brown. Allow cookies to set on pan for 2 minutes, and then remove to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
M&M cookies variations
We love to make different variations of these M&M cookies for all of the holidays. For some reason, the holiday M&M’s just taste better. IS IT JUST ME?! I feel like I’ve had a conversation about this with a few friends and we all agree.
We made these 4th of July cookies with red white and blue M&M’s and everyone loved them! You can also make holiday variations for Valentine’s Day, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween and Christmas M&M cookies. Sometimes I like to turn them into festive M&M cookie bars or even make a layered M&M cookie mix in a jar to give as a holiday gift!
They are soft chewy and delicious. I used gluten free flour (King Arthur) and you’d never know the difference. Had a wonderful time making them with my 4 yr old granddaughter
I’m so glad to hear they work well with gluten free flour. Thanks for your comment Nancy. :)
The perfect M&M cookie. Sightly crisp (8 minutes in oven) on outside, soft/chewy on inside.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! :)
i’m a first time baker, the recipe was super easy to follow and they came out great! my boyfriend asked me to make them with reese’s pieces next time ;)
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Reeses pieces would be delicious.
The recipe name does not lie- literally the best M&M cookies. After making these for the first time we got rid of all other m&m cookie recipes. We make these once a week and they’re gone within days. The only complaint I have is that they’re addictive and not good for my figure. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!
Your comment made my day! I’m so happy to hear how much you love them! :)
The best ever
My dough was crumbling and dry therefore I could not use an icecream scoop or spoon, instead I had to press into hands into a ball nd when they came out of the oven they were still in shape of a ball and not flat like cookies. I did use have golden hair dark brown sugar, would that have made a difference or over mixed?
I wouldn’t think the brown sugar would make a difference in the consistency. Everyone measures flour differently, so my guess would be that there was too much flour!
Turn out terrific every time. And yes, I have made them more than a couple times. Good clear directions.
I’m so glad to hear you love them! :)
Just made these and they are perfect! Very easy fun recipe🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! :)
This is our go to recipe and we just LOVEEEEEE it, soft chewy cookies, everytime!
I’m so happy to hear it’s your go-to!! Thanks for your kind comment and review Noelle. :)
When my mom taught me how to bake…the golden rule was to slowly cream the sugar and butter/ shortening…your instructions call for only
1 minute of creaming…how would it change the cookies if you were to cream longer than a minute…thanks!
Hi! I have found that if you over mix your dough, you will have a crispier/flatter cookie.
cookies were a huge hit with grandkids – and adults! Thanks!
I’m so glad to hear they were a hit!!
********great cookie , did have to bake for 12 min to get center cooked more and on second batch i added 1 cup of oatmeal {quick oats, or old fashion] in place of 1/2 cup flour. with butterscotch chips and the husband was very pleased. been looking for a good base cookie dough to bake with.
thanks for sharing
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing your substitutions!
I haven’t made these yet but I’m wondering if the temperature needs to change for non stick pans
You could bump it down to 350!
I decided to branch out from my usual cookie recipe and gave this one a go….it’s safe to say this will be new go to! They literally melted in my mouth and are the perfect combination of chewy but crisp on the edges…WOW. I also cut this recipe in half so that I could experiment with it first and it still turned out perfect!
I’m so happy you loved them! Thanks for leaving a comment and review Molly!!
Can I use margarine instead of butter ? Hope so. There is a shortage of butter where I order my food. I’m 65 and in shut in. Thank you.
Hi Fabby! Yes, margarine should be fine. It will turn out a little differently, but still should be delicious!
Does the butter need to be left out to soften?
I typically leave it out to soften, but you can soften it in the microwave as well.
Ok…these cookies are phenomenal. The taste and ratios are perfection. For some reason though, I CANNOT get them to spread like your photos. I’ve made them a handful of times now, each time tweaking my technique while still following the instruction/ingredients exactly, and my result is always the same…puffy cookies. I know others have had this same result based on the comments. What could possibly be going wrong?! I’m almost ready to cut the flour back to 2 cups next time to see if it makes a difference.
Hi Margaret! You could try skipping the refrigerating step to get them to spread more! :)
I actually did try that the last time and it didn’t seem to make a difference. The dough was more pliable but they still didn’t spread. What about cutting back on the baking soda? Once I mix in the flour etc. the dough does become very stiff, with or without refrigeration. That’s why I thought maybe less flour would help.
I would try using 2 Tablespoons less flour next time. I feel like everyone measures flour differently and some flours weigh different amounts depending on the brand. Hope that helps! XO
Best mm cookie
These were so easy!! And came out great!! I have never been able to make cookies and I finally did it!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!!