These chocolate M&M cookies have triple the chocolate with cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and colorful candy-coated M&M’s. Crisp edges, a soft chewy middle, and perfectly rich and decadent.
Table of Contents
A Chocolate Lover’s Cookie
Chocolate M&M cookies are a delightful treat that combine the rich flavor of my double chocolate chip cookies recipe or triple chocolate chip cookies with the colorful and crunchy texture of M&M cookies. With a soft and chewy interior and slightly crispy exterior, it’s the perfect balance of texture with fudgy flavor in every bite.
The addition of M&M candies not only adds a burst of color but also introduces a sweet and satisfying crunch to the classic chocolate cookie recipe. These homemade cookies are irresistible just like my hot chocolate cookie recipe.
You really can’t stop at just one. Whether you’re making them for Valentine’s day, 4th of July or you’ll be freezing a batch for another occasion, these crowd-pleasing cookies will not disappoint.
Why This Recipe Works
- Triple the chocolate. Made with cocoa powder, chocolate chips and M&M’s. A rich and robust fudgy flavor in every bite!
- Perfect for special occasions. Use holiday M&M’s to make Easter, Valentine’s Day M&M cookies, Halloween, Christmas M&M cookies… you name it. These chocolate M&M cookies are decorative and so fun for celebrating!
- Loved by kids and adults. Anyone and everyone will love these cookies! The M&M’s add a fun pop of color for the kids and make the cookies taste extra sweet and delicious for the adults. It’s a win-win!
Recipe Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Butter: Unsalted butter allows you to control the amount of salt included in this recipe. Make sure to soften the butter to room temperature before using. You want the butter soft, but not too warm. Otherwise, the cookies will spread too much when baking.
- Sugar: Both granulated and light brown sugar are used for a sweet and rich flavor. Make sure to firmly pack the brown sugar into your measuring cup.
- Eggs: Using fresh eggs will give you the best result.
- Flour: A traditional all-purpose flour works great and gives the cookies a light texture. Make sure you’re measuring the flour accurately so that your cookies aren’t too dense or dry.
- Cocoa powder: 100% pure unsweetened cocoa powder gives it that rich, chocolatey taste. I like to sub a small amount for Dutch cocoa powder for a thicker cookie.
- M&M’s and chocolate chips: Classic M&M’s and semi sweet chocolate chips are my preference.
- Baking staples: Vanilla and sea salt are added for flavor. Baking soda and baking powder are used as baking agents to help the cookies rise.
Variations
Use mini M&M’s to make a smaller version of these cookies, similar to my mini M&M cookies. They are the perfect size for your little ones! Festive holiday M&M’s are also great to use to celebrate Christmas, Easter and Halloween.
You can also make a mint version of these cookies by adding in 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract. They will taste like my chocolate peppermint cookies and would be great with Christmas M&M’s during the holiday season!
How to Make Chocolate M&M Cookies
- Cream. Cream the softened butter and sugars together in a large bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.
- Whisk. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix until just combined. Fold in the M&Ms and chocolate chips.
- Chill. Put the dough in the fridge to chill for anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 days. This makes it a great make-ahead cookie dough! You can also scoop them into dough balls and freeze them for up to 3 months before baking.
- Preheat. Turn the oven on and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. You’ll need two sheets to make the full batch. If you plan on baking a batch and chilling the other for a while, you’ll only need one sheet.
- Scoop & bake. Scoop the dough onto the pan with a large cookie scoop and bake until the edges are slightly crisp. The center will be soft in the middle. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before transferring to a cooling rack.
Expert Tips
Easy to follow tips that will help get you the best possible outcome for these delicious cookies!
- No mess. Use a Silpat baking mat for easy cleanup and no sticking.
- Chill time. Refrigerate the dough, to help them stay thick and chewy.
- Even baking. Start with your ingredients at room temperature, including eggs and butter. Helps with even baking.
- Dutch-processed cocoa. Substitute 1/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder. It’s a more neutral-tasting cocoa powder and reacts well to the baking powder and baking soda in the recipe, which means cookies will remain nice and thick!
- Cookie scoop. Use a large cookie scoop to scoop dough onto the baking sheet. This ensures the M&M cookies are all equal in size. If you don’t have one, you can use about 3 tbsp of dough per cookie.
- Extra candy. Add extra M&M’s on top once the dough balls have been formed. It adds extra color and looks much nicer!
- Cooling. Allow the M&M cookies to set on the pan for 2-3 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
Recipe FAQs
Definitely! Freezing cookie dough is one of my favorite kitchen hacks. Simply scoop the dough onto a baking sheet and flash freeze until hard (usually about 30 minutes to an hour). Then transfer to a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
When ready to bake, simply follow the recipe instructions. You might need to add 1-2 minutes to the original baking time since baking from frozen.
There are a few key factors to keep in mind when trying to achieve the perfect soft and fudgy chocolate M&M cookies. First, make sure not to overmix the dough. Second, chill the dough before baking. And third, remove from the oven when the edges are slightly crisp, but the middle is still soft.
Absolutely. Feel free to use peppermint M&M’s for the holidays, or use peanut M&M’s for added crunch and flavor. You could always use mini M&M’s if that’s all you have in the pantry!
Nope! The M&M’s on top might crack a little as they get warm, but they definitely shouldn’t burn. If they begin to melt or burn, that’s a good indicator that the cookies have been in the oven too long.
Storing + Freezing
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Love M&M’s? You’ll also love my m&m cookie cake, oatmeal m&m cookies, m&m brownies and m&m cookie bars.
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Chocolate M&M Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter , softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar , packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder , I like to sub 1/4 cup dutch powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt , or table salt
- 1 cup M&M's , more for tops if desired
- ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and mix just until combined. Add the m&m's and chocolate chips.
- Refrigerate the dough for 15 to 60 minutes (or up to 2 days).
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop the dough onto the pan using a large cookie scoop (or about 3 Tablespoons). Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are slightly crisp, yet soft in the middle. Remove from oven. Use a spatula to shape cookies (while warm) if needed and add more M&M's on top if desired.
- Allow cookies to cool on pan for 2-3 minutes and then move to a cooling rack.
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!
Categorized as: 4th of July, American, Chocolate, Chocolate Cookies, Christmas, Cookies, Desserts, Freezer-Friendly, Kid-Friendly, Nut-Free, Vegetarian
These were chocolate perfection! I totally squelched my chocolate cravings. 🙌🏻
The best!!
These are the perfect cookie for a chocoholic! I can’t wait to try them at Christmas with the mint flavor too. So good!
They are perfect for Christmas and the mint would be so delicious! Enjoy :)
Nothing better than m&m cookies, especially when they are chocolate cookies!! These are chewy & delicious!!
Agreed! Simply the best!
Made these cookies with my son and we loved them! Thank you!