I’ve taken my favorite M&M cookie recipe and turned it into the cutest bite-sized mini version! These mini M&M cookies are just as soft and chewy and loaded with colorful M&M candies, but they’re that much more adorable!
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Mini M&M Cookie Recipe
These are one of the best cookie recipes for any special occasion. Choose your colors and make mini dessert versions of Valentine’s M&M cookies, 4th of July cookies, and M&M Christmas cookies! Who doesn’t love a teeny tiny version of the classics?!
They’re a fun snack to have when friends come over and they made a colorful addition to any cookie tray. I love that they’re the perfect size to fit into the smallest lunchbox containers.
Serve with a nice cold glass of milk, and pop them in your mouth. I mean, they’re small, so that just means we can eat more, right?
Key Ingredients
These chewy cookies are perfectly mixed together for the best mini M&M cookies! Each bite has a soft dough bite with a yummy M&M chocolate morsel. It is the best combination!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Butter: It’s important to make sure it’s soft, so take it out and let it sit at room temperature beforehand. If you’ve forgotten, follow these steps on how to soften butter.
- Light brown sugar, packed: This means you want to add the sugar into the measuring cup, bit by bit. Packing it down as you go. This will give you the required amount. Make sure your sugar is fresh and moist because we’re looking for it to deliver the right textures!
- Granulated sugar: We’re using both types of sugar. The brown sugar keeps it soft and moist, whereas the white sugar adds sweetness but balances out the moisture.
- Egg: Needed for binding, otherwise, your cookies would collapse.
- Vanilla extract: A delicious warming flavor that brings everything together. It’s a flavor enhancer and it does to sweet recipes what salt does to savory ones.
- All-purpose flour: It’s very important to know how to measure flour by using a spoon and the level method.
- Cornstarch: I like to add a bit of cornstarch to these cookies to help get the soft and tender texture in the center. It also helps to keep the cookies from spreading.
- Baking soda: A leavening agent that will help give these cookies some heft! No flat and crispy cookies here.
- Mini M&Ms: The fun part! Choose whatever colors you want. The traditional pack of rainbow colors is what I used for this mini M&M cookie recipe.
How to Make Mini M&M Cookies
Follow a few simple instructions to make the best M&M cookies that will light up the room! These are sweet and savory that are quick and easy to make. Enjoy these mini cookies over and over again!
- Wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, beat together with a paddle attachment or use a hand mixer of the butter and both sugars. Stir in the egg and vanilla and mix to combine.
- Dry ingredients: In the same bowl, you’ll mix in the dry ingredients then fold in the mini M&Ms.
- Scoop: Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the dough into 1-inch balls and place the dough balls far enough apart on a cookie sheet or baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake: Bake in the oven for 7-8 minutes until they are golden brown. Remove them and allow them to cool on the sheet before moving them to a cooling rack.
Skip the workout! Use a stand mixer if you have one. Save yourself some time and effort (although, it’s almost effortless either way)!
5 star review
“Everything is better mini! :) These cookies were so easy to make and fun to eat. The kids LOVED them. Can’t wait to make them again!”
-Samantha
Recipe Tips
Here are some helpful tips that will help make these M&M mini cookies even better! When baking follows these extra tips to learn how to make the cookies extra special.
- Save some mini M&M‘s for the tops. Just before you put them in the oven, place a few more so that they are visible. It’s just for presentation but it’s worth it! If you forget, no worries, you can even add some in as soon as they come out of the oven. Just be careful!
- Don’t walk away from the oven! These little guys don’t take long to bake at all. You don’t want to overbake them and in order to keep the soft center, remove them from the oven as soon as the 7-8 minutes are up.
- Keep baking. They will continue baking a bit on the hot sheet, which is why we leave them there before moving them to the cooling rack.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! It’s so convenient sometimes just to pull out some cookie dough from the fridge and have them ready to bake! This dough can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time. Keep it in the fridge, then roll, bake, and eat!
Check out my post for details on how to freeze cookie dough for all the tips. I like to freeze them once I’ve rolled them up. I’ll flash-freeze them on a baking sheet first, so they don’t clump together, then transfer them to a freezer-friendly bag. They can be kept frozen for up to 3 months!
Once you remember you’ve got cookie dough in the freezer for quick and easy access to cookies and your day has been made, take as many as you need out and place them on a baking tray. Let them sit there and thaw out while the oven is preheating and then bake them as directed. Add 1-2 extra minutes of baking time.
Keep the cookies stored in a covered container on the counter. No need to keep them in the fridge. As long as they’re covered they should stay nice and moist!
Variations on Mini M&M Cookies
Make your cookies just the way you like them! Try them with extra chocolate chips or make them with nuts or other variations. Here are several ideas to try in your homemade cookies!
- Chocolate chips. Add some mini chocolate chips into the batter for added chocolate taste and texture.
- Extra chocolate. Make a mini version of these chocolate M&M cookies with even more chocolate!
- Regular M&M’s. You can use regular M&M’s of course, just know you’ll get fewer in each cookie.
- Other variations. Swap the M&M candies for a different add-in for a different cookie! Chopped nuts, toffee bits, crushed peppermint candies, or leave them plain and add some sprinkles!
Top your ice cream! These cute little M&M cookies make the best ice cream toppers! Make a sundae and load it up with whipped cream, then stick a couple of these babies right on top!
More M&M Desserts
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Mini M&M Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (163 grams) unsalted butter , softened
- ¾ cup (145 grams) light brown sugar , packed
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup mini M&M's
- ½ cup chocolate chips , optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and mix to combine.
- Mix in the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt until combined. Fold in the mini M&M's and chocolate chips, if using.
- Use a small cookie scoop (or Tablespoon) to scoop the dough into 1-inch balls and place on prepared baking sheets. Bake 7 to 8 minutes, or until golden around the edges.
- Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet before removing to a cooling rack. Store in a covered container up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
- Butter: Make sure to leave the butter out an hour before making or follow these tips on how to soften butter. If using salted butter, only use 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Cornstarch: The cornstarch in this dough helps the cookies not to spread, while also making the center extra soft.
- Make ahead: This dough can be made 24 hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container for 3 days or freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying, or leave at room temperature.
- Freezing cookie dough: Cookie dough balls can also be stored in the freezer for 2-3 months. I like to place the dough on the baking sheet and freeze for 30-60 minutes, or until hard. Then you can stack in a freezer bag or covered container. When ready to bake, place on the pan while the oven is preheating and bake an extra 1-2 minutes.
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!
I used mini M&M’s and mini chocolate chips. So tasty! The small size is fun, and I love that they bake faster, so you can eat them sooner. :)
if there is anything that brings the little kid out of me its these cookies! something about the m&m’s resting on top that brings me back to my childhood!
M&M cookies are the best!! We especially love the mini m&m’s! Chocolate-y & delicious. We make these all the time!
I’m so happy to hear you loved the recipe, Kristyn!
Everything is better mini! :) These cookies were so easy to make and fun to eat. The kids LOVED them. Can’t wait to make them again!
Yay! Happy to hear they were a hit :)
We made these tonight! Not sure what I did wrong lol but mine were way more puffy not flat. Still tasted good though!
Hi Kayla, you could have added a little too much flour (I like to use this technique) or overworked the dough. Make sure to mix just until combined, so you don’t whip too much air into the dough.
We loved these! SO good right out of the oven. I’m going to have to double the recipe next time.
Love to hear that, April!