The BEST M&M Cookies that are soft and chewy with crispy edges and packed full of chocolate chips and M&Ms. This recipe is family favorite and so easy to make!
You’ll also love my mini m&m cookies and chocolate M&M cookies.
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.
- Versatile. Make miniature sized cookies or this M&M cookie cake! Make M&M Christmas cookies with red and green candies or try your favorite M&M variety.
Ingredients
Scroll down for the printable M&M cookie recipe and video tutorial.
- Unsalted butter: I prefer to use softened unsalted butter to control 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 chocolate chips are my favorite for this recipe. Use mini chocolate chips if you like more in each bite!
- M&M’s: I prefer to use the regular M&M candies, unless there is a holiday coming up.
Recipe Variations
- Holiday M&M cookies: Make 4th of July cookies with red white and blue M&M’s or use pink and red for Valentine M&M cookies and M&M Christmas cookies.
- Gift. Gift this M&M cookie mix in a jar at the holidays.
- Bars: Make festive M&M cookie bars.
- Loaded: Add peanut butter and oats for monster cookies.
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.
Recipe Success Tips
After countless times making these, here are the tips I have found helpful to make the best M&M cookies.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator. The cookie dough is soft! To help the cookies stay thick and chewy and not spread, chill the dough for 15 minutes or best overnight.
- Use a large cookie scoop. This ensures the M&M cookies are all equal size.
- Add extra M&M’s on top. Once the dough balls have been formed, press a few extra M&M’s on the top before baking. Don’t press too hard, you do not want to flatten the cookie.
- Do not over bake: For a soft and chewy cookie remove just prior to being done. They will finish baking on the cookie sheet and you will have chewy centers with crisp edges
Thicker or Thinner Cookies
One thing I have learned over the years is that everyone has a personal preference when it comes to how they like their cookie!
- For thin cookies: Do not chill the dough and use a medium cookie scoop which is about 1 1/2 Tablespoons.
- For thicker cookies: Use a large 3 Tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough into balls and then chill for up to 24 hours. This leads to less spread and a cookie with a center that is thick and chewy. You can also add in 2 teaspoons cornstarch for a thicker dough.
Shaping Techniques for Round Cookies
If you have ever wondered how to achieve a perfectly round cookie, it’s easy to do! Both of these methods must be done immediately after removing the cookies from the oven.
- Swirl a glass around cookie. Immediately after removing the cookie from the oven, place a glass that is slightly larger than the cookie (or use a bowl, cookie cutter, mason jar lid) around the edges of the cookie. Moving quickly, circle the glass around the warm cookie to push the edges of the cookie upwards.
- Use the back of a spoon. Alternately, instead of using a glass, take the rounded part of the back of a spoon and move quickly around the edges of the cookie pushing it inward.
More M&M desserts to try include M&M brownies or m&m cupcakes.
More Cookie Recipes
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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
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl, using a mixer, cream 1 cup softened butter, 1 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup granulated sugar for 1 minute. Add 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add dry ingredients then chill dough. Add 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt and stir mix just until combined. Fold in 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup M&M’s. Refrigerate dough for 15 to 60 minutes (up to 24 hours) if time allows.
- Scoop dough. 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. 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!
Frequently Asked Questions
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. Remember to refrigerate the dough for 1 hour or longer. The oven could also be too hot. If your oven runs hot, bump it down 15 degrees. Last, try to add a teaspoon of cornstarch to the dough to thicken it. I suggest trying one of these at a time to find the perfect M&M cookie for you!
It’s easy to freeze the cookie dough. Simply scoop out M&M cookie 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.
Yes, these M&M cookies freeze very well. Simply let cool completely then add to Ziptop bag or freezer container. Store in freezer for about 2-3 months, thaw on counter and enjoy. If you would like to reheat the cookie, place in the microwave for a few seconds.
Categorized as: 4th of July, American, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cookies, Desserts, Kid-Friendly, Reader Favorites
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
I came back to tell you these REALLY are the BEST, better than the local bakery shop. After I had a bite of my son’s cookie at Edgar’s Bakery I said, “Tsk tsk tsk. I shoulda made ‘em myself!”
Yay! Love hearing this :) So happy you love the recipe, Brittany!
LOVE!
I made this recipe last night and put it in the fridge overnight. A bit of a workout to scoop the dough onto the cookie sheets today to bake them, but worth it! Great recipe, clear directions and hints, and super yummy!!! I debated between a few similar recipes and am glad I made yours! Thank you for sharing it!
I’m so happy to hear it was a success for you, Kathy! Thanks for your comment and review :)
Absolutely the best chocolate chip cookies ever. The are my family’s favorite. I like that you can use whatever colored M&Ms you want. I am going to be making them for a cookie table at a wedding reception and will use the wedding colors. So thankful for this recipe!
So fun! It makes me so happy to hear that you love them so much, Jeanne :) Thanks for your comment and review!
Delicious. I have used this recipe twice and both times the cookies have come out divine. great easy recipe to follow!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, thanks for the review! :)
BEST M&M cookies ever!
Delicious!! Only change I make is using mini m&m’s
Great idea!
I love these cookies. I’m too old to love a cookie this much.
So glad you love them, Lizgal!
I really enjoy these cookies I take them to my Husband’s work around midnight and they’re about 25 cookie monsters that really need a fresh baked m&m cookie about then, they are hard working men!!
Thank you for this recipe
Love to hear that! Glad they were a hit :)
I’ve made these many times and they are absolutely amazing. My favourite cookie recipe! I’m wanting to bake some for tomorrow and just realised I’m out of baking soda. Can I substitute with baking powder? Many thanks
So glad you’ve enjoyed them :)
Yes you can, but baking soda is stronger so I would use 2 teaspoons of baking powder to make sure they rise.
Should the brown sugar be packed or loose when measuring? I’m planning on making these with my five year old granddaughter.
Packed :)
This recipe is amazing I made it tonight and the cookies were so easy and to die for. Seriously thee best M&M cookies I have had.
I am so happy you loved them so much, Angela!
Made these a few times now! My boys love them well everyone loves them. I reduce the sugar a bit to our personal taste but they come out great each time!
They also look great and I have gifted them in cute cookie bags and they are always appreciated. Enjoy!
Tip: Use a cookie scoop, the cookes come out looking uniform and beautiful.
I’m so happy to hear you love them! Cookie bags are such an adorable idea :)
Made them today, first time
A huge success
Will be added to my repertoire of cookie recipes
Glad they were a success! Thank you for your comment :)
Love these.. So easy to make..
Yes I made them several times. It seems to be requested often to my pleasure. Delicious cookies!
Happy to hear they are a hit :)
Banging cookies!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Steve!
Hi, I halved the recipe and used 1/2 tsp of salt and it was really salty. Should I just omit the salt or make it 1/4 tsp ? Also I noticed that the cookies didn’t fully bake in the middle after just 8-10 minutes.
These were my measurements:
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips and m&ms
Hi! Did you use salted butter? That can make the cookies a little saltier. I typically use unsalted. Feel free to adjust the salt to your liking. Every oven cooks differently, so you may need to bake them a few minutes longer in yours. Just keep an eye on them and remove when the edges are barely golden. Also make sure to let them set on the baking pan for about 2 to 3 minutes once removed from the oven.
If I wanted to half this recipe what would the new recipe be? Do I have to change my bank and/or my chill time?
Hi! If you hover over “Servings” in the recipe card, you can change the servings to 12, which will give you the recipe measurements for half. Bake and chill time should still be the same :)