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.
So delicious! Thank you!
These came out looking and tasting delicious! They baked so well, I definitely making this recipe again.
So glad you enjoyed them! :)
I really like this recipe. I’ve tried so many different chocolate chip/M&M recipes but this is my favorite. The parchment paper is a must! Very moist and they didn’t spread.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for your comment and review.
Good flavor, soft, and chewy! I made Valentine’s ones. They looked very pretty. It definitely helps to press m&ms on top of rolled balls right before cooking. Cut down on the amount of salt but left everything else the same. Everyone loved them! Will make again!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for your comment and review Robin! :)
This is probably the 20th cookie recipe I’ve tried and it is hands down THE BEST. All my friends love them and I have to hide them from my family when I make them. I usually use dark brown sugar when I make these because I’m too lazy to drive to the store and we always seem to have dark brown, and I don’t notice a huge difference. I’m happy to break any diet with these cookies. Thanks for sharing!
Yay! I’m so glad you love them as much as we do! Thanks for your review
Amazing! Love this recipe!
Simply perfect! I have tried many M and M cookie recipes but never found the best one until now! Made exactly as directed and followed tips 😊
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your comment Kristen! :)
I love this recipe. I tried it twice. The first time I made it, I beat in the dry ingredients #BigMistake (Which is why videos help because people like me tend to misread a few things lol) and doing that made them puffy because they then got over beaten. But second time I did it right. Mixed sugars and wet ingredients then stirred the dry ones in and PERFECTION. THEY FLATTENED JUAT RIGHT AND TASTE AMAZING! TY, I’ll use this forever :)
I’m so glad they turned out the second time! Thanks for your comment Olivia! :)
I have never commented on a recipe before, but oh. My. Goodness. These are the best cookies ever! I had half of a bag of mini M&Ms in my cabinet, begging to be used. So, I swarched for a recipe and am SO glad I used this one. I followed It exactly and they came out amazing. It will definitely be repeated again and again!
I’m so glad you loved them!! Thanks for your comment and review Katie! :)
Mine turned out great but they didn’t spread… any idea why?
I’ve never had trouble with them not spreading, so I’m not sure. I’m sorry!
Hi! I made these with my nephew and my whole family loved them. His brother wants me to make a cookie cake with this recipe for his birthday. Have you ever tried this? I’m not an experienced baker and I’m wondering how I should do this! Thanks!
I haven’t tried it, but I bet you could press the dough into a circle pizza pan (one with edges) to and bake at 325 for about 20 minutes. I would just watch it closely and test with a toothpick. If the top is browning faster, just place a piece of foil over top of it.
Best cookies ever! Everyone who ate them raved about how soft and delicious they were.
My friend brought these to a Christmas cookie swap and then shared the recipe. I have now made these countless times within the past month. They are THE BEST COOKIES! I am now asked to bring “the cookies” to every pitch-in/event/party. The only slight difference I do is to use a mix of light and dark brown sugar because that’s how I store my brown sugars, mixed together in a storage container.
Yay! Love to hear this!
Great recipe!
Highly recommend! I used Crisco shortening in place of the butter and they turned out great!
This is my new favorite recipe. I received tons of compliments.
I just wanted to say that I made these cookies tons got and the came out amazing. Crispy and soft at the same time! I used I can’t believe it’s not Butter instead of real, and they are still yummy!
Hi, this is my first time commenting on a blog post but I just want to rave about how well this cookie recipe turned out! I used to bake a lot of cookies but I never really found the perfect recipe for chocolate chip cookies. I had a lot of extra M&Ms lying around so I decided to bake on a whim and found this recipe for your cookies. I was pleasantly surprised to have the perfect chewy cookie with a crisp edge, and the color is just beautiful! The dough isn’t overwhelmingly sweet and the M&Ms gave a nice texture that normal chocolate chips don’t. I will definitely use this recipe again in the future. Thanks so much for sharing!
So glad you loved the recipe, thanks for the review :)