These Chocolate M&M Cookies have soft centers, crisp edges and they’re loaded with three kinds of chocolate!
It’s December, aka “cookie month,” and I couldn’t be happier! If you need a cookie recipe for holiday parties, cookie exchanges, or simply eating one after another standing over your kitchen counter, I’ve got you covered. I have several cookie recipes coming this month and there are plenty of tasty cookie recipes to browse in the archives.
Today I’m sharing a chocolate version of my popular M&M Cookies. These cookies are perfect for baking with kids, using up leftover M&M’s, or just satisfying your chocolate craving. TIP: Use holiday M&M’s to make these cookies extra festive!
You might also like this M&M Cookie Cake (great for birthdays and holidays) or M&M Brownies.
How to Make Chocolate M&M Cookies:
These cookies have soft centers, crisp edges and they are loaded with chocolate! Here’s how to make them:
- Beat butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar.
- Add egg and vanilla.
- Combine dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt) then add to the wet ingredients.
- Stir in chocolate chips and M&M’s.
- Scoop and roll into balls.
- Bake!
Recipe Tips:
- Make sure your butter is softened slightly and still cool to the touch. If your butter is too soft the cookies will spread too much while baking.
- Chill the dough for thicker cookies. The dough can be baked immediately, but if you prefer thicker cookies, you can chill the dough balls for 1 hour before baking. Note: You’ll need to add a couple minutes to the bake time.
- Make the dough balls fairly large (around two tablespoons). This creates a nice-sized cookie that bakes up with soft centers and crisp edges.
- Press extra M&M’s onto the outside of the cookie dough balls before baking. This makes the cookies prettier and adds a pop of color.
- Do not overbake! The longer you bake these cookies, the more crisp they will be after cooling. For cookies with soft centers you need to remove them from the oven when they are still underbaked. They should be so soft that you should not be able to pick up a cookie from the baking sheet immediately after removing from the oven. They will firm up as they cool.
More cookies: Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies – Ginger Molasses Cookies – Easy Sugar Cookies – Nutella Cookies – Sprinkle Cookies – Cookie Mix in a Jar – Christmas Cookies
Recipe
Soft and Chewy Chocolate M&M Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened but still cool
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup M&M's , divided
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars for 1-2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, beating until combined, and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary..
- In a separate bowl whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and beat until just combined. Use a rubber spatula to stir in chocolate chips and ½ cup M&M's. At this point, I like to let the dough rest at cool room temp for 30 minutes before baking (this helps with the texture of the cookies). If your kitchen is warm you can place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (don't skip this step, it helps keep the cookies from spreading).
- Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon portions and form into mounds that are higher rather than wider. Place the dough mounds a few inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets. Lightly press the remaining ¼ cup M&M's onto the tops of the dough (this makes for a prettier cookie).
- Bake for 9-11* minutes, until the edges are beginning to set, but the rest of the cookie is still slightly underdone. Note: They should be so soft that you should not be able to pick them up off the baking sheet. They will set as the cool.
- Place the baking sheets on wire rack to cool completely. See note about shaping the cookies while they are still warm.
Notes
Option 2: Immediately after the cookies come out the oven use the back of a spoon to gently push the edges inward to create clean edges and a round shape.
Serving and storage:
These cookies are best the day they baked. They also freeze well. If desired, you can heat them briefly in the microwave to make them soft and fudgy. Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!**Recipe updated December 2019 **
Cheryl F says
Made these with my granddaughter. They are so delicious! Granddaughter says bestin town!!!
Allison says
I’m glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Maggie Burke says
Hiya!
Would these be okay to freeze? If so, for how long?
Thanks heaps 🙂
Allison says
Hi! Sure!
Freeze baked cookies: Store baked cookies in the freezer for up to 3 months. TIP: Double wrap the cookies so they stay fresh. I place the cookies in a zip top bag and then place the bag in a freezer safe food storage container.
Freeze cookie dough: Store portioned cookie dough balls, tightly wrapped, in the freezer for up to 2 months. Bring the dough balls to cool room temp before baking (or thaw in the fridge overnight). Depending on how cool the dough is you might need to add a minute or two to the bake time.
Carol says
Could you please give the weights for the ingredients?
SC says
these did not turn out at all. I don’t know why. but we can’t save them.
Allison Mattina says
Oh no! What was wrong with them?