These delicious M&M Cookies have chewy edges, soft centers, and they are packed with M&M’s and chocolate chips. This recipe comes together quickly and easily – no chill time required.
These cookies were our first “viral” recipe several years ago. It’s a recipe we have made dozens and dozens of times. These cookies are a reader favorite and a family favorite, and for good reason – because they are incredible!
If you like cookies with crisp edges and soft centers these are the cookies are for you! I have perfected this recipe (and in the process consumed an unfathomable number of cookies). I have tips for helping them come out PERFECT! Prefer a THICKER COOKIE? THINNER COOKIE? Extra chocolate? Read on, friends!
Prefer the chocolate version: Chocolate M&M Cookies.
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These cookies are
- Made with basic ingredients
- Soft and chewy
- Packed with M&M’s and chocolate chips
- Easy to assemble
- Always a crowd pleaser
- Great for holidays or parties- use colored M&M’s based on the theme
Recipe overview
*Full recipe below in the recipe card*
Make the dough by beating butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar. The brown sugar will impart moisture, sweetness, and chew.
Add egg and vanilla extract.
Add the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Stir in M&M’s and chocolate chips.
Scoop the cookie dough into balls (big or small, see more on that below). Press some additional M&M’s on the dough balls and bake!
Remove baking sheets from the oven when the cookies are set around the edges, but still underbaked in the center.
Recipe tips
Follow these tips for making the BEST M&M Cookies EVER!
- Make sure your butter is softened but still cool to the touch. Using butter that is too soft will lead to cookies that spread too much in the oven.
- Your brown sugar should be soft and fresh. The moisture in the brown sugar helps make these cookies chewy.
- Mix some of the M&M’s into the batter and press the rest onto the top of the dough balls right before baking. This allows the M&M’s to be more visible, adding a nice pop of color to the cookies. Be generous with the M&M’s, as the cookies bake and spread out the candies will distribute over the top.
- When pressing M&M’s and chocolate chips into the tops of your dough balls, do NOT press so hard that you flatten the dough balls. When they enter the oven they should still be ball/dome shaped.
- DO NOT OVER-BAKE! For crisp edges and soft centers, do not wait until these cookies look done to pull them from the oven. Remove them from the oven just prior to being done and then they will finish cooking as they cool on the baking sheet.
- You can make these with regular M&M’s, holiday M&M’s, mini M&M’s, or a combination of M&M’s and chocolate chips.
How to make thick or thin cookies
For thin cookies:
Bake the cookies right after assembling the dough and use a slightly smaller portion of dough, about 1.5 tablespoons. Also, see my tips for getting perfectly round cookies.
For thicker cookies:
Scoop the dough balls then chill the dough balls in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to one hour before baking. Scoop the dough balls large, about 3 tablespoons of dough, and be sure the dough balls are mounded higher rather than wider. As these bake they will spread, but the center will stay thicker than the edges. Also, see my tips for getting perfectly round cookies.
How to get perfectly round cookies
Option 1: Immediately after the cookies come out of the oven place a round glass, bowl, or cookie cutter (larger than the cookie) upside down over the top of the cookie. Gently but quickly swirl the glass/bowl/cookie cutter in a circular motion. The edges of the cookie will bump against the inside of the glass creating a perfectly round shape. This only works when the cookies are hot, straight from the oven, and still on the warm baking sheet.
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.
Holiday M&M cookies
Love M&M cookies? Try these recipes, too: Cookie Mix in a Jar and Christmas Cookies.
More cookie recipes
Post and photos updated October 2022. Recipe remains the same.
Recipe
Soft and Chewy M&M Cookies
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (188g) all purpose flour*, see note
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (70g) brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (total) M&M's and chocolate chips, I use about 1 cup M&M's and ½ cup chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour (see note), baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and both sugars for 1-2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract, mixing until combined and scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. On low speed, add in flour mixture and mix until just combined.
- Gently stir in M&M's/chocolate chips. Note: I usually add 1 cup (total) into the batter, the rest get pressed on top of the cookie dough balls before baking.
- Scoop 2-tablespoon portions of dough. Place the dough balls on a plate and transfer to the refrigerator for 30 minutes to one hour (see note about baking without chill time). The longer they chill the thicker the cookies will be. I usually chill the dough balls for 30 minutes while I clean up the kitchen.
- Using the remaining M&M's/chocolate chips, nestle several (5 or so) onto the top of each mound of dough. Keep in mind that the cookies will spread out while baking. Mound the dough balls so that they're higher rather than wider. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets leaving a couple inches for spreading.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are set but the center is still slightly underdone, this will create a soft cookie. For a crispier cookie, continue baking for another minute or two. See note about shaping the cookies to make them perfectly round.
- Place the baking sheets on wire racks and allow the cookies to cool completely. They will firm up as they cool.
Video
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.
HOLIDAY VARIATIONS:
You can make these with regular M&M’s, holiday M&M’s, mini M&M’s, or a combination of M&M’s and chocolate chips. You can also dip the top of each dough ball into color coordinated sprinkles.
FREEZING COOKIES AND DOUGH:
- 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.
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!
Alexis says
Hands down our new favorite cookie recipe!! So good!! I take them out after 10 min of baking so they cook a little longer on the cookie sheet… they turn out soooo soft and gooey!!!
Allison says
I’m glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Jim says
I didn’t notice the part about putting dough in fridge til after oven was preheated 😳🤪
Molly says
My m&m’s bled color onto the cookies and looked a bit sloppy. They taste good if you like m&m cookies though! Not my cup of tea but I made them in an assorted basket for Christmas gifts.
Jim says
cookies turned out awesome 👌
Allison says
I’m so glad! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Eme says
Oh no! They were totally flat. Even overnight in the fridge. Has to be not enough flour, right? I even added more like you noted. Everyone loves their taste but indeed, they were flat. 🙁
Allison says
Sorry to hear that. Yes, that would be not enough flour. Are you in a humid environment? Or baking at high altitude?
Karen says
BEST M&M cookie recipe ever! Your tips are spot on. However, instead of placing a few M&M’s on the top of the balls of cookie dough before baking, I dip them in MINI M & M’s. SO PRETTY and SO DELICIOUS! Everyone LOVES them!
Allison says
Great idea! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Kara says
I made a batch of these for Valentine’s day, the only change I made was using white chocolate instead of milk chocolate chips. I’m gluten free myself but still love to bake for my family, that makes it hard to trust a recipe since I can’t taste the results. My 68 year old mother who is a cookie (eating) expert told me I could sell them they’re so good! This will be my new go-to recipe.
Allison says
Yay! I’m so glad. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Lucy says
Tried them and they tasted really good!
I plan to make them and freeze next time but I want to know how long they would last in the freezer
Allison says
Hi! Freezing instructions for baked cookies and dough balls are in the notes section of the recipe card. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Mickie White says
Best recipe I have tried ! I do all above steps but I add 200grams of flour instead of 188 grams . I weigh my dough balls at 70grams and put them in fridge for a hour . I bake them at 180 for 15 minutes, turning them around half way through. Everyone loves them as they are a nice thick cookie with a soft centre. These do not last long as everyone eats then in a day lol .
Allison says
Perfect! Thanks for sharing your experience. 🙂
Sue Dalimonte says
Weighed the flour and sugars—Chilled the dough balls for about 45 min—Spread like crazy!🤨
Allison Mattina says
Oh no! Sorry to hear that. Did you use regular butter? Not margarine or Eurpoean style butter.
Tracy says
I love this recipe!! My son and boyfriend love when it’s cold or rainy out because they know I’m going to bake something. I’m not sure why that is just always have. I saved this recipe on my iPad and it’s one of my faves!!
Karen Lynn Luper says
Cookies were gone in a matter of mins at my job. ❤️ also I freeze my M&Ms over night before adding to dough.
Allison Mattina says
Great idea! I’m glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. 🙂