The BEST Soft and Chewy M&M Cookies. Crisp chewy edges, soft centers and loaded with M&M’s. No chill time – you can be diving into these crazy-delicious cookies in minutes! RECIPE VIDEO BELOW!
M&M COOKIES! This is the recipe that helped this site take-off several years ago. It’s a recipe I have made dozens and dozens of times. It’s my moms #1 go-to cookie recipe (hi, mom!). It has become a Pinterest favorite, reader favorite and family favorite for good reason – because these cookies are dang delicious! Have I sold ya yet?
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!
How to Make M&M Cookies
- Make the dough by beating butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar. The brown sugar will impart moisture, sweetness and chew. Beat these ingredients for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy!
- Add an egg and plenty of vanilla extract – 2 whole teaspoons.
- Add the dry ingredients: flour, leaveners and salt.
- Now your mix-ins get added. Stir in M&M’s or a combination of M&M’s and chocolate chips.
- Scoop the cookie dough into balls (big or small, see more on that below). Press some additonal M&M’s on those dough balls and bake!
- Pull the baking sheets from the oven when the cookies are set around the edges, but still under baked in the center.
Tips for making M&M Cookies
Follow these tips for making the tastiest M&M Cookies EVER!
- DO NOT OVER-BAKE! We want crisp edges and soft centers, so 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.
- Mix some of the M&M’s into the batter and press the rest onto the tops of the cookies 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 that are going on top. As the cookies bake and spread out the candies will distribute throughout the top.
- Make sure your butter is softened but still cool to the touch. Using butter that is too soft will lead to cookies that spread to much in the oven.
- Your brown sugar should be soft and fresh. We’re relying on the moisture in the brown sugar to help make these cookies chewy.
- You can make these with regular M&M’s, holiday M&M’s or a combination of M&M’s and chocolate chips.
Thick M&M Cookies or Thin M&M Cookies
How big you scoop your cookie dough affects whether your cookies come out thinner or thicker. You can see from my variety of photos that this dough can bake up either way. You can also bake a little longer than suggested for crispier cookies. Play around with the recipe to create YOUR favorite version.
- Thick Cookies: Scoop generous portions of dough (2 tablespoons), a little larger than a golf ball. As these bake they will spread, but the center will stay thicker than the edges. Optional: when you remove them from the oven, gently press the edges of the cookie inward a little bit to help thicken them. Note: Want them even thicker/puffier? Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes-1 hour before baking.
- Thin Cookies: Use a small portion of dough (1 to 1.5 tablespoons). As they bake they will spread a bit thinner than the larger dough balls.
- Tip: 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 shaped.
Now what are you waiting for? Let’s satisfy those cookie cravings, people! Once you try these, you’ll reach for this recipe again and again. Happy baking!
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: COOKIE MIX IN A JAR – CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE PIE – EASY SUGAR COOKIES – WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA COOKIES
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Soft and Chewy M&M Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour, see note
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened but still cool
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, lightly packed, make sure it's fresh and soft
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups M&M's or a mixture of M&M's and chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, 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 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract, mixing until combined, 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 - I usually add about ¾ cup into the batter, the rest get pressed on top of the cookies before baking.
- Scoop balls of dough, between 1.5 and 2.5 tablespoon portions (a little smaller or a little larger than a golf ball). Drop dough onto prepared baking sheets leaving an inch or two for spreading. Using the remaining M&M's, press several (5 or so) onto the top of each mound of dough. Keep in mind that the cookies will spread out while baking, so be generous with the M&M's.
- Bake for 8-11 minutes (see note), 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.
- Place the baking sheets on wire racks and allow the cookies to cool completely. They will firm up as they cool. Optional: for a slightly thicker cookie, you can gently press the edges of each cookie inward with the back of a spoon (just a bit!) while they are still warm.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Hannah
Thank you for sharing this recipe, I am 11 years old and I have been making it for a while now for my family. They love it and I love it. I use chocolate chips instead and it is still very good.
Allison
I’m happy to hear you’re in the kitchen baking. That is awesome! Keep it up. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by. I’m glad you enjoyed the cookies.
Eve
I feel as if the flour/butter ratio was off. Mine spread wildly. They were also too greasy and could have used a little more salt. I would have used at least half salted/half unsalted. Plus, how can butter be soft but cool? That seems a contradiction in terms.
Allison
Sorry to hear that. Did you line your pans as instructed? That may have contributed to the cookies spreading. The butter should be soft but cool, not cold. If you press on it gently you will see that is has softened but there is still a little coolness (which keeps the cookies from spreading). You didn’t use margarine did you?
Hailey
Love this recipe! Everything I was wanting in a cookie! Delicious!
Allison
Yay! I’m glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
San
These came out perfectly!!! Thanks!
Allison
I’m so glad! Enjoy. 🙂
Kristin
These cookies were so delicious!! The amount was perfect too. We will definitely makes these again (and again and again)!
Allison
Thanks, Kristin!
Rachel
This is a smaller amount of cookies than I usually make…. I usually use the TollHouse recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag. But this was the right amount to use if you have a single 10-oz. bag of Holiday M&M’s.
Aimee
This is a great recipe. Followed all your tips and advice and they turned out fantastic. We made a double batch. My son made them with me. He’s 14. Thanks!
Allison
Perfect! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. Happy baking!
Nunnaya
Overall pretty good. I did not mix in the order instructed. Just put in one bowl and used a spoon. I found this was too dry, so added an extra egg. I used 1 cup M&Ms rather than 1.5 cups. There was still a ton of candy in them. I rolled the dough into balls and put on parchment paper. 10 mins was still raw in the middle. Cooked for 3-4 minutes longer and they improved. I did a couple on the baking sheet, without parchment paper, and I much preferred these browner, crispier cookies. Thanks.
Lisa Pfeifer
Has anyone tried this recipe with other candies or mix-ins? I’m thinking of trying it with Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Covered Blueberries. They are each about the size of a peanut M & M.
Allison
I haven’t, but you’re welcome to give it a try. My only concern would be if the chocolate would melt off the blueberries during bake time. They’re only baking for a short time, so hopefully not. Enjoy!