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.
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!
Kasondra says
Can I use margarine ? I’ve always baked with butter but trying to cut some costs. Will it drastically change this recipe ?
Allison says
It will change the recipe. The cookies will likely spread more and be less crisp. That being said, it should still work, with a slightly different outcome. Enjoy!
Joy says
Can you double the batch by doubling all of the ingredients?
Allison says
Sure! Enjoy!
Emily says
Can you make the dough ahead to freeze and bake later?
Allison says
Yes. I would recommend portioning the dough into balls before freezing. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking. You’ll likely need to add a couple minutes to the bake time since the dough will be chilled. Enjoy!
Sarah says
I only have salted butter. Should I omit the salt or cut in half? Thanks!
Allison says
Either should be fine. If you don’t want a noticeable salty-sweet flavor just leave it out completely. Enjoy!
Karen says
Has anyone tried freezing some of the dough? If I make too many cookies at once I eat too many at once! 🙂
Allison says
Hi, Karen. You can freeze the dough balls for up to 2 months. I recommend thawing them in the fridge before baking. You’ll likely need to add a minute or two to the bake time. Enjoy!
Brody says
Hi Allison, my name is Brody and I own a cookie bakery, I tried this recipe in my own time and loved it! did you make this up or did you find it somewhere?
Allison says
This is my original recipe.
Jennifer says
Absolutely adore these! It’s everything you want in a cookie.
Allison says
I’m so glad! Thanks for stopping by.
Nicola says
I accidentally added 1/2 cup of brown sugar instead of 1/3. Before I bake them, what can I do to make them ok please?
Allison says
I’d recommend chilling the dough for an hour or two. They will likely spread a bit more, but should taste ok. The chilling will help with the extra spreading. Enjoy!
Patricia L Franz says
Easy and delicious!
Allison says
Thanks!
Kallie says
Trying these tonight, I’m having family over for dinner and this is the PERFECT dessert for our meal. I’ve tried these before and they are probably my favorite m&m cookie recipe. It’s a perfect consistency and really easy and quick. Love it, thank you!!
Allison says
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Mandy says
I will be making this tomorrow but, Kallie, how did you give this a 5 star review before you even tried the recipe?
Allison says
Hi, Mandy. She did mention that she has made them before: “I’ve tried these before and they are probably my favorite m&m cookie recipe.”
Rhian says
Making this it came out really runny? What did i do wrong? I doubled checked everything
Allison says
Runny? Did you make ingredient swaps? You used real butter not margarine or butter substitute? If you chill the dough it should thicken up and bake just fine.