• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
Celebrating Sweets
  • All Recipes
  • Dessert
    • Brownies & Bars
    • Cake & Cupcakes
    • Cookies
    • Ice Cream/Frozen Desserts
    • Pies & Tarts
  • Drinks & Cocktails
  • Main Dishes
  • Breakfast
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Fall Favorites
  • Holiday Recipes
  • Drinks & Cocktails
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
×

Home » Cookies » Soft and Chewy M&M Cookies

Soft and Chewy M&M Cookies

Published: Dec 9, 2018 · Modified: Aug 20, 2021 by Allison · 473 Comments

  • Share
  • Email
Jump to Recipe

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

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?

Cookie dough with M&M's and chocolate chips

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.

Cookies topped with M&M\'s candies.

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.

Cookies topped with M&M\'s.

Recipe tips

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.

Plate of Red and Green M&M Christmas Cookies on a White Plate

Thick or thin 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.

M&M Cookie Dough Ball

  • 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.

M&M Cookies

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 – MONSTER COOKIES

SUBSCRIBE to our free EMAIL LIST – LIKE us on FACEBOOK – Follow on INSTAGRAM

M&M Cookies

Soft and Chewy M&M Cookies

The BEST Soft and Chewy M&M Cookies. Crisp chewy edges, soft centers and loaded with colorful M&M's. Everyone goes crazy for these. 
4.9 from 226 votes
Print Pin
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Dessert
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Total Time: 29 minutes
Servings: 15 - 20 depending on size
Calories: 190kcal
Author: Allison - Celebrating Sweets

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. I like to mound the dough balls so that they're higher rather than wider (for thicker cookies). 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, so be generous. 
  • 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. See note about getting perfectly round cookies.
  • Place the baking sheets on wire racks and allow the cookies to cool completely. They will firm up as they cool. 

Video

Notes

TO PROPERLY MEASURE FLOUR: Fluff the flour with your measuring cup, scoop a heaping portion and level it off with the back of a knife.
BAKING TIME: Adjust according to the size of dough balls. 
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 (see photo below). 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. Note: This only works when the cookies are hot, straight from the oven, and still on the warm baking sheet.
Glass bowl over a chocolate chip cookie on a 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 72mg | Potassium: 38mg | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 0.7mg

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!

 

« Easy Sugar Cookies
Honey and Walnut Baked Brie »

Never Miss a Recipe

Get NEW POSTS delivered to your inbox!

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Bob

    October 08, 2021 at 3:41 pm

    5 stars
    Me and my friend want to make cookies so we did this recipy and it was a smash 🙂 🙂

    Reply
    • Allison

      October 09, 2021 at 8:38 am

      I’m so glad. Enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Bilbo Baggins

    October 16, 2021 at 6:32 am

    5 stars
    I’ve made these like 4 times in the last week. I just roll out the plain balls and add the M&Ms on top instead of mixing a ton in the dough so I get about 1-2 m&Ms per bite. Perfect mix. Thanks for the simple and yummy recipe.

    Reply
    • Allison

      October 16, 2021 at 9:18 am

      You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Kristin

    October 19, 2021 at 3:51 pm

    5 stars
    My two girls (2 & 4) asked to make cookies for their dad who they think is the “best firefighter ever!” I had everything for general cookies but lacked chocolate chips but had M&Ms so I came upon this recipe. It was by far the best cookie I’ve made! I do t have a sweet tooth and I crushed some cookies before my husband even got off shift. Thank you for giving me a great memory with my girls and an amazing batch of cookie for our firefighter!

    Reply
    • Allison

      October 22, 2021 at 10:26 am

      Aww! I love that. 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

      Reply
    • Rosalie Dil

      October 24, 2021 at 1:21 pm

      5 stars
      I had a lovely experience baking these cookies, they turned out great and you had some very helpful tips! Great recipe 🙋‍♀️

      Reply
      • Allison

        October 26, 2021 at 11:47 am

        I’m so glad. Thanks for stopping by.

  4. Anna

    November 05, 2021 at 1:52 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing 🤩 you can get alway’s get it done ✔️

    Reply
  5. Jill

    November 06, 2021 at 6:43 am

    5 stars
    Brilliant recopie
    I made these for my kids and that loved them so much so that I now know the recipe of by heart

    Reply
    • Allison

      November 06, 2021 at 8:23 am

      I’m so happy to hear that. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  6. Esther

    November 08, 2021 at 1:54 am

    5 stars
    This is my favourite cookie recipe!
    Can I make a double/triple batch and freeze half of the unbaked cookie dough?
    Will it taste good after freezing it?

    Reply
    • Allison

      November 09, 2021 at 10:15 am

      Yes! You can definitely freeze the dough. Portion it into dough balls before freezing and thaw in the fridge overnight before baking. You will probably need to add a minute or two to the bake time. Enjoy!

      Reply
  7. gina

    November 09, 2021 at 11:41 am

    Not too many trick or treaters this year so yikes, I have lots of m&m’s left, I will be making this, thank you!!!

    Reply
    • Allison

      November 09, 2021 at 5:13 pm

      Perfect! I hope you enjoy them. 🙂

      Reply
  8. Isabella Delvecchio

    November 09, 2021 at 4:38 pm

    4 stars
    This was an amazing recipe! But the only thing that is weird is that the time in the oven is a but inaccurate, it says 8-11 minutes, maybe a little more depending if you want a crispy cookie, but mine took a bit longer, mine took 15 minutes and I didn’t want it crispy, so if I wanted it crispy, it would have been about 1-18 minutes. But overall, this was such a DELICIOUS recipe! 🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤

    Reply
    • Allison

      November 09, 2021 at 5:15 pm

      Glad you enjoyed them! Perhaps your oven runs a bit cool or your dough balls were larger than mine? Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Maisie

    November 16, 2021 at 2:55 am

    I’m of school from a high temperature and I’m really bored, I wanted to make some cookies but I’m greatly lacking in chocolate chips however I have a full bag of m&ms so I can’t wait to try this recipe!

    Reply
    • Allison

      November 16, 2021 at 8:12 am

      Hope you feel better soon. Enjoy!

      Reply
  10. Gayle R Fitch

    November 16, 2021 at 2:50 pm

    I want to make different kinds of cookies for the holidays

    Reply
« Older Comments
Newer Comments »

Primary Sidebar

About

aboutHi, I'm Allison! I'm a busy wife and mom with a passion for cooking and baking. This is where you'll find my favorite homemade recipes, designed to help you make every day delicious! Read more....

Dessert Recipes

Stack of lemon cookies topped with white chocolate

Lemon White Chocolate Cookies

Strawberry Shortcake on a white plate with a gold fork.

Strawberry Shortcake

Closeup of a white bowl filled with scoops of rocky road ice cream.

Rocky Road Ice Cream

Chocolate cookies topped with chocolate chips on a white plate

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Creamy cranberry salad in a white bowl with a gold spoon.

Cranberry Salad

A donut covered in cinnamon sugar on a white and light blue plate.

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts

More Dessert Recipes...

Popular Recipes:

Cookies topped with M&M's and chocolate chips.

Soft and Chewy M&M Cookies

Apple crisp on a white plate topped with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.

Apple Crisp

Loaf of banana nut bread cut open on a piece of parchment paper.

Banana Nut Bread

Sweet potato souffle on a large spoon

Sweet Potato Souffle

Squares of banana bread stacked on top of each other.

Easy Banana Bread

Baked french toast on a plate

Cinnamon Vanilla Baked French Toast

More Popular Recipes...

Never Miss a Recipe

Get NEW POSTS delivered to your inbox!

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

.
Logo for country living, food network, buzzfeed, msn, delish, good housekeeping

Footer

Connect With Me

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright 2013-2022 Celebrating Sweets

All images and content are copyright protected. Please contact me for permission to use my original images. If you want to republish a recipe, please re-write it in your own words, or link back to my post for the recipe.