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!
Nicola Van Hoff says
Made me these for Xmas and so good! Love how soft and chewy they are. Chilled for about an hour and used the tip for making them round right out of the oven! So delish!!
Allison says
I’m glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Dannielle says
Absolutely perfection! So soft and chewy! Delicious and super easy to follow recipe! Well done!
Allison says
Thanks for the kind review. 🙂
Erin says
Thank you for such a delicious recipe! I made these for a birthday celebration last month and they were a hit! This is now my go-to cookie recipe. ◡̈ I’m planning to make them again for St. Patty’s Day. Do you think green food coloring would affect the recipe?
Allison says
I’m glad you enjoyed them. Not sure about the green food coloring. I’d suggest using green M&M’s and green sprinkles (see the photo at the bottom of the recipe card for holiday variations). Some party stores sell M&M’s in specific colors. Thanks for stopping by!
Diya says
These cookies were way to soft and not very chewy. They did t spread much at all and I had to flatten the dough balls a bit to make it better. I think there was too much baking powder.
Gav says
Just made these with the kids! Excellent recipe, thank you
Allison says
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed them.
Bridget says
Wow!! Great recipe. Kids raved for this one!
Kristie says
Incredible!
Allison says
I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Alicia says
As a fellow food blogger, I rarely click on the top recipe but this one was just too easy to pass up during my M&M cookie pregnancy craving. I’m glad I did!! I made it with my toddler and meant to just soften the butter, but ended up distracted and got melted butter. Turns out the melted butter is fantastic in this recipe – outside is crispy, inside is soft. So if you’re like me and don’t want to bother with room temp butter- it will still work! I also just mix all the M&M’s right into the dough (instead of pressing some of them) and there are always enough to visibly see them on top.
Thanks for a very versatile recipe that still turns out great even when you’re cooking with kids!
Allison says
Thanks for the kind review, Alicia. Happy baking!
Jen says
Can you use smarties in this recipe?
Allison says
Not the sweet/tart candy Smarties sold in the US. I think in UK they are chocolate candies similar to M&M’s? In that case, I would assume it would be an acceptable substitute.
H says
I use smarties from Aldi this is my favourite recipe 😍
Allison says
I’m so glad! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Nat says
Sooo delicious
Allison says
I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Kim S says
This is the perfect chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe! I added Reese’s pieces instead of M&Ms. I am saving this one!!
Allison says
Great idea! I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Kaii says
These are so good!!!!
Allison says
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Nicole Ruetz says
Made the m&m cookies and they turned out great. I use a large ice cream scoop so I ended up with 13 cookies from the recipe. My grandson loved putting extra m&M’s on the top.
Allison says
I’m glad you enjoyed them! 🙂