M&M Cookies Recipe – Cooking Classy

Homemade M&M Cookies – A soft and chewy cookie that’s much like a chocolate chip cookie but replaced with crisp shelled, sweet, multi-colored M&M’s instead of chocolate chips. They are an absolute treat and so fun for people of all ages!

Cookies with mini red and green m&m's shown on a red plate.

Favorite M&M Cookie Recipe

These are a favorite cookie from childhood that always satisfies those cookie cravings!

They can be made with regular sized M&M’s or mini M&M’s, milk chocolate or dark chocolate flavor, and the great part is that you can use any color. It’s fun to switch the M&M’s out with different colors to complement the latest holiday.

You’ll love that they’re perfectly sweet, deliciously buttery, they’re a generous size, and have the perfect texture. Truly a highlight to any celebration or weekend.

A cookie that checks all the boxes. Temptingly tasty, fun and festive, a pretty individual hand held treat, and they’re easy to make.

What’s not to love?

M and M Christmas cookies on a red plate over a green cloth.

M&M Cookie Recipe Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Unsalted butter
  • Light brown sugar
  • Granulated sugar
  • Egg and egg yolk
  • Vanilla extract
  • M&M’s (milk chocolate or dark chocolate)

Ingredients needed to make M&M cookies from scratch.Collage of six photos showing how to make M and M cookie dough.

How to Make M&M Cookies

  1. Whisk dry ingredients: In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  2. Mix butter and sugars: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until well blended.
  3. Add liquids: Mix in egg, then mix in egg yolk and vanilla extract.
  4. Blend mixtures: Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix just until combined. Then add half of the M&M’s (about 3/4 cup) and mix in.
  5. Scoop dough out 3 Tbsp at a time and shape into balls. Press in remaining M&M’s randomly around each dough ball.
  6. Transfer to a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or a large flat plate), cover and refrigerate 2 hours.
  7. During the last 15 minutes of chilling preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  8. Transfer 10 dough balls to lined baking sheet, spacing 2-inches apart. Bake in preheated oven until done to desired liking, about 13 to 16 minutes.
  9. Let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining cookie dough balls.

Six photos showing how to complete mm cookie dough, roll, bake and finished.

Helpful Tips for the Best M and M Cookies

  • No need to whip butter and sugar until pale you just want to blend it for a chewy cookie that isn’t overly fluffy.
  • To keep cookies from over-spreading don’t skip chilling the cookie dough balls. And if at high altitude use the greater amount of flour listed (I’m at 5,000 ft and 2 1/2 cups works well for me).
  • A tip to keep them soft for a few days is to add a slice of bread to the storage container (just don’t place the slice directly atop any of the cookies or lay a piece of parchment beneath it). Crazy enough the moisture of the bread seems to transfer to the cookies and the bread goes stale.

Possible Variations

  • Add chocolate chips: White chocolate, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate.
  • Include multi-color jimmies sprinkles: I recommend adding some to the exterior (roll or press them in to stick before chilling).
  • Make cookies larger or smaller: Just adjust bake time accordingly. Even bite size cookies with mini M&M’s would be so fun (smaller shouldn’t need much chill time).
  • Add nuts: Mix in 1 cups chopped walnuts or pecans when adding M&M’s.

Make Ahead and Storage

  • Cookie dough can be made up to 3 months in advance and frozen, or refrigerated for 3 days.
  • Baked cookies can also be frozen, up to 2 months.
  • Store fresh baked cookies in an airtight container up to 4 days max.

Close up photo of m&m cookies.

More Tempting Cookie Recipes to Try

Cookies with mini red and green m&m's shown on a red plate.

M&M Cookies Recipe

A soft, chewy, buttery cookie that’s much like a chocolate chip cookie but replaced with crisp shelled, sweet, multi-colored M&M’s instead of chocolate chips. They are an absolute treat and so fun for people of all ages!

Servings: 20

Prep30 minutes

Cook13 minutes

Chill2 hours

Ready in: 3 hours

  • 2 1/3 cups (330g) all-purpose flour* (scoop and level flour to measure)
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup (200g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups (10 to 11.5 oz bag) M&M’s regular or mini size, milk chocolate or dark chocolate
  • In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on low speed until well blended. Scrape down bowl.
  • Mix in egg, then mix in egg yolk and vanilla extract. Scrape down bowl.
  • Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix just until combined. Then add half of the M&M’s (3/4 cup) and mix in.
  • Scoop dough out 3 Tbsp at a time and shape into balls (I recommend a #20 cookie scoop). Press remaining M&M’s (3/4 cup) randomly around each dough ball.
  • Transfer to a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or a large flat plate), cover and refrigerate 2 hours.
  • During the last 15 minutes of chilling preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 18 by 13-inch baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Transfer 10 dough balls to lined baking sheet, spacing 2-inches apart. Bake in preheated oven until done to desired liking, about 13 to 16 minutes (they should appear slightly puffed and under-baked).
  • Let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining cookie dough balls.

*If you are at high altitude or if your cookies are normally prone to spreading use 2 1/2 cups (354g) all-purpose flour.

Nutrition Facts

M&M Cookies Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 277
Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Trans Fat 0.4g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g

Monounsaturated Fat 3g

Cholesterol 45mg15%

Sodium 146mg6%

Potassium 39mg1%

Carbohydrates 37g12%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 24g27%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 341IU7%

Vitamin C 0.1mg0%

Calcium 33mg3%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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