These M&M cookies are made with a soft brown sugar cookie dough and plenty of chocolate candy pieces. The perfect make-ahead dessert or snack that can easily be customized to suit your occasion!
When I’m in the mood to bake, I whip up some family favorite dessert recipes such as monster cookies, s’mores cookies, Nutella cake, heart cookies or these simple yet totally satisfying M&M cookies.
Sometimes you just need some good cookie recipes in your life! While many people turn to chocolate chip cookies as their favorite, I actually prefer M&M cookies. The chewiness of a brown sugar cookie with plenty of milk chocolate just can’t be beat.
Table of Contents
M&M Cookies Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, all purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, salt and M&M’s candies.
How Do You Make M&M Cookies?
M&M cookies are quite easy to make. Start with a brown sugar dough by beating together brown sugar and butter until the mixture is light and fluffy. Then add some eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture, and the wet ingredients for the dough are complete. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Stir the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix them together until they form a dough. Fold in some M&Ms and the dough is ready.
Make little balls out of the dough and feel free to put some M&Ms in the top of the dough balls. Chill the dough on a baking sheet, then bake it into golden brown cookies. You may need to work in batches. Once they cool a little on a wire rack and firm up, they are ready to serve and enjoy!
Tips For M&M Cookies
- Scoop your cookie dough with a measuring spoon or cookie dough scoop to make sure you end up with cookies that are all the same size.
- These cookies stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- After the cookies bake, let the cookies firm up for 3-5 minutes on a sheet pan before you transfer them to a cooling rack.
- I like to use a nonstick baking mat to cover my sheet pan so that my cookies don’t stick, but parchment paper will also work.
- I prefer to use a stand mixer, but an electric hand mixer will also work.
Quick Tip
You can use regular M&M’s or other varieties such as peanut, pretzel, dark chocolate or minis.
Recipe FAQs
Homemade cookie dough has eggs in it, so you want to use it within 3 days. The dough will firm up in the refrigerator, so you may need to let it soften at room temperature for a few minutes before you roll it into balls.
This cookie dough freezes well. You can make the dough and freeze it in any airtight container. The dough stays good for 3 months. To bake the dough, thaw it in the refrigerator and then bake according to the directions in this recipe. For individual treats, scoop balls of dough and freeze them for an hour on an uncovered sheet pan. Then take the frozen balls and store them in an airtight container in a freezer.
The candy shell on M&M’s helps to keep them from melting in the cookies. You may find that some of the shells on your candies crack when the cookies bake, and this is normal.
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Flavor Variations
This recipe is great as-is, but you can change up some of the ingredients to suit your tastes.
- Flavorings: Feel free to add some peppermint extract to the dough if you’re using holiday M&M’s for a festive Christmas cookie offering.
- Add-Ins: You can swap out some of the M&M’s for other ingredients such as toffee bits, nuts or chocolate chips.
- Toppings: Press the balls of cookie dough into rainbow sprinkles before you bake them for a fun and festive touch.
Holiday Cookies
The great part about these cookies is that you can use seasonal M&M colors to make your cookies appropriate for any holiday. I love to make these cookies around Christmas time with red and green candies, and I make them for Easter with pastel M&M’s.
These M&M cookies take chocolate chip cookies to the next level with a delicious and crunchy M&Ms and a dough that bakes up soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. Take these cookies to parties, picnics or potlucks, or just make some for a snack.
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M&M Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups M&M's plus more for the tops of the cookies
Instructions
- Place the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Beat for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the bowl. Beat until thoroughly mixed.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add half the dry mixture to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Fold in 2 cups of M&M's.
- Scoop out 2 tablespoons of dough and roll it into a ball. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Place the cookies 2 inches apart on two sheet pans lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Press extra M&M's into the tops of the cookies. Freeze for 10-15 minutes or until firm.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake one sheet of cookies at a time for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
- Let the cookies rest for 3-5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Serve when cooled, or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Scoop your cookie dough with a measuring spoon or cookie dough scoop to make sure you end up with cookies that are all the same size.
- These cookies stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
By far my favorite M&M recipe. Been making these for years 🙂
This my new favorite cookie recipe!
Love these cookies. So chewy and delicious!
This home loves cookies and these were so chewy and delicious!
these are the best cookies ever
Made these cookies tonight! I just love the dough made with brown sugar that brings an additional caramel flavor. I am saving this recipe to make cookies with my nieces. Thanks for sharing!
This is my go-to cookie when I need happy kids! Absolute perfection. Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
I know my nieces and nephew would love these cookies! Great recipe!
What a colorful treat! Great for the kiddos and the adults want them too. 😀
Sara! These look like the most perfect cookie, ever!!! Such a fun way to use festive m&ms, too!
These came out beautifully round and chewy! The kids loved them!
These are great – such a classic cookie and this recipe turned out so good.
M&M cookies are one of my all time favorites. These are amazing!
We are big cookie fans in this house and my kids are always asking for after school snacks. I might have to make up a batch of these for after school, they will surely go down a treat – they look so colourful and delicious.
I was looking for a recipe like this, thank you for sharing!