Chewy M&M Cookies

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These soft and chewy M&M Cookies are everyone’s favorite. They are made like basic chocolate chip cookies with m&ms instead of chocolate chips. Make them regular, mini or extra large sized cookies for a little extra fun!

M&M cookies on a white plate with a bowl of m&m's next to it and a couple cookies scattered about on the table.

M&M cookies are such a fun treat. These cookies are just basic chocolate chip cookies made with m&m’s instead of chocolate chips. The cookie base is actually the same base I used for these chocolate chip salted caramel cookies. They’re soft and chewy with crisp edges.

The wonderful thing about these chewy m&m cookies is you can make them regular sized or mini for extra cuteness! Or, if you want to do your best bake shop impression, make them extra large! All you have to do is switch up the size of the dough balls you make.

Start with my basic chocolate chip cookie dough. You’ll need butter, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, pure vanilla extract, flour, baking soda, and salt. And of course, m&m’s. Use the regular size m&m’s unless you plan to make mini cookies. The regular ones will be too big for mini cookies so grab the mini m&m’s instead.

To make these cookies a little chewier than typical chocolate chip cookies, we use baking soda instead of baking powder, and

With so many m&m holiday colors now – you can make these with red and green m&ms for Christmas, pink and red and white ones for Valentine’s Day, pastel ones for Easter, and any other holiday color combinations you (or they) dream up!

The dough will need to be refrigerated for at least two hours before baking. I like to make the dough the night before I plan to bake the cookies. This saves me so much time.

You can also keep these dough balls in the freezer and take them out and bake two or three at a time in a toaster oven. (I strongly discourage any of my readers from trying to eat just one cookie at a time!).


Recipe Snapshot

  • TASTE: Classic chocolate chip flavored m&m cookie
  • TEXTURE: Soft and chewy
  • EASE: Easy!
  • TIME: A little over a half hour, plus chilling time

What You’ll Need

Ingredients

  • Butter: Unsalted butter makes the cookie taste rich in flavor and allows the cookies to brown.
  • Sugar: Brown sugar will give the cookies a chewy texture while granulated sugar caramelizes and make the edges crisp.
  • Eggs: Eggs also add richness and keep the cookies tender. This recipe calls for one whole egg and one egg yolk.
  • Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract adds flavor. Try making your own with this recipe.
  • Flour: All-purpose flour contains enough protein to add structure without toughening the cookies.
  • Cornstarch: This a trick to help make the cookies just a little bit softer.
  • Leavening: Baking soda is used to give the cookies rise and helps them develop a golden color.
  • Salt: A little salt helps balance the sweetness. You can cut back on the amount used if desired. Sea salt is used here to add a little extra finishing flavor to the cookies.
  • M&Ms: Use regular size m&ms if you are making regular or large cookies, or mini-sized ones for small cookies.

Recommended Tools

  • Parchment paper
  • Baking sheet
  • Cookie scoop

How to Make Chewy M&M Cookies

These easy and delicious family-favorite cookies come together quickly and are fun to make. Before baking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line the baking sheets with parchment paper.

Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below

  1. Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt; stir with a whisk. Set aside.
  2. Mix wet ingredients. First, cream the butter and both sugar sugars together in a large bowl using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand-held mixer on low speed just until combined. Then add in the egg yolk, egg, and vanilla and mix.
  3. Make the dough. Mix the wet and dry ingredients just until well blended. Fold in the m&m’s.
  4. Prepare the cookies. Scoop and roll the cookie dough into 1 and ½ to 2 tablespoon-sized balls and place them 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
  5. Bake. Gently press the top of each dough ball into the sea salt and return to the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown and just underdone. 
  6. Cool and enjoy! Cool the cookies on the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Handy Tip:

You can easily turn these regular sized m&m cookies into mini versions.

  • Use mini m&m’s instead of the regular ones.
  • Shape the dough into 1 teaspoon sized balls.
  • Bake for 7 to 8 minutes.

Tips For Success

  • Be sure to refrigerate the dough for no less than two hours. This will help keep the cookies from spreading and yield those super soft, chewy centers.
  • Take care not to overbake the cookies. This is key to making sure the cookies are soft and chewy. The middle of the cookies should still be soft when you remove them from the oven. They will continue to cook as they cool on the cookie sheet.
  • You can make regular size cookies with regular m&m’s or use mini m&m’s and make mini cookies. These are perfect for little hands or when you need more cookies to serve at a large gathering.
  • Jazz up your cookies by using seasonal m&m’s!
M&M cookies on a white round plate next to a bowl of m&m's.

Storage & Freezing

  1. The cookies will keep for up to one week stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
  2. The dough can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring the dough to room temperature and continue with step 3, skipping the instruction to refrigerate for 2 hours.
  3. Freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
  4. Freeze unbaked cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature and bake as directed
M&M cookies on a white plate with a bowl of m&m's next to it and a couple cookies scattered about on the table.
4.67 from 12 votes

M&M Cookies

Soft and Chewy M&M Cookies made like basic chocolate chip cookies with m&m’s instead of chocolate chips. You can make regular sized or mini cookies!
Prep Time :25 minutes
Cook Time :12 minutes
Total Time :37 minutes
Servings :30 cookies
Author :Jen Sobjack

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (110 g) light brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (416 g) M&M’s

Instructions
 

  • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt; stir with a whisk. Set aside.
  • Beat the butter and both sugar sugars together in a large bowl using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand-held mixer on low speed just until combined. 
  • Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture just until well blended. Fold in the m&m’s.
  • Roll cookie dough into 1 and ½ to 2 tablespoon sized balls and place them 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Gently press the top of each dough ball into the sea salt and return to the baking sheet. 
  • Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown and just underdone. 
  • Cool the cookies on the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Notes

Make mini M&M cookies
  1. Use mini m&m’s instead of the regular ones.
  2. Shape the dough into 1 teaspoon-sized balls.
  3. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes.
Make ahead tip
  1. The cookies will keep for up to one week stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
  2. The dough can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring the dough to room temperature and continue with step 3, skipping the instruction to refrigerate for 2 hours.
  3. Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
  4. Freeze unbaked cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature and bake as directed

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 159kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 89mgPotassium: 18mgFiber: 1gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 143IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
*Nutrition Disclaimer
Course :Dessert
Cuisine :American
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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56 Comments

  1. Has anybody tried these with peanut m&ms? I just happen to have a giant bag and I’m in a baking mood 🙂

    1. I haven’t tried it but peanut m&m’s are quite large and may not be suitable for cookies.