M&M Cookies

The best bakery style M&M Cookies are giant, soft-baked, and chewy! The perfect cookie stuffed with mini m&m's through out with tips and tricks for making the best m&m cookies.

For more family favorite cookie recipes be sure and make my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, these classic chocolate chip cookies, and monster cookies.

M&M Cookies Recipe

These m&m cookies are my very favorite, go-to recipe when I need cookies!

Either when that craving hits or when I need to make something for a gathering, to take to a neighbor, or for a special after school treat for my kids. 

Giant cookies will be put a smile on anyone's face. They're also soft-baked, chewy, and studded with mini m&m's through out. Be sure and read below for all my tips and tricks to making the perfect m&m cookies. And for more m&m treats check out this collection of the best m&m dessert recipes. 

What You'll Need

You only need some pantry staple baking ingredients to make these cookies. And of course, don't forget the mini m&m's.

• Salted Butter - I use salted butter for everything! But especially baking recipes. You want the butter to be melted and at room temperature before adding it into the mixing bowl. Tips on how to do that are below. 
• Sugar - Just regular granulated sugar is what you want to use. 
• Brown Sugar - I always use light brown sugar.
• Egg + Egg Yolk - The extra egg yolk is so important! It provides thick rich texture. Discard the extra egg whites or save for a later use.
• Vanilla Extract
• All-Purpose Flour - Gluten free flour can be substituted as long as it's a 1:1 ratio to all purpose flour. I always use unbleached flour for everything. 
• Baking Powder - This helps to create a soft & fluffy cookie. 
• Baking Soda 
• Salt - I use table salt for most cookie recipes. I think it balances everything out really nicely. 
• Mini M&M's - Yes, the mini m&m's are best in this recipe. The smaller chunks distribute more through out the cookie evenly, rather than the large pieces of m&m's. 

How To Make The Best M&M Cookies

Making M&M cookies is actually very simple. The only difference is how you shape the cookie dough. Read below for those tips.

Cream Butter + Sugar : Combine the melted and cooled butter along with both sugars inside a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium-high speed until creamy and combined and lighter in color. About 1 minute.

Add Egg and Vanilla : Add a large egg + the egg yolk of another large egg, along with the vanilla. Mix.

Add Dry Ingredients : Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Beat on low speed just until combined. 

M&M's : Add in the crushed and whole m&m's and mix together until combined. 

Form Cookie Dough : Scoop up 1/4 cup of dough and roll into a ball. Place 6 dough balls per cookie sheet. Take a larger measuring cup (I use a 1 cup size) and gently press down on the tops of the cookie balls. Not too much. You just want to flatten the top part. It should look like a hockey puck. 

Bake & Cool : Bake according to directions below. Let the cookies cool for 20 minutes on the warm cookie sheet. They will continue to cook more and form together as they cool. I also like to immediately press a few m&m's onto the tops of the cookies when they come out of the oven. 

Tips For Success

Here are a few of my tips so that you can make these cookies successfully at your home!

• Use a Measuring Cup to Form Even Dough Balls : The trick to getting perfect looking cookies is to make the dough balls the same size and to roll them into balls. Scoop up 1/4 cup of dough, using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, and then roll into a ball. Place 6 dough balls per cookie sheet. Take the bottom of a larger measuring cup (I use a 1 cup size) and very gently press down on the top of the dough balls. Not too much! They should look like hockey picks. Still thick and high, with a flattened top. This helps the cookie spread evenly into that cookie shape you see above in the picture.
• Use Mini M&M's : This may not seem like a big deal but the mini m&m's are the best to use. The smaller bits spread through out the cookie better than the regular sized m&m's. Yes, of course you could use regular m&m's and be fine. 
• Place Additional M&M's On Top : For a pretty cookie be sure and press some additional m&m's onto the tops of the dough balls (once flattened) and then also when they come out of the oven. 
• Butter Tip : Place unwrapped butter into a microwave-safe bowl (I use a glass Pyrex measuring cup) and microwave for 45 seconds. When you take it out there will be half melted butter + soft chunks of butter. Take a fork and stir it together until it's all combined and melted smooth. This melted butter will be at room temperature so it can be ready to use right away in the recipe. 
• Prepare Two Cookie Sheets : This recipe makes 12 cookies and 6 cookies per cookie sheet. The cookies have to cool on the pan for at least 20 minutes, so I always like to prepare 2 cookie sheets that way I don't have to wait 30 minutes to cook another batch. 

Variation Ideas

There are not many changes but there is one that is fun to do.

• Use Chocolate Chips : I have used half mini chocolate chips + half mini m&m's in this recipe with great results. 
• Use a Different Candy : I am guessing that any small chopped candy would work in this recipe. Experiment and see. Chopped up Hershey's Milk Chocolate bars sound good, or add some chopped Reese's or Snickers. If you use something else, be sure to keep the same 1.5 cups measurement of candy add-ins. 
• Make Them Smaller : I almost don't want to suggest this because the giant cookies are so fun. But feel free to make the cookies smaller (like 2 tablespoons of dough). Follow the same direction of rolling into a ball and then gently flattening the tops. The cook time will be less so watch carefully. I would set the timer for 7-8 minutes and go from there. 

How To Store Leftover M&M Cookies

Store these cookies at room temperature inside a covered container. Like a Tupperware container with a lid or inside a gallon-sized Ziploc bag. 

I know some people prefer cold cookies so these can also be stored in the fridge if that's something you like.

Can I Freeze M&M Cookies?

Yes! You can either freeze the dough balls or freeze the baked and cooled cookies. 

If you freeze the dough balls be sure and gently press down the tops of the dough balls and then freeze them for up to 3 months. 

If freezing the baked cookies, make sure to cool them completely and then wrap tightly, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

More Cookie Recipes You'll Love

• Peanut Butter M&M Cookies
• M&M Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
• Reese's Stuffed Monster Cookies
• No Flour Monster Cookie Bars
• Chewy Chocolate Brownie Cookies

The Best M&M Cookies

These cookies really are the best m&m cookies! Big cookies that are thick, chewy, and soft-baked and loaded with mini m&m's. There are a few tricks that make these cookies the best.

4.5 from 26 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cookie recipe, m&m cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes

Total Time: 28 minutes

Servings: 12 big cookies

Calories: 404kcal

Author: Jessica - Together as Family

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons salted butter melted & cooled (see note below)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 cup crushed miniature m&m's
• 1 cup mini m&m's

Instructions

• Heat oven to 325°. Prepare a cookie sheet by lining with parchment paper, a silpat baking mat, or spray with cooking spray.
• In a large mixing bowl add melted and cooled butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Beat with a hand mixer until combined, creamy, and light in color. About 1 minute.

  * You can also use a stand mixer with a paddle attachemnt.
• Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Beat together until combined. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix together, on low speed, just until combined. Stir in the crushed m&m's and mini m&m's just until combined. 
• Using a 1/4 cup measuring spoon, scoop up 1/4 cup of dough and roll into a ball. Place 6 dough balls per cookie sheet.

  Take the bottom side of a larger measuring cup (I use a 1 cup size) and gently press down on the tops of the dough balls. Just slightly to flatten the top. They should look like hockey pucks.

  If wanted, place a few additional m&m's on top of the cookie dough balls after gently flattening the tops.
• Bake 12-15 minutes. Edges will be very lightly browned while the middle will still be somewhat soft and pale. My cookies are perfect at 13 minutes. 
• Immediately after baking, press a few additional miniature m&m's into the cookies. Let cool on the baking sheet for about 20 minutes. At first the cookies will appear really soft and underbaked. But let them cool on that warm cookie sheet and they will come togehter and firm up.

  After the cooling time, remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Or eat one warm!

Video

Notes

Dough : This is a softer dough but you should easily be able to roll it into a ball. It will be a softer ball but that's ok. If you feel like you need more flour then add 1 tablespoon at a time. I live at a high altitude (Utah) and I never have to add any extra flour. 

Tip : I love to use the pre-cut parchment sheets for all my cookie recipes. They come pre-cut by Reynold's brand so they are so simple to use. You can also use a silpat baking mat or just spray the cookie sheet with cooking spray. 

Butter : If you use unsalted butter then be sure and add some additional salt. I would increase the salt to 3/4 cup if using unsalted butter. 

Melted & Cooled Butter : An easy tip to do this is to place the unwrapped butter into a microwave-safe container (I use a glass pyrex measuring cup) and microwave for 45 seconds. When you take it out there will be melted butter + softened chunks of butter. Take a fork and mix it until all the butter is melted and combined smooth. This way you have melted butter that is room temperature. It can be used immediately in the recipe.

M&M's : I know lots of people say "oh yea, you can substitute with regular sized m&m's". I actually don't recommend it. Yes you can do it but the smaller bits of m&m through out the cookie makes a difference. Just try it! I promise the mini m&m's are better than the regular sized. They are easy to find either in the baking aisle with the other chocolate chips or in the candy aisle by the other bags of family size/sharing size m&m packs.  

To crush the m&m's you can either use a nut chopper or place the m&m's into a Ziploc bag and use a meat pounder or other heavy object to crush/chop the m&m's. 

This recipe was originally published with the directions to separate the dough ball and stack them on top of each other. This gave people problems (me included!) because the dough would fall off the top piece and form a weird cookie. The directions have been updated to include the new way of forming the dough. The baking powder is a new addition as well. This helps make the cookie fluffy and soft-baked. 

Nutrition

Calories: 404kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 316mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 450IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 2mg