Soft and Chewy M&M’s Cookies — Super soft, chewy, buttery M&M’s cookies that totally are irresistible! Loaded with M&M’s and perfect for springtime, Easter, Mother’s Day and more!
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These easy homemade M&M’s cookies turned out so soft, moist, and tender in the interior with perfectly chewy edges. The dough is buttery, with hints of vanilla.
There’s an abundance of M&M’s in every bite and I love biting into their shells. The dichotomy of smooth, supple dough, generously flanked with candy, and hearing those little shells crack and crunch as I bite down, and feeling the crunchy coating bits between my teeth, like sweet little eggshells, it’s just something I love.
They’re the best M&M’s cookies I’ve ever had. And not just because there’s pink M&M’s baked in, but that doesn’t hurt.
Ingredients Needed
To make this M&M’s cookie recipe, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Milk chocolate M&M’s
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make M&M’s Cookies
Now, this is some of the easiest, fastest, and least fussy cookie dough you’ll ever make! Here’s how these spring cookies are made:
- Combine the butter, egg, sugars, vanilla, and beat until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and mix.
- Fold in the M&M’s and you’re done. So easy.
- After the dough comes together, form two tablespoon-sized mounds.
- Place all the mounds on a large plate, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days, before baking. If you bake with warm dough, your cookies will spread more and won’t stay as thick and puffy, which is why I always bake with chilled dough.
- Bake the cookies at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes, no more.
Tip for Rolling the Cookie Dough Balls
I wasn’t skimpy with the M&M’s, to the point that when you’re forming the dough mounds before baking, it may seem like you have as many M&M’s as dough in your mixing bowl. Just stuff them back into the dough if they’re trying to fall out, and later you’ll savor each and every crunchy candy-coated bite.
Recipe Variations
This is a classic chewy M&M’s cookie recipe, but there are a few ingredient swaps you can make:
- M&M’s color: To make these M&M’s cookies appropriate for any season or get-together, simply switch up the M&M’s colors you use. I used pastel M&M’s for Easter, but these cookies are easily customized!
- Chocolate chips: If you don’t have M&M’s on hand, you’re welcome to use semi-sweet chocolate chips instead.
- Bars: If you don’t feel like making individual cookies or don’t have time for the dough to chill, press the dough into an 8- or 9-inch baking dish and bake until golden around the edges and just set in the center.
Recipe FAQs
Cornstarch is the secret ingredient that helps these cookies bake up super soft. Cornstarch is why pudding cookies and cake Mix cookies bake up so soft! It worked like a champ here, keeping the cookies soft and tender, without being cakey.
Yes, you MUST chill the cookie dough for at least 2 hours. If you bake warm dough, your cookies will spread in the oven.
Yes, you can make the cookie dough and shape it into balls and then chill or freeze the dough to bake off later.
The cookies shown in the photos were baked with dough that had been chilled for two days, allowed to come to room temp for 15 minutes, and then baked for 8 1/2 minutes, with trays rotated at the 4-minute mark.
The cookie tops should be set, but barely, and will be pale, glossy and appear underdone, but they firm up as they cool. Baking any longer than 10 minutes and you run the risk of the bottoms browning too much, the M&M’s cracking, or ending up with hard, dry, rock-like hockey pucks after cooling.
Yes, you’re welcome to use any variety of M&M’s you’d like in this recipe.
Yes, you’re welcome to add chopped nuts, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and more to these cookies. Just keep in mind that you shouldn’t add more than 1 1/2 cups mix-ins total.
Storage Instructions
Baked cookies: Store the chewy M&M’s cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Raw cookie dough: Can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
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Soft and Chewy M&M’s Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 1 ½ cups milk chocolate M&M’s, or another variety of M&M’s, or chocolate chips may be substituted
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well-creamed, light and fluffy, about 5 minutes (or use a hand mixer and beat for at least 7 minutes).
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, optional salt, and mix until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Add the M&M’s and fold in by hand.
- Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop, form heaping mounds. Place mounds on a large plate, flatten mounds very slightly with your palm, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat, parchment, or spray with cooking spray. and place them on the baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart; I bake 8 cookies per sheet.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if slightly undercooked, pale and glossy in the center. Do not bake longer than ten minutes as cookies will firm up as they cool (The cookies shown in the photos were baked with dough that had been chilled for two days, allowed to come to room temp for 15 minutes, and were baked for 8 1/2 minutes, with trays rotated at the 4-minute mark. They have chewy edges with soft pillowy centers).
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Cookie Recipes with M&M’s:
M&M’s Chocolate Chip Cookies — These bakery-style M&M’s cookies are soft, chewy, buttery, and LOADED with M&M’s and chocolate chips. No one can resist these cookies!
Chocolate Cake Mix M&M’s Cookies — Foolproof cookies made with just 5 ingredients!! If you’re craving chocolate and want to make super EASY cookies that are soft, FUDGY, and delicious, this is the recipe to make!!
The BEST Oatmeal Chocolate Chip M&M’s Cookies — Between the chewy oats, the gooey melted chocolate, and the slight crunch from the M&Ms, there’s wonderful texture in every bite.
Soft M&M’s Pudding Cookies — This is my new favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies. They’re soft, buttery, and this version is loaded with milk chocolate M&Ms and semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Monster Cookies — My recipe for classic monster cookies that are chock full of creamy peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips, and M&M’s makes both kids and adults reach for just one more cookie! Fast, EASY, soft, perfectly chewy, and they’ll become a family FAVORITE in no time!
Santa’s Kitchen Sink Cookies — Santa and everyone else won’t be able to resist these AMAZING cookies loaded with everything but the kitchen sink!! EASY, festive, salty-sweet treats with a FUN ingredients list!!
Originally posted March 12, 2013 and reposted with updated text April 1, 2022.
Averie, what lovely spring-y, easter-y cookies – perfect for a baby shower too!!!…soft, chewy, m&ms…heaven!!!
Awwww, so cute! I could eat these all year long. And soft and chewy is definitely the way I like my cookies!
The pastel M&Ms have always been my favorite…and in these cookies?!? SO gorgeous, Averie! They’re just like a pop of spring that needs to find their way to my mouth.
Your photography is killing me – seriously just over the top awesome, Ashley!
You, my dear, are killing me! Every single recipe I see on your site I want to make! I did make the Marshmallow Caramel Oreo Cookie S’Mores Bars this weekend, so that is one more checked off my list. I could easily quit my job and do nothing but attempt to recreate your delicious treats. Of course I would regret that once I grew to the size these desserts would support. But back on point – I love your ideas and combinations. Everything looks wonderful and I’ve had great fun with the ones I’ve tried. I will have to do this one soon because I honestly think the Easter m&m’s taste different and better than other m&m’s. I remember making cookies with them years ago and thought they were the best. The cookie was like this one but I also added butterscotch chips. YUM. Thanks for all your baking knowledge.
Thanks, Deb, for the awesome comment! So glad to hear you’ve been making things and enjoying them! The Marshmallow Caramel Oreo Cookie S’Mores Bars were fun – I loved that crust. Normally I’m not into crust but crushed Oreos + melted butter = my kinda crust!
These cookies would be great with butterscotch or white choc chips in them too; really, it’s such a versatile dough base and can’t go wrong but the M&Ms are fun this time of year! Please come back and tell me if you make anything else! :)
Milk and Cookies, my all time favorite:) I think I need to buy a bag or 2 of pastel m& m’s~ Have a great week:) Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
Aren’t cookies the best? Especially when you can add such fun things like these gorgeous spring m&ms! Thank you so much for sharing with us, Averie. Delicious and beautiful as always!
They are the best, I swear :)
I love that you took one of your best, classic cookie recipes and made it even easier! Easy, delicious, soft, chewy cookies are my all time favorite. This recipe is a wonderful blank canvass for any and every holiday or celebration. You could toss in just about any candy, nut, dried fruit, or food dye and have them be perfect! :)
Blank canvas is exactly right! It’s a great, solid, awesome dough base. Especially for baking chips (choc, white, butterscotch) or chunky things like pretzels or marshmallows. If I want a more delicate dough base, I have another I use – I used it for Cranberry White Choc cookies, Maraschino Cherry Cookies, and it’s derived from my Sugar Doodles. But yes, this one is foolproof and easy!
Oooo. these look amazing Averie. My little ones will love making these for Easter.. :)
If you try them with your kiddos, LMK!
“Soft and chewy” is my favorite description for cookies! Yours looks terrific! I never put M&M’s in cookies until I tried the monster cookie recipe from Baked and was shocked by how good they are that way! : ) I love that there are M&M’s for every season/holiday so there’s always a good reason/excuse to make some!
I didn’t know their was a recipe in the Baked book for M&M cookies. It’s one of the few cookbooks I don’t have but constantly hear good things about and need to pick it up, asap!
I am having an intense love affair with these cookies! They look so soft and chewy.
These look delicious – I just bought some Easter coloured M&M’s too and wondering what to make with them – may have just decided! :)
These are the prettiest cookies, I love the pastel M&Ms!
Those look absolutely delicious!!!
I had M&M cookies on my mind recently. These look so adorable! Love the pastel colors! I assume the pink ones were special :)
These look so fabulous! And the colours are so spring-y!
only 8 pink M&Ms??? I’m going to write a letter. I bet Skylar was not happy about that! You know I love M&Ms in my cookies and they taste so wonderful in this super soft cookie dough. And I love that you completely overloaded the dough with them! They look wonderful Averie. Before this past year, I always had M&Ms cracking in my cookies. I’m glad I realized that… duh!… it’s due to baking them for too long. :) FACT: pink M&Ms taste better than any other color.
I was so worried those pretty, pastel, delicate-looking M&Ms were going to crack, and made sure not to overbake and to keep the dough mounds at a modest size so they didn’t! And yes, it was like opening a bag of suckers only discover like 3 reds and 19 greens (ick)…with the 8 picks situation! haha!