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!
Table of Contents
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.
just made these for my shared lunch in French class on tuesday …. I tried not to eat them till then, but… they’re just too yummy! :p
thanks for this amazing and super easy recipe :))
Thanks for trying them and yes, they are so good – it’s hard to resist this dough base, I agree! I have an adaptation of this dough base coming on Tuesday. So glad you like these! :)
Averie…let me just say that I usually suck at baking cookies. Especially, chocolate chip cookies. These were the best I’ve ever made! Thank you so much! I did add a bit more salt because I’m a freak for that contrast and I used mini M&M’s, but they were awesome! Thanks so much! Love your site!
So glad that this recipe was such a huge success for you! And that they’re the best cookies you’ve ever made! This dough base is priceless. It creates the best ever cookies. For example these https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/05/soft-and-chewy-snickers-chocolate-chip-cookies.html or with Twix https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/05/twix-bar-chocolate-chip-cookies.html The dough base is always the same but the add-ins vary. LMK if you try other versions and so happy you tweaked them with mini MMs and a little salt.
Use the rest of your mini MMs for these. Best brownies I have ever made. https://www.averiecooks.com/homemade-little-debbie-cosmic-brownies/
I saw this recipe when you first shared it, but then didn’t bookmark it. So, today when I wanted to use the M&Ms I got on Easter clearance, of course I couldn’t remember where I saw the recipe! GAH! Five minutes on Google later, and I found it! Then, I started making the cookies without realizing chilling was recommended. I didn’t have time to chill, so just rolled the dough into balls, baked, and hoped for the best. They turned out fabulous and I’m sure my children will be quite happy when I surprise them with M&M cookies after school today!
So happy to hear you relocated the recipe and that even without chilling the dough, they turned out great for you! I’m sure you’re going to be the best mom ever today after your kids have the cookies :) Enjoy!!
I just pulled some of these out of the oven (and taste tested a few) and these are wonderful! I have never seen cornstarch in a cookie recipe before, but what a great idea (since it would make the flour more like cake flour and lighter). My son was so excited to use the Easter m&ms in the cookies. :) He didn’t even mind the refrigeration time or waiting till naps where over to try them! Thank you for the great recipe!
since it would make the flour more like cake flour and lighter = Exactly! Without that sometimes strange smell/taste that cake flour can impart. I am so glad you like them and that your son did, too! Thanks for LMK you tried them!
I’m definitely pinning this on my M&Ms Board. Just bought Easter M&Ms on sale after the holiday and now I have your idea for using them. Yum!
Thanks for the pin and hope you try them. Also see these https://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2012/03/egg-in-a-nest-stuffed-peanut-butter-cookie-dough-bites.html nobake, vegan, GF – 10 mins to make!
I just made these this weekend and they were a huge hit! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
So glad to hear they were a huge hit! Thanks fro coming back to LMK!
My Easter M&M cookies are in the fridge right now! I can’t wait to put them in the oven tomorrow after church! I hope I did everything right!!! They look amazing! = )
Overnight chilling is the best! Good call and I am sure they’re going to be perfect! LMK how they go for you! Happy Easter!
hey girl! great recipe! i just wanted to share that early on in reading the recipe i didn’t realize refrigerating the dough was part of the steps! sooo in the midst of an 8:00pm baking session (for work tomorrow!) i refrigerated the dough for about 40 minutes and they still came out perfectly! thank you so much for this delicious recipe…perfect even when i messed it up a bit!
Well you didn’t mess it up too badly if they came out perfectly! Woo-hoo! Thanks for LMK you made them and that you’re so happy! Yay! (and sorry you have to work on Easter Sunday!)
i just made these. followed the recipe exactly and chilled them for 2 hours. they took 20 + minutes to cook (might still not even be done). and spread out so much farther than yours. im bummed because yours look fantastic, but this recipe was not a winner for me.
Hi Alison
With all due respect, if you had to bake a batch of cookies for longer than 20 minutes, cookies that are this size especially, I highly suspect there is something wrong with your oven if you followed the recipe to the T. There have been many, many people (as you can see from some of the comments) who have made them as well as those who’ve emailed me saying they’ve made them with success, so I know the recipe works. This blogger also made them, and the only thing she changed was she used Peanut Butter-Filled M&Ms rather than plain M&Ms like I did https://www.bakerita.com/soft-peanut-butter-mm-cookies/
They’re also almost identical in dough base to this dough https://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2012/11/chocolate-chip-and-chunk-cookies.html which gets rave reviews from readers and it’s an adaptation of a recipe I found online with thousands of positive results
My friend Sally also makes similar cookies to these with chocolate chips rater than PB chips and her dough base is identical to mine here, which is why I think it’s your oven or something on your end. Sorry they didn’t work for you.
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/08/06/the-chocolate-chip-cookie/