Soft M&M’s Pudding Cookies — The softest, thickest, best M&M’s cookies ever! People love these big cookies loaded with M&M’s! Instant vanilla pudding mix keeps them super soft and pillowy!
Table of Contents
These M&M’s pudding cookies are thick enough to sink your teeth into, and they’re so very soft and moist. There’s a hint of chewiness at the base and edges, and it’s just enough to balance the softness and give me the mouthfeel I’m looking for in a perfectly baked cookie.
The texture is dense yet light, and they remind me a bit of the texture in the Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies, minus the cream cheese.
The crunchy candy coating shells of the M&M’s also breaks up the soft, buttery dough and is a perfect texture contrast to the smooth, melted semi-sweet chocolate chips.
These vanilla pudding M&M’s cookies get my vote as my new chocolate chip cookie dough base to beat, and that’s a big statement.
The Science Behind Baking with Pudding Mix
This is some of the best cookie dough I’ve ever made. The cookies are great, but the dough base itself, wow. Allow me to explain. If you don’t care about cookie science, scroll down to the recipe. But if you do, pour a cup of coffee and enjoy.
For nearly the past two years, when I make chocolate chip cookies, I use this recipe. It produces amazingly consistent chocolate chip cookies, and one reason the cookies always turn out beautifully is from the cornstarch in the dough. I’ve used cornstarch in about 20+ cookie recipes because it helps create softbatch-style cookies that are so soft, moist, and supple, without turning cakey.
However, for these chewy M&M’s cookies, rather than using cornstarch, I used 1/4 cup instant vanilla pudding mix. Pudding mix is mostly modified food starch (aka cornstarch) and some sugary flavorings. So it turns out pudding cookies and cornstarch cookies really aren’t that far apart!
Ingredients for the Cookies
To make these easy vanilla pudding cookies using M&M’s cookies, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Instant vanilla pudding mix
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 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 Pudding Cookies
The dough for these cookies comes together quickly! Here are the basic recipe steps:
- Cream together the butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla.
- Stir in the dry ingredients.
- Fold in the M&M’s and chocolate chips.
- Shape the cookie dough into balls using a 1/4 cup scoop, then press more M&M’s into the top. Chill for at least 2 hours before baking.
- Once the dough has had time to chill, bake until the edges have set and the tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center.
Tip for Making Pretty Cookies
I added 3/4 cup M&M’s into the dough, formed the mounds, and then inserted another tablespoon of M&M’s onto the tops for a nice visual pop. I want to really knowing I’m eating M&M’s cookies.
Cookie FAQs
The pudding cookie craze is nothing new, but not everyone likes or has access to pudding mix. If that’s you, rather than using pudding mix, use 2 teaspoons cornstarch, which means you’re back at my gold standard dough base (which is still great!).
Note that this recipe calls for instant vanilla pudding mix, NOT cook and serve. You also can’t use sugar-free pudding mix.
Yes! As with all my cookies, I chilled the dough before baking. It’s absolutely crucial for thick, puffy, full cookies. If you bake with warm, limp dough, your cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter. Why bother? Plan ahead and chill your dough.
Yes! I made this pudding mix M&M’s cookie recipe for Valentine’s Day, but you can make them for another holiday by using different colored M&M’s!
Go for it! I didn’t use many chocolate chips, only 3/4 cup for the whole batch, but it’s just enough to boost up the chocolate profile. Since the M&M’s are milk chocolate, a little semi-sweet is nice, but use whatever kind you like.
Storage Instructions
Baked cookies: Will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Raw 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.
Video Tutorial
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Soft M&M’s Pudding Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup instant vanilla pudding mix*
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 ¼ cups milk chocolate M&M’s, divided, (3/4 cup for mixing into the dough + 1/2 cup for placing on top of the dough mounds)
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, pudding mix (or cornstarch), baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the chocolate chips, 3/4 cup M&M’s, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
- Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form 15 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten slightly.
- Add about 1 tablespoon M&M’s to the top of each dough mound.
- Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet).
- Bake for 11 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center. Cookies firm up as they cool.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Cookies Made with Pudding Mix:
Soft Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies — These chocolate-dipped peanut butter cookies are SOFT AND CHEWY on the inside thanks to the addition of pudding mix in the cookie dough! Dipping them in dark chocolate makes for the PERFECT flavor combo!!
The Best Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies — One of my absolute favorite recipes for chocolate chip cookies thanks to a special ingredient! Just one bite and I think you’ll agree!!
Quadruple Chocolate Pudding Cookies — These pudding cookies are packed with cocoa powder, chocolate chips and chunks, and chocolate pudding mix to deliver seriously chocolatey flavor!
Double Malted Milk Cookies — Soft and chewy malted milk cookies loaded with Whoppers and chocolate chips! One of my favorite malted milk powder recipes!
Chocolate Chip Andes Mint Cookies — These quadruple chocolate Andes mint cookies are big, bakery-style cookies that are rich, not overly sweet, and loaded with chocolate and mint chips.
Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies – You won’t miss the butter in these olive oil chocolate chip cookies!! They’re soft and chewy, loaded with chocolate, and have a unique flavor from the olive oil but it’s not overpowering!
Quadruple Chocolate Rolo Cookies — Soft and chewy cookies made with four kinds of chocolate and stuffed with Rolo candies! Ooey, gooey, and addictive!
I was wondering if I can make these into a 9×13 pan bar? Has anyone tried that?
I think that would work just fine.
What if you don’t have pudding mix or cornstarch (I used the last bit yesterday) and it’s storming so you can’t get to the store? Can I omit? Use something else? Thanks.
If you omit them it will change the texture of the cookies fairly dramatically. They will probably still ‘turn out’ but they won’t have the same texture at all.
just made these and have to say the flavor is amazing! Love this recipe! I am confused though because my cookies flattened out tremendously and aren’t thick like yours are! Any idea why this would happen? I baked them for about 12 minutes at 350 and followed all the directions correctly. I also allowed them to completely cool down on the tray
I have this post for cookie tips and tricks. Silpat, King Arthur flour, etc. Follow all my suggestions and I bet your cookies will be puffy. Glad the flavor of your cookies is amazing!
Just made it! Loved this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it came out great for you!
Hello, These look really good but Im trying to find a mint choc chip +M&M recipe. Do you think I could add a teaspoon for mint extract or would that totally mess up cookie?
You could add mint extract. Skip the vanilla.
https://www.averiecooks.com/2014/03/andes-mint-chip-soft-fudgy-chocolate-cookies.html
https://www.averiecooks.com/2016/12/peppermint-patty-chocolate-cookies.html
Both great mint cookies. I’d go with one of those!
I’ve made this recipe! Amazing!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
I’ve left comments and questions before but just wanted to come by again and say my hubby LOVES this recipe. I am NOT a baker but this recipe is fool proof. He won’t eat any other chocolate chip cookies. If he is having a craving I have to bake these!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it’s a favorite and that it’s foolproof! Great to hear this is your go-to!
Just wanted to say I can put these high on the list of some of the best cookies ever made. Love your blog.
I seriously did 5x recipe today and was thinking I somehow miscounted on something but no. They came out perfect, thick, soft, chocolatey goodness! I did the valentines m&ms and mixed in some of their dark chocolate too.. so good
Thanks for trying the recipe (in a 5x batch no less)! And glad it came out great for you! Glad these are some of the best cookies you’ve ever made!
So I am not sure what I did wrong.. I bake all the time and had a lot of problems with this recipe. They never seemed to cook all the way through. :( I started with 11 minutes and then went up to 14 minutes. Maybe I am just not used to a soft cookie? I threw away 2 racks.
Any suggestions on what I could do different next time?
They are a VERY soft cookie and I think that you’re mistaking the softness for not being done all the way through. You could flatten the mounds of dough a bit more next time, that may help decrease cooking time. But I always tell people, bake until the recipe is done. All ovens, preferences, etc vary and don’t get too hung up on minutes on a clock; watch your recipe and bake until it’s done.
Hi!
This recipe sounds great. I’m definitelly making it for valentine’s day. I’m just wondering, what if I use chocolate pudding mix for more chocolate flavour? Do you think that would turn out great? :)
I wouldn’t use chocolate pudding mix because these aren’t chocolate cookies. I feel like the chocolate will cloud the other flavors and I would stick with vanilla pudding. The recipe is great as written!
Hi Averie! I LOVE this recipe and I’ve made it many times, thank you so so much! I have always struggled with cookies, but this is my go-to recipe for sure. I do have a question though, I need to make a lot of cookies for next week and wanted to get a head start on making the dough. Would it be ok staying in the fridge for 3 or 4 days before baking?
Thanks again!
Yes totally fine for 3-4 days before baking. Just shape into balls (don’t let it sit in the fridge in one big mass or it’s too hard to chisel out) and you’ll be set. Glad you love the cookies!
Hello everyone,
These cookies are yummy! Mixing cookies and M&M candies is an innovative way to make my family happy. They would really love it! Thanks for sharing this unique recipe!
Wishing you a sunny day,
Daria
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
I made these with our 4 year old tonight. They turned out fine, but are too sweet for my taste. He loved them though! I am sure they will be a hit for his little friends as gifts.
Glad the kids will love them!
I have tried to mix MM’s with chocolate and add them to pancakes :)
Wow! Great recipe, I am trying it tomorrow.
Just wondering if we can substitue egg in m&m cookies. The cooies must be really good ad I made for my son’s friends and all of them vanished in minutes
I haven’t tried making these egg-free or using anything other than a real egg in this recipe so can’t say for sure how to go about that or if it would work.