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This fun and colorful chewy M&M cookie recipe is a fan favorite that can easily be customized for any occasion!
Kid-Approved
Our family can’t get enough of cookies, especially this irresistible M&M cookie recipe! No joke – we make them monthly and get asked for the recipe every time we make them and they happen to be a personal favorite.
This recipe is a slight twist of our classic Chocolate Chip Cookies but with crushed M&Ms through out and M&Ms on top guaranteeing you get candy in every bite. That’s what makes them so irresistible!
We’ve made them for as long as we can remember and they’ve definitely become one of our go-to easy cookie recipes! They are right up there with our famous Snickerdoodle Cookies and Frosted Sugar Cookies.
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- Quick. This easy dessert recipe is ready to enjoy in under 15 minutes!
- Fun. They are colorful and completely customizable by changing up the M&Ms with your favorites!
- Freezable. As with most cookies, these can easily be frozen in dough or cookie form for later.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 8 minutes
COOK TIME: 7 minutes
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar – For chewier cookies substitute ⅓-½ cup of granulated sugar with an equal amount of added brown sugar.
- ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature) – Overly soft or melted butter can cause the cookies to spread too much – see How to Soften Butter Quickly.
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – pure vanilla extract for the best flavor or substitute almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour – How to Measure Flour
- 2 cups M&M candies – We use (plain) chopped and whole, separated (plus w a few mini M&Ms for the top). Change up the M&M flavors for different holidays and occasions.
How to Make M & M CookieS
- PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
- BATTER. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup butter, and ½ cup oil.
- Add 2 eggs and beat until fluffy.
- Add 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix until combined.
- M&Ms. Mix in 2 cups chopped M&Ms (chop about ½ cup whole M&Ms in a nut chopper, crush them in a Ziploc bag with the bottom of a cup, or use a food processor). Stir to combine.
- BAKE. Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop the mixture into dough balls and place onto prepared baking sheets. Insert 6-9 M&Ms (regular and plain) on top before baking.
- Working in batches, bake for 8-10 minutes.
- PICTURE PERFECT. Cool on the sheet for a few minutes. For picture-perfect cookies use a silicone spatula to gently press the circumference of the cookie into a perfect circle before they cool. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
PRO TIP: Make Them Mini!
Make the dough as directed. Form the dough into smaller balls and instead of topping with regular-sized M&M’s use mini M&M’s to top each dough ball. Reduce the bake time to about 5-6 minutes.
We also have Giant M&M Cookies!
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M&M Cookie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup butter, just softened
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups M&M's, (plain) chopped and whole, separated – with mini M&Ms too, if desired.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a stand mixer, cream together granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, and oil.
- Add eggs and beat until fluffy.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and vanilla. Mix until combined.
- Mix in chopped M&Ms (we chop about ½ cup M&Ms using a nut chopper).
- Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough balls onto a lightly greased pan and insert 6-9 M&Ms (regular and plain) on top before baking.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- For picture-perfect cookies: Before the cookies cool, use a silicone spatula to gently press the circumference of the cookies into a perfect circle.
Video
Notes
- Refrigerate the dough. Cover the dough with plastic and store in the fridge for 1-2 days. Chilling the dough can help keep the cookies from spreading.
- Freeze cookie dough. Freeze in log form or cookie dough balls. Use our How to Freeze Cookie Dough for tips.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Refrigerate the dough. Cover the dough with plastic and store in the fridge for 1-2 days. Chilling the dough can help keep the cookies from spreading.
Freeze cookie dough. Freeze in log form or cookie dough balls. Use our How to Freeze Cookie Dough for tips.
Store. Place the cooled cookies in an air-tight container for 3-4 days. Place a piece of white bread into the container to help the cookies stay softer longer.
Freeze. Baked cookies can also be stored in the freezer for 3-4 months.
Loved the m&m cookie recipe. Thanks so much for sharing.
I must have done something wrong. My cookies were rock solid. My kids did not want them.
Sorry to hear that! Perhaps they were baked longer… that can result in harder cookies? Not totally sure, but thanks for giving the recipe a try!
Rated one star because YOU did something wrong? That doesn’t seem fair. 🤷♀️
Ericka exactly what I was thinking. She admitted she did something wrong and gave a 1 star🙄. Makes no sense to me. I’ve been using this website for cooking and baking for years and it’s one of my favorite websites!!
I personally found that the cookie sheets make a big difference in baking times. Thick aluminum doesn’t work as well as the thin older ones. I got better results with 12 minute baking time.
Just made these and they were awesome!
Such great flavor.
My friend asked for her favorite cookie (m&m cookies) for her wedding reception. I tried 2 other m&m cookie recipes, this one was the best. Soft, chewy and so good!
I have been searching for a great M&M recipe and I have definitely found it!!! These have the perfect balance where neither the cookie or the m&m overtake the flavor. The flavors blend together flawlessly and you get a great cookie with yummy bites of chocolate. So good!!!
I made these foe my daughters’ birthday party 2 years ago and it’s been a cookie staple for our family wver since! The tip to chop up the m&ms and throw them in is key!
By far the best cookie recipe I have tried!
SO simple and SO good! I have put salted caramel chips in, chocolate chips and my all time fav reeses peanut butter chips and reeses pieces on top! I don’t even have to get out my big mixer! I scoop mine using a medium size scoop and cook for 8 minsutes, I love that I don’t have to chill before baking. I usually freeze about a dozen so we don’t end up eating them all in one day!
Ooh the peanut butter chips and Reeses pieces sound amazing! These cookies are really versatile which makes them fun. Love all the yummy variations you have made. Thanks for sharing!!
These were great! I used mini M&Ms and didn’t chop them up, definitely would if I used regular sized. Anyway, these were delicious and will definitely make them again.
Mini m&m’s are perfect!! Thank you for letting me know!