Classic M&M Cookies are crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, and wonderfully sweet homemade cookies that the whole family will enjoy!
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These colorful cookies are perfect for the holiday season using only simple pantry staples and no chill time required like my Triple Chocolate M&M Cookies. You may prefer my M&M Cookie Bars or classic Chocolate Chip Cookies or maybe you prefer a chewy Iced Oatmeal Cookie.
Why this recipe works
These classic chewy cookies are so easy to make, only use one bowl, and are perfectly balanced, no refrigeration is required. The butter and eggs make the interior of the cookie soft and chewy while the outer edges are crispy and delicious. There is just the right amount of chocolate and a little crunch in every bite of this chewy m&m cookie recipe!
ingredients needed for M&M cookie recipe
ingredient notes
- Butter: Use softened unsalted butter, real butter not margarine. You can leave it on the counter at room temperature for about 30-minutes to soften.
- M&Ms: regular m&m or m&m mini any colors you like, or change it up and throw in some peanut butter m&m.
- Mini Chocolate chips: Chocolate chips add another layer of texture and flavor. If you choose, you can leave these out and just use the M&Ms.
- Sugars: You will need both brown sugar and white granulated sugar.
How to make M&M cookies
- Step 1: Cream butter in a large mixing bowl.
- Step 2: Next, add the sugar, and brown sugar together using an electric mixer until smooth.
- Step 3: Once the butter mixture is smooth, mix in the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Step 4: Slowly add in the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix the flour mixture until you get a dough.
- Step 5: Fold in the mini chocolate chips and part of the M&Ms reserving some of the tops of the cookies.
- Step 6: Create cookie dough balls and place them 2” apart on the prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Step 7: Add more M&Ms to the top. Press the cookies down and place 3 M&Ms on top before baking.
- Step 8: Bake your classic M&M cookies for 9 minutes or until the edges start to brown.
- Step 9: Remove your cookies from the oven and immediately press more M&Ms into the top of the cookies.
- Step 10: Place the cooled cookies on a cooling rack.
Recipe tips
- Measure the flour properly. The key to baking is making sure you have the exact ingredients. You should never use the measuring cup to scoop the flour. Instead, scoop the flour into the measuring cup with a spoon. Then, level it off with a butter knife.
- Use a cookie scoop. The amount of cookies this recipe yield depends on the size of the cookie dough ball. To get the most from your dough, use a cookie scoop to create 2-tablespoon cookie dough balls.
- Adding the m&m's to the top right out of the oven allows the m&m's to shine perfectly.
- Do not overbake we want the center to stay soft with crispy edges.
- You don't want to use melted butter or your cookies can become too thin.
Recipe Faq's
Do not overbake them! For best results, I always remove them from the oven when they are slightly underdone. They will continue to bake on the baking sheet and become the best cookies after cooling.
Use a cookie scoop and roll the dough into balls.
Yes! You can! You can either freeze the dough to be baked later or you can let the baked cookies cool completely and freeze the baked cookies in a freezer bag. I like freezing the dough because it produces fresher cookies, in my opinion. Place your dough balls on a cookie sheet and flash-freeze them for 1-2 hours. Once they are frozen, transfer them to a Ziplock bag and place them back in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You can store any leftover cookies in a Ziploc bag or airtight container at room temperature. Cookies will be just as delicious for up to 3 days. Although you can keep them for 3-days at room temperature, they’ve never lasted that long at my house!
The proportion of flour to butter is what makes the cookies thin and not have to chill the dough. Your cookies will be thin with this recipe with crispier edges and chewy centers.
The outside candy coating prevents the M&M's from melting during the baking process in the M&M cookie recipe.
More cookie recipes
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Classic M&M cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks (softened)
- 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pure baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cup M&Ms divided
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- 1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- 2. Combine the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and cream together using a hand mixer until smooth.
- 3. Once smooth, mix in the eggs and vanilla extract.
- 4. Slowly stir in the unbleached flour, baking soda, and kosher salt until a soft dough forms.
- 5. Fold in about 3/4 cup M&Ms and mini chocolate chips into the cookie dough.
- 6. Use a spoon or cookie scoop to create 2 tablespoons of cookie dough balls and place them about 2” apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- 7. Press cookies down a little and add a few M&Ms to the top before baking.
- 8. Bake for 9 minutes or until the edges start to brown.
- 9. Remove from the oven and immediately press more M&Ms to the tops of the cookies.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 8 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Making this recipe now, excited for the outcome!
One comment- step 2 says add the cream but there is no cream in the ingredients list. Am I not seeing something?