These bakery-style M&M Cookies are packed with chocolate chips and M&M candies. Crispy at the edges, soft and chewy in the center, and bursting with chocolate in every bite. No chill time needed — simply make and bake.
When I worked in a grocery store bakery, our M&M cookies were basically chocolate chip cookies with a few M&M’s stuck on top. It always felt like a shortcut, because I wanted every bite to include candy, not just a few pieces on the surface.
The Best M&M Cookies
My conclusion: the best M&M cookies combine chocolate chips with classic M&M candies. Chocolate chips add melty, smooth chocolate throughout the cookie, while M&M candies give color and crunch—especially when pressed into the tops before baking.
You can use mini M&M’s or baking bits for better distribution, but I prefer the contrast of semi-melted chips inside and bright M&M’s on top.
Soft or Crisp Cookies?
How you handle the dough and bake the cookies determines whether they turn out soft or crispy. Use these tips to achieve your preferred texture:
- Use soft, yet firm butter. The butter should be at room temperature but still slightly firm to the touch. If butter is too soft or melted, cookies will spread too thin. Chill the dough briefly if needed.
- For soft cookies: Remove from the oven when edges are barely browned and centers look slightly underdone. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet a few minutes so they finish baking gently.
- For crisp cookies: Bake until the tops and edges are golden; add 2–3 minutes to the bake time for a firmer, crisper cookie.
Thick or Thin Cookies?
Adjust portion size and handling to make cookies thick or thin:
- For thick cookies: Use larger dough portions (about 2 Tbsp each) and shape the dough balls tall and round. After baking, you can press the warm edges inward with a spatula to emphasize height. Chilling the dough 30–60 minutes before baking also helps keep cookies thick.
- For thin cookies: Use smaller portions (about 1.5 Tbsp), use slightly softer butter, or press the dough lightly after scooping to flatten the tops before baking.
Tips for Making M&M Cookies
- Use a cookie scoop. A cookie scoop helps cookies bake uniformly and look consistent. A #30 scoop (about 2 Tbsp) works well for bakery-style cookies; a #40 scoop yields slightly smaller cookies.
- Press M&M’s on top. Mix a small amount of M&M’s into the dough, but press most of the candies onto the tops of the dough balls before baking. Be generous—cookies spread and you want candy in every bite.
- When placing candies, avoid flattening the dough if you want thick cookies. Instead of rolling the dough flat into the M&M’s, pick up candies and gently tuck them into the top of each rounded dough ball.
- Space cookies 3 inches apart. Bake fewer cookies per tray (about 8) instead of a dozen to prevent spreading into each other and to produce thicker results—the oven won’t be trying to evenly distribute heat across many small cookies.
This recipe favors extra vanilla and a higher ratio of brown sugar to granulated sugar for richer flavor and chewiness. I hope you love it!
More Cookie Recipes
- Soft-Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies – a recipe for thick, chewy cookies.
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies – classic peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips.
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies – hearty, thick, and chewy with old-fashioned oats.
- Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies – fudgy crinkles with extra chocolate chips.
- Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies – salty-sweet cookies filled with pretzels and caramel bits.
- Sour Cream Cookies – soft and fluffy, great plain or frosted.
M&M Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) butter, (2 sticks) room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar, gently packed
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 1/4 cups (406 g) all-purpose flour (stir, spoon & level)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup (170 g) chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups (336 g) M&M’s candies, divided
Equipment
- Serving spatula
- #30 cookie scoop (about 2 Tbsp)
- Silicone baking mat or parchment paper
- Half sheet baking tray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and both sugars for 1–2 minutes. Do not overmix. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until combined. Scrape the bowl with a spatula.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until just combined (about 1 minute).
- Stir in the chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of the M&M’s on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
- Scoop dough into balls (about 2 Tbsp each) and place on prepared baking sheets about 3 inches apart (about 8 per tray). Generously press M&M’s into the tops of each dough ball (approximately 6–7 M&M’s per cookie) while keeping the dough rounded.
- Bake at 350°F for 8–10 minutes, until edges are just beginning to brown. For thicker cookies, press the edges inward with a spatula while still warm. Let cool on the sheet for 1–2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use unsalted butter or salted butter and adjust salt if necessary.
- To measure flour accurately: stir flour to aerate, spoon into the measuring cup, and level with a knife. Weights in grams are provided for accuracy.
- For thicker cookies: refrigerate dough 30–60 minutes before baking and press edges inward while warm.
- For crispier cookies: bake 2–3 minutes longer until golden all over.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Nutrition
Calories: 178 kcal |
Carbohydrates: 33 g |
Protein: 3 g |
Fat: 4 g |
Saturated Fat: 3 g |
Sodium: 133 mg |
Sugar: 21 g
Disclaimer: Nutritional values are estimates calculated with a third-party tool.
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